A beautiful story of Dua and Transformation narrated by my Colleague, Sh. Ahmed AbdelWahab
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A beautiful story of repentance
narrated by my beloved Shaykh, Ibrahim Al-Akhdar, Shaykh Al-Qurrā’ (the head Qur’anic reciter and teacher) in the Prophet’s Masjid:
Shaykh Ali Subai’ (may Allah have mercy on him) was a great scholar of Quran and Islam from Al-Azhar (Egypt).
He was one of the main teachers of Shaykh ‘Āmir Sayyid Uthman, who later became Shaykh Al-Qurrā’ of Egypt and was one of the greatest and most renowned scholars of Quran in the Muslim world. He was one of the Quran teachers of Shaykh Ibrāhim Al-Akhdar. So Shaykh Ibrahim is relaying the story of his teacher’s teacher.
He said:
Shaykh Ali Subai’ was known to be a very pious man. His du’aa was mustajāb (always answered), so people had great awe of him. He was blind, but was very dedicated to his Qur’ān classes. He would walk alone with his cane, asking for directions, until he reached the masjid or building he had his Quran class in.
One day, he was walking to his Quran class in Abul ‘Ila in Cairo. As he walked alone with his cane and got close to the area where the Quran school was he asked a man, “Where is Maqra’at Abul ‘Ila?”
The man he came across was very wicked. Instead of leading him to the correct location, he led him to a prostitute’s apartment. So the poor, naive Shaykh walked to the area that the man led him to. He felt the stairs with his cane, and went up the stairs.
The woman was at the top of the stairs.
She said, “What do you want?”
He heard a woman’s voice, which wasn’t what he expected.
Shaykh Ali said, “I want the Maqra’ah (Quran school) of Abul ‘Ila.”
When this woman, who normally sells unlawful desires, saw that this man was looking for a Quran school, she began trembling with fear and embarrassment.
She said, “Okay. Please come in.”
He said, “NO! I’m looking for Maqra’at Abul ‘Ila! Where is the Maqra’ah?!”
He started going down the stairs, saying “Lā Hawla wa lā quwwata Illā billah! (there is no change or might except from Allah).”
