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Source: Qasas an-Nabiyyeen by Abu Hassan An-Nadwi (The Stories of Prophets)
ماذَا تُـحِبُّ أَنْ تَكُوْنَ ؟
سَأَلَ الْمُعَلِّمُ التَّلامِيْذَ مَرَةً فِـي الصَّفِّ وَاحِداً وَاحِداً : ماذَا تُـحِبُّ أَنْ تَكُوْنَ ؟
وَقَالَ : كُلُّ وَاحِدٍ حُرٌ فِـي جَوَابِهِ فَلاَ يَـخَفْ وَلاَ يَسْتَحِـيْ .
وَقَالَ أَحـْمَدُ وكَانَ أصْغَرَ التَّلامِيْذِ : أَنَا أُرِيْدُ أَنْ أَكُوْنَ سَائِقاً فِـي الْقِطَارِ ، فَأَرْكَبَ دَائِماً وَأُسَافِرَ مـَجَّاناً وَأَتَنَزَّهَ .
وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الرَّحـْمٰن: إِنَّ سَائِقَ الْقِطَارِ فِـي تَعَبٍ عَظِيْمٍ وَحرٍّ وَجَحيمٍ([1]) ، وَلٰكِنَّـي أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُوْنَ رُبَّاناً([2]) فِـيْ بَاخِرَةٍ ، فَأُسَافِرُ فِـي البحر وَأَزُوْرُ الْبِلاَدَ الْبَعِيْدَةَ وَأُشَاهِدَ عَجَائِبَ الدُّنْيَا .
وَقَالَ إِبْرَاهِيْمُ : الرُّبَّانُ و بَاخِرَتةُ فِـي خَطَرٍ مِنَ الْغَرَقِ ، وَلٰكِنَّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُوْنَ طَبِيْباً فَأُدَاوِيَ([3]) النَّاسَ وَأُدَاوِيَ الْفُقَرَاءَ مَـجَّانَاً وَأَخْدِمَ الْـخَلْقَ وَأُحَافْظَ عَلَىٰ صِحَّتِـيْ وَأعِيْشَ بِأَمْنٍ وَسَلاَمٍ .
وَأَجَابَهُ عَبْدُ الرَّحـْمٰنِ وَقَالَ : هٰذَا لَيْسَ بِصَحِيْحٍ ، لَيْسَتِ الْبَاخِرَةُ فِـيْ خَطَرٍ فِـيْ هٰذَا الزَّمَانِ ، وَالْبَوَاخِرُ تُسَافِرُ دَائِماً فِـيْ هٰذِهِ الأَيَّامِ بِأَمَنٍ وَسَلامٍ ، وَبِالْعَكْسِ أَرَىٰ الأطِبَّاءَ يَـمْرَضُونَ وَيَـمُوتُونَ .
وَقَاطَعَهُ إِبْرَاهِيْمُ وَقَالَ: أَمَا سَـمِعْتَ أَنَّ بَاخِرَةً غَرِقَتْ قَبْلَ يَوْمَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثَةِ أَيَّامٍ .
وَأَرَادَ إِبْرَاهِيْمُ أَنْ يُـجِيبَهُ وَلٰكِنْ قَالَ الْمُعَلِّمُ : وَهٰذَا لَيْسَ وَقْتَ مُنَاظَرَةٍ وَقَدْ بَقِيَ كَثِيرٌ مَنَ الطَّلَبَةِ ، ومَاذا تَقُولُ يَا قَاسِمُ ؟
قَال َقَاسِمٌ : أَنَا لَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُوْنَ سَائِقاً أَوْ رُبَّاناً أَوْ طَبِيْباً ، بَلْ أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُوْنَ فَلَّاحاً ، أَزْرَعُ وَأَحْرُثُ ، وَلاَ أَحَدٌ يـَخْدِمُ النَّاسَ وَيَنْفَعُهُمْ كَالفَلاَّحِ ، وَهُوَ الَّذي يَزْرَعُ الْـحُبُوبَ وَالـخُضَرَ فَيَأْكُلُ النَّاسُ وَالدَّوَابُّ .
وَقَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ : أَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُوْنَ تَاجِراً ، لِـىْ دُكَّانٌ كَبِيرٌ فِـيْ سَوْقٍ كَبَيـْرَةٍ يَأْتـِي النَّاسُ إِلـَيَّ وَيَشتَرُونَ .
وَقَالَ حَامِدٌ : أَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُوْنَ صَنَّاعاً مَاهِراً وَمـُخْتَرِعاً أَصْنَعُ وَأَخْتَـرِعُ الأَشْيَاءَ الْعَجِيْبَةِ .
وَقَالَ خَالِدٌ : أَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُوْنَ جُنْدِيَّاً قَوِياً أُقَاتِلُ الْكُفَّارَ وَالْـمُشْرِكِـيـْنَ وَأُجَاهِدُ فِـيْ سَبِيْلِ اللهِ .
وَقَالَ عَبْدُ الْكَريْـمِ : أَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُوْنَ غَنِياً كَبيراً أَلْبَسُ مَا أُحِبُّ وَآكُلُ مَا أَشْتَهِيْ وَأُسَافِرُ إِلَىٰ أَيْنَ أُرِيْدُ ، وَدَائِماً عِنْدِيْ مَالٌ كَثِيرٌ وَأَسْكُنُ فِـيْ قَصْرٍ كَبِيـْرٍ .
وَضَحِكَ الأَوْلاَدُ مِنْ قَوْلِ عَبْدِ الْكَريْـمِ وَخَجِلَ عَبْدُ الْكَريْـمِ .
وَقَالَ مُـحَمَّدٌ : أَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُوْنَ عَالِماً أَخَافُ اللهَ وَأَعْبُدُهُ ، وَأَعِظُ النَّاسَ وَآمُرُهُمْ بِالـمْعَرُوْفِ وَأَنْـهَاهُم عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَأُحَذِّرُهُم([4]) عَذَابَ اللهِ .
قَالَ الْمُعَلِّمُ : أَحْسَنْتُمْ يَا أَوْلَادِيْ وِأَنَا أَدْعُو لَكُمْ بِالتَّوْفِيْقِ وَالنَّجَاحِ ، وَلَكِنْ كُوْنُوا مُسْلِمِيْنَ وَابْتَغُوا اللهَ بِعَمَلِكُمْ وَانْفَعُوا الدِّيْنَ بِشُغْلِكُمْ وَاخْدِمُوا الأُمَّةَ بِعِلْمِكُمْ .
قَالَ التَّلامِيْذُ : وَمَاذَا تَقٌوْلُ أَيُّهَا الأُسْتَاذُ عَنْ عَبْدِ الْكَريْـمِ وَقَصْرِهِ ؟
قَالَ الْمُعَلِّمُ : الْمَالُ نِعْمَةٌ مِنَ اللهِ يـَجِبُ عَلَيْهَا الشُكْرُ ، وَسَعِيْدٌ جِدَّاً مَنْ آتَاهُ اللهُ مَالًا فَهُوَ يَنْفِقُ مِنْهُ سِرَّاً وَجَهْراً ، وَيَبْتَغِي بِه مَرْضاةِ اللهِ وَيَـخْدِمُ بِهِ الإِسْلاَمَ ، وَقَدْ جَاءِ فِـي الـْحَدِيْثِ الشَّرِيْفِ : »لَا حَسَدَ إلاَّ فِـي اثْنَيتَيْنِ ، رَجُلٍ آتَاهُ اللهُ مَالاً فَسَلَّطَهُ عَلَىٰ هَلَكَتِهِ فـِي الْـحَقِّ ، وَرَجُلٍ آتَاهُ اللهُ حِكْمَةً فَهُوَ يَقْضِيْ بِـهَا وَيُعَلِّمُهَا «
وَقَدْ كَانَ سَيِّدُنَا عُثْمَانُ غَنِيَّاً و سَيِّدُنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحـْمٰنِ بنُ عَوْفٍ غَنِيَّاً.
وَرَفَعَ عَبْدُ الْكَريْـمِ رَأَسَهُ وَقَالَ : سَأَجْهَتِدُ أَنْ أَخْدِمَ الإسْلاَمَ بـِمَالِيْ وَأَبْـــتَـغِيْ([5]) بِــهِ مَرْضاهَ اللهِ .
* * *
([1] ) الجَحًيْمُ : النار الشديدة التأجج .
([2] ) الربّان (ج) الرَّبَّابين والرَّبَابنة : رئيس الـملاحين في السفينة.
([3] ) دَاوَىْ يُدَاوِيْ مُدَاوَاةً : الطبيبُ الـمَريضَ : عَالـَجَهُ وَوَصَفَ له الدواءَ .
What Would You Like to Be?
A teacher once asked the students in his class, one-by-one: ‘What would you like to be?’
He said: ‘Everyone is free to answer as he wishes, so no one should be afraid or embarrassed.’
Ahmad said (and he was the youngest student): ‘I would like to be a train driver. That way, I can always ride and travel for free and have fun.’
Abdurrahman said: ‘Being a train driver is exhausting, hot, and hell, but I’d like to be the captain of a ship. That way, I can travel by sea, visit faraway lands, and see the world’s wonders.’
Ibraheem said: ‘The captain and his ship are in danger of sinking, but I’d like to be a doctor so that I can treat people, treat the poor for free, serve mankind, take care of my health, and live in safety and peace.’
Abdurrahman responded: ‘That’s not true. Ships are not in danger [of sinking] in this day and age. These days, ships are always traveling in safety and peace. To the contrary, I see doctors getting sick and dying.’
Ibraheem cut him off and said: ‘Didn’t you hear that a ship just sank two or three days ago?’
Ibraheem wanted to respond to him, but the teacher said: ‘This isn’t the time for debate, and a lot of students remain. What do you say, Qasim?’
Qasim said: ‘I don’t want to be a driver, a captain, or a doctor. Rather, I want to be a farmer, planting and plowing. No one serves people and benefits them as much as a farmer. He’s the one who plants staples and vegetables so that people and animals can eat.’
Sulayman said: ‘I’d like to be a merchant with a big shop in a big market. People would come to me and buy.’
Hamid said: ‘I’d like to be a master craftsman and an inventor, building and inventing amazing things.’
Khalid said: ‘I’d like to be a strong soldier, fighting the disbelievers and idol worshippers and fighting in the path of Allah.’
Abdul-Kareem said: ‘I’d like to be rich and powerful, wear whatever I like, eat whatever I desire, and travel to wherever I want. I’d always have a lot of money and would live in big palace.’
The boys laughed at what Abdul-Kareem said, and Abdul-Kareem felt embarrassed.
Muhammad said: ‘I’d like to be a scholar who fears Allah and worships Him. I would admonish people, command them with what is right, prohibit them from what is wrong, and remind them of Allah’s punishment.’
The teacher said: ‘Good job, my boys! I pray for your good fortune and success. But be Muslims, seek Allah through your actions, benefit the religion with your work, and serve the Community (ummah) with your knowledge.
The students said: ‘Teacher! What do you say about Abdul-Kareem and his palace?’
The teacher said: ‘Wealth is a blessing from Allah for which thanks is due, and very fortunate is a man to whom Allah has given wealth and of which he spends secretly and openly, seeking the pleasure of Allah and serving Islam. It has come in a hadith that: “there is no envy except in two cases: a man to whom Allah has given wealth and who disposed of it correctly, and a man to whom Allah has given wisdom, which he applies and teaches.” Our master Uthman was rich, and our master Abdurrahman ibn Awf was rich.’
Abdul-Kareem raised his head and said: ‘I will strive to serve Islam with my wealth and seek the pleasure of Allah through it.’