Oppressor & Fisherman

A story about an Oppressor & Fisherman – اتق دعوة المظلوم

Short version:

A fisherman had caught a fish to sell and feed his family.
An oppressor took the fish off the fisherman by force and beat him up.
The fisherman supplicated to God, saying:
“O God, he abused his power and exploited my weakness, so let me witness Your power against him.”
As a result, the fish bit the thumb of the oppressor, causing gangrene.
His thumb got infected and started to rot, so the doctor said his finger has to be cut, before the gangrene extends to the rest of his hand.
The doctors cut off his finger.
But the gangrene still reached his hand, so they had to cut off his hand as well.
Then the gangrene reached his arm, so they had to cut off his entire arm.
He lost his entire arm and he repented.
He kept saying to people: “Whoever sees my state should never oppress anyone!”

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Long version:

Imam Dhahabi narrates:

و مما حكي قال بعضهم رأيت رجلا مقطوع اليد من الكتف و هو ينادي من رآني فلا يظلمن أحدا فتقدمت إليه فقلت له : يا أخي ما قصتك ؟ قال : يا أخي قصة عجيبة و ذلك أني كنت من أعوان الظلمة فرأيت يوما صيادا و قد اصطاد سمكة كبيرة فأعجبتني فجئت إليه فقلت : أعطني هذه السمكة فقال : لا أعطيكها أنا آخذ بثمنها قوتا لعيالي فضربته و أخذتها منه قهرا و مضيت بها قال : فبينا أنا أمشي بها حاملها إذ عضت على إبهامي عضة قوية فلما جئت بها إلى بيتي و ألقيتها من يدي ضربت على إبهامي و آلمتني ألما شديدا حتى لم أنم من شدة الوجع و الألم و ورمت يدي فلما أصبحت أتيت الطبيب و شكوت إليه الألم فقال : هذه بدء الآكلة أقطعها و إلا تقطع يدك فقطعت إبهامي ثم ضربت على يدي فلم أطق النوم و لا القرار من شدة الألم فقيل لي : إقطع كفك فقطعته و انتشر الألم إلى الساعد و آلمني ألما شديدا و لم أطق القرار و جعلت أستغيث من شدة الألم : فقيل لي : اقطعها إلى المرفق فقطعتها فانتشر الألم إلى العضد و ضربت على عضدي أشد من الألم الأول فقيل اقطع يدك من كتفك و إلا سرى إلى جسدك كله فقطعتها فقال لي بعض الناس : ما سبب ألمك ؟ فذكرت قصة السمكة فقال لي : لو كنت رجعت في أول ما أصابك الألم إلى صاحب السمكة و استحللت منه و أرضيته لما قطعت من أعضائك عضوا فاذهب الآن إليه و اطلب رضاه قبل أن يصل الألم إلى بدنك قال : فلم أزل أطلبه في البلد حتى وجدته فوقعت على رجليه أقبلها و أبكي و قلت له : يا سيدي سألتك بالله إلا عفوت عني فقال لي : و من أنت ؟ قلت : أنا الذي أخذت منك السمكة غصبا و ذكرت ما جرى و أريته يدي فبكى حين رآها ثم قال : يا أخي قد أحللتك منها لما قد رأيته بك من هذا البلاء فقلت : يا سيدي بالله هل كنت قد دعوت علي لما أخذتها ؟ قال : نعم قلت : اللهم إن هذا تقوى علي بقوته على ضعفي على ما رزقتني ظلما فأرني قدرتك فيه فقلت : يا سيدي قد أراك الله قدرته في و أنا تائب إلى الله عز و جل عما كنت عليه من خدمة الظلمة و لا عدت أقف لهم على باب و لا أكون من أعوانهم ما دمت حيا إن شاء الله و بالله التوفيق .
Someone related saying: “I saw a man whose arm was amputated, loudly announcing, “Let each person who has witnessed me act unjustly against none!”
I approached him and said, “O brother! Tell me, please, about your case!”
He replied: “My case is so astonishing. I used to serve the suppressors.
One day, I came across a fisherman who had just caught a big fish that appealed to me. I ordered him to give it to me, but he refused. He said he would sell it and get some food for his children. So, I hit him violently, got the fish and left ahead.
While I was walking down the street, with the fish in my hand, it bit my thumb so severely.
When I got home, and as I set it down on the table, it hit my thumb once again so painfully that I could not sleep that night.
My hand began to swell.
In the morning, I went to a doctor to check it, and he told me that my thumb suffered from gangrene and it has to be cut off, lest the infection might reach the rest of my hand. So, I let him cut my thump off.
After a while, my hand started to hurt me so much, and I was advised to cut it off, and I did.
Bit by bit, the gangrene took me so ill that I had to amputate my whole arm up to the scapula.
When I mentioned this story to some people they commented saying if I had gone from the beginning to the fisherman and asked him to pardon me I would not have suffered all this fatigue.
And they bade me to go at once after that fisherman and beg his forgiveness.
I left right away searching of him until I found him. Whereupon I kneeled down kissing his feet asking for his tolerance.
He said to me, “Who are you?”
I answered, “I am the man who had unjustly taken away your fish.”
Then, I got him acquainted with what happened to me.
As he saw my arm he wept deeply and said, “O brother! I have pardoned you.”
I asked, “Have you invoked Allah against me when I took your fish?’ he replied, “yes! I supplicated to Allah saying:
“O Lord! That man has unjustly abused his strength and deprived me of what You have provided for me. So, let me, please, observe Your Might by punishing him!”
At this moment I said, “O sir! You have indeed got your demand, and I will never serve the transgressors as long as I am alive.”

[“Al-Kabaair”, by Dhahabi, pp. 113/114].