Dirhams From The Sky

Abdul Wahid bin Zaid RA relates:

I purchased a slave on the condition that he serves me. Once, when it became dark I looked for him in the house, but could not find him. Early in the morning he came and presented me with a dirham.

I asked:

"Where did you get it from?"

He replied:

"I receive a dirham daily and will only give it to you on the condition that you do not ask for me at night."

He would disappear every night and return in the morning with a dirham.

One day my neighbours approached me and shrieked:

"O Abdul Wahid sell your slave. He is a grave digger!"

This news depressed me. After this I decided to keep a vigilant eye on him. That night after Isyak Solat, the slave stood up to leave, he pointed to the door and it opened. He made his way to the second door and did the same and then the same again to the door from which I was watching him. He left the house so I followed him till he reached a stretch of barren land. He took off his clothes and put on a cloth sack and prayed till Fajr (Subuh).

He then lifted his hand towards the Heavens and said:

"Oh my Master, give me my small masters pay."

A dirham then fell from the sky. I was mystified and amazed at this. I stood up and performed two raka'ats and sought forgiveness from Allah, from the evil thought that had crossed my mind. I promised myself that on returning, I would free him.

As I made my way back, I looked for him but could not find him. He was no where to be seen. All of a sudden a knight on an armoured horse appeared.

He asked:

"Oh Abdul Wahid what are you doing here?"

I related the incident to him.

He then inquired:

"Do you know the distance from here to your city?"

Oblivious to where I was, I replied in the negative. He informed me that I was approximately two years travelling distance from home.

He then said:

"Do not move from here till your slave returns tonight."

When it became dark, my slave came. He came with a tray full of food and greeted me with joy and said:

"Eat my master, you should not have followed me here."

I ate while he prayed till Fajr. Once he had finished he held my hand and walked a few steps. Instantly we were back to my house.

He said:

"Oh master now that we are back, did you not make the intention to free me?''

I replied affirmatively.

He added:

''Free me and take the money you paid for me and you will be rewarded'."

He then picked up a stone and gave it to me. I looked at it. Astonishingly it turned into gold. The slave soon left. His departure saddened me.

Later I met my neighbours and they asked:

''What did you do with the grave digger?''

I replied angrily:

"He is a 'Nur' digger, not a grave digger."


The author of the original work, which consists of around 600 pages and 500 stories, was Sheikh Afifuddin Abdullah bin As'ad Al- Yamani al- Yafi'ee As-Shafi'ee. Born 696AH near Aadan, Yemen. He was a great scholar who spent his life serving the Deen and his 44 works bear witness to this. His most famous work was "Rawdur-Raiyaheen". The above story is from this treatise.