O Allah, I hired workers to work for me, and I paid them their wages except for one man.

I took his wage, which was a small amount, and bought sheep with it, and I took care of them and increased them for him. O servant of Allah.

Give me my old wage. In times past.

When the desert tested the character of men, three people set out walking on the earth.

They were not Prophets or army leaders, but ordinary people.

They carried in their hearts stories known only to the Creator.

The Creator. Suddenly, dark clouds gathered, and rain poured down with a harshness they had never seen before, so they looked for shelter to protect themselves from the wrath.

Of the storm, they found a cave in a mountain and entered it to take refuge, but the mountain was hiding for them.

Another kind of test, a giant rock rolled down from the top of the mountain and completely blocked the entrance of the cave.

The place became dark, and all hope in people was lost. They tried to push it with all their strength, but it was like a mountain, unmoving.

The painful truth: there is no escape from Allah except to Him.

So they said to each other: None will save you today except your sincerity, so call upon Allah with your righteous deeds.

Perhaps Allah will relieve us. Here, the first man began to tell his story. He said: O Allah, I had two elderly parents.

They were old, and I used to go out every day to herd in order to feed them, and I would never give my family or children a drop to drink before them.

I used to give my parents water before anyone else, out of respect for them. One day, I was late with the grazing, so I returned at night and found them.

They had fallen asleep from exhaustion. I disliked waking them from their sleep, and I disliked giving my children water before them, even though they were hungry at my feet. I stood there with the vessel in my hand.

I waited for them to wake up all night until dawn broke. When they woke up, they drank, then I gave my children water. O Allah, if I did that seeking.

Seeking Your Face, then relieve us from what we are in. The rock shifted a little, but they still could not get out, so the second man stood up.

He knew that the first and hardest battle in your life would be with yourself.

If you defeat it, you defeat the whole world. He said: O Allah, she was my cousin.

I loved her deeply, but she was chaste.

She turned me down and refused, and years passed. Then her village was struck by a severe famine, and her situation became so desperate from hunger that she came to me asking for help.

So I gave her one hundred and twenty gold dinars.

Out of hunger and despair, she agreed. But when I was able to be with her and she was in front of me.

She looked at me, her eyes filled with tears, and she said a sentence that shook me to my core: At that moment, I overcame myself.

I got up and moved away from her, even though she was the dearest person to me, and I left her the gold. She said: Fear Allah.

And do not break the seal except with its right. O Allah, if I left her out of fear of You and seeking Your Face,

then relieve us. The rock moved further, but they still could not get out. Then the third man stood up and made du'a with a trembling voice.

Remembering an amana he had kept for years, he said:

O Allah, I hired workers to work for me, and I gave them their wages.

Except for one man, he left his wage and went away for a reason I do not know.

Before he took his right, so I took his wage, which was a small amount, and I bought sheep with it, and I took care of them and increased them for him until the wealth became abundant.

It became a whole valley of camels, cows, and sheep, and after many years the man returned, poor and in need, and said: O servant of Allah.

Give me my old wage, so I said to him: Everything you see in front of you of camels, cows, sheep, and servants is your wage. The man thought I was mocking him.

Fear Allah and do not mock me, so I said.

I am not mocking you, it is your wealth, I increased it for you, so he took all of it and left nothing behind.

O Allah, if I did that seeking Your Face, then relieve us from what we are in.

The rock completely moved away, and it fell far from the cave, and they went out.

The three of them walked in the light, the sun after the darkness of despair. Their righteous deeds done in secret saved them. This is a message left for us by the great Prophet.

Keep a hidden good deed for yourself, a deed known only to Allah. Perhaps a day will come when this hidden deed will be your only means of salvation.