delivered their babies. In a short time, the jungle was filled with his camels, his cows, and his goats.

Thereafter, under the orders of Allâh Ta'âla, that angel went in his previous form to the leper and said to him: "I am a poor person. All my provisions for my journey are finished. Today I have no means of reaching home except through Allâh and then through your help. In the name of that Allâh who has blessed you with a nice skin and a beautiful complexion, I ask you for a camel which I could ride and reach my home." He replied: "Get far away from here! I have a lot of other commitments to fulfil. I do not have anything to spare which I could give you." The angel said: "I think I recognize you. Were you not a leper, for which people despised you? Were you not very poor, and then Allâh blessed you with so much of wealth?" He replied: "What are you talking? I inherited this wealth from my ancestors." The angel said: "If you are lying, may Allâh return you as you were before."

The angel then went to the bald person in his previous form and asked him the same questions and he also replied in the same way. So the angel said to him: "If you are lying, may Allâh return you as you were before."

Eventually he went to the blind person in that same original form and said to him: "I am a traveller and all my provisions are finished. Today I have no means except Allâh and then you. In the name of that Being who returned to you your eye-sight, I ask you for a goat with which I could do my work and complete my journey." He replied: "Without doubt, I was blind. It was only out of His mercy that Allâh Ta'âla gave me back my eye-sight. Take as much as you want and leave behind as much as you want. By Allâh, I will not s you from taking anything." The angel replied: "Keep your wealth with you, I do not want anything. I had only come to test you three. Now the test is over. Allâh is pleased with you and displeased with the other two."

Lesson: Just imagine, that because of the ungratefulness of those two, all those bounties were taken away and they were left as they were before. Allâh became displeased with them and they are forsaken both in this world and in the hereafter. Due to his gratefulness, that person's bounties remained intact, Allâh was pleased with him, and he is contented both in this world and in the hereafter.

Third Story
Once some meat from somewhere came to Hadrat Umme Salamah radiAllâhu anha. Rasulullah sallAllâhu alayhi wa sallam liked meat a lot. She therefore asked her maid to keep the meat on the shelf. Rasulullah sallAllâhu alayhi wa sallam will perhaps come and partake of it. So she kept it on the shelf. Just then a beggar came, and while standing at the doorway, shouted: " Give in the name of Allâh, He will give you barakah!" A reply from the house came: "May Allâh also give you blessings!" These words are used to show that there is nothing in the house which could be given. That beggar went away. Just then Rasulullah sallAllâhu alayhi wa sallam arrived and asked: "O Umme Salamah! Do you have anything to eat?" She replied: "Yes" and said to the maid: "Go and get that meat." She goes to bring the meat, but there's no sign of that meat over there. Only a piece of white stone was kept there. Upon this Rasulullah sallAllâhu alayhi wa sallam remarked that because she did not give it to the beggar, that piece of meat turned into a stone.

Lesson: Just think, that due to not giving in the name of Allâh, this misfortune occurred that the form of the meat changed and turned into a stone. In the same way, the person who deceives the beggar and yet eats himself, is actually eating a stone. The result of this is that mercilessness and hard-heartedness increases. Since Allâh Ta'âla has a lot of kindness and mercy on the family of Rasulullah sallAllâhu alayhi wa sallam, He changed the form of the meat in front of their very eyes so that they may be saved from partaking of it.

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