The (Not Original) Three Musketeers

The "Three Musketeers" worked in the same Ministry for the past 4 years. Tomorrow, one of the "three musketeers" will be posted to another Ministry, and while waiting for his farewell dinner, I took the time to make this entry.

Interestingly, as I mentioned to the other musketeer two weeks ago, there were actually 4 members to the Three Musketeers. Perhaps it may be due to the famous rule of 3, it is popularly known as the Three Musketeers. When asked, I explained: there are three of us, and the unseen fourth member is The Almighty who takes care of us. Subhan-Allah!

The two of us will miss having you working in the same building, but distance is a mere physical thing. We can always rely on our "fourth member" who have always provided and took us under His Shade without fail. So, I am left humbled by sending you to your new workplace with beautiful ahadeeth from our beloved Prophet (saw):

Hadith 1:
“There are seven whom Allah will shade in His Shade on the Day when there is no shade except His Shade:

- a just ruler;

- a youth who grew up in the worship of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic;

- a man whose heart is attached to the mosques;

- two people who love each other for Allah’s sake, meeting for that and parting upon that;

- a man who is called by a woman of beauty and position [for illegal intercourse], but be says: ‘I fear Allah’;

- a man who gives in charity and hides it, such that his left hand does not know what his right hand gives in charity; and

- a man who remembered Allah in private and so his eyes shed tears.” (Bukhari & Muslim)

Hadith 2:

"Where are those who loved one another for My glory? Today I will shade them in My shade on the Day when there is no shade but Mine." (Muslim)

Hadith 3:
"There are three things that whoever attains them will find the sweetness of faith:

- if Allah, The Almighty and His Messenger (saw) are dearer to him than anyone or anything else;

- if he loves a person solely for the sake of Allah, The Almighty; and

- if he would hate to return to disbelieve after Allah, The Almighty has rescued him from it, as much as he would hate to be thrown into the Fire." (Bukhari & Muslim)

Hadith 4:
“Allah, the Mighty and Magnificent says: “Those who have mutual love for the sake of My Glory will have pillars of light and will be envied by the Prophets and martyrs.” (Tirmidhee & Ahmad)

Having mutual love for the sake of Allah is one of the great doors leading to the good of the Hereafter and a cause of tasting the sweetness of faith. Loving one another for Allah’s sake means that the Muslim does not love another except for the correctness of his Deen. So it does not matter what the person looks like, what he wears, how rich or poor he is, where he comes from, or what the colour of his skin is - perhaps you dislike everything about him, but you love him for his faith: this is loving for Allah’s sake.

The remaining two musketeers therefore send you off tomorrow to your new workplace with our prayers and with our love. You have our love, always.

SubhanAllah!