May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ have mercy on him and forgive us without accountability for his sake!
اٰمِيۡن بِجَاهِ النَّبِيِّ الۡاَمِيۡن صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلَيۡهِ وَاٰلِه وَسَلَّم
Question: Please tell us a faith-refreshing story of someone from the Banī Isrāīl who was tested but remained steadfast, so that we can learn some lesson and courage for patience!
Answer: Any Muslim who does not shrink from tests, who kicks lust away, does not panic even in extremely testing circumstances, embraces the biggest of calamities for the pleasure of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ, and always fights against the devil and his Nafs, will attain great ranks from the court of Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ and enter Jannat-ul-Firdaus with great majesty and splendour. Here is an attempt to summarise a story by Sayyidunā Ka’b-ul-Aḥbār رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ: In the Banī Isrāīl there was a worshipper who reached the rank of a Ṣiddīq (the highest rank of sainthood). He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه was so revered that the king used to visit him in his house and enquire if he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه needed anything, but he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه would demand nothing. As a blessing from Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ there was a grapevine [i.e. a grape-producing plant] in his worshipping place which grew a unique type of grapes every day. When he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه reached his hand towards it water would pour out from it for him to drink.
One evening at Maghrib time, a young woman knocked on his door and said, ‘Night has fallen, my house is quite far from here, please allow me to spend the night here.’ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه pitied her and let her stay in his house. In the later part of the night, all of a sudden, she expressed her desire to ‘sleep with him’, مَـعَـاذَ الـلّٰـه عَزَّوَجَلَّ she even undressed herself. He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه immediately shut his eyes and ordered her to get dressed. She refused and persistently repeated