Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbaas (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) mentions that once, he was with his father by Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) while Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was discussing something in private with someone. Since Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) was attending to that person, his back was turned towards Hazrat Abbaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma) and his son, Hazrat Abdullah bin Abbaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhuma), and perhaps Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) was not aware that they had come to meet him.
Hazrat Abbaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) left the presence of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) with his son and did not have the opportunity to speak to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam).
After leaving, Hazrat Abbaas (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said to his son, Hazrat Abdullah, “O my son! Didn’t you see how your cousin (referring to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam)) turned away from me (i.e. perhaps he did not want to speak to me)?”
Hazrat Abdullah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) said to his father, “O my father! There was a person present with Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) who was speaking something privately to him (that is why Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) had turned his back towards you).”
Hazrat Abdullah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) mentioned: “We then returned to Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam), and when my father met Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam), he said to him “O Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam)! I said such-and-such to Abdullah (i.e. I told him that you turned away from me), and he informed me that (the reason for you turning away from me was that) there was a person speaking to you in private (however, I could not see the person). Is it true that you were discussing something privately with someone?”
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) asked Hazrat Abdullah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu), “O Abdullah! Did you really see him (i.e. the person whom I was speaking to)?” Hazrat Abdullah (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) replied, “Yes (I did see him).”
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) said, “That person (whom you saw) was Jibreel (‘alayhis salaam). He was the person with whom I was busy (speaking).” (Musnad Ahmed #2679 ; Majmuz Zawaa’id #15518)
