A Story of Opportunity :)

Assalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuhu,
bismillahi walhamdulillahi 'alaa rasulillah,

Have we estimated Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala correctly? Life is about people who take advantage of their opportunities to win the love of Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala and Laylatul Qadr is one of them.

Abu Dahda RA was one of those who found an opportunity and won that which is greater than the heavens and the earth. An adult companion of the Prophet sallalahu 'alaihi wassalam cultivated his garden next to the property of an orphan. The orphan claimed that a specific palm tree was on his property and thus belonged to him. The companion rejected the claim, so the orphan boy went to the Messenger of Allah sallalahu 'alaihi wassalam to complain. With his justness, the Messenger of Allah sallalahu 'alaihi wassalam measured the two gardens and found that the palm tree did indeed belong to the companion. The orphan erupted crying. Seeing this, the Prophet sallalahu 'alaihi wassalam asked the companion, “Would you give him the palm tree and to you is a palm tree in Jannah?” However, the companion in his disbelief that an orphan would complain to the Prophet sallalahu 'alaihi wassalam, missed the opportunity and went away angry.

But someone else saw the opportunity – Abu Dahda RA. He went to the Prophet sallalahu 'alaihi wassalam and asked, “Ya RasulAllah, if I buy the tree from him and give it to the orphan shall I have that tree in Jannah?”

The Messenger of Allah sallalahu 'alaihi wassalam replied, “Yes.”

Abu Dahda RA chased after the companion and asked, “Would you sell that tree to me for my entire garden?”

The companion answered, “Take it, for there is no good in a tree that I was complained to the Prophet about.”

Immediately, Abu Dahda RA went home and found his wife and children playing in the garden. “Leave the garden!” shouted Abu Dahda. “We’ve sold it to Allah! We’ve sold it to Allah!” Some of his children had dates in their hand and he snatched the dates from them and threw them back into the garden. “We’ve sold it to Allah!”

When Abu Dahda RA was later martyred in the battle of Uhud, RasulAllah sallalahu 'alaihi wassalam stood over his slain body and remarked, “How many shady palm trees does Abu Dahda now have in Paradise?”

What did Abu Darda lose? Dates? Bushes? Dirt? What did he gain? He gained a Jannah whose expanse is the heavens and the earth.

Abu Dahda RA did not miss his opportunity, and I pray to Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala that we do not miss our opportunity of standing to Allah on Laylatul Qadr, inshaAllah ameen :)

source : Youtube lecture by Shaykh Saeed Rageah