When Caliph al-Manshur Received Advice Through a Dream

 

When Caliph al-Manshur Received Advice Through a Dream

That night, the caliph al-Mansur had trouble sleeping. Sleep, wake up. Sleep, wake up again. And sleep, wake up again. Pokonya not fun. This upset him and so he wanted to get a solution from his assistant, ar-Rabi'.

This is more or less the conversation between the two of them, after first al-Manshur called (called) ar-Rabi'.

"Rabbi, I can't sleep tonight. I had a very strange dream," said al-Mansur pouring out his heart (vent).

"What is that, O al-Mansur?," replied ar-Rabi' in response to the president's outpouring.

Al-Mansur began to open his voice and tell stories.

In his dream, al-Mansur felt visited by someone he had not known before (let's say, Fulan). So and so, in al-Mansur's dream, said a sentence or two. Unfortunately, al-Mansur has not been able to understand the sentence. He woke up.

However, because he was still sleepy, he continued to sleep again. And the same thing happened: he had a dream, met the same person (Fulan). Fulan said the same sentence as before. For some reason, again al-Mansur could not understand it. He woke up from sleep again.

Events like the above are repeated again (Dream was visited by Fulan and was told one or two sentences). Because Al-Mansur could not help feeling sleepy, he fell asleep again. And so and so came back to see him in a dream. The sentence he said was not at all different from what was said the first and second times.

But this time it was different. Fulan repeated the sentence over and over again. No doubt, this made al-Mansur able to understand it—and even memorize it. This is the sentence that Fulan said, as memorized by al-Mansur.

I suspect, the inhabitants of this palace have perished. Its inhabitants have abandoned and neglected.

After rejoicing, the leaders have left for the grave (died). Namely a grave that large stones were built on it.

Al-Mansur then told ar-Rabi' about his own interpretation of the dream. He said that it seemed that his death was getting closer. He also feels that there is nothing that he really has and can rely on except God, Allah SWT.

“Please, prepare toiletries. I will take a bath!" asked al-Mansur to ar-Rabi'.

Ar-Rabi' seniko dawuh . Al-Mansur's request was immediately fulfilled. After everything was ready, al-Mansur rushed to take a bath and a moment later, he performed two raka'at sunnah prayers. Unexpectedly, after that, suddenly al-Mansur expressed a desire to perform the pilgrimage (this incident occurred before the month of Zulhijah, pen. ).

All the necessities were prepared at that time. Not long after, the state entourage set out to fulfill the fifth pillar of Islam. Until one day, the group arrived in Kufa (now Iraq). They stayed a few days in an area called Najaf.

One day, al-Mansur asked the group to first continue the journey. He and ar-Rabi' followed later. Suddenly al-Mansur asked ar-Rabi' to prepare charcoal from the kitchen and asked ar-Rabi' to leave him immediately. It seemed that al-Mansur was wanting to be alone.

After all was finished, al-Mansur immediately went out and rode his horse. Hajj journey will be resumed. However, because there were one or two items left in the inn, ar-Rabi' went back to retrieve them.

There, ar-Rabi' accidentally read some sentences on the wall. The sentence was written by al-Mansur using kitchen charcoal that was taken by ar-Rabi'. The sentence contains the outpouring of al-Mansur's heart about the nature of life, death, and the world.

***

One of the things that can be learned and contemplated from the story above is about death, as the sentence that Fulan said to al-Mansur in a dream. Death is anything that will stop all the pleasures you already have.

Death should be interpreted and lived wisely. Without a perfect meaning and appreciation, the theory of death will only be abstract concepts that will have no value for a person.

In relation to life and death, it is good for us to reflect on the meaning of the prayer that is often recited by the following scholars:

Allahummaj'alil hayata ziyadatal lana fi kulli khair. Waj'alil mautar rahatal lana 'an kulli syarr. (O Allah, make life a means for us to continue to add good. Also, make death a means for us to stop from all evil).