Three Men and the Angel

The Story of the Angel and the Three Men
Once the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) told his companions the story of three of the Children of Israel - a leper, a bald man and a blind man. To test the gratitude of these three poor men. Allah sent an angel to each of them.

To the leper, the angel said, "Of all things, which would you most love to have?" The leper replied, "A beautiful complexion, beautiful skin and a cure for the ailment for which people shun me." So the angel passed his hands over the man, and his wishes were granted. The angle again asked, "Of all things, what would you most love to possess?" "Camels," he replied. So he was given a pregnant she-camel. As the angel left, he said, "May Allah bless it."

To the man with the bald head, the angel said, "Of all things, what would you most love to have?" The man replied, "Beautiful hair and a cure for this baldness for which people shun me." So the angel passed his hands over him and his wishes were granted. Again the angel asked, "Of all things, what would you most love to possess?" "Cows," he replied. So he was given a pregnant cow. And the angel said, "May Allah bless it."

To the blind man, the angel said, "of all things, what would you most love to have?" He replied, "My sight restored by Allah, so that I can see people." So the angels passed his hands over him, and he regained his sight. Then the angel said, "Of all things, what would you most love to possess?" "Sheep," he replied. So he was given a ewe with its lambs. And the angel said, "May Allah bless them."

All the animals multiplied, so that the first man had a valley full of camels, the second a valley full of cows and the third a valley full of sheep.

Later, the angel came to the first man and said, "I am a poor man, unable to travel any further without Allah's help -or yours. By the One Who has given you wealth and a beautiful skin and complexion, give me a camel to ride on my journey."

The man replied, "I have too many obligations and I cannot give you one." The angel said, "I seem to recognize you. Weren't you once a leper whom people shunned? And weren't you poor before Allah gave you so much?" The man replied, "I inherited this wealth from a nobleman, who inherited it from a nobleman." The angel said, "If you are a liar, may Allah turn you back into a leper."

Then, he came to the man who once had a diseased scalp and made the same request as he had to the first man. His plea was similarly turned down. The angel said, "If you are a liar, may Allah turn you back into a bald man."

Coming to the third man, he said, "I am a poor, homeless man, unable to reach my destination, unless Allah, or you, can help me. By the One who restored your sight, give me a ewe to help me on my way." The man said, "I was blind, and Allah restored my sight. So take whatever you will and leave whatever you will, for, by Allah, I will not grudge you anything you take for His sake." The angel said, "Keep your wealth, for you were only being tested. You may keep your blessings, but your companions have lost all."

The moral of this story:

We should always be grateful for the blessings Allah bestows on us, and ready to help others.

(This story is based on the Hadith of Sahih Muslim No. 2964 and Sahih Bukhari No. 3464. from: Goodword Islamic studies]

taken from http://www.islamweb.net/ver2/archive/article.php?lang=E&id=14236