Gardens of the Righteous — Page 64
64. GARDENS OF THE RIGHTEOUS 261. Abu Hurairah relates that the Holy Prophet said: Only three persons talked in their cradles. One was Jesus son of Mary. Another was the case of Juraij. He was a pious man given to worship who had built a retreat for himself. One day when he was engaged in worship his mother came and called him, and he supplicated: Lord, my mother and my devotion. He continued in worship and she went away. Next day she came again and called him and he supplicated: Lord, my mother and my worship. Again he continued in his worship. She came the third day and called him and he supplicated: Lord, my mother and my worship; and continued with his worship. She said: Allah, do not let him die till he has confronted the harlots. . Juraij and his devotion became topics of conversation among the Bani Israel. . There was among them a harlot whose beauty was proverbial. She said: If you would like I could involve Juraij in trouble. She tried to seduce him but Juraij paid no attention to her. Then she went to a shepherd who lived near the retreat of Juraij and offered herself to him and conceived from him. When she gave birth to the child she said it was from Juraij. The Bani Israel came to him, brought him down from his retreat, demolished it and started beating him up. He asked: Why all this? They said: You have committed adultery with this harlot and she has borne your child. He said: Where is the child? They brought it to him. He said: Now leave me alone so that I might pray. Then he prayed, and when he finished he came to the child, seated it in his lap and asked it: Who is thy father? The child replied: So and So, the shepherd. Then they all turned to Juraij, kissing him and seeking his blessing and said: We shall build thy retreat of gold. He said: Build it of clay as it was. So they did. . The third was the case of a boy who was being suckled by his mother when a man passed by riding a fast and good mount and clad in fine garments. The mother supplicated: Allah, do Thou make my son like this one. The infant released his mother's breast, and turning looked at the man and said: Allah, do not make me like him. Then he turned to his mother's breast and resumed the suckling. Here the Holy Prophet illustrated the suckling of the child by putting his forefinger into his mouth and sucking it. Then he continued: Then some people passed by with a young woman who was being beaten and those who beat her said: You committed adultery and theft; and she kept on saying:. Sufficient for me is Allah and an excellent Guardian is He. The mother supplicated: Allah, do not make my son like her. Thereupon he left the suckling and looked upon the young woman and said: Allah, make me like her. On this the mother and son began to converse. She said: A man of good presence passed and I supplicated: Allah, make my son like him, and you said: Allah, do not make me like him. Then they passed with the slave-girl. . They were beating her and were saying: You committed adultery and theft. I supplicated: Allah, do not make my son like her; and you said: Allah, make me like her. The boy replied: That man was a tyrant, so I said: Allah, do not make me like him. As to the girl, they said: You committed adultery; and she