This man
was
a scholarly dignitary of his
time. He was
a very pious and devout person. He also
had the information about Ism–e-A‘zam. He was
so spiritual that he could see ‘Arsh-e-A
‘zam [the
Divine Throne] whilst sitting at his place on the earth.
Moreover, he
was also
Mustajaab-ud-Da ‘waat
as his supplications were
always accepted. He also
had a large number of students.
was
a scholarly dignitary of his
time. He was
a very pious and devout person. He also
had the information about Ism–e-A‘zam. He was
so spiritual that he could see ‘Arsh-e-A
‘zam [the
Divine Throne] whilst sitting at his place on the earth.
Moreover, he
was also
Mustajaab-ud-Da ‘waat
as his supplications were
always accepted. He also
had a large number of students.
It is
famous that the number of
inkpots of his students was twelve thousand in his seminary.
famous that the number of
inkpots of his students was twelve thousand in his seminary.
WhenSayyiduna Musa mobilized his army of the Bani Israel for Jihad (holy war) against ‘the people of Jabbareen‘, the people of
Bal’am Bin Ba’oora became panicked. They
came to him and
said that Sayyiduna Musa is about to attack with a very huge and a powerful army. They
want to evict us
from our
land and
intend to
handover it
to
their
people, the Bani Israel. Therefore, invoke supplication against Sayyiduna Musa for his defeat.
Your supplication
will definitely be
accepted as you
are Mustajaab-ud
Da‘waat
[the one whose Du‘as are always accepted].
Listening to what they said, Bal‘am Bin Ba‘oora trembled. He cursed
them and
said, 1Allah forbid! Sayyiduna Musa is
a Nabi of Allah and his army consists of groups
of angels and
faithful believers.
How can I invoke harmful supplication against him?’ But
his people were over
insistent, they begged tearfully and compelled him to such an extent that he ended up
saying to them that let
him first do an
Istikharah. If he would get
indication, then he will
supplicate against him.
However,
after
the Istikharah, when
he was
not permitted to supplicate
against Sayyiduna Musa, he told them in
clear words that if he invoke curse upon him,
then he
will be ruined
in the worldly life as
well as
in the
afterlife.
them and
said, 1Allah forbid! Sayyiduna Musa is
a Nabi of Allah and his army consists of groups
of angels and
faithful believers.
How can I invoke harmful supplication against him?’ But
his people were over
insistent, they begged tearfully and compelled him to such an extent that he ended up
saying to them that let
him first do an
Istikharah. If he would get
indication, then he will
supplicate against him.
However,
after
the Istikharah, when
he was
not permitted to supplicate
against Sayyiduna Musa, he told them in
clear words that if he invoke curse upon him,
then he
will be ruined
in the worldly life as
well as
in the
afterlife.
After this, his people approached him
with numerous priceless gifts and
re insisted him to
such an extent that
Bal‘am Bin Ba‘oora agreed out of greed and
lust of money. Therefore, he
rode on
his she-donkey and
went to supplicate against Sayyiduna Musa His donkey would
stop going forward again and again and would turn to run back but
he kept
on pushing her forwards by beating her. Then Allah blessed
the donkey
with
the power of speaking. She
said, ‘O Bal’am Bin Ba‘oora! Where are you going
and heading towards? See
there are
angels in
front of me who are blocking my
way and pushing my
face
backwards. 0
Bal‘am! May
you be
ruined! Would you invoke evil
words unto the Nabi of Allah and the believers?’
Despite listening to her words, Bal‘am
Bin Ba‘oora did not
return.
with numerous priceless gifts and
re insisted him to
such an extent that
Bal‘am Bin Ba‘oora agreed out of greed and
lust of money. Therefore, he
rode on
his she-donkey and
went to supplicate against Sayyiduna Musa His donkey would
stop going forward again and again and would turn to run back but
he kept
on pushing her forwards by beating her. Then Allah blessed
the donkey
with
the power of speaking. She
said, ‘O Bal’am Bin Ba‘oora! Where are you going
and heading towards? See
there are
angels in
front of me who are blocking my
way and pushing my
face
backwards. 0
Bal‘am! May
you be
ruined! Would you invoke evil
words unto the Nabi of Allah and the believers?’
Despite listening to her words, Bal‘am
Bin Ba‘oora did not
return.
Finally, he climbed over
a mountain known as ‘Hasbaan‘. He looked
at the army of
Sayyiduna Musa from some height and started invoking evil words to Sayyiduna Musa out of greed
of
wealth. Glory be to Allah that when he was supplicating against Sayyiduna Musa, his tongue would utter words against his own people. Upon witnessing this, his people interrupted him many a time and reminded him, ‘O Bal’am, you are supplicating in opposite words.’ He said to his people, ‘What can I do? I am intending something else but my tongue is uttering different.’ All of a sudden, the Divine torment struck him in such a way that his tongue stretched and hung over his chest. At that time, Bal’ am Bin Ba’ oora said to his people with grief and tears, ‘My life and afterlife both have been
ruined. My faith has been lost and I
have become a victim of the Divine torment. None of my supplications can be accepted now. However, let me tell you a trick. If you act upon it, perhaps the army of Sayyiduna Musa can be defeated. Send thousands of the beautiful girls dressed up in elegant attire and adorned with beautiful jewellery into the army of the Bani Israel. Even if only one of them would commit fornication, the whole army will be defeated.’
Therefore, the people laid the trap of the evil trick told by Bal’ am Bin Ba’ oora and sent many young girls after adorning them well with jewellery to the army of the Bani Israel. Eventually, a wealthy person of the Bani Israel got inspired by the beauty and glamour of a girl and took her to Sayyiduna Musa tll!JI gi. He sought verdict and asked: ‘O Nabi of Allah, is this woman legitimate (Halal) for me or not?’ Sayyiduna Musa said, ‘Beware! She is unlawful for you. Separate her from you straight away and fear of the Divine torment.’ But that wealthy person was so badly trapped in lust that he rejected the commandment of his Nabi and took her in his tent and committed fornication. The outcome of that sin appeared in such a way that all of a sudden, plague spread among the army of the Bani Israel and within an hour; seventy thousand people passed away. The whole army dispersed and returned defeated and unsuccessful. This retreat of army grieved Sayyiduna Musa very much.
(Tafseer As-Saawi, vol. 2, pp. 727; part 9, Surah Al-A’raj Ayah 175)
After returning from the mountain, Bal’ am Bin Ba’ oora remained cursed in the court of Allah . Until his last breath, his tongue remained hanging over his chest and he died a faithless death. The Holy Quran has mentioned this incident in the following words:
And O Beloved, narrate to them the case of the one (Bal’am Ba’oor), to whom We gave Our Verses; consequently, he stepped away from them completely, so Shaytan went after him, he therefore became amongst the misguided ones. And had We willed, We would have exalted him because of the signs, but he clung to the (pleasures of this) earth and followed his own desires; his condition therefore is like that of a dog; so if you attack him, he hangs out his tongue, and if you leave him, he (still) hangs out his tongue; this is the state of the people who belied Our Verses; therefore admonish (them through these events); that they may ponder.
[Kanz-ul-Iman (Translation of Quran)] (Part 9, Surah Al-A’raf, Ayah 175-176)
Why was Bal’ am Bin Ba’ oora accursed?
It has been reported that some of the Ambiya asked Allah that after blessing Bal’ am Bin Ba’ oora with so many bounties, why did He hurl him down in condemnation? Allah replied that he was never thankful towards His bounties. If he had been grateful to Him, then He would have never suspended him and would not have destined him with such a disastrous end.
(Tafseer As-Saawi, vol. 3, pp. 139; part 8, Surah Al-A’raf, Ayah 10)
Moral:
We get following moral lessons from the chronicle of Bal’ am Bin Ba’oora:
1. All those scholars and politicians who are paid and funded by governments or wealthy people to talk against Shari’ah and thus they intentionally sell their faith should learn lesson from this event. You can see how high status of Bal’am Bin Ba’oora was and how disastrous was his ending! Why did all that happen? The only reason is that he was captivated by the greed of wealth and agreed upon invoking curse intentionally against the Nabi of Allah
Consequently, he was accursed in this world as well as in the Hereafter in such a way that for rest of his life, he had his tongue hanging like that of a dog and he was destined for Hell in the Hereafter. Therefore, every Muslim and especially Islamic scholar should observe abstinence from the webs of the greed and should never interfere unjustly into the religious matters while stirred with the greed for wealth. Otherwise, keep in mind that the sword of the Divine torment is always ready to strike with.
3. From this tragic event we may learn lesson. The army of Sayyiduna Musa tll:.!1 that comprised of angels and faithful believers, though there were no apparent signs for their defeat because it was such an spiritual army of angels and believers that even the mountains would frighten by the tapping sound of the hoofs of their horses but just due to the sin committed by one wretched person, angels left the army and the torment of plague brought such a calamity within the army that the whole army scattered. Thus this victorious army was defeated and retreated.
Therefore, it is essential for the Muslims that if they want to be successful and victorious against infidels, they should never commit sins and adultery. Otherwise, the help of angels will be withdrawn. The pressure of the Muslims will shun away from the hearts of the unbelievers and the Muslims will not only have to face defeat but their all military power will also be finished. Consequently, whole of the nation will be obliterated from the face of the earth.
