Story of A Cobbler

Once a great saint Abdullah bin mubarik went to perform hajj. One day, after he had performed his hajj , he was sitting in holy kaba in his leisure time. He went to sleep. While sleeping in his dream he saw two angles talking to each other. They were talking to each other about hajj. One of them asked about how many people came to perform hajj this year, and how many of them had their effort accepted by ALLAH subhana hu wa tala. The other replied “ almost 6-7 lakh people came here to perform hajj, but sadly none of them had it accepted”, he added” but I have heard that there lives a cobbler in Damascus, he didn’t come to perform hajj but his hajj is accepted, and ALLAH subhana hu wa tala is accepting hajj of all others because of him.” Seeing this, Abdullah bin mubarik woke up. A wish arose in his heart to find out that cobbler and meet him, and inquire that was was so special in him? What kind of deed made him so close to ALLAH that his hajj was accepted without even performing it actually, and not only this, but the pilgrimage of all other pilgrims was accepted due to him. Abdullah bin mubarik started his journey towards Damascus and atlast he managed to find out that cobbler. Meeting the cobbler, Abdullah bin mubarik inquired him if he had performed pilgrimage. Reply of that cobbler was amazing, he said “ no, I have not performed pilgrimage , but yes I had an immense desire of performing hajj. For years I had been saving a little from my earnings daily. And had saved almost 300 dirhams, so this year I had a plan to perform hajj. But one day I was at home with my wife , when she told me that there is such a tempting aroma of some delicious food, coming from our neighbors. She asked me to go to neighbors and ask them for a little of that food , so that wwe can taste it too. I went to neighbors, knocked their door, my neighbor came out. I requested him to give me some the food they were cooking as its aroma was very pleasant. But to my surprise, face of my neighbor turned dark! to my disappointment he replied “ no! Sorry brother ! I cant give that food to you”. I said him “but im asking for just a little amount” . he again refused” yes I know you need just a little food, but you can’t eat it”. I was surprised, I asked” why?” His face turned even pale on my insisting. He said In a low tone “Actually, me and my family had nothing to eat for 7 days. We were starving to death, so at last today we cooked meat of a dead donkey. So you cannot eat it”. Answer of my neighbor chilled my spine, It made me shiver badly. I immediately decided to give my savings for pilgrimage to my neighbor, as saving lives in my neighbor hood was more important than performing my pilgrimage. “ Abdullah bin mubarik says that I then told him that your pilgrimage has been accepted and awarded, even with out performing it. And it is because of you that ALLAH subahana hu wa tala has approved pilgrimages of all other people who performed it there. it was because of his sense of sacrifice and brotherhood for his neighbor, which was rewarded even higher than performing hajj.