The Story of the Three: The Blind Man, the Leper, and the Bald Man, Regarding Gratitude for Blessings or Denial of Them
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The Shaykh : The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) told us the story of three men. The story of three men, one of whom thanked Allah, so He preserved the blessing for him. The second and the third did not thank Allah, so the blessing did not last. Who are these three?
The student: The bald man, the blind man, and the leper.
The Shaykh : The leper, the bald man, and the blind man. All of them had a defect in their bodies. All of them were poor. Allah sent to them an angel in the form of a human being. He asked the leper, "What is the thing you love most?" He said, "What I love most is a good complexion and good skin, so that this disease that makes people disgusted with me will go away." So he touched him, and he was given a good complexion and good skin. Thus, the affliction in his body was removed. He said to him, "What wealth do you love most?" He said, "Cattle. Camels." He said, "Camels." He was given a pregnant she-camel, and she gave birth and produced offspring, and he came to have a valley full of camels. Then he came to the bald man. The bald man is the one who has no hair on his head. He said to him, "What is the thing you love most?" He said, "Good hair, meaning that what makes people disgusted with me will go away." So he touched him, and he was given good hair. Then he said to him, "What wealth do you love most?" He said, "Cattle." So he was given a pregnant cow, and she produced offspring, and he came to have a valley full of cattle. Glory be to Allah! He came to the blind man and said to him, "What is the thing you love most?" He said, "That Allah restore my sight to me so that I can see people with it." Do you see the difference between his request and that of the other? These two previous men requested something good, not that Allah restore their condition to the first condition. No, they requested something good: good hair, good skin, a good complexion. This one requested only the amount of need. How did the blind man request only the amount of need? He said, "That Allah restore my sight to me so that I can see people with it." He did not want anything else. He did not say, "Give me a good eye, good eyelashes, and a good eyebrow." No. He said, "That Allah restore my sight to me so that I can see people with it." What does this indicate? It indicates the man's contentment. So he said to him, "What wealth do you love most?" He said, "Sheep." He did not go for camels or cattle; he said, "Sheep." A man who wants just enough to get by. So he was given a sheep, and Allah blessed in it, and it produced offspring, and he came to have a valley full of sheep. Now, each of these men was given the blessing he wished for, is that not so?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : What was given to the leper? A good complexion, good skin, and wealth. The bald man was given the same. The blind man was given the same. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) willed to test them again. He sent to them the angel in the form of a poor, wayfaring man. So he came first to the leper and said to him, "I am a poor man and a wayfarer, and my means have been cut off in my journey, meaning my resources, so I have no way to reach my destination today except through Allah, and then through you. I ask you by the One who gave you good skin, good complexion, and wealth, I ask you for a camel to benefit from in my journey." But he denied this; he denied the blessing. He said, "I inherited this wealth from father to grandfather." So the angel said to him, "If you are lying, may Allah return you to what you were." Then he came to the second man. Who is he? The bald man. He said to him what he had said to the first one. He responded to him just as the first one had responded. So the angel said to him, "If you are lying, may Allah return you to what you were." Then he came to the third, the contented, calm man. He said to him, "I am poor and a wayfarer, and my means have been cut off in my journey, so I have no way to reach my destination today except through Allah, and then through you. And I used to know you as blind, but Allah restored your sight to you, and you were poor, but Allah made you wealthy." He said, "Yes, I used to be blind, but Allah restored my sight to me, and I used to be poor, but Allah gave me wealth." Did he acknowledge the blessing or deny it? He acknowledged the blessing. Then he said to him, "This sheep is before you. Take what you wish and leave what you wish. By Allah, I will not burden you today with anything you take for the sake of Allah, meaning I will not make things difficult for you, nor will I be arrogant or harmful regarding anything you take for the sake of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)." So the angel said to him, "Hold on to your wealth; I do not want anything. Hold on to your wealth. Indeed, Allah has been pleased with you and has become angry with your two companions. Allahu Akbar! So look, my brother, at how the result of gratitude for the blessing and denial of the blessing turned out.
The student: The bald man, the blind man, and the leper.
The Shaykh : The leper, the bald man, and the blind man. All of them had a defect in their bodies. All of them were poor. Allah sent to them an angel in the form of a human being. He asked the leper, "What is the thing you love most?" He said, "What I love most is a good complexion and good skin, so that this disease that makes people disgusted with me will go away." So he touched him, and he was given a good complexion and good skin. Thus, the affliction in his body was removed. He said to him, "What wealth do you love most?" He said, "Cattle. Camels." He said, "Camels." He was given a pregnant she-camel, and she gave birth and produced offspring, and he came to have a valley full of camels. Then he came to the bald man. The bald man is the one who has no hair on his head. He said to him, "What is the thing you love most?" He said, "Good hair, meaning that what makes people disgusted with me will go away." So he touched him, and he was given good hair. Then he said to him, "What wealth do you love most?" He said, "Cattle." So he was given a pregnant cow, and she produced offspring, and he came to have a valley full of cattle. Glory be to Allah! He came to the blind man and said to him, "What is the thing you love most?" He said, "That Allah restore my sight to me so that I can see people with it." Do you see the difference between his request and that of the other? These two previous men requested something good, not that Allah restore their condition to the first condition. No, they requested something good: good hair, good skin, a good complexion. This one requested only the amount of need. How did the blind man request only the amount of need? He said, "That Allah restore my sight to me so that I can see people with it." He did not want anything else. He did not say, "Give me a good eye, good eyelashes, and a good eyebrow." No. He said, "That Allah restore my sight to me so that I can see people with it." What does this indicate? It indicates the man's contentment. So he said to him, "What wealth do you love most?" He said, "Sheep." He did not go for camels or cattle; he said, "Sheep." A man who wants just enough to get by. So he was given a sheep, and Allah blessed in it, and it produced offspring, and he came to have a valley full of sheep. Now, each of these men was given the blessing he wished for, is that not so?
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : What was given to the leper? A good complexion, good skin, and wealth. The bald man was given the same. The blind man was given the same. Allah (Mighty and Majestic) willed to test them again. He sent to them the angel in the form of a poor, wayfaring man. So he came first to the leper and said to him, "I am a poor man and a wayfarer, and my means have been cut off in my journey, meaning my resources, so I have no way to reach my destination today except through Allah, and then through you. I ask you by the One who gave you good skin, good complexion, and wealth, I ask you for a camel to benefit from in my journey." But he denied this; he denied the blessing. He said, "I inherited this wealth from father to grandfather." So the angel said to him, "If you are lying, may Allah return you to what you were." Then he came to the second man. Who is he? The bald man. He said to him what he had said to the first one. He responded to him just as the first one had responded. So the angel said to him, "If you are lying, may Allah return you to what you were." Then he came to the third, the contented, calm man. He said to him, "I am poor and a wayfarer, and my means have been cut off in my journey, so I have no way to reach my destination today except through Allah, and then through you. And I used to know you as blind, but Allah restored your sight to you, and you were poor, but Allah made you wealthy." He said, "Yes, I used to be blind, but Allah restored my sight to me, and I used to be poor, but Allah gave me wealth." Did he acknowledge the blessing or deny it? He acknowledged the blessing. Then he said to him, "This sheep is before you. Take what you wish and leave what you wish. By Allah, I will not burden you today with anything you take for the sake of Allah, meaning I will not make things difficult for you, nor will I be arrogant or harmful regarding anything you take for the sake of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)." So the angel said to him, "Hold on to your wealth; I do not want anything. Hold on to your wealth. Indeed, Allah has been pleased with you and has become angry with your two companions. Allahu Akbar! So look, my brother, at how the result of gratitude for the blessing and denial of the blessing turned out.