The Story of the Boy, the Magician, and the Monk

Surah Al-Buruj 🔥

حَدَّثَنَا هَدَّابُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي لَيْلَى، عَنْ صُهَيْبٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ:

Suhaib reported that Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said:

كَانَ مَلِكٌ فِيمَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ، وَكَانَ لَهُ سَاحِرٌ، فَلَمَّا كَبِرَ قَالَ لِلْمَلِكِ: إِنِّي قَدْ كَبِرْتُ، فَابْعَثْ إِلَيَّ غُلَامًا أُعَلِّمْهُ السِّحْرَ.

There lived a king before you, and he had a magician. When the magician grew old, he said to the king, “I have grown old, so send me a young boy whom I can teach magic.”

فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِ غُلَامًا يُعَلِّمُهُ، وَكَانَ فِي طَرِيقِهِ إِذَا سَلَكَ رَاهِبٌ، فَقَعَدَ إِلَيْهِ وَسَمِعَ كَلَامَهُ فَأَعْجَبَهُ، فَكَانَ إِذَا أَتَى السَّاحِرَ مَرَّ بِالرَّاهِبِ وَقَعَدَ إِلَيْهِ، فَإِذَا أَتَى السَّاحِرَ ضَرَبَهُ، فَشَكَا ذَلِكَ إِلَى الرَّاهِبِ، فَقَالَ: إِذَا خَشِيتَ السَّاحِرَ فَقُلْ: حَبَسَنِي أَهْلِي، وَإِذَا خَشِيتَ أَهْلَكَ فَقُلْ: حَبَسَنِي السَّاحِرُ.

So the king sent a young boy to the magician for training. On his way to the magician, the boy found a monk and sat with him, listening to his words. He was impressed by them. From then on, whenever he went to the magician, he would first visit the monk and listen to him. This caused him to arrive late to the magician, who would punish him. The boy complained to the monk about this, so the monk said, “If you are afraid of the magician, say: ‘My family detained me.’ And if you are afraid of your family, say: ‘The magician detained me.’”

فَبَيْنَا هُوَ كَذَلِكَ إِذْ أَتَى عَلَى دَابَّةٍ عَظِيمَةٍ قَدْ حَبَسَتِ النَّاسَ، فَقَالَ: الْيَوْمَ أَعْلَمُ، السَّاحِرُ أَفْضَلُ أَمِ الرَّاهِبُ أَفْضَلُ؟ فَأَخَذَ حَجَرًا، فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كَانَ أَمْرُ الرَّاهِبِ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْكَ مِنْ أَمْرِ السَّاحِرِ، فَاقْتُلْ هَذِهِ الدَّابَّةَ، حَتَّى يَمْضِيَ النَّاسُ، فَرَمَاهَا، فَقَتَلَهَا، وَمَضَى النَّاسُ.

One day, while he was on his way, he came across a huge beast blocking the road. He thought, “Today, I will know whether the magician is better or the monk is better.” He picked up a stone and said, “O Allah, if the monk’s matter is dearer to You than the magician’s, then kill this beast so that people may pass.” He threw the stone and killed it, and the people were able to move freely.

فَأَتَى الرَّاهِبَ فَأَخْبَرَهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّاهِبُ: أَيْ بُنَيَّ، أَنْتَ الْيَوْمَ أَفْضَلُ مِنِّي، قَدْ بَلَغَ مِنْ أَمْرِكَ مَا أَرَى، وَإِنَّكَ سَتُبْتَلَى، فَإِنِ ابْتُلِيتَ فَلَا تَدُلَّ عَلَيَّ.

He then went to the monk and told him what had happened. The monk said, “O my son, today you are better than me. Your matter has reached a stage where I see that you will soon be tested. If you are put to trial, do not reveal my identity.”

وَكَانَ يُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ، وَيَدَاوِي النَّاسَ مِنْ سَائِرِ الْأَدْوَاءِ، فَسَمِعَ جَلِيسٌ لِلْمَلِكِ كَانَ قَدْ عَمِيَ، فَأَتَاهُ بِهَدَايَا كَثِيرَةٍ، فَقَالَ: مَا هَا هُنَا لَكَ جَمِيعًا إِنْ أَنْتَ شَفَيْتَنِي، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي لَا أَشْفِي أَحَدًا، إِنَّمَا يَشْفِي اللَّهُ، فَإِنْ أَنْتَ آمَنْتَ بِاللَّهِ دَعَوْتُ اللَّهَ فَشَفَاكَ، فَآمَنَ بِاللَّهِ فَشَفَاهُ اللَّهُ.

The boy began to heal the blind, lepers, and people suffering from various illnesses. One of the king’s courtiers, who had become blind, heard about him. He came to the boy with many gifts and said, “All this is yours if you cure me.” The boy replied, “I do not cure anyone. It is Allah Who cures. If you believe in Allah, I will pray to Him, and He will heal you.” The man believed in Allah, and Allah restored his sight.

فَأَتَى الْمَلِكَ فَجَلَسَ إِلَيْهِ كَمَا كَانَ يَجْلِسُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ: مَنْ رَدَّ عَلَيْكَ بَصَرَكَ؟ قَالَ: رَبِّي. قَالَ: وَلَكَ رَبٌّ غَيْرِي؟ قَالَ: رَبِّي وَرَبُّكَ اللَّهُ، فَأَخَذَهُ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يُعَذِّبُهُ حَتَّى دَلَّ عَلَى الْغُلَامِ.

The man then went to the king and sat beside him as he used to. The king asked, “Who restored your eyesight?” He replied, “My Lord.” The king said, “Do you have a Lord besides me?” The man replied, “My Lord and your Lord is Allah.” So the king seized him and continued to torture him until he revealed the boy’s identity.

فَجِيءَ بِالْغُلَامِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ: أَيْ بُنَيَّ، قَدْ بَلَغَ مِنْ سِحْرِكَ مَا تُبْرِئُ الْأَكْمَهَ وَالْأَبْرَصَ، وَتَفْعَلُ وَتَفْعَلُ، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي لَا أَشْفِي أَحَدًا، إِنَّمَا يَشْفِي اللَّهُ، فَأَخَذَهُ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ يُعَذِّبُهُ حَتَّى دَلَّ عَلَى الرَّاهِبِ.

The boy was brought before the king, who said, “O boy, your magic has become so powerful that you heal the blind and the lepers and do such and such.” The boy replied, “I do not heal anyone. It is Allah Who heals.” The king seized him and tortured him until he revealed the monk’s identity.

فَجِيءَ بِالرَّاهِبِ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ، فَأَبَى، فَدَعَا بِالْمِنْشَارِ، فَوُضِعَ فِي مَفْرِقِ رَأْسِهِ، فَشُقَّ بِاثْنَتَيْنِ، وَقَعَدَ كُلُّ شِقٍّ مِنْهُ عَلَى نَاحِيَةٍ، ثُمَّ جِيءَ بِجَلِيسِ الْمَلِكِ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ، فَأَبَى، فَوُضِعَ الْمِنْشَارُ فِي مَفْرِقِ رَأْسِهِ، فَشُقَّ بِاثْنَتَيْنِ.

The monk was brought before the king, who said to him, “Renounce your religion.” He refused. The king ordered a saw to be brought and placed at the center of his head, and he was sawed in two. Each part of his body fell to one side. Then the king’s courtier was brought and was given the same choice. When he refused to abandon his faith, he too was sawed in half.

ثُمَّ جِيءَ بِالْغُلَامِ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: ارْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِكَ، فَأَبَى، فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى نَفَرٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ، فَقَالَ: اذْهَبُوا بِهِ إِلَى جَبَلِ كَذَا وَكَذَا، فَاصْعَدُوا بِهِ الْجَبَلَ، فَإِذَا بَلَغْتُمْ ذِرْوَتَهُ، فَإِنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ وَإِلَّا فَاطْرَحُوهُ.

Then the boy was brought, and the king said, “Renounce your religion.” The boy refused. So the king handed him over to some of his men and said, “Take him to such-and-such mountain, and when you reach its peak, give him the choice to renounce his faith. If he refuses, throw him off.”

فَذَهَبُوا بِهِ، فَصَعِدُوا بِهِ الْجَبَلَ، فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِيهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ، فَرَجَفَ بِهِمُ الْجَبَلُ، فَسَقَطُوا، وَجَاءَ يَمْشِي إِلَى الْمَلِكِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ: مَا فَعَلَ أَصْحَابُكَ؟ فَقَالَ: كَفَانِيهِمُ اللَّهُ.

They took him to the mountain and climbed to its peak. The boy prayed, “O Allah, protect me from them in any way You will.” The mountain began to shake, and they all fell off. The boy then walked back to the king. The king asked, “What happened to your companions?” The boy replied, “Allah has saved me from them.”

فَدَفَعَهُ إِلَى نَفَرٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ، فَقَالَ: اذْهَبُوا بِهِ فَاحْمِلُوهُ فِي قُرْقُورٍ، فَتَوَسَّطُوا بِهِ الْبَحْرَ، فَإِنْ رَجَعَ عَنْ دِينِهِ وَإِلَّا فَاقْذِفُوهُ.

The king then handed him over to another group of men and said, “Take him in a boat, and when you reach the middle of the sea, ask him to renounce his faith. If he refuses, throw him into the water.”

فَذَهَبُوا بِهِ، فَقَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ اكْفِنِيهِمْ بِمَا شِئْتَ، فَانْكَفَأَتْ بِهِمُ السَّفِينَةُ، فَغَرِقُوا، وَجَاءَ يَمْشِي إِلَى الْمَلِكِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ الْمَلِكُ: مَا فَعَلَ أَصْحَابُكَ؟ فَقَالَ: كَفَانِيهِمُ اللَّهُ.

They took him in the boat. The boy prayed, “O Allah, protect me from them in any way You will.” The boat capsized, and they all drowned. The boy walked back to the king, who asked, “What happened to your companions?” The boy replied, “Allah has saved me from them.”

فَقَالَ لِلْمَلِكِ: إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِقَاتِلِي حَتَّى تَفْعَلَ مَا آمُرُكَ بِهِ، قَالَ: مَا هُوَ؟ قَالَ: تَجْمَعُ النَّاسَ فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ، وَتَصْلُبُنِي عَلَى جِذْعٍ، ثُمَّ خُذْ سَهْمًا مِنْ كِنَانَتِي، ثُمَّ ضَعِ السَّهْمَ فِي كَبِدِ الْقَوْسِ، ثُمَّ قُلْ: بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ، رَبِّ الْغُلَامِ، ثُمَّ ارْمِنِي، فَإِنَّكَ إِذَا فَعَلْتَ ذَلِكَ قَتَلْتَنِي.

The boy said to the king, “You will not be able to kill me unless you do what I tell you.” The king asked, “What is it?” The boy replied, “Gather all the people in an open plain and tie me to the trunk of a tree. Then take an arrow from my quiver, place it in the bow, and say: ‘In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy.’ Then shoot the arrow. If you do this, you will be able to kill me.”

فَجَمَعَ النَّاسَ فِي صَعِيدٍ وَاحِدٍ، وَصَلَبَهُ عَلَى جِذْعٍ، ثُمَّ أَخَذَ سَهْمًا مِنْ كِنَانَتِهِ، ثُمَّ وَضَعَ السَّهْمَ فِي كَبِدِ الْقَوْسِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: بِاسْمِ اللَّهِ، رَبِّ الْغُلَامِ، ثُمَّ رَمَاهُ، فَوَقَعَ السَّهْمُ فِي صُدْغِهِ، فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ فِي صُدْغِهِ فَمَاتَ.

So the king gathered the people in one place, tied the boy to the tree, took an arrow from his quiver, placed it in the bow, and said, “In the name of Allah, the Lord of the boy,” and then shot the arrow. The arrow struck the boy’s temple. He placed his hand on the wound and died.

فَقَالَ النَّاسُ: آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْغُلَامِ، آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْغُلَامِ، آمَنَّا بِرَبِّ الْغُلَامِ.

The people then began to say, “We believe in the Lord of the boy! We believe in the Lord of the boy! We believe in the Lord of the boy!”

فَأُتِيَ الْمَلِكُ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: أَرَأَيْتَ مَا كُنْتَ تَحْذَرُ، وَاللَّهِ نَزَلَ بِكَ حَذَرُكَ، قَدْ آمَنَ النَّاسُ، فَأَمَرَ بِالْأُخْدُودِ فِي أَفْوَاهِ السِّكَكِ فَخُدَّتْ، وَأُضْرِمَ النَّارُ، وَقَالَ: مَنْ لَمْ يَرْجِعْ عَنْ دِينِهِ فَأَقْحِمُوهُ فِيهَا، أَوْ قِيلَ لَهُ: اقْتَحِمْ، فَفَعَلُوا، حَتَّى جَاءَتِ امْرَأَةٌ وَمَعَهَا صَبِيٌّ لَهَا، فَتَقَاعَسَتْ أَنْ تَقَعَ فِيهَا، فَقَالَ لَهَا الْغُلَامُ: يَا أُمَّهْ، اصْبِرِي فَإِنَّكِ عَلَى الْحَقِّ.

The king’s advisors came to him and said, “Do you see? What you feared has happened! The people have believed!” So the king ordered that trenches be dug at the entrances of the roads, and fires were lit in them. He then said, “Whoever does not turn back from their religion, throw them into the fire!” Or he told them, “Jump into it yourselves!”

They did so until a woman came holding her infant. She hesitated to jump, so her child spoke to her and said, “O mother, be patient, for you are upon the truth.”

Sahih Muslim [3005] (Hadith No. 7148, Vol. 4)

Tafsir of Surah Buruj: https://quran.com/85:1/tafsirs/en-tafisr-ibn-kathir

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