Noble Aspirations of Righteous Scholars
The great
scholar and educator `Abd Al-Fattah Abu Ghuddah (may Allah have mercy on him)
says in his book Pages from the Patience of Scholars in the Hardships of
Seeking Knowledge:
“Indeed, the
accounts of practicing scholars and righteous, perceptive individuals are among
the finest means of instilling virtues within souls. They drive them to endure
hardships and difficulties in pursuit of noble aims and lofty objectives, and
inspire them to emulate those who possessed sacrifice and resolve, so that they
may grow to the highest ranks and most honorable stations.”
A Chapter of Reflection
Some of the
early righteous predecessors said: “Stories are among the soldiers of Allah;
through them, Allah strengthens the hearts of His allies.” These are words that
open for the reader a door of reflection upon the lives of great men—not for
mere admiration, but to serve as fuel for determination, a force that propels
ambition, and an awakening of the spirit of following their example.
The Imam
Muhammad ibn Isma'il Al-Bukhari narrated in his Sahih, and Imam Muslim
ibn Al-Hajjaj narrated in his Sahih—and this is his wording—from Abu
Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace
be upon him) said: “Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, created Adam in
His image with his length of sixty cubits, and as He created him He told him to
greet that group, and that was a party of angels sitting there, and listen to
the response that they give him, for it would form his greeting and that of his
offspring. He then went away and said: Peace be upon you! They (the angels)
said: May there be peace upon you and the Mercy of Allah, and they made an
addition of" Mercy of Allah". So he who would get into Paradise would
get in the form of Adam, his length being sixty cubits, then the people who
followed him continued to diminish in size up to this day.”
The meaning of
his statement, “Allah created Adam in His image,” is that he was created in the
form Allah intended for him—without passing through stages of development as
his descendants do. Rather, Allah created him as a complete, well-formed man
from the moment the soul was breathed into him.
Scholars have
said regarding the phrase, “greet that group, and listen to their response,”
that it indicates they were at some distance from him. It also suggests the
legitimacy of striving in the pursuit of knowledge—as if Adam (peace be upon
him) was the first to undertake such a journey, in light of this noble hadith.
Aspirations that Touch the Clouds
Abu Al-Hasan `Ali
ibn Ibrahim: a scholar of exegesis (interpretation of the Quran), grammar,
language, and jurisprudence, known for his piety and devotion—so much so that
it was said he had no equal in his time. He studied under Abu Hatim al-Razi and
traveled to him, spending three years in pursuit of knowledge.
Muhammad ibn
Ibrahim Al-Isbahani (Ibn Al-Muqri’), who passed away in 381 AH, was a widely
traveled, trustworthy memorizer of hadith. He said: “I journeyed across the
East and West four times,” and, “I entered Jerusalem ten times,” despite being
from Isfahan—demonstrating his immense endurance and patience in travel.
Muhammad ibn
Ishaq ibn Mandah (Abu `Abdullah Ibn Mandah), the widely traveling hadith master
and author, set out in search of knowledge at the age of 20 and returned at
65—his journey lasting a full 45 years. He then returned to his homeland as an
elderly man, married at 65, and was blessed with children. He said: “I traveled
the East and West twice.”
The unspoken
words of one of them might be expressed as:
“We busied
ourselves with acquiring knowledge instead of pursuing wealth,
just as they busied themselves with wealth instead of knowledge.”
They exhausted
themselves, joined their nights to their days, and strained their bodies. Their
state was as if saying:
“We have borne
from the days what we cannot endure,
like a broken bone bearing heavy splints.”
`Ali ibn Al-Hasan
ibn Shaqiq said: “I stood with `Abdullah ibn Al-Mubarak on a cold night as he
was leaving the mosque. He began discussing a hadith with me at the door, and I
responded. We continued in discussion until the caller to prayer came and
announced the dawn prayer (Fajr).”
`Abd Al-Malik
ibn `Abd Al-`Aziz ibn Jurayj said: “The mosque was the bed of `Ata’ ibn Abi
Rabah for twenty years.” `Ata’ (may Allah have mercy on him) was dark-skinned,
one-eyed, flat-nosed, paralyzed, lame, and later became blind—six physical
impairments in total—yet he was a pillar of knowledge and religion, a
trustworthy jurist, who performed pilgrimage (Hajj) more than seventy times.
These are aspirations in prostration—praising and grateful.
The Imam
Muhammad ibn Ibrahim ibn Al-Wazir said:
“All praise is
Yours—You did not preoccupy me with a poverty that would burden me,
nor with a wealth that would lead my heart to transgress and distract me.
You freed me
for knowledge, praise, and remembrance,
and You rectified my heart and continued to guide me.
You enriched my
heart with contentment and satisfaction,
and with wealth sufficient—not distracting me.
So I am neither
distressed, nor begging,
nor preoccupied with what does not concern me.”
The Spread of Islam
Through such
aspirations and those values, the call of Islam spread, prevailed, and led
humanity toward radiant light and shining brilliance.
If only we
would turn to that unique and beneficial journey, making it a guiding light for
our gatherings, schools, pulpits, and lectures.
For these
aspirations are a call to motivation toward inviting to goodness, energizing
worship and striving in all its forms—until the banners of goodness and light
are raised across the horizons of humanity.
And all praise
is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
Read Also:
-
When the Ummah Breathes with Both Its Lungs
-
Izz al-Din ibn Abd al-Salam, Sultan of Scholars
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