Piety of the Shepherd

Once Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (R.A) and some of his friends came to a secluded part of Madina tul Munawwarah for a particular task. On the way they stopped and rested, they laid down a food cloth and began to eat.

Whilst they were eating, a shepherd passed by and offered his Salaam.
Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (R.A) invited him to eat with them but the shepherd replied that he was fasting. Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (R.A) asked; 'Why are you fasting despite the intense heat and the fact that you are looking after your flock?’ He replied, 'I desire to fast in the few days of opportunity I have been given.'

Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (R.A) intended to test his piety, and so he asked, 'Will you give us one sheep from your flock? We will pay its price and offer its meat for the breaking of the fast.

He said, 'These are not my sheep, but rather my master's'. Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (R.A) pointed out that his master was not watching. The shepherd turned away whilst pointing to the sky. He replied, 'But my Lord is.'

Hazrat Abdullah ibn 'Umar (R.A) was overwhelmed by the shepherd's trust and fear of Allah (S.W.T). Upon his return he sent someone to the master to buy the flock, as well as the shepherd. Hazrat Abdullah ibn Umar (R.A) freed the shepherd and gifted the entire flock to him.

Moral:

When we usually perform an evil action, we look left and right to ensure no one is watching us. Only when we are sure that no one is observing us we carry out this forbidden deed but we tend to forget that Allah (S.W.T) is watching us.

Nothing is hidden from the sight of Allah (S.W.T). No veil or wall can shield us from His sights. Therefore, wherever and whenever we intend to perform a bad action, we should remind ourselves that our Lord is watching us and feel ashamed to perform evil in His presence.

In this story we see how a shepherd was so fearful of his Lord and whose faith was so firm. As educated people, we should take a lesson from such characters and learn from their success.