HAVE YOU HEARD of the man who entered Paradise without ever praying a single rakat of salah?
He was a Black Abyssinian slave, tending sheep for his master. One day, he noticed the people of Khaybar preparing for war.
He asked those around him: “What are you intending to do?”
They replied: “We are going to fight the man who claims to be a Prophet.”
The slave had heard of this Prophet before. Curious, he slowly herded his sheep toward the Muslim camp, where he found the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
He asked: “What do you say? And what is it that you are inviting people to?”
The Prophet ﷺ responded: “I am inviting to Islam: to bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah, and that I am the Messenger of Allah — and to worship none but Him.”
The slave asked: “And if I believe — what will I get?”
The Prophet ﷺ said: “If you die upon that belief, you will enter Paradise.”
Without hesitation, the slave embraced Islam.
But he had a question: “O Messenger of Allah, these sheep are only a trust with me. What should I do with them?”
The Prophet ﷺ instructed: “Release them, and send them towards al-Hashba — indeed, Allah will fulfil your trust.”
He obeyed. The sheep returned to their master, who realized that his slave had accepted Islam and joined the Muslims.
During the Battle of Khaybar, that very man — the newly reverted slave — was martyred.
The Muslims carried his body to the encampment and placed him in a tent. The Prophet ﷺ said to his companions: “Indeed, Allah has honoured this man and guided him to Khaybar for a purpose. I saw beside his head two of the Hoor al-‘Ayn in Paradise — even though he never performed a single prostration for Allah.”
What a remarkable story — a man who never prayed yet entered Jannah!
Reflections and Lessons:
Open-heartedness to Truth:
This man had no wealth, no status, no scholarly titles. But he had an open mind. He didn’t let pride or arrogance get in the way. When the truth came to him, he embraced it sincerely.
The Simplicity of Aqeedah:
Iman isn’t a matter of academia. It is not buried in books and knowing long lists. True belief is deep, rational, and accessible. No degrees are needed to affirm that Allah is One and Muhammad ﷺ is His Messenger.
Belief necessitates Action:
His belief immediately translated into action. He handled the trust of the sheep with integrity, fulfilling his duty to his master- a reminder that Islam doesn’t negate responsibilities, even to non-Muslims.
Then he gave himself fully to the cause of Allah. The reality in front of him was war and he responded without delay. His sincerity and immediate action earned him Paradise.
Our Reality Today
Each generation faces its own unique crisis, and its own distinct challenges.
For that shepherd, the battle was immediate—a war fought with swords and spears.
Our parents and grandparents arrived as economic migrants, laying the foundations of our community by building masajid, securing halal food, and establishing Islamic schools. Their struggles were foundational.
Today, however, we face a different kind of battle—one fought with narratives, systems, and ideologies. The cold reality of this war is manifest in the genocide in Gaza, a brutal settler-colonial apartheid regime that surpasses anything our forefathers could have imagined.
To end this occupation, we must recognize that the world order—shaped by Sykes-Picot a century ago, and now being reshaped by the U.S.—is unfit for humanity.
Liberating Palestine means liberating ourselves from this flawed system. We cannot allow secular liberalism and the nation-state to dictate the future of humanity. These ideologies have only brought war, inequality, ecological disaster, and despair.
The world is crying out for the justice of Islam—a way of life that unites people, protects the innocent, and restores balance.
This is the truth we must embrace with open hearts, without seeking excuses or allowing ourselves to be distracted by those who resist change.
What Does That Demand From Us?
A new kind of Muslim. One fit for the challenges of this generation.
Grounded in iman, but aware.
Strategic, yet engaged in the now.
Compassionate, yet bold.
May we live with truth. And die with honour. And rise among the people of Paradise.
Living For Islam 