Compiled by: Hafiz Muhammad Anwar Zahid (حفظ اللہ)
ʿAbdullah bin Mubarak (رحمہ اللہ) once mentioned:
During one of my journeys for Hajj, I encountered an old woman who had been separated from her caravan. Observing her distress and despair, I attempted to converse with her:
I greeted her with “As-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah (Peace and mercy of Allah be upon you),” to which she responded:
“سَلَامٌ قَوْلًا مِّن رَّبٍّ رَّحِيمٍ”
[Surah Ya-Sin 36:58]
"Peace, a word from a Merciful Lord."
Meaning: The response of peace is from Allah Himself.
❀ ʿAbdullah bin Mubarak then asked, "What are you doing here?"
The woman replied:
“مَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ”
[Surah Al-A'raf 7:186]
"Whomsoever Allah misguides, none can guide."
Meaning: I have lost my way.
❀ He asked, "Where have you come from?"
She answered:
“سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَىٰ”
[Surah Al-Isra 17:1]
"Glory be to Him Who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque."
Meaning: I am coming from Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa.
❀ ʿAbdullah bin Mubarak inquired, "How long have you been here?"
She said:
“ثَلَاثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيًّا”
[Surah Maryam 19:10]
"Three nights in succession."
❀ He then asked, "How are you managing for food?"
She replied:
“وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِ”
[Surah Ash-Shu'ara 26:79]
"He (Allah) provides me with food and drink."
❀ He further inquired, "Is there water available for ablution?"
She answered:
“فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا”
[Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:6]
"If you find no water, then perform Tayammum (dry ablution) with clean earth."
❀ When he offered her food, she responded:
“أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ”
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:187]
"Complete your fast until the night."
Indicating that she was fasting.
❀ He said, "But it is not the month of Ramadan."
She replied:
“وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ”
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:158]
"And whoever volunteers to do good, indeed Allah is Appreciative, All-Knowing."
Meaning: I am observing a voluntary fast.
❀ He then remarked, "But it is permissible to break the fast while traveling."
She replied:
“وَأَن تَصُومُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ”
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:184]
"But to fast is better for you, if you only knew."
The Story:
A well-known public speaker narrated this story with great emotion and passion. He said:ʿAbdullah bin Mubarak (رحمہ اللہ) once mentioned:
During one of my journeys for Hajj, I encountered an old woman who had been separated from her caravan. Observing her distress and despair, I attempted to converse with her:
I greeted her with “As-salamu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullah (Peace and mercy of Allah be upon you),” to which she responded:
“سَلَامٌ قَوْلًا مِّن رَّبٍّ رَّحِيمٍ”
[Surah Ya-Sin 36:58]
"Peace, a word from a Merciful Lord."
Meaning: The response of peace is from Allah Himself.
❀ ʿAbdullah bin Mubarak then asked, "What are you doing here?"
The woman replied:
“مَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ”
[Surah Al-A'raf 7:186]
"Whomsoever Allah misguides, none can guide."
Meaning: I have lost my way.
❀ He asked, "Where have you come from?"
She answered:
“سُبْحَانَ الَّذِي أَسْرَىٰ بِعَبْدِهِ لَيْلًا مِّنَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ إِلَى الْمَسْجِدِ الْأَقْصَىٰ”
[Surah Al-Isra 17:1]
"Glory be to Him Who took His servant by night from the Sacred Mosque to the Farthest Mosque."
Meaning: I am coming from Al-Masjid Al-Aqsa.
❀ ʿAbdullah bin Mubarak inquired, "How long have you been here?"
She said:
“ثَلَاثَ لَيَالٍ سَوِيًّا”
[Surah Maryam 19:10]
"Three nights in succession."
❀ He then asked, "How are you managing for food?"
She replied:
“وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِ”
[Surah Ash-Shu'ara 26:79]
"He (Allah) provides me with food and drink."
❀ He further inquired, "Is there water available for ablution?"
She answered:
“فَلَمْ تَجِدُوا مَاءً فَتَيَمَّمُوا صَعِيدًا طَيِّبًا”
[Surah Al-Ma'idah 5:6]
"If you find no water, then perform Tayammum (dry ablution) with clean earth."
❀ When he offered her food, she responded:
“أَتِمُّوا الصِّيَامَ إِلَى اللَّيْلِ”
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:187]
"Complete your fast until the night."
Indicating that she was fasting.
❀ He said, "But it is not the month of Ramadan."
She replied:
“وَمَن تَطَوَّعَ خَيْرًا فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ شَاكِرٌ عَلِيمٌ”
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:158]
"And whoever volunteers to do good, indeed Allah is Appreciative, All-Knowing."
Meaning: I am observing a voluntary fast.
❀ He then remarked, "But it is permissible to break the fast while traveling."
She replied:
“وَأَن تَصُومُوا خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ”
[Surah Al-Baqarah 2:184]
"But to fast is better for you, if you only knew."
Verification of the Hadith:
The chain of narration (Isnad) is fabricated (موضوع).- Shaykh Abdul Sattar Al-Hammad states that this incident is mentioned under the title "Hikayat Mutakallim bil-Qur'an" in Al-Mustatraf fi Kull Fan Mustazraf Vol 1, p. 56. However, it lacks a chain of narration.
- Unverified stories are often self-invented, and this book contains several such baseless and irrelevant incidents. Reliance on such stories should be avoided.
- A similar account has been recorded by Imam Ibn Hibban in Rawdat al-'Uqala wa Nuzhat al-Fudala p. 72 (Saudi Arabia Edition). However, the chain includes a narrator, Muhammad bin Zakariya al-‘Alabi, about whom Imam al-Daraqutni remarked that he fabricated Hadiths [Al-Du‘afa’ wa Al-Matrukin, p. 483].