Hazrat Abdullah Bin Abbas (Radiyallahu anhu) reports that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “On the night of Miraj in which I was taken to the Heavens, I perceived a very pleasant fragrance. I enquired from Jibreel (AS) about the source of the fragrance. He informed me that it was the fragrance of the beautician of firown’s daughter and her (the beautician) children. I asked him to tell me more about it.

He explained: One day she was engaged in her routine task of beautifying firowns daughter, when suddenly the comb slipped from her hand. Immediately she recited “Bismillah” and picked it up. Firowns daughter asked her whether she was referring to her father when taking the name of Allah? She repled: “No! Rather my lord as well as the lord of your father is Allah!” the girl said: “I shall report this matter to my father.” The woman replied: “Yes, by all means.”

So she informed her father firown who immediately summoned the beautician and asked: “Do you have any other Lord besides me?” She answered: “Yes! My lord as well as your Lord is Allah!” At this firown ordered that a huge brass container be kindled over a blazing fire and that this beautician as well as her children be thrown into it. Before they could do this, she interjected: “I have something to say.” He said: “What is it?” She replied: “After we have burnt down, I request that you gather our bones into a cloth and bury them into the earth.” He agreed to do that.

Firown then commanded that her children be thrown in first. Hence they were cast in one by one, before her very eyes. Eventually it was the turn of her last child, a new-born baby. At this it appeared that the mother became a little hesitant. Suddenly that little child spoke out: “O’ my beloved mother! Jump into the fire, for indeed the punishment of this world is much lighter than the punishment of the hereafter.” On hearing this she plunged herself into the fire. (Musnad-e-Ahmad, vol: 5, pg: 30)

Lesson: life in this world is surrounded with difficulties from every direction. The duty of a believer is to always remain firm and to ensure that his faith remains untarnished, no matter how challenging the situation may seem.