The Excellence of a Pious Woman

This is a story that rarely happens. It took place a long time ago when a princess lived happily and peacefully, worshiping Allah in her father’s palace. The worldly pleasures and luxuries did not attract her; rather, she spent her time learning about Islam, making dhikr1, performing obedience, and helping the needy.

One day, a prince came asking for her hand in marriage. This prince was not a good person, nor was he just or kind. He was unjust and violent. The princess thought about her situation and realized that she should marry a pious, humble man who would assist her in the matters of the religion. So she did not marry the prince.

The princess ordered one of her maids to search for a kind, pious, poor man whom she could marry. The servant wandered the streets until she reached a place where a group of men were building a house. She noticed one of them who was energetic, did his work well, spoke so little, and the signs of kindness and caring appeared on him.

The maid returned to the princess and told her what she saw. The princess sent after the man and talked to him in a respectful manner and asked him to marry her. The man told her that he was very poor and that if she were to marry him, she would not live like a princess. She assured him and said, “I accept you as you are.” This was because she wanted to be obedient to Allah and live with a pious, good man.

After the princess married, she had more time to spend worshiping Allah and doing the acts of obedience. She took to the good habit of fasting for the sake of Allah. Her humble husband would work all day and at night, he would bring her some food to break her fast. One day though, the financial hardships of this life overwhelmed him; so he made wudu, prayed, and asked Allah to grant him sustenance. Allah answered his supplication and a giant, gleaming pearl descended from the sky.

The man took the pearl to his wife, who was already content with what they had. When she saw it, she was very amazed and said, “I have never seen anything like it in my father's possession. Where did you get it from?” He told her what happened. She thought about that and said, “Return to the same place where you supplicated to Allah and ask Allah by saying, ‘Oh Allah if this is something you granted us in this life, then make it blessed for us; but if it is something which was prepared for us for the never ending Hereafter, then raise it up again.’”

The man did as his pious wife asked because like her, his heart was not attracted to money. When he supplicated to Allah, the pearl was lifted up. The man returned home and told her what happened. She said, “I thank Allah, Who allowed us to see some of what has been prepared for us in the Hereafter. We do not care whether we eat or not, for what is in store for us in the Hereafter is much better and will never end.”