Said like a true Imam

This was originally brought to my attention by one of the brothers in his blog. This Muslim preacher called Yahya Ibrahim (to know more about him and listen to his talks, visit here) met the Imam (one who leads the congregational prayer in the Mosque) of the Prophet Muhammad's Mosque in Madeenah, KSA, called Shaykh Salaah al-Budair (صلاح البدير) in 2009 in a conference held in Mumbai, India.

Shaykh Salaah is one of the permanent Imams of Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) and is also a Judge (Qadhi) in high court in Madeenah. His recitation of the Quran can be listened from here. Yahya Ibrahim relates a beautiful experience with him, which is what I am going to share here for the readers.

The Question
Yahya could not initially gather up the courage to ask Shaykh Salaah this question as it is a bit sensitive and can be misconstrued. But once he did, he asked:

"O Shaykh (addressing him with respect), Allah has honoured you and has bestowed an enormous Grace upon you by granting you the duty and privilege of standing on the very Pulpit of the Prophet Muhammad (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam), in his Masjid, within sight of his home and burial site, sala Allahu alayhi wa salaam. You lead the prayers and advise others on his (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) behalf. O Shaykh, how do you prepare yourself for this? How do you prepare your sincerity (ikhlaas) to find the courage to stand where you stand and lead where you lead?"

The Reply & Following Incident

Shaykh Salaah smiled. He bowed his head down and politely said:

"Every level has its Divine assistance. To abstain from that would be Riyaa (showing off)."

It was not over then and there. The Shaykh gave an instant reply with intelligence.
Later in the day, Shaykh Salaah pulled Yahya to the side and said privately:

"Every day I pray that Allah take my life rather than allow me to stand in the place of the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) with an overwhelming hypocrisy in my heart. I pray every night that I not wake if I do not discharge the trust placed upon me."

Both of them wept.

And so...
If you are a Muslim, you would appreciate the sensitivity of the question. But even as a non-Muslim, you can appreciate the sincerity and humbleness of Shaykh Salaah in what he said and does. That is the saying of an Imam (leader). That is the saying of the follower of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be on him.