Question
I am looking for the full incident as well as a reference of the incident of Malik ibn Dinar’s repentance.
Answer
Imam Ibn Qudamah (rahimahullah) has recorded this incident in his book Kitabut Tawwabin.
When Malik ibn Dinar (rahimahullah) was asked about the reason for his repentance, he related the following incident:
I was a policeman and addicted to drinking. I purchased an expensive slave girl and she bore me a daughter. I loved her dearly. As she began crawling, my love for her grew immensely. She loved me, and I loved her. When I would take an alcoholic drink, she would take it from me and pour it out on my clothes. When she reached two years of age, she passed away. Her death left me heartbroken.
On the 15th night of Sha’ban, which happened to be the night of Jumu’ah, I fell asleep intoxicated, having not offered ‘Isha Salah. I had a dream as though Qiyamah had begun. The trumpet had been blown. Graves were opening, and people were being resurrected. I too was among them. Suddenly, I heard a hissing sound behind me. When I turned around, I saw a massive snake, black and blue, with its mouth wide open, advancing towards me. Terrified, I ran away. As I fled, I saw a pious elderly man dressed in clean garments and exuding a pleasant scent. I greeted him, and he replied. Desperately, I asked him to save me from the snake. He began to cry and responded that he was too weak and the snake was far stronger than him. He told me to keep running, saying perhaps Allah will grant me something to save me. I continued running until I climbed a cliff. I saw the different levels of Jahannam and its terrors. In my fear of the snake, I was about to jump in. Suddenly, a voice called out, “Get back, you are not among the dwellers of Jahannam.” Hearing this, I calmed down and went back. The snake was still chasing me. I went back to the old man, telling him I had asked for his help but he couldn’t save me. Crying, he replied that he was too weak. He then advised me to go to a mountain where the trusts of Muslims are kept, suggesting that if I had a trust there, it would assist me.
I looked to the mountain cloaked in silver, its windows open, adorned with hanging curtains. Each aperture boasted golden door frames encrusted with sapphires and pearls, draped in silk curtains. Upon witnessing this spectacle, I dashed towards the mountain, pursued closely by the serpent. As I drew near, an angel called out, “Raise the veils, open the doors, and observe. Perhaps this unfortunate soul possesses a trust here that will save him from his enemy.” Suddenly, the curtains lifted and doors swung open revealing children with faces shining like the moon. The snake approached me, and I was bewildered. Then, a child cried out, “All of you, look! His enemy draws near.” They all looked, and suddenly I saw my daughter who passed away looking at me. When she saw me, she wept and exclaimed, “By Allah! This is my father.” She darted to me with a swing of celestial light; she leaped towards me, standing before me. She extended her left hand to my right hand, and I took hold of it. Then, she outstretched her right hand towards the snake, causing it to flee.
She seated me on her lap and grasped my beard with her right hand, saying, “O my dear father, ‘Has the time not come for those who have believed that their hearts should become humbly submissive to the remembrance of Allah” (Surah Al-Hadid, Verse 16). I cried and asked, “My beloved daughter, do you know the Quran?” She responded, affirming that they possessed far greater knowledge of the Quran than I did. I inquired about the serpent that sought to harm me. She explained that it was my evil deeds which I had strengthened and it wanted to push me into Jahannam. I then asked about the old man whom I had passed. She told me that that was my good deeds which was so weak that it was unable to withstand my evil deeds. I asked her what does she do in the mountain. She explained that they were the children of Muslim parents, dwelling there until the Day of Qiyamah when they would intercede on behalf of their parents.
Malik ibn Dinar (rahimahullah) then said, “Suddenly, I woke up terrified, poured out the intoxicants, shattered the utensils and sincerely repented to Allah ‘Azza wa Jalla. This was the reason my my repentance.
(Kitabut Tawwabin, pg. 202-205)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Mawlana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Mawlana Muhammad Abasoomar
__________
التخريج من المصادر العربية
التوابين لابن قدامة: (ص: ١٢٤)
(٧٧) – [توبة مالك بن دينار]
وروي عن مالك بن دينار أنه سئل عن سبب توبته فقال: كنت شرطيا وكنت منهمكا على شرب الخمر ثم إنني اشتريت جارية نفيسة ووقعت مني أحسن موقع فولدت لي بنتا فشغفت بها فلما دبت على الأرض ازدادت في قلبي حبا وألفتني وألفتها.
قال: فكنت إذا وضعت المسكر بين يدي جاءت إلي وجاذبتني عليه وهرقته من ثوبي.
فلما تم لها سنتان ماتت فأكمدني حزنها.
فلما كانت ليلة النصف من شعبان وكانت ليلة الجمعة بت ثملا من الخمر ولم أصل فيها عشاء الآخرة فرأيت فيما يرى النائم كأن القيامة قد قامت ونفخ في الصور وبعثرت القبور وحشر الخلائق وأنا معهم فسمعت حسا من ورائي فالتفت فإذا أنا بتنين أعظم ما يكون أسود أزرق قد فتح فاه مسرعا نحوي. فمررت بين يديه هاربا فزعا مرعوبا فمررت في طريقي بشيخ نقي الثوب طيب الرائحة فسلمت عليه فرد السلام فقلت: أيها الشيخ! أجرني من هذا التنين أجارك الله فبكى الشيخ وقال لي: أنا ضعيف وهذا أقوى مني وما أقدر عليه ولكن مر وأسرع فلعل الله أن يتيح لك ما ينجيك منه. فوليت هاربا على وجهي فصعدت على شرف من شرف القيامة فأشرفت على طبقات النيران فنظرت إلى هولها وكدت أهوي فيها من فزع التنين فصاح بي صائح: ارجع فلست من أهلها! فاطمأننت إلى قوله ورجعت.
ورجع التنين في طلبي فأتيت الشيخ فقلت: يا شيخ سألتك أن تجيرني من هذا التنين فلم تفعل فبكى الشيخ وقال: أنا ضعيف ولكن سر إلى هذا الجبل فإن فيه ودائع المسلمين فإن كان لك فيه وديعة فستنصرك.
قال: فنظرت إلى جبل مستدير من فضة وفيه كوى مخرمة وستور معلقة على كل خوخة وكوة مصراعان من الذهب الأحمر مفصلة باليواقيت مكوكبة بالدر على كل مصراع ستر من الحرير فلما نظرت إلى الجبل وليت إليه هاربا والتنين من ورائي حتى إذا قربت منه صاح بعض الملائكة: ارفعوا الستور وافتحوا المصاريع وأشرفوا! فلعل لهذا البائس فيكم وديعة تجيره من عدوه فإذا الستور قد رفعت والمصاريع قد فتحت فأشرف علي من تلك المخرمات أطفال بوجوه كالأقمار وقرب التنين مني فتحيرت في أمري.
فصاح بعض الأطفال: ويحكم أشرفوا كلكم فقد قرب منه عدوه.
فأشرفوا فوجا بعد فوج وإذا أنا بابنتي التي ماتت قد أشرفت علي معهم فلما رأتني بكت وقالت: أبي والله ثم وثبت في كفة من نور كرمية السهم حتى مثلت بين يدي فمدت يدها الشمال إلى يدي اليمنى فتعلقت بها ومدت يدها اليمنى إلى التنين فولى هاربا.
ثم أجلستني وقعدت في حجري وضربت بيدها اليمنى إلى لحيتي وقالت: يا أبت {أَلَمْ يَأْنِ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَنْ تَخْشَعَ قُلُوبُهُمْ لِذِكْرِ اللَّهِ} [الحديد: ١٦].
فبكيت وقلت: يا بنية! وأنتم تعرفون القرآن؟ فقالت: يا أبت! نحن أعرف به منكم.
قلت: فأخبريني عن التنين الذي أراد أن يهلكني قالت: ذلك عملك السوء قويته فأراد أن يغرقك في نار جهنم.
قلت فأخبريني عن الشيخ الذي مررت به في طريقي قالت: يا أبت! ذلك عملك الصالح أضعفته حتى لم يكن له طاقة بعملك السوء.
قلت: يا بنية! وما تصنعون في هذا الجبل؟ قالت: نحن أطفال المسلمين قد أسكنا فيه إلى أن تقوم الساعة ننتظركم تقدمون علينا فنشفع لكم.
قال مالك: فانتبهت فزعا وأصبحت فأرقت المسكر وكسرت الآنية وتبت إلى الله – عز وجل – وهذا كان سبب توبتي.