|
A
Wise Young Muslim Boy
 Many
years ago, during the time of the Tabi`een (the generations
of Muslims who came after the Prophetic Companions), Baghdad
was a great city of Islam. In fact, it was the capital of
the Islamic Empire and, because of the great number of
scholars who lived there, it was the center of Islamic
knowledge.
One
day, the ruler of Rome at that time sent an envoy to Baghdad
with three challenges for the Muslims. When the messenger
reached the city, he informed the Caliph that he had three
questions, which he challenged Muslims to answer.
The
Caliph gathered together all the scholars of the city and
the Roman messenger climbed upon a high platform and said,
"I have come with three questions. If you answer them,
then I will leave with you a great amount of wealth, which I
have brought from the king of Rome. "As for the
questions, they were: "What was there before
Allah?" "In which direction does Allah face?"
"What is Allah engaged in at this moment?"
The
great assembly of people was silent. (Can you think of
answers to these questions?) In the midst of these brilliant
scholars and students of Islam was a man looking on with his
young son. "O my dear father! I will answer him and
silence him!" said the youth. So the boy sought the
permission of the Caliph to give the answers and he was
given the permission to do so.
The
Roman addressed the young Muslim and repeated his first
question,
"What
was there before Allah?"
The
boy asked, "Do you know how to count?"
"Yes,"
said the man.
"Then
count down from ten!" So the Roman counted down,
"ten, nine, eight,..." until he reached
"one" and he stopped counting.
"But
what comes before 'one'?" asked the boy.
"There
is nothing before one- that is it!" said the man.
"Well
then, if there obviously is nothing before the arithmetic
'one', then how do you expect that there should be anything
before the 'One' who is Absolute Truth, All-Eternal,
Everlasting- the First, the Last, the Manifest, the
Hidden?"
Now
the man was surprised by this direct answer which he could
not dispute. So he asked, "Then tell me, in which
direction is Allah facing?"
 "Bring
a candle and light it," said the boy, "and tell me
in which direction the flame is facing."
"But
the flame is just light- it spreads in each of the four
directions,
North,
South, East and West. It does not face any one direction
only," said the man in wonderment.
The
boy cried, "Then if this physical light spreads in all
four directions such that you cannot tell me which way it
faces, then what do you expect of the
Noor-us-Samawati-wal-Ard: Allah- the Light of the Heavens
and the Earth!? Light upon Light, Allah faces all directions
at all times."
The
Roman was astonished and astounded that here was a young
child answering his challenges in such a way that he could
not argue against the proofs. So, he desperately wanted to
try his final question. But before doing so, the boy said,
"Wait!
You are the one who is asking the questions and I am the one
who is giving the answer to these challenges. It is only
fair that you should come down to where I am standing and
that I should go up where you are right now, in order that
the answers may be heard as clearly as the questions."
This
seemed reasonable to the Roman, so he came down from where
he was standing and the boy ascended the platform. Then the
man repeated his final challenge, "Tell me, what is
Allah doing at this moment?"
The
boy proudly answered, "At this moment, when Allah found
upon this high platform a liar and mocker of Islam, He
caused him to descend and brought him low. And as for the
one who believed in the Oneness of Allah, He raised him up
and established the Truth. Allah Almighty says: “Every day
He exercises (universal) power” (Ar-Rahman : 29)
The
Roman had nothing to say except to leave and return back to
his country, defeated. Meanwhile, this young boy grew up to
become one of the most famous scholars of Islam. Allah, the
Exalted, blessed him with special wisdom and deep insight in
religion. His Name was Abu Hanifah (rahmatullah 'alayhi-
Allah have mercy on him) and he is known today as Al-Ima
Al-A'zam, the Great Imam and scholar of Islam. May Allah
shower some of His Mercy in the same way upon our Muslim
children who are growing up today, Amin.
(Translated
into English from "Manaqib Abi Hanifah" written by
Imam
Muwaffaq
Ibn Ahmad Al-Makki (d. 568 Hijri). Dar al-Kitab al-'Arabi,
Beirut,
1981/1401H.)
Back
|
