Leisure generally arises out of wealth, for the affluent are spared many concerns and thus find themselves unoccupied. We ask Allah to protect us and you from the trials (fitnah) of life and death and from the trial of the False Messiah, al-Masih al-Dajjal.

8/259 – Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Only three spoke while still in the cradle: Jesus son of Mary, the infant who testified on behalf of Jurayj, and …”

Jurayj was a devoted worshiper. He built for himself a hermitage and lived there in constant prayer. His mother once came to him while he was praying and called, “Jurayj!” He said to himself, “My Lord, shall I respond to my mother or continue my prayer?” and he chose to remain in prayer, so she went away. The next day she returned while he was praying and said, “Jurayj!” Again he thought, “My Lord, my mother or my prayer?” and stayed with his prayer, and she left. On the third day she came while he was praying and called, “Jurayj!” Once more he said, “My Lord, my mother or my prayer?” and kept praying. She then supplicated, “O Allah, do not let him die until he has looked upon the faces of prostitutes.”

Later the Children of Israel began to speak admiringly of Jurayj and his devotion. There was a prostitute famed for her beauty who said, “If you wish, I can tempt him.” She went to him, but he paid her no heed. So she went to a shepherd who used to rest near his hermitage, offered herself to him, and he slept with her. She became pregnant, and when she gave birth she claimed, “The child is Jurayj’s.”

The people came to Jurayj, dragged him down, demolished his hermitage, and began beating him. He asked, “What is the matter with you?” They said, “You committed fornication with this prostitute and she has borne your child.” He said, “Where is the infant?” They brought the baby, and Jurayj said, “Let me pray first.” He prayed, and when he finished he went to the child, pressed his finger against the baby’s stomach, and said, “Boy, who is your father?” The infant replied, “So-and-so, the shepherd.”

The people then turned toward Jurayj, kissing him and rubbing themselves against him for blessing, saying, “We shall rebuild your hermitage in gold.” He said, “No—rebuild it from clay as it was,” and so they did.

While a baby was nursing at his mother’s breast, a man rode past on a fine mount, splendidly dressed