The Trustworthiness and Honesty of Mubaarak

There was once a slave whose name was Mubaarak. For many years, Mubaarak lived and worked in the fruit orchard which belonged to his master.

One day, Mubaarak’s master came to him and told him to bring him a sweet pomegranate to eat. Mubaarak immediately went to one of the trees in the orchard, broke a pomegranate from the tree, and brought it to his master. However, when his master cut it open and began to eat it, he found that it was sour.

The master became angry with Mubaarak and said to him, “I asked you to bring me a sweet pomegranate! Why did you bring me a sour one? Go and bring me a sweet one!” Mubaarak went to a second tree, broke another pomegranate and brought it to the master, but on tasting it, the master found that this pomegranate was also sour.

The master now became even angrier. He scolded Mubaarak and sent him for the third time to bring a sweet pomegranate. As before, Mubaarak went to one of the trees in the orchard and broke a pomegranate, but even this pomegranate was sour.

The master scolded Mubaarak even more and said to him, “You are working in this orchard for so many years! How is it that after all this time, you still do not know how to tell which pomegranate is sweet and which one is sour?”

Mubaarak replied, “The reason why I cannot tell which one is sweet and which one is sour is that I have never tasted any of the fruits of your orchard, so I do not know which pomegranate is sweet and which one is not sweet.”

The master was astonished and surprised and asked Mubaarak, “Why have you never tasted any of the fruit of my orchard?” Mubaarak replied, “The reason is that you did not give me permission to eat the fruit from your orchard.”

The master made some enquiries and investigations to find out whether Mubaarak was speaking the truth, and when he was told that it was true that in all the years, Mubaarak had never eaten the fruit of his orchard, he was amazed at the trustworthiness and honesty of Mubaarak.

Though he had worked in the orchard for many years, and nobody would have known if he had eaten the fruit – he did not eat the fruit because it did not belong to him and the owner did not give him permission. Mubaarak understood that perhaps the owner would not know and would not catch him if he ate the fruit, but Allah Ta‘ala would definitely know and would certainly catch him – if not in this world, then in the next world!

It so happened that the master had a daughter who was at the age of marriage, and the master had been looking for a good husband for her. When the master saw the high level of Mubaarak’s taqwa and piety, he got him married to his daughter.

It was from this nikaah that Hazrat Abdullah bin Mubaarak (rahimahullah) was born. He was a very pious Aalim and Mujaahid who would fight in the path of Allah Ta‘ala against the enemies of Islam. This son, who was a great saint of his time, was the result and outcome of his father’s taqwa and piety.

Lessons:

1. We must never take, use, eat or drink anything that does not belong to us, unless the owner gives us permission.
2. When we feel tempted to do some sin or something naughty, then we must remember that even if people cannot see us and catch us – Allah Ta‘ala is watching us. If He does not punish us in this world, then He will punish us in the Hereafter.
3. One day, when we become big and are ready to get married, then we must make sure that we get married to a person who is pious and has taqwa. If we are pious, and we get married to someone pious, then insha Allah, Allah Ta‘ala will bless us with pious children.