The Hadith of the Palm shoot and Contributing until the end…
ذا قامت الساعة وفي يد أحدكم فسيلة، فإن استطاع أن لا تقوم حتى يغرسها، فليغرسها
السلسلة الصحيحة رقم 9
“If the Hour starts to happen and in the hand of one of you is a palm shoot or seedling; then if he’s able to plant it before the Hour happens, then let him plant it”.
As-Silsilah as-Saheehah #9.
In such extreme circumstances, it may have been expected that the Prophet would have instructed us to throw out that plant, and to concentrate on prayer or something. Yet, the Prophet manages to draw a breath-taking picture of someone who’s fighting against the Day of Judgment, it starting to happen and him trying to plant a shoot before it happens!! Subhana Allah, not even the Hour is an excuse for the one of us not to contribute to society and to the benefit of humanity. ...you contribute regardless of the condition you are in. Otherwise, there may never be an ideal condition for you in this life that perfectly suits your liking.
Abu Yusuf, the famous student of Imam Abu Hanifa was on his death bed and was losing consciousness when his student Ibrahim ibn al-Jarrah arrived. When Abu Yusuf woke up and saw Ibrahim he asked, “what do you say about this Mas’alah [a religious issue]?” Ibrahim proclaimed shockingly, “while you are in this state?” Abu Yusuf replied, “what’s wrong with that? We study so maybe one person will benefit or be saved [by the correct answer]”. Ibrahim goes on to narrate that it only took him to finish debating the Mas’alah and reaching the door till he could hear the weeping of his teacher’s family [signaling his death]. Can you imagine someone who was teaching and learning till the last moment of their lives? I say Abu Yusuf, and many others of this Ummah, were a true embodiment of the Hadith of the Faseelah [palm shoot] mentioned above. They contributed what they were best at under the harshest conditions and until the last moment of their lives. They contributed selflessly even if they didn’t see the results in their works in their lifetime. Just like this man that the Prophet described. He’s planting the palm shoot, but he’s not sure if he or the plant will make it for the next hour. But that’s ok since this man has fulfilled his responsibility. The rest is on Allah.
Abridged from Source
