Abu Turaab, may Allah be pleased with him, describes the Companions of the Prophet, :
How wonderful was this Quranic generation that graduated from the school of prophethood and learned at the hands of its teacher. Can you imagine their state, if shedding tears in the depths of the night becomes a common feature and basic characteristic of a society?
Listen to Abu Turaab, ‘Ali ibn Abi Taalib, may Allah be pleased with him, while describing the Companions of the Prophet, , saying: “I have seen the Companions of the Messenger of Allah . I see no one that resembles them from among you. By Allah! They used to rise in the morning disheveled, dust-covered, and pale, with something between their eyes like the goat's knees, as they had spent the night praying and making long Sujood, turning from foreheads to their feet. Whenever Allah was mentioned, they would sway the way trees sway on a windy day, and then their eyes would pour out tears until -- by Allah! -- they soaked their clothes for fear of punishment and longing for reward.”
The tears of salvation:
These tears were shed by a young man who had committed many sins and they were accompanied by sighs of despair as well as longing for salvation.
He was a drug addict who used to travel abroad to satisfy his evil desires. He committed every imaginable sin. He said,
One of my colleagues asked me to drive him home, and he forgot, or pretended that he had forgotten a cassette tape in my car. I listened to that tape which was speaking about reliance on Allah The Almighty and maintaining a strong relationship with Him because the human soul is helpless and powerless without His help. This tape caused a dramatic and radical change in my life, because I used to depend on drugs whenever I faced any problem until addiction became my only shelter. I started blaming myself and asking myself how did I come to depend upon these destructive drugs instead of relying on Allah, The Mighty and The Powerful? What kind of soul do I have? It is humiliated, weak, and lives in the captivity of some pills! What a worthless soul!
I then started weeping out of remorse and pledged that I would repent to Allah The Almighty immediately and sincerely and that I will truly rely on Him. I was waiting eagerly for sunset and the advent of the night to be with my Lord privately and raise my hands to supplicate Him humbly.
On that night, I went to the desert and stood there alone with the mountains and trees around me like ghosts. The stars were shining in the sky as if they were watching me. I faced the Qiblah (direction of prayer), made Takbeer (saying Allahu Akbar) and I started supplicating my Lord and entreating Him with His Most Beautiful Names and Mercy. I was weeping strongly and complaining of my condition. I asked Him insistently to save me from this trial and to heal and treat me. I admitted my sins, weakness, poverty, helplessness, and need. I was completely involved in this humble supplication until dawn approached. I returned home and waited for the prayer. I slept and saw in a dream an extremely beautiful woman saying to me, ‘Wake up to pray the Fajr Prayer; be assured as you are now taking the right path.’ I woke up terrified and felt as if I had turned over a new leaf. My heart was happy and I was filled with exhilaration as if I had been reborn.”
“After that, I did not come near drugs again, and I am about to enter the university exams for the first time in my life depending solely on Allah The Exalted; I am full of hope that He will guide me. I have tasted the sweetness of supplication and the delight of having my supplication answered; I will never accept any lesser alternative.”
Dear young Muslim man and woman:
Your tear is like a dewdrop that removes the veil and rust, lights the road, sweetens the bitter life, pleases Allah The Almighty, and removes the barriers that hinder your heart. If you taste its sweetness, you would never forget it. Wait until you find it at night and when it arrives welcome it saying, “Welcome to the abode of my humble submissiveness; I love my tears in you.”