The White Bird

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

It is stated, in Durrat an-Naswihin, that there used to be a man, during the Caliphate of Sayyidina Abu Hafsw ‘Umar ibn al-Khaththab al-Faruq (r.a.), whose actions were not very good,but he used to like reciting swalawat a lot.  All the time, whether standing or sitting, he always used to recite swalawat.  When it came close to the time of his death, his face turned black.  It rotted away so much that whoever saw his face would get terrified.  Whilst he was in this awful state, he called out, “O Prophet of Allah!  I have love for you in my heart, and I read swalawat upon you abundantly.” 

As soon as he said this, suddenly, a white bird came from the sky, and rubbed its wing on the man’s face.  Straightaway, the person’s face started to shine, and the atmosphere was filled with fragrance.  He said the shahadah, and his soul was taken away. 

When the people were putting him in the grave, an unknown voice was heard saying, “We have Forgiven this person before you have put him in the grave, and the swalawat that he has read on Our Beloved has picked him up from his grave, and put him in Paradise.” 

At night, someone saw him in a dream, walking on the skies, and heard him saying this verse of the Qur’an: 

سُوۡرَةُ الاٴحزَاب

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ وَمَلَـٰٓٮِٕڪَتَهُ ۥ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى ٱلنَّبِىِّۚ يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيۡهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسۡلِيمًا (٥٦) 

Allah and His angels, Send blessings on the Prophet: O you that believe!  Send you blessings on him and salute him, with all respect. (Surah al-Ahzab:56)