Purchasing a Palace in Paradise

Sheikh Maalik bin Dinaar (rahimahullah) was a very great Taabi’ee and pious saint of his time. Ja’far bin Sulaimaan (rahimahullah) mentions the following story from the life of Sheikh Maalik bin Dinaar (rahimahullah). Ja’far (rahimahullah) says:

I was once walking with Sheikh Maalik bin Dinaar (rahimahullah) through a street in the city of Basrah when we passed by a handsome young man who was building a very big and beautiful palace. The young man was seated next to the palace, giving instructions to the builders and showing them how he wanted it built.

When the Sheikh saw him, he said, “What a handsome young man, but he is busy in something that will not bring him a lot of benefit! I feel like making dua to Allah Ta‘ala to free him from this worthless action, and to make him a true and pious servant of Allah Ta‘ala. I wish that he could be among the youth who will go to Jannah! O Ja’far, let us go and talk to him.”

We went to the young man and greeted him with “Assalaamu alaikum.” He returned our salaam, but did not recognize Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah) at first, though he knew of the Sheikh. After a while, he recognized Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah), and immediately stood up from his seat out of respect for him.

The young man then asked the Sheikh why he had come to visit him. The Sheikh replied, “How much money do you intend spending on the building of this palace?” The young man replied, “I intend spending one hundred thousand dirhams to build this palace.”

Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah) said to him, “Can you give me the one hundred thousand dirhams, and in return, I promise to get you a magnificent palace in Jannah, much better than the palace you are planning. The palace in Jannah will have many servants, balconies and domes made from red rubies, and it will be decorated with precious jewels. The sand of this palace is saffron, and the cement is of perfumed musk, with a sweet smell all around it. This palace will not be built by builders – rather Allah Ta‘ala will merely say, ‘Let there be a palace,’ and it will come up immediately.’

After listening to the Sheikh, the young man said, “Let me think a while. Come back tomorrow morning, and I will tell you what I have decided.”

Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah) went home and spent the whole night awake, worrying for the young man. In the last part of the night, Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah) wept and cried to Allah Ta‘ala with great humility, begging Allah Ta‘ala’s mercy for the young man.

The next morning, we again went to the young man’s house and found him standing at the gate, waiting for us. He was very pleased to see Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah), and when the Sheikh asked him what he had decided, he said, “Are you sure that you will get me the palace in Jannah you promised me yesterday?”

Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah) said, “Certainly!”, after which the young man placed before us the bags containing the one hundred thousand dirhams. He then brought a piece of paper, some ink and a pen, and Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah) wrote on it, “In the name of Allah, the Kind, the Merciful. I, Maalik bin Dinaar, promise to get a palace in Jannah from Allah Ta‘ala, for this young man, in exchange of the palace he had planned in the world. I guarantee that I will get for him a far better palace than the one he planned to build, built in beautiful colours, close to Allah Ta‘ala.”

The Sheikh gave the page to the young man and we returned home with the one hundred thousand dirhams. By the evening, Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah) had given all the money to the poor and not a single dirham was left with him to buy any food for the night.

One morning after the fajr salaah, about forty days after this incident, Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah) found a piece of paper lying in the mihraab (front part) of his musjid. It was the same page that he had written for the young man, promising him a palace in Jannah in exchange of his palace in this world.

On the back of the paper, there was a message which said, “Allah Ta‘ala has fulfilled the promise of Maalik bin Dinaar to the young man. We have given him the palace you guaranteed to get for him, and seventy times more!”

Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah) was surprised to read the message, and when we went to the young man’s house, we saw some sadness at the house which showed that someone had passed away. We also heard the sounds of people crying, and we were told that the young man had passed away the previous day. We asked who had washed and put the kafan on the body and they sent for the man.

When he came, we asked him to tell us how he had washed and put the kafan on the body. He replied, “The young man gave me a piece of paper before his death, and told me to put it inside his kafan after washing him. I did so, and put the paper on his chest under the cloth.”

Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah) showed him the page he had brought with him. When the man saw the paper, he shouted out, “I take an oath by the One who caused this youngster to die, this is the very same piece of paper which I placed inside his kafan!”

Seeing this, another young man stood up and said to Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah), “Write for me a similar promise, in exchange of two hundred thousand dirhams!” But the Sheikh refused saying, “It cannot be done! The time for that is now gone! Allah Ta‘ala does what He wills.”

Afterwards, whenever Sheikh Maalik (rahimahullah) remembered that young man, he would begin weeping and making dua for Allah Ta‘ala’s mercy for him.