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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, created all beings for His worship.

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This includes humans, jinn, angels, animals, plants, and inanimate objects.

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Allah, the Exalted, fashioned them by nature to affirm His oneness and acknowledge His divinity.

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And to confess their poverty, their need, and their submission to Him, the Glorified and Exalted.

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Yet, we find something truly astonishing regarding this human being.

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In his turning away and his distance from sincere servitude to Allah, the Exalted.

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And his preoccupation with the pleasures and desires of this world.

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For this human, regrettably, is among the least of creatures in his servitude to Allah, the Exalted.

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Even though that is the very purpose for which Allah created all of creation.

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Allah, the Exalted, says:

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And because animals are creatures of Allah, the Exalted.

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They glorify and prostrate themselves before Allah.

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He also says:

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Among the wondrous manifestations of the servitude of animals.

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I recall the story of the wolf, which Imam Ahmad narrated with an authentic chain of transmission.

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On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

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A wolf attacked a sheep and seized it.

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The shepherd pursued it and snatched the sheep back from it.

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The wolf said to the shepherd, "Do you not fear Allah?"

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"You snatch from me a provision that Allah has driven toward me."

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The shepherd exclaimed, "How strange!"

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"A wolf speaking to me with the speech of humans!"

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The wolf replied, "Shall I not tell you of something even more amazing than that?"

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"Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is in Yathrib."

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"He informs the people of the news of what has already passed."

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He said: The shepherd then proceeded to drive his sheep until he entered Medina.

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He gathered them into one of its corners.

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Then he came to the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, and informed him.

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The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, gave orders, and it was announced:

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"Prayer is a gathering."

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He then went out and said to the shepherd, "Tell them."

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So he told them.

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The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

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"He has spoken the truth; by Him in whose hand is my soul."

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Here is a wolf that believes in the prophethood of Muhammad, peace be upon him.

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And it speaks with the speech of humans.

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To confirm the sincerity of its servitude to Allah, the Exalted.

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So learn, O humans.