The story of the punishment of selfishness - Part One
The family agreed to spend Friday with Uncle Mahmoud, his wife, and his son Salman at their house near the big club in the city
Abdul Rahman was very happy because he would play with his cousin and friend Salman, and Salman loved Abdul Rahman very much, honored him, and influenced him over himself, while Abdul Rahman loved him because he only played with him and entertained him.
Salman came and greeted Abdul Rahman and invited him to go play with him in the club. Salman found his friends playing ball and they were waiting for him to play with them on their team. There was only one player left on Salman’s team.
Abd al-Rahman wished to himself that he would play in the place of his friend Salman, and without Salman knowing what was going on in his friend’s mind, he said to his friends: “Today my cousin and friend Abd al-Rahman will play in my place, for he is more skilled than me at playing football.”
Abdul Rahman enjoyed playing and Salman watching and cheering until a friend from the opposing team was injured, so they asked Salman to play in his place. In fact, Salman played with the opposing team and scored many goals, even though he was less skilled than his friend Abdul Rahman, who did not score any goals.
Two hours before Friday prayers, Salman asked his friends to rest and then go to Friday prayers so that they would not miss the sermon.
Abdul Rahman was hoping to continue playing until he beat the opposing team, but Salman convinced him and told him to say “Allahu Akbar” to prayer is better than playing, and I promise that we will play again after the afternoon prayer.
All the children arrived at the mosque, and although they had arrived before the time of the sermon, they found the mosque full of worshipers who were keen to apply the Sunnah and pronounce the takbeer until the Friday prayer, hoping for the great reward.
There was no place for prayer except outside the mosque, so everyone sat on the carpets spread outside the mosque except Abdul Rahman, who did not find a place on the carpets shaded by the trees above him.
He was forced to sit on the ground where the hot sun was shining, and he wished to sit in the place of his friend Salman, who looked at him and found him hurt from sitting on the ground under the sun, so he said to him:
My dear friend, do not sit on the floor under the sun, but sit in my place on the carpet in the shade. You are my guest and I must honor you.
Abdul Rahman smiled and was happy that Salman had influenced him and went to sit in the sunshine
Despite this, Salman was happy because he honored his friend and influenced himself, and because he counted the reward for hardship in performing worship.
The sermon began, and as it began, gentle breezes blew, reducing the heat of the air and the sun, and making the tree sway, making its branches shade Salman’s place, so he did not feel the sun’s rays throughout the prayer time.
It happened that the place where Abdul Rahman was sitting was under a tree in which there was a bird’s nest. When the breeze blew, it moved the branches of the tree, causing some bird droppings to fall on them. Thus, his clothes became dirty. Abdul Rahman remained sad and upset because of his dirty clothes.
When the prayer ended, Abdul Rahman went to the bathroom and tried to clean the waste with water, but its traces remained on his clothes
Salman gave the new clothes to Abdul Rahman, who remained amazed, thinking about what his friend did to him every time, while he was always thinking about himself, so he said to him:
I don't always understand you, Salman, and you put me before yourself and always think about me but don't think about yourself. Don't you love yourself as I love myself?
Salman replied with a smile, “You are my cousin and my friend at the same time, and I love you, and when you wear these clothes, I will feel as if I am the one wearing them, and I will be like that a lot.”
