Beautiful Story From Rosulullah

Our Prophet Muhammad (p.b.u.h) told us
this
beautiful story:
“Three men from among those who were
before
you, set out together until they reached a
cave at
night and they entered it. A big rock rolled
down
the mountain and closed the mouth of the
cave.
They said (to each other): ‘Nothing can save
us
from this rock but to invoke Allah by
mentioning
the righteous deeds that we have done (for
Allah’s sake only).” So, one of them said: ‘O
Allah! I had old parents (whom I used to
provide
with milk) and I never provided my family
(wife,
children, etc.) with milk before them. One
day, by
chance I was delayed, and I arrived late (at
night)
after they had slept. I milked the sheep for
them
and then took the milk to them, but I found
them
sleeping. I did not like to offer my family the
milk
before them, so I waited for them and the
bowl of
milk was in my hand and I kept on waiting
for
them to get up until dawn. Then they got up
and
drank the milk. O Allah! If I did that for Your
sake
only, I invoke You to relieve us from our
critical
situation that has been caused by this rock.’
So,
the rock moved a little, but they could not
get
out. The Prophet (SAWS) added: “The second
man said: ‘O Allah! I had a cousin who was
the
dearest of all people to me and I wanted to
have
sexual intercourse with her, but she refused.
Later
she came across hard times during a year of
famine and she came to me, and I gave her
one
hundred and twenty dinars on the condition
that
she would not resist my desires, and she
agreed.
When I was about to fulfill my desires, she
said:
“It is illegal for you to violate my chastity
except
through legitimate marriage.” So, I realized
it was
a sin to have sexual intercourse with her
and left
her, though she was the dearest of all
people to
me. I also left the gold I had given her. O
Allah! If
I did that for Your sake only, please relieve
us
from the present calamity.’ So, the rock
moved a
little more, but still they could not get out
from
the cave. The Prophet (SAWS) added: “Then
the
third man said: ‘O Allah! I employed few
laborers
and I paid them all of them their wages,
with the
exception of one man who did not take his
wages
and went away. I invested his wages and I
gained
much profit from this. (Then after some
time) he
came and said to me: “O Allah’s servant! Pay
me
my wages.” I said to him: “All the camels,
cows,
sheep, and slaves that you see here, are
yours.”
He said: “O Allah’s slave! Don’t mock me.” I
said:
“I am not mocking you.” So, he took the
herd and
drove them away and left nothing. O Allah! If
I did
that for Your sake only, please relieve us
from the
present suffering.’ So, the rock moved
completely
and they walked out. (Bukhari)