A Meal That Would Not Stay Down

"O mankind, eat from whatever is on earth that is lawful and good, and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy."

Quran 2:168, Surah Al-Baqarah (Sahih International)

Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), the closest companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and later the first caliph, had a servant. Each day the servant brought him a share of his own earnings, and Abu Bakr would eat from it without asking questions. He trusted his household. He assumed, like anyone would, that the food was earned in a lawful way.

One evening the servant brought food as usual, and Abu Bakr ate it — hungry, and thinking nothing of it. Only after he had already swallowed did the servant mention where this money had come from. Long ago, before Islam, he had told someone a false fortune in exchange for payment. That person had only now paid what was owed from that old, dishonest deal.

He answered simply: he would rather bring it all up — even, he said, if his own soul had to come out with it — than let anything doubtful stay inside his body and become part of him.

Abu Bakr froze. He did not make excuses. He did not simply promise to be more careful next time. Right there, he pushed his finger into his throat and made himself vomit until every bit of that meal was gone.

He was the closest companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him), soon to lead the entire Muslim nation. Still, he held himself to a standard stricter than anyone asked of him. Nothing uncertain was allowed to remain — not to look good in front of others, but because true taqwa means being careful even about what no one else can see.

Moral of the story: True taqwa means being careful about what is halal and pure even when no one else can see it.

Source: Sahih al-Bukhari 3842; cited in The Refinement of Character by Imam Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi.