Sh. Muhammad as-Sawi had a khutbah to deliver in Aswan. The flight was at 5:30 am. If he were to pray Fajr in Alexandria, then leave, he wouldn’t make it on time. So, he called the Imam of a masjid near the airport and requested that he leave the door open. The Imam asked if everything was ok. Sh. Muhammad said, yes, all is well. I have a flight at 5:30, so I hope to come to the masjid at around 2 or 3. I’ll sleep for a while, then pray with you and head to the airport. That way I won’t miss Fajr and I won’t miss my flight. The Imam welcomed the idea.
Sh. Muhammad left for Cairo at about 10 pm and arrived at around 2 am. The door of the masjid was open and all the lights were on when he went in. He noticed in the mihrab that a local man was in prostration and addressing Allah; O my Lord, I’ve had enough, I can’t take it any longer. My Lord, I have no one but You, my Lord, where else can I turn? All this, while he was crying.
The Shaykh sensed that this man was not there due to some sin he committed, but it appeared that he had some desperate need, and it drove him to knock on the gates of Allah. He waited till the man finished. Then he approached him, patted him on the back, greeted him and asked him what the matter was. He told him his du’a pulled at his heartstrings. He asked him what all these tears and begging were for. The man looked at the Shaykh and said he didn’t know what to say. But basically, his wife was going to undergo surgery at 9 o’clock, and he had no money to pay for the hospital bill, which was going to be 15, 400 Pounds.
The Shaykh told him he didn’t have anything to help him (in terms of money) with but gave him the glad tidings that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that Allah is more merciful to us than our own mothers. He told him that no one placed their trust in Allah, then was abandoned (by Him). He advised him to continue weeping and supplicating to Allah, for Allah hears him. The Shaykh them prayed witr and went to sleep.
The muadhdhin came in, woke the Shaykh up and called the adhan. They prayed sunnah, and the Imam then came and insisted that the Shaykh lead the salah (even though the Shaykh excused himself due to his tiredness etc). The Shaykh led them in salah, and after the prayer, a man from the second row came forward. He was one of the very wealthy among the people, and it could be seen even in his clothing. He greeted the Shaykh warmly and informed him that he followed his programs on TV. He informed the Shaykh that he had recently purchased an apartment above the masjid, and after hearing his voice, he wanted to make sure that he could greet him. The man informed the Shaykh that he had a plastic factory and had opened a new branch, and Allah has blessed him with wealth. He then told the Shaykh that he had collected 15,400 Pounds in zakah and needed to distribute it. The Shaykh’s hairs stood on end and he began crying. People looked and found it strange, what made the Shaykh cry? The Shaykh thought to himself, Subhanallah, this man didn’t even know that under his home was a man begging (to Allah) for that exact amount of money. The Shaykh looked around, looking for the man; he eventually saw him and called him to come to the front. He came forwarded, and he still had tears in his eyes which had become red. The Shaykh (in front of the wealthy man) asked him, what made you cry all night? The man said, Shaykh, I told you, my wife has a surgery scheduled for 9 am and will cost 15,400 Pounds, of which I have nothing. Now, the wealthy man also began to cry. He magnified Allah repeatedly, cried and hugged the poor man.
The wealthy man then began explaining to the Shaykh that he had placed this zakah in a cupboard in his home a week ago. Every day, his wife would advise him to take the money and distribute it, as it was the right of Allah (on him). The man told his wife to please bear with him; he told her that he didn’t want to distribute it by giving a hundred here, 500 there etc. Rather, he was hoping to find someone in great need and one who was desperate, so he could give it to him and relief his distress, perhaps through that Allah would relieve his distress on the Day of Judgement.
The wealthy man then handed the money over to the other man, so he could pay for his wife’s operation. The poor man could hardly believe what was happening. He took the money, then forgot about whoever else was there. Immediately, he turned to Allah, crying out, I love You my Lord, I love You my Lord.
Allahu Akbar! Do we see what the result of having full and complete confidence in Allah is?
They arise from [their] beds; they supplicate their Lord in fear and aspiration, and from what We have provided them, they spend.
And no soul knows what has been hidden for them of comfort for eyes as reward for what they used to do.
– Surah As-Sajdah 32:16
