01/11/2024
A Shopkeeper in Bukhara
In the city of Bukhara, there once lived a shopkeeper whose wife was known for her beauty and piety. For about twelve to fifteen years, a young boy would come to their home regularly to deliver water. One day, as he was delivering water, he impulsively took hold of the woman’s hand and, driven by desire, he squeezed it before leaving.
The woman was deeply disturbed and saddened by this. She thought to herself, “This boy has been coming to our home for nearly fifteen years, yet he was able to act like this in the end!” This thought brought her to tears, and she became very serious and silent.
When her husband arrived home and saw her crying, he asked what had happened. She told him everything.
Upon hearing her words, the husband also began to cry. The wife, surprised, asked, “Why are you crying?”
The husband replied, “The fault lies not with that boy, but with me.”
She asked, “How so?”
The husband explained, “Today, a woman came to my shop to buy bangles. After choosing her bangles, she asked me to help her put them on. While assisting her, I noticed her hands were soft and beautiful, and I, too, impulsively squeezed her hand with desire. In return for my action, that boy has done the same to you.”
He then declared, “I repent for my actions. I will never commit such a sin again.” He added, “If that boy ever acts like this again, please inform me right away.”
The following day, the boy returned, looking very remorseful. As soon as he entered, he said to the woman, “Yesterday, I was led astray by Satan, which caused me to commit such a sin. I have sincerely repented and promise that it will never happen again. Please forgive me.”
Observe how the shopkeeper’s actions toward a stranger were mirrored by another’s actions toward his wife. When he repented, the boy also immediately sought forgiveness.
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Upon hearing this story, a scholar shared it with a king. After listening, the king said, “I want to test this in reality.” Having never acted inappropriately toward anyone before, he asked his daughter, “Put aside your royal attire, dress as an ordinary girl, and take a walk around the city.” He assigned a maidservant to accompany her to observe what might happen.
The princess walked around the city dressed plainly. No one paid her any attention or even looked at her. On her way back to the palace, while she was heading toward her room in her ordinary clothes, a palace worker mistook her for a servant and, impulsively, kissed her and quickly left.
The princess went to her father and shared what had happened. After a pause, the king said, “The scholar was right. I now remember that at the beginning of my youth, I had treated a girl in the very same way. What I did to her has now happened to my own daughter.” This is an example of divine justice, or qisas (retribution).
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Sometimes, when someone commits an act of indecency, it is not they who pay the price, but their innocent sister, daughter, or wife. This divine system holds that when a father or husband transgresses, the burden of that sin can fall upon his daughter or wife. The opposite can also be true. This is Allah’s way of enacting justice.
For this reason, young men, who may often be tempted by sinful thoughts, should remember that they, too, have sisters, daughters, and wives. If they look at others with dishonorable intentions, then others may look upon their family in the same way. Therefore, one should strive wholeheartedly to avoid such sins.
Imam Shafi'i (may Allah have mercy on him) once said, “Zina (adultery) is like a debt. The debtor’s close relatives will eventually pay it.”
May Allah grant us all the ability to repent and refrain from such sins. Ameen.
(This story was taken from the book "Dardomakha Ahban," originally written by Maulana Zulfiqar Ahmed Naqshbandi and translated by Abdullah Al Masud.)
