By: Hazaa E. Ashammari
Translated by Yazeed H. Ashammari
The following has been narrated to me by Saleh bin Musbit Alshlaqi ; Musbit bin Ghulul Ashlaqi, who hailed from Shammar tribe, was a man of faith who stuck to the rule of doing to others whatever he would like them to do to him. He was an epitome of honesty and generosity. Allah had bestowed on him a lot of riches and blessings. During summer, he used to repair to his abode in Jubba north of Hail, moving around the town in winter and spring seeking to rear his own camels and sheep. He had a neighbor and companion called Abdulkarim Alkhayat who had such a friendly demeanor that everyone wanted to be his friend. .
Abdulkarim had two wives and two young daughters during his lifetime. His two son were born just after his death. According to custom, his property was put up for sale. One of his properties was a small garden full of palm trees. . Musbit then went to see the prince of the town and said to him, “If the garden is auctioned, do not sell it and let me know as I really want it.”
The auctioneer had set a minimum sale price in advance and the final bid did not reach that price the garden remained unsold . “I will pay 300 Francs for it” said Musbit. That was much more higher than the price the last bidder had offered. He anyway paid to the prince of the town but while issuing the property deed, some of late Abdulkarim’s relatives objected for the purpose of obstructing the sale. The issue got inflated until it reached the judge of Hail city. The two conflicting parties came to the judge. After the judge had questioned and heard them all, he said, “Musbit, the two mothers of Abdulkarim’s sons must appear before my court. I want to hear their opinions face to face.” Musbit then went to Jubba and let each woman ride a camel with a Mahram** on their way to Hail. When they were brought before him the judge said: “Have you witnessed the sale and accepted it? Or have you been told something else?” . The two women replied, “Yes, and late Abdulkarim’s relatives want nothing less than obstructing the sale. If anyone of them really wants to buy the garden , he has to pay us the same amount offered by Musbit.” Everyone then kept quiet and no one commented. Therefore, the final sentence was issued in Musbit’s favor, and every single one left then to Jubba.
Musbit, on noticing that the two women were upset about moving out and leaving the farm specially without having a house in the town that can shelter them and their children, had said to them: “Keep living in your house in the farm and don’t leave it.” He approached a man of Abdulkarim’s relatives who was also a relative of the two women and said to him: “Choose any of my camels to work the well for palms and plants irrigation. In case the camel dies, choose another one.” Then Musbit added, “What would you think if I make you a trustee of the farm forever to irrigate and harvest it? And to divide the harvest income equally between Abdulkarim’s family, you and myself?” “Yes, I accept that. Why not?” said the man, who was poor anyway.
This arrangement went on for years and years. Meanwhile, Abdulkarim’s sons had grown up and left Jubba to land better jobs and life styles. One of them moved to the Eastern Province. The other went to Tabuk Province or somewhere around it. They worked there and made a lot of money. Then, they came back to Jubba on a visit to their mothers and relatives. When they met Musbit, they offered to buy the farm from him at any price he decided. He accepted the offer especially as they were still growing up while he had been growing old. They all went to the judge of Hail and asked him to “transfer the property deed from Musbit’s name to ours as we have bought it from him.” The judge agreed to do so then asked, “How much did you get, Musbit?” “ For me ,no sale has been done and no money has ever been exchanged, judge. This has been my intention since I bought the farm. I will never change my intention ever. I bought the farm in order to provide a shelter for friend Abdulkarim’s family – Allah bless him. I have also appointed Omar Alkhayat – a relative of theirs – to keep and maintain the farm in order to let the family benefit from it, and to help them out with living. I have not bought or paid my money for my sake but for them,” replied Musbit. However, Musbit did not take a single penny from that farm until it had been handed back at last to its real owners. .
Translated by Yazeed H. Alshammari
*Francs: French currency that in use a long time ago in the North of Arabian Peninsula
**Mahram: A mahram is an unmarriageable kin with whom marriage/sexual intercourse would be considered haram (illegal in Islam).
