Question

Salam u Alaikum I have heard a story about Prophet Mousa asking

Allah about his neighbor in Jannah, and Jibrael told him that he was a
butcher and used to take good care of his mother. Due to his this kind
act, Allah gave him a house besides Prophet Mousa. Is this story
authentic. Please reply with authentic evidence.

AnswerAll perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify

that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that
Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

We have searched in the references available for us, but we could not
find researching scholars who considered this incident authentic or
who mentioned it in their writings except Shams-ud-Deen Abu Al-
Khayr ibn Al-Jazari (d. 833 A.H.). He cited this story without
mentioning its chain of narration in his book Az-Zahr Al-Faaih fi Thikr
man Tanazzah an Ath-Thunoob wal-Qabaaih:

It was said that once Moosa (Moses) asked his Lord to show him
his companion in Paradise. Allaah, The Exalted, revealed to him, O
Moosa! Go to such-and-such town and you shall see your companion in
Paradise. Moosa set out and arrived at the town. He met a young
man on the way, so Moosa greeted him and said, "Peace be upon you.
I am your guest tonight." The young man said, If you accept what I
shall offer you, I shall welcome you in my house and show hospitality
to you. Moosa said, I accept what you offer me.

The young man agreed to have him as his guest for that night and
took him to his shop. He was a butcher; he asked him to sit until he
finishes his selling and buying. As he was cutting the meat, he would
put all the fat and bone marrow aside. Then, after he had finished his
work, he took Moosa to a house and cooked the fat and bone marrow.

Then, the young man went inside a house where there were two large
baskets hanging from the ceiling. He carefully brought down one of the
two. There was an old man inside that basket whose eyebrows above
his eyes had fallen from old age. He took him out of the basket,
washed his face and clothes and scented them with incense. He, then,
clothed the old man, took some bread and broke it to pieces then
poured the fat and bone marrow on it and fed the old man until he was
full and gave him water to drink until he was satisfied. The old man
said, O my son! May Allaah never cause your efforts with me to go
unrewarded and may He make you the companion of Moosa ibn (son
of) Imraan in Paradise! Then, the young man brought down the
second basket, and there was an old woman inside it. He did the same
with her and she said, Praise be to Allaah, my dear son; may Allaah
never cause your efforts with me to go unrewarded and may He make
you the companion of Moosa ibn Imraan in Paradise! The young man,
then, put the baskets back in place.

Moosa left the house with tearful eyes, feeling pity for the old
parents. The young man followed him and brought food for him.
Prophet Moosa said, My brother, I am in no need of your food, but I
have asked Allaah to show me my companion in Paradise and He
revealed to me that you shall be him. The young man exclaimed,
Who are you; may Allaah have mercy upon you? He said, I am
Moosa ibn Imraan. The young man fell to the ground unconscious. He
entered upon his parents and told them that Allaah Almighty has
answered their supplications and that it was Moosa himself who
informed him that as Allaah revealed to him. Upon hearing that, they
both gasped and passed away. Prophet Moosa washed them (their
dead bodies) and performed the funeral prayer over them. The young

man accompanied Prophet Moosa until he died .

he Quran

1. "We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents; in pain did his
mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth" (46:15).

2. "Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him

, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain

old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel
them, but address them in terms of honor. And out of kindness, lower
to them the wing of humility, and say: My Lord! bestow on them Thy
Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood' "(17:23-24).

3. "We have enjoined on man and woman kindness to parents; but if

they (either of them) strive (to force) thee to join with Me anything of
which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not'" (29:8).

4. "We have enjoined on man and woman (to be good) to his/her

parents; show gratitude to Me and to thy parents; to Me is (thy final)
Goal. If they (parents) strive to make thee join in worship with Me
things of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not; yet bear
them company in this life with justice (and consideration) and follow
the way of those who turn to Me (in love)" (31:14-15).

The Hadith

1. The Prophet Muhammad said, may Allah's peace and blessings be

upon him: Your Heaven lies under the feet of your mother (Ahmad,
Nasai).

2. A man came to the Prophet and said, O Messenger of God! Who

among the people is the most worthy of my good companionship? The
Prophet said: Your mother. The man said, Then who?' The Prophet
said: Then your mother. The man further asked, Then who?' The
Prophet said: Then your mother. The man asked again, Then who?'
The Prophet said: Then your father. (Bukhari, Muslim).

3. Abu Usaid Saidi said: We were once sitting with Rasulullah when a
man from the tribe of Salmah came and said to him: O Messenger of
Allah! do my parents have rights over me even after they have died?
And Rasulullah said: Yes. You must pray to Allah to bless them with
His Forgiveness and Mercy, fulfill the promises they made to anyone,
and respect their relations and their friends (Abu Dawud and Ibn
Majah).

4. Abdullah ibn Amr related that the Messenger of Allah said: The
major sins are to believe that Allah has partners, to disobey one's
parents, to commit murder, and to bear false witness (Bukhari,
Muslim).

5. It is narrated by Asma bint Abu Bakr that during the treaty of

Hudaibiyah, her mother, who was then pagan, came to see her from
Makkah. Asma informed the Messenger of Allah of her arrival and also
that she needed help. He said: Be good to your mother (Bukhari,
Muslim).