Bismillah Ir Rahman Ir Raheem THE MAGICIAN'S APPRENTICE Adapted for children from an authentic hadith* of Prophet Muhammad praise and veneration be upon him with a quiz by Khadeijah Stephens Copyrighted by The Mosque of the Internet 1993-2000 www.mosque.com TERMS OF PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION The Mosque of the Internet grants permission to Islamic schools, organizations or Muslim individuals to download, copy, print, publish, record and/or distribute this story either for profit or non-profit without reimbursement to the Mosque of the Internet providing the following six conditions are complied with in full and without exception. The Mosque of the Internet owns and retains the copyright of this story and no other person/s, school, organization or individual etc., owns or has any right or claim to the copyright. No alterations whatsoever are made. Reference to The Mosque of the Internet with its internet address www.mosque.com appears on the front cover. Should artwork be included in its publication the artwork must conform with Islamic principles, for example no drawings of human beings. The Mosque of the Internet is informed of its publication and ten copies of the published book sent to the Mosque of the Internet. If any of these conditions are not met then all previously mentioned permission/s are automatically revoked and legal action will be taken to the maximum extent of the copyright infringement jurisdiction law in the State of Delaware, USA will be sought. A long time ago, far, far away in a land long forgotten there lived a proud king. His palace was not only magnificent but luxuriant -- only the very best was good enough for him! The king surrounded himself with courtiers who advised him only with the things he wanted to hear. Nobody dared to tell him anything they thought might displease him, everyone was very, very careful. Now, amongst those near to the king was a magician. The magician was getting old and was concerned that one day he would no longer be able to practice his magical secrets. As he thought about the matter he became more and more convinced that he must ask the king to find him a suitable young man to be his apprentice. Then, later on his apprentice could take his place. After all, thought the magician, it would be a shame if his magic was lost and gone forever! The next day, the magician went to the king and told him what was on his mind. The king listened sympathetically, agreed and told the magician that he himself would find a suitable young man for him to teach -- an apprentice. The king ordered his servants to go out into the city and search for a suitable young. After a long search a young man was brought before the king and the king thought to himself: "This is just the sort of person we are looking for!" Later on that day the king sent the young man to the magician. The magician was delighted with the king's choice and began teaching his apprentice the tricks of his trade. Now, on his way to his lesson each day, the apprentice would pass by a wise old man who worshipped and talked a lot about Allah. The apprentice liked what he heard and would often stop to listen. The apprentice was so happy listening to the wise old man that time just slipped by and he was nearly always late for his lesson! Needless to say, when the apprentice arrived late for his lesson the magician was very, very angry. After all it was a privilege for the young man to be taught such a skill -- or so the magician thought -- and he would beat his young apprentice. The apprentice decided to tell the kind, wise old man about the beatings. The wise old man thought for a moment, then, he advised him to tell the magician whenever he was late for his lesson he had been detained by his family, and when his family complained to tell them the magician had detained him. And so it continued. One day as the apprentice made his way to the magician he came across a small crowd of people in the middle of the road making a terrible fuss. The young man decided to go and see for himself what all the fuss was about. As he peered through the crowd, much to his amazement, there, blocking the entire road, was a huge beast that refused to move and let the people pass by. The young man thought to himself: "Now, I have a chance to see who is better, the kind worshiper of Allah or the magician." So he picked up a stone that lay nearby and supplicated saying: "O Allah, if the conduct of Your worshiper is more pleasing to You than the practice of the magician, let the beast die so the people can pass." Then he threw the stone at the beast and it dropped down dead! The next time the young man saw the worshiper of Allah, he told him what had happened. The worshiper of Allah was pleased with him and said: "My son, today you have surpassed me. I think you have reached the stage where you might be harmed. If this happens, do not tell anyone where I am." Soon after, by the permission of Allah, the young man started to restore sight to the blind -- even those that had been born blind. He also cured lepers and many other people with incurable diseases. Needless to say, the news of all these miraculous cures spread swiftly through the city and it wasn't long until one of the king's courtiers heard the news. The courtier had been blind for many years and longed to be able to see once again. Hastily, he called upon his servants to take him to the young man and took with him a lot of very expensive gifts with which he hoped to buy a cure. At last they found the young man, and the courtier told his servants to lay his expensive gifts before him. Then, the courtier told the young man: "If you cure me, all these fine gifts are yours!" The young man smiled, shook his head and said: "I do not cure, it is Allah alone who gives me permission to cure. If you bear witness that there is no god except Allah, I will supplicate to Him and if He wills He will restore your sight." Deep down the courtier knew that there was really only one God, Allah and so he told the young man that he believed. The young man prayed, then, by the permission of Allah the courtier's sight was restored. The courtier was absolutely delighted and thanked Allah for his cure. The next day the courtier went to take his usual place in the king's court and it wasn't long until the king noticed his courtier was no longer blind and summoned him before him. The king asked: "Who has restored your sight?" Without hesitation the courtier replied: "Allah!" The king had always thought himself to be a god, so when he heard the courtier's reply he shook with rage and demanded: "What is this! Have you a God other than me?" Despite the king's terrifying rage the courtier reminded him: "Allah is your Sustainer as well as mine." The king was very angry when he heard the courtier's remark -- who did this man think he was to defy him, the king, ruler of this great country! In an act of rage he ordered the courtier to be taken away and tortured until he revealed the name of the young man, who, by the permission of Allah, had restored his sight. The courtier was very brave, however, eventually the pain became too great for him to bear so reluctantly he revealed the name of the young man. The news was taken straight to the king whereupon the king ordered the young man to be arrested and brought before him. The soldiers searched the city until they found the young man and marched him to the palace where he was made to stand before the king. When the king saw the young man he recognized him immediately and asked: "Boy, have you become so skillful with your magic that you can cure the blind, lepers and other diseases?" The young man replied: "No, I do not cure anyone, it is Allah who cures." You can guess just how angry the king was now. Such was his anger that he demanded to know the name of the young man's teacher, but the young man would not tell him. Like the courtier, the young man was taken away and tortured. He too endured his torture with patience until he could take it no longer and only then did he give the name of his teacher. Now that the soldiers knew the name they went straight to the king who ordered them to find the worshiper of Allah, and so he was brought before the king. The king questioned the worshiper and demanded that he give up his belief in Allah, but as could be expected, the worshiper refused. The situation was more than the king could take, how dare this pitiful old man refuse to disobey him, the king! So the king decided that there was only one thing to be done, he must be punished and held as an example to anyone else that might dare to even think disobeying him! Then, to everyone's horror the king sent for a saw and ordered it to be placed on top of the worshiper's head then instructed the palace guards to saw him in half! "Now", thought the king, "this will soon put a stop to all this nonsense." Next, he sent for the courtier and ordered him to give up his belief in Allah. But like the worshiper of Allah, the courtier refused and so he too was sawn in half. Then the king called for the young man to be brought before him, and demanded he should give up his belief in Allah. Like the two before him, he refused to disbelieve. The king could see that the young man was not afraid of being sawn in half, so he ordered his soldiers to take the young man to a high mountain and throw him off the top if he still refused to give up his belief. The soldiers seized the young man and marched him up to the very top of the mountain. Once again the young man was asked to give up his belief, but he refused. Just as they were about to throw the young man off the top of the mountain, he prayed to Allah saying: "O Allah, help free me from this in whichever way You wish." Allah heard his prayer and answered it. The mountain shook violently and all except the young man were thrown from the top of the mountain! The young man thanked Allah and returned to the king. The king was alarmed to see the young man and demanded to know what had happened to his men, and so the young man told him how Allah had saved him. Upon hearing this, the king, not to be out done, ordered another group of soldiers to take him out in a boat and throw him overboard when they reached the deepest part of the sea unless he gave up his belief in Allah. Once more, the young man was marched away. When they reached the sea shore, the soldiers rowed the boat out until they reached the deepest part of the sea and stopped. They asked the young man to give up his belief, but once again he refused. Just before they were about to throw him overboard, the young man prayed again saying: "O Allah, save me from these people in which ever way You wish." As before, Allah in His Mercy heard his prayer and the boat sank -- everyone drowned except the young man! By the Mercy of Allah, the young man made his way back to the king's palace. The king could not believe his eyes -- what had happened this time! He asked the young man what he had done with his soldiers and the young man replied: "Allah rescued me from them." You can imagine just how very,very angry the king was by now. Then, much to the king's surprise, the young man said: "You will never be able to kill me unless you gather all the people together in an open area. Then, tie me to a palm tree, take an arrow from my quiver, put it in my bow, and as you fire it at me say: "In the Name of Allah, the Lord of this young man." The king, couldn't believe his ears -- the young man had just told him how to get rid of him! Without hesitation he called his people together. At last, thought the king, he would be triumphant and they would soon know who was more powerful. And so they would, but not in the way he expected! The young man was tied to the palm tree and the king took the arrow from the quiver, drew the bow and aimed it ready to fire. Before he fired the arrow he declared in a loud voice for all to hear: "In the Name of Allah, the Lord of this young man", and as he did he fired the arrow. The arrow struck the young man right in the middle of his forehead, and he was martyred just like the courtier and the worshiper of Allah. When the people saw what had happened they were quick to realize the truth of the matter and cried out: "We bear witness to the belief in the Lord of this young man." The king had not expected his people to respond in this way; it was through his pride that he had unintentionally helped them to be guided to Allah. Now, the king became even more wicked than before and ordered his soldiers to dig a huge ditch on either side of a road. Next, he ordered it to be filled with dry wood. The people that declared their belief were soon rounded up and told to stand in front of the ditches and the wood was set on fire. The king hoped to strike fear in the hearts of his people and announced that if they disbelieved in Allah he would spare them, otherwise, they would be thrown into the fire. Once again the king miscalculated, not one of them refused to give up their belief. Some jumped into the fire, others were pushed. Then came the turn of a mother and her child, her heart turned towards her son and for a moment she hesitated, but the brave little boy turned to his mother and said: "Mother, be patient, you are on the Right Path," and so they both jumped into the fire and were martyred like their companions. Everyone knew the truth that there is no god except Allah, and there was nothing, nothing at all that could tear them away from their belief. And so all those brave people became martyrs, and Allah rewards martyrs with the best reward of all and that is Paradise. Paradise is a place Allah has made especially for those who believe in Him, do good deeds and do not worship anyone else. Nothing will ever harm us there, no tears, no measles or chickenpox either. Instead, everything we ask for will be ours -- and no one can ever take it away from us, but to get there we have to be very good and worship Allah alone. As for those who are martyred, they have a very, very special place in Paradise. NEW WORDS APPRENTICE: is a young person who is being taught how to do his job. COURTIER: is someone who attends the court of a king or queen, usually, they are important people. INCURABLE: means no doctor can make you better. SUSTAINER: in this story, Sustainer is one of the Names of Allah, it means the One who gives you everything you need to live. CONVINCED: means that you are very sure of something. WHAT DID WE LEARN FROM THIS STORY? 1. We learned to tell the truth even in front of a king. 2. We learned to ask Allah to help us. 3. We learned that people who die as martyrs go to Paradise and have a special place there. QUIZ TIME Why was the apprentice late for his lessons? Who was better, the worshiper of Allah, or the magician? What did the young man do when he saw the huge beast blocking the road? What did the young man ask the people to believe? Did the young man cure anyone? Who did the courtier say cured him? Name one of the places the king told his men to take the young man. What did the brave little boy tell his mother? All the people who died became m_r_r_s and live in P_r_d_s_. What do you have in Paradise?QUIZ TIME ANSWERS Because he wanted to listen to the worshiper of Allah. 2. The worshiper of Allah. 3. He asked Allah to let the beast die if the worshipper of Allah was better than the magician 4. That there is no god except Allah. 5. No. 6. Allah. 7. To the top of the mountain. To the deepest part of the sea. 8. "Mother, be patient, you are on the Right Path." 9. m a r t y r s P a r a d i s e. 10. Anything you want.SCORE 1 - 3 answers right? Nice try but I think you could do better, why not read the story again, or ask someone to read it to you? 4 - 6 answers right? Good! 7 - 9 answers right? Very Good!! 10 answers right? EXCELLENT!!! Don't forget to read the Prophet's actual words in his hadiths recorded in the reference of Imam Nawawi called the Gardens of Righteousness THE END I hope you have enjoyed this story, Insh'Allah I will write some more Islamic stories for you soon. This book is copyrighted 1993 - 2000 by Khadijah Stephens and the Mosque of the Internet www.mosque.com