The phrase "God's Dealings with the Pious, the Tale of a Pious Lady" likely refers to a story about a devout woman and her experiences with divine intervention or guidance. These narratives often highlight the piety of the woman and how God or a higher power assists her through trials or adversity.
Here's a breakdown of the common elements found in such stories:
The Pious Lady:
The central figure is a woman known for her deep religious faith and moral conduct.
Trials and Tribulations:
She often faces challenges, false accusations, or difficult circumstances.
Divine Intervention:
God or a divine force intervenes to protect her, guide her, or resolve her problems.
Lessons in Faith:
The story typically conveys a message about the importance of faith, perseverance, and the power of divine grace.
Examples from Literature:
Example:
One version, found in Tales from the Arabic, tells of a woman falsely accused of adultery. Her husband leaves her in the care of his brother while going on a pilgrimage. The brother tries to seduce her, and when she refuses, he fabricates a story and has her stoned. A traveler finds her injured and nurses her back to health. Later, the traveler tries to marry her, but she reveals she is already married and asks to be left alone. He respects her wishes and adopts her as his stepsister.
5+ Thousand Pious Woman Royalty-Free Images, Stock Photos & Pictures | Shutterstock
Key takeaway: These stories emphasize that even in the face of adversity, a pious individual can find divine help and ultimately be rewarded for their faith and virtue.
God’s Dealings with the Pious, the Tale of a Pious Lady
A saint states;: “Once I was making a circuit of the Holy Ka‘ba when I happened to see a girl who was carrying a very small child on her shoulder.
She was exclaiming: “OQ Miunificent Lord! Munificent Lord! the past! (z.e., how gracious was the Lord to her in the blessed past!).
I asked her ‘‘What was it that passed between thee and the Almighty God.’
She said: “Once I was travelling on a boat in the company of a group of merchants. A windstorm blew with such intensity that the boat sank and everybody was annihilated: I and this child were stranded on a board, while a negro lay stranded on another board. No one except the three of us had survived. At the first light of dawn, and rowing the water with his hands, he approached my plank. When his board adjoined mine, he came over to my board and tried to seduce me.
I remonstrated with him, ‘‘Fear the Lord! Dost thou not know in what peril we are! It seems impossible to escape this calamity even with fervent prayers to the Lord; on the contrary, you wish that we should commit sin under such circumstances.”
He said: ‘Never mind! I swear by God I shall commit this act with you.” Now this child was sleeping in my lap. I quietly pinched the child, as a result of which the child instantly began to cry. I said to the negro, “Alright, wait till I put the child to sleep. Then whatever the fate ordains for me will come to pass.”
The negro, grabbed the child and flung him into the sea. I entreated the Mighty Lord:
“O Thou Who art Mighty and intervenes even between a man and his heart’s desires, please save me from this negro with all Thy Divine Might and Authority. Lord, Thou art without doubt Omnipojent.”
’ By my Lord! I had hardly finished saying this prayer when a mammoth animal with open jaws raised its head from the sea and, having devoured the negro went underwater again. The Magnificent Lord saved me from the negro by His Divine Power and Authority; He indeed is Omnipotent; He is Pure; He is Magnificent.
Afterwards, the sea-waves lashed at me till the board was washed to the shore of an island. I landed there and thought to myself that I would eat grass and drink water till the Magnificent Lord afforded me some succour, because it is through Him alone that better conditions may prevail. I lived on this island for four days. On the fifth day, I espied a boat going on the sea. I mounted 2 hillocks and made signs in the direction of this boat. I waved my covering cloth briskly. Three men from the boat came to me on a small barge.
I boarded the barge and went to the boat with them. And lo ! one of the men on the boat was holding this child of mine whom the negro had flung into the sea. Upon seeing the child, I fell over him and kissed and hugged him. I told them, “This is my child, my darling.’
”The boatmen said, “You are out of your mind, you are mad.”
I said: “I am not mad nor have I lost my senses. My tale is a strange one.” Then I narrated to them all that had happened to me. After hearing my story, all of them hung their heads in amazement and said, ‘You have told us a stunning tale, and now it is our turn to tell you a similar story which will astonish you. We were travelling merrily on this boat. The air was favourable. Presently, an animal swam to the surface; it was carrying this child on its back.
The moment from the back of the animal and keeping him with you had happened to me. After hearing my story, all of them hung their heads in amazement and said, "The moment this animal appeared on the surface, we heard a supernatural voice. 'If you did not pick up this child from the back of the animal and keep him with you, your boat would be sunk.’ One of us rose and picked up the child from the back of the animal. The animal then went under the water. Your tale and ours both are very strange, and all of us take a vow that henceforth the Magnificent Lord shall not find us sinning. Later, they all offered penitence. How Munificent is the Pure Lord! How Considerate! The Most Beni- ficent! And the Pure One Who comes to the aid of the afflicted at the time of distress (Rawd). ,
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