The Saint and Sinner

As we welcome another Ramadan to our homes and hearts, let us make sure we train ourselves in the right way. To stay away from all acts of even remote arrogance and to do a self reformation. Dallas Ansarullah has shared this story of the Sinner and the Saint in their June newsletter. This could be a nice thought for our Ramadan preparedness.

The Saint and the Sinner
There was this brother, a nice gentleman, in this little town. He passes his day being very nice and helpful to his friends and family. When the night covers up, he goes to gamble with his friends. A good friend of his, a great moral character, had warned him so many times gambling is a sin. Our brother understands, but he is unable to get out of his addiction. So the story goes – lets call our brother the Sinner, and the other friend the Saint, in this story.

One day when the Sinner comes back after gambling, he finds a stone at his door. And there was the Saint staying beside. “This stone indicates the sin you earned by gambling today. A ticket to Hell” The saint goes. Sinner is shocked with grief. He goes in, cries and vows not to do it again and seek forgiveness. The next day passes by and Sinner is back at gambling again. And at the door, another stone appears. He cries in fear again.. and the cycle continues. Now there is a huge pile of stones at his door. Per the Saint, thats the huge pile of sins that the Sinner has earned. His tickets to hell.

The pile of stones keeps growing until the day comes when both the Sinner and the Saint are to die. The Sinner is trembling with fear of hell and the Saint is very much at peace. The Sinner hears his name being called.

“Thats my call to enter the hell” He thought and cried.
“O dear servant, come enter the garden of my Lord” says the Angel.
“I think you made a mistake. It can’t be me. Look at the pile of stones at my door? They are the sins I accumulated” Sinner threw the logic
“My Lord has the power to forgive anything. And he has heard your prayers, seen your tears and decided to forgive you. And he has decided to reward you for the good life you had on the earth, for being nice and helpful to your friends and family. So please enter the heaven” Angel explained Allah’s logic.

The Sinner could not believe it. He was so overwhelmed and wanted to share the news with the well wisher Saint. “Can I wait here and come in with the Saint? I want to share this news with him. I am sure he will be happy too” He asked.

“Sorry but the Saint is not coming here anytime soon. My Lord has not given anyone the power to decide on someone’s sin. The Saint took himself to my Lord’s attribute by piling up stones at your door and calling them your sins. In fact each of those stones are witness to his arrogance. So the Lord has decided that he taste the punishment for arrogance”