What is the story of the blind man, the leper, and the bald man, and does it have a connection to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence)?
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The questioner : Abu 'Abd al-'Aziz Ibrahim Abu Hamid from Riyadh says: "May the Shaykh be respected, we hear about the story of the leper, the bald man, and the blind man. What is their story, and does it have a connection to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence)?"
The Shaykh : Yes. The story of the bald man, who has no hair on his head, is that Allah the Exalted intended to test him and his two companions, the leper and the blind man. So He sent an angel to them and asked them what they wanted. As for the bald man, he stated that he wanted Allah to remove the baldness from him and grant him good hair. The angel asked him what he desired in terms of wealth, and he said camels. So he was given a pregnant she-camel, and Allah blessed in that camel, and it produced many camels until he had a valley full of camels. As for the leper, the angel asked him what he wanted, and he said, "I want Allah the Exalted to grant me good skin and remove from me this thing that has disgusted people." So he was given that. The angel asked him what he wanted in terms of wealth, and he said cattle. So he was given a pregnant cow, and Allah blessed in it until he had a valley full of cattle.
As for the blind man, the angel came to him and asked him what he wanted. He said, "I want Allah to restore my sight to me." So he could see with it, and people could see him. He did not ask for strong sight as his two companions did; the first, the bald man, asked for good hair, and the second asked for good skin, so they were given what they asked for. The third, the blind man, only asked for what sufficed: sight with which he could see people. This became the most blessed of the three. The angel asked him about wealth, but he did not ask for the highest form of wealth; rather, he asked for a sheep. So he was given the sheep, and Allah blessed in it for him until he had a valley full of sheep. Then Allah Mighty and Majestic intended to complete the trial, so the angel came to the bald man in his image and appearance, meaning he came to him in the form of a bald man, and asked him to give him some wealth. He reminded him of Allah's blessing upon him, that he had been bald, so Allah the Exalted gave him good hair, and that he had been poor, so Allah gave him wealth. But he, may Allah protect us from that, denied Allah's blessing and said, "I only received this wealth from father to grandfather," meaning he inherited it from father to grandfather. He refused to give him anything. The angel came to the leper and did the same, answering him with the same response the bald man had given. Then he came to the blind man in his image and appearance and said that he was poor and a traveler whose provisions had run out on his journey, so he asked him to give him a sheep. The blind man said to him, "I used to be blind, but Allah restored my sight to me, and I used to be poor, but Allah gave me wealth. Take whatever you wish from it and leave whatever you wish. By Allah, I will not burden you today with anything you have taken for the sake of Allah," meaning, "I will not prevent you; take what you want." This blind man thanked Allah for the blessing of restoring his sight and thanked Allah for the blessing of wealth by giving charity of what the questioner asked for. This man, meaning the angel, said to each of the two, "If you are lying, may Allah return you to what you were." So he invoked upon them that Allah would return them to their previous state if they were lying. And they are undoubtedly liars. It appears that Allah the Exalted returned them to their original state, so He stripped the bald man of his hair and his wealth, and likewise the leper. As for the blind man, the angel said to him, "Hold onto your wealth," meaning, "I do not want anything; you have only been tested." So Allah was pleased with you and displeased with your two companions. This is the story, and it contains many lessons. It contains what contradicts tawhid (the oneness of Allah) in the case of the bald man and the leper, which is the denial of Allah's blessing. It also contains what affirms the power of Allah Mighty and Majestic, in that Allah the Exalted removed the baldness, leprosy, and blindness from these people in a single moment.
It also contains from fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) that a person should give charity from what Allah Mighty and Majestic has given him.
It also contains from conduct and methodology that Allah Glorified and Exalted is He may test a servant with blessings just as He tests him with calamities. The masters of conduct, meaning the people of worship and softness of hearts, differed on which is better and a harder trial: poverty and illness, or wealth and health. Some scholars said that poverty and illness are a harder trial than wealth and health, because few are patient. Others said, rather, health and wealth are harder, because few are grateful. The truth is that both are a trial and a test from Allah Mighty and Majestic. Allah the Exalted may give wealth, health, sons, and other good things of this world to test the one He gave them: will he be grateful or will he deny? And Allah may strip these blessings away to test the one from whom they were taken: will he be patient or will he complain? So a person should be mindful of such matters and not take the blessings of Allah Glorified and Exalted as a means to arrogance and insolence. For Allah said:[Ali 'Imran 3:178]. Yes.
The questioner : May Allah reward you and bless you, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes. The story of the bald man, who has no hair on his head, is that Allah the Exalted intended to test him and his two companions, the leper and the blind man. So He sent an angel to them and asked them what they wanted. As for the bald man, he stated that he wanted Allah to remove the baldness from him and grant him good hair. The angel asked him what he desired in terms of wealth, and he said camels. So he was given a pregnant she-camel, and Allah blessed in that camel, and it produced many camels until he had a valley full of camels. As for the leper, the angel asked him what he wanted, and he said, "I want Allah the Exalted to grant me good skin and remove from me this thing that has disgusted people." So he was given that. The angel asked him what he wanted in terms of wealth, and he said cattle. So he was given a pregnant cow, and Allah blessed in it until he had a valley full of cattle.
As for the blind man, the angel came to him and asked him what he wanted. He said, "I want Allah to restore my sight to me." So he could see with it, and people could see him. He did not ask for strong sight as his two companions did; the first, the bald man, asked for good hair, and the second asked for good skin, so they were given what they asked for. The third, the blind man, only asked for what sufficed: sight with which he could see people. This became the most blessed of the three. The angel asked him about wealth, but he did not ask for the highest form of wealth; rather, he asked for a sheep. So he was given the sheep, and Allah blessed in it for him until he had a valley full of sheep. Then Allah Mighty and Majestic intended to complete the trial, so the angel came to the bald man in his image and appearance, meaning he came to him in the form of a bald man, and asked him to give him some wealth. He reminded him of Allah's blessing upon him, that he had been bald, so Allah the Exalted gave him good hair, and that he had been poor, so Allah gave him wealth. But he, may Allah protect us from that, denied Allah's blessing and said, "I only received this wealth from father to grandfather," meaning he inherited it from father to grandfather. He refused to give him anything. The angel came to the leper and did the same, answering him with the same response the bald man had given. Then he came to the blind man in his image and appearance and said that he was poor and a traveler whose provisions had run out on his journey, so he asked him to give him a sheep. The blind man said to him, "I used to be blind, but Allah restored my sight to me, and I used to be poor, but Allah gave me wealth. Take whatever you wish from it and leave whatever you wish. By Allah, I will not burden you today with anything you have taken for the sake of Allah," meaning, "I will not prevent you; take what you want." This blind man thanked Allah for the blessing of restoring his sight and thanked Allah for the blessing of wealth by giving charity of what the questioner asked for. This man, meaning the angel, said to each of the two, "If you are lying, may Allah return you to what you were." So he invoked upon them that Allah would return them to their previous state if they were lying. And they are undoubtedly liars. It appears that Allah the Exalted returned them to their original state, so He stripped the bald man of his hair and his wealth, and likewise the leper. As for the blind man, the angel said to him, "Hold onto your wealth," meaning, "I do not want anything; you have only been tested." So Allah was pleased with you and displeased with your two companions. This is the story, and it contains many lessons. It contains what contradicts tawhid (the oneness of Allah) in the case of the bald man and the leper, which is the denial of Allah's blessing. It also contains what affirms the power of Allah Mighty and Majestic, in that Allah the Exalted removed the baldness, leprosy, and blindness from these people in a single moment.
It also contains from fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) that a person should give charity from what Allah Mighty and Majestic has given him.
It also contains from conduct and methodology that Allah Glorified and Exalted is He may test a servant with blessings just as He tests him with calamities. The masters of conduct, meaning the people of worship and softness of hearts, differed on which is better and a harder trial: poverty and illness, or wealth and health. Some scholars said that poverty and illness are a harder trial than wealth and health, because few are patient. Others said, rather, health and wealth are harder, because few are grateful. The truth is that both are a trial and a test from Allah Mighty and Majestic. Allah the Exalted may give wealth, health, sons, and other good things of this world to test the one He gave them: will he be grateful or will he deny? And Allah may strip these blessings away to test the one from whom they were taken: will he be patient or will he complain? So a person should be mindful of such matters and not take the blessings of Allah Glorified and Exalted as a means to arrogance and insolence. For Allah said:
And let not those who disbelieve ever think that [because] We extend their time [of enjoyment] it is better for them. We only extend it for them so that they may increase in sin, and for them is a humiliating punishment.
وَلا يَحسَبَنَّ الَّذينَ كَفَروا أَنَّما نُملي لَهُم خَيرٌ لِأَنفُسِهِم إِنَّما نُملي لَهُم لِيَزدادوا إِثمًا وَلَهُم عَذابٌ مُهينٌThe questioner : May Allah reward you and bless you, O Shaykh.