Barsisa’s Story Repeated in the 21st Century
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Going to a mixed college, uni or workplace? Promised yourself that you wouldn’t let yourself be affected by the opposite gender? Just talked to them about your studies or work? Then found yourself chatting and joking with them? Found your jilbaab getting tighter? Replaced it with a skirt and blouse? Then jeans and a tunic? The perfume got stronger? The plain Jane, I’m just wearing foundation to cover my blemishes look changed to full blown makeup? It’s okay because you're wearing a niqaab? But found that you started making your eyes look stunning? Can’t always wear it so you take it off sometimes? Took it off altogether?
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Found a great job with a big company? Promised yourself that you would lower your gaze and not chat with the opposite gender? Didn’t chat at first but are now having lunch together to establish strong working relationships? Joking about inappropriate things? Shaking hands and having meetings alone with them?
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Started a business? Promised yourself that you wouldn’t sell anything haraam/offer a haraam service? Selling haraam things now? Offering services with music, dancing, free mixing? Up to your neck in interest (riba)?
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Don’t want to pray anymore? Don’t like listening to Qur’an and Islamic reminders? Would rather watch a movie? Or football? Or boxing? Can’t quite understand how you reached this point? What happened? Read the story of Barsisa below to understand how Shaytaan is very patient and works on us bit by bit so the best way to avoid doing haraam things is to keep away from the people, places and things that can lead to them.
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The Shaytaan gradually leads a person from a little to a lot, from minor to major, from sin to kufr, as much as he can, step by step. This is what the Lord of the Worlds refers to in Soorat al-Noor, where He says (interpretation of the meaning):
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“O you who believe! Follow not the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan). And whosoever follows the footsteps of Shaytaan (Satan), then, verily, he commands Al‑Fahsha’ [i.e. to commit indecency (illegal sexual intercourse)], and Al‑Munkar [disbelief and polytheism (i.e. to do evil and wicked deeds; and to speak or to do what is forbidden in Islam)]. And had it not been for the Grace of Allaah and His Mercy on you, not one of you would ever have been pure from sins. But Allaah purifies (guides to Islam) whom He wills, and Allaah is All‑Hearer, All‑Knower.”
[al-Noor 24:21]
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The poet also referred to this when he said:
“A glance, then a smile, then a greeting, then words, then an appointment, then a meeting.”
The wise Muslim understands that we should keep away from the people, places and things that can lead to haraam and it has nothing to do with how strong our imaan is or how strong our resolve to not fall into sin is. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had the strongest imaan but he ordered the men and women to be segregated even in our holiest place-the masjid, where you would expect the fear of Allah to be at its highest and thoughts of fitnah to be at their lowest, and then he sat with the men. It was forbidden for him to mix with the opposite gender as well as for his pious wives and his greatest companions. His hand never touched the hand of a non-mahram woman and he advised that it would be better to be stabbed in the head with an iron needle then to touch a woman who was not permissible for you to touch. He also warned that if a man and a woman were alone together then the third would be Shaytaan, a situation which is made worse when the mixing is between relatives who can come and go without causing suspicion. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade non-mahrams (unrelated men) to enter upon women. He said: "Beware of entering upon women." One of the Sahaabah (his companions) said to him, "O Messenger of Allaah, what about the brother-in-law?" He said: "The brother-in-law is death!"
Umm Hafab
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The Story of Barsisa
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Wahb ibn Munabbih has related the following lengthy story from the people of the book. We present it here to show the way of Shaytaan in his attempt to mislead mankind. The story warns humans about Shaytaan's “sincere advice”. One must oppose the thing that Shaytaan is calling to.
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Wahb said: There was a pious worshipper of the tribe of Israel. He was the most pious person of his time. During his time, there were three brothers who had a sister. She was a virgin. And they had no sister other than her. They were all about to leave the town to go to war. They did not know with whom to leave their sister and who they could trust to look after her. They all agreed to leave her with that pious person. They all trusted him. They went to him and asked if they could leave her with him. She would be in the building next to him until they return from the fighting. He refused their request and sought refuge in Allah from them and their sister. They persisted until he finally acquiesced. He said, “Put her in the house next to my place of worship.” So they put her in that house and they left, leaving her there. She remained living next to that pious person for some time. He would put food for her in front of his building of worship. Then he would lock the door and return to his place of worship. He would then tell her to come out of her house and take the food. Then Shaytaan approached him softly. He encouraged him to treat her kindly. He told him that it was not good to make the woman come out of her house during the day as someone may come upon her. If he took the food directly to her door that would mean a greater reward for him.
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He continued for some time to go to her door and place the food at the front of her door without speaking to her. Then Iblees came again and encouraged him to do good and get more reward. He said, “If you took her the food and placed it in the house for her, you would get a greater reward.” He continued to encourage him. So he started to take the food into her house. He continued like that for some time.
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Then Iblees came again and again encouraged him to do good. He said, “If you talk to her for a while she will be put to ease by your conversation as she is in a state of fear and she is all alone.” He then started talking to her from atop his place of worship.
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Then Iblees came again. He said, “If you were to come down and talk to her while she sits at her door and talks to you, that would be even more comforting for her.” He continued to encourage him until he came down and sat at his door and would talk to her. The girl would come out of her building and sit at her door and they would talk for a while.
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Then Iblees came again and encouraged him to get great rewards for treating her well. He said, “If you were to go from the door of your place of worship and sit close to her door, that would be even more comforting for her.” He continued exhorting him until he did so. He continued that act for a while. Then Iblees came again. This time he said, “If you enter her house and talk to her, and not make her show her face in public it would be even better for you.” He continued exhorting him until he entered her house and spent the whole day talking to her. Then when night fell, he returned to his place of worship.
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Then Iblees came to him after that and continued to make her more appealing to him. Until the worshipper got upon her and kissed her. And Iblees continued to make her look nice in his eyes and desire her until he finally had sex with her. She got pregnant and gave birth to a boy. Then Iblees came and told the worshipper, “Do you not realize what the brothers of the girl will do to you when they see she has given birth to your son” You will not be safe if your matter becomes clear. You should go to the boy and kill it and bury it, that way you can conceal your affair and they will not do anything to you for what you did to her.” Then he said to him, “Do you think she will conceal from her brothers what you did to her and your killing of her son. Take her, kill her and bury her with her son.” He continued spurring him on until he killed her and threw her in the ditch with her son. Then he put a large rock over them and leveled it.
Then he returned to his place of worship and worshipped therein. He stayed in that state for as long as Allah willed until the brothers came back from the fighting. They came to him and asked him about their sister. He mourned her loss and started to cry. He said, “She was the best of women and that is her grave.” The brothers came to the grave and cried over their sister and asked Allah to have mercy on her. They stayed at her grave for a few days and then went to their families.
When the night overtook them and they went to their beds, Shaytaan came to them in their sleep in the form of a traveler. He started with the eldest and asked him about their sister. The brother told him what the pious man had stated and how they were shown her grave. Shaytaan told him that the pious man had lied. He said, “He did not tell you the truth about your sister. He got her pregnant and she had his son and then he killed and buried her out of fear of you. Then he threw them in a ditch he dug behind the door of the house she was staying in, to the right of the entrance. Go and enter the house in which she stayed and on the right of the entrance you will find everything I told you about.” Then he went to the middle brother and did the same. Then he went to the youngest brother and did the same. When they woke, they were all surprised at what they had seen. When they met each other, they all said, “I saw an amazing thing last night,” and they informed each other of what they had seen.
The eldest said, “That dream has nothing to it so just ignore it.” The youngest said, “I will not leave it until I go and look at that place.” They all went until they reached the door of the place where their sister stayed. They opened the door and looked for the place that was described to them in their dreams. They found their sister and her son buried in a ditch, as they were told. They asked the worshiper about it and he confirmed what Iblees had told them. They then took him and were about to crucify him. When they had him on the wooden cross, Shaytaan said to him, “You know that I am your companion who tempted you by the woman until you got her pregnant and you killed her and her son. If you obey me today and deny Allah, who formed and shaped you, I will rescue you from your predicament.” The worshiper then belied Allah. When he belied Allah, Shaytaan left from being between him and the others and they were able to crucify him.
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Many scholars related this story in their commentary to the following verse,
"Or the likeness of Shaytaan when he tells man to disbelieve, then, when he disbelieves, says to him, 'Lo! I am innocent of you. Lo! I fear Allah, the Lord of the Worlds'." (Surah al-Hasr 16).
They mention that this verse refers to this worshiper and to others similar to him. Allah knows best.
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This story, and others similar to it, are from the Israaeeliyaat or stories which have their source in the books or tales of the Jews and Christians. We do not say it is true nor do we say it is false, but it is allowed to narrate them as the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “Narrate stories about the Tribe of Israel if there is no harm in that."
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(From ‘The World of the Jinn and Devils’ by Dr. Umar Sulaiman al-Ashqar and translated by Jamal al-Din Zarabozo)
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