Honouring the Knowledge of Deen (Inspirational Incidents)

Haaroon Rasheed was an ‘Abbaasi Khaleefah who ruled over the Muslim empire from 170 A.H. until his demise in 193 A.H. at the age of forty-five. On one occasion, when Haaroon Rasheed came to Madeenah Munawwarah, he sent a messenger to Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) with the following message: “Come to me and bring the hadeeth kitaab (Al-Muwatta) which you have compiled so that I may hear the ahaadeeth from you.” On receiving this message, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) was upset and disappointed. He said to the messenger, “Convey my salaam to him, and tell him that people should travel to the knowledge of Deen, the knowledge of Deen should not travel to people. People should come to obtain the knowledge of Deen, it should not have to come to them.” When the reply of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) reached Haaroon Rasheed, he became angry. His messenger fuelled his anger further saying, “It will reach the people of Iraq that you summoned Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah), yet he defied you! Force him to come to you!” In the interim, many students of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) suggested to him that he go to Haaroon Rasheed and explain to him the correct manner of acquiring the knowledge of Deen. Hence, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) came to Haaroon Rasheed and entered with salaam. However, he did not bring his kitaab of hadeeth with him. When Haaroon Rasheed asked him why he had come without the kitaab, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) replied: “O Ameerul Mu-mineen! Allah Ta‘ala sent Nabi Muhammad (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) to us and commanded us to obey him, follow his blessed sunnah and show him utmost respect and honour, during and after his lifetime. Allah Ta‘ala has perhaps granted you the position of khaleefah on account of you having some knowledge of Deen. Hence, when you have been blessed with this knowledge, then you should not disrespect it and fail to honour it, as doing so will cause Allah Ta‘ala to strip you of your respect and honour. Fear Allah! Fear Allah! I have seen people who were not of your standing and lineage, some were freed slaves and there were others as well, yet they all showed the highest level of respect to the knowledge of Deen and honoured the ‘Ulama who bore this knowledge. When these people had shown respect to the knowledge of Deen, then surely you are more worthy of honouring the knowledge of Deen!” Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) continued to advise Haaroon Rasheed in this manner until he eventually began to weep. Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) continued further until Haaroon Rasheed relented and said, “Let us proceed to your home.” On arriving, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) entered, performed ghusl, donned new clothing, applied ‘itr and burned some fragrant ‘oud (to honour the blessed ahaadeeth). Thereafter, as they sat, Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) said to Haaroon Rasheed, “Commence reciting.” Haaroon Rasheed responded, “You should recite to me.” However, when Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) excused himself from reciting, Haaroon Rasheed was left with no choice but to recite, and thus said, “Tell all the people to leave so that I can recite to you in privacy.” Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) responded, “When the knowledge of Deen is withheld from the general people for the sake of influential people who wish to be exclusive, then these influential people will never benefit from the knowledge.” Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) then instructed one of his students to recite the ahaadeeth. When the student commenced reciting, Haaroon Rasheed was at the side of Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) and was seated in a reclining position. Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah) said to him, “O Ameerul Mu-mineen! The one who lowers and humbles himself for Allah Ta‘ala, Allah Ta‘ala will elevate and honour him.” Haaroon Rasheed immediately awoke and sat before Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah), only returning to his side after the ahaadeeth were recited. Sometime later, Haaroon Rasheed said to Imaam Maalik (rahimahullah), “We lowered ourselves and expressed humility before the knowledge of Deen which you possessed, and hence Allah Ta‘ala blessed us to benefit from the knowledge.” (Tarteebul Madaarik vol. 2, pg. 21) Lesson: We all wish and desire to acquire the knowledge of Deen and benefit from the blessed ahaadeeth of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam). However, there are many people who fail to show the knowledge of Deen due respect and honour. Instead of expressing humility before the knowledge of Nubuwwah, they want to acquire knowledge on ‘their own terms’. Instead of sitting with respect, they lie on their beds and surf the net. Instead of dressing with respect and performing wudhu, they acquire the knowledge of Deen in a casual manner, dressed as they please, sometimes in an environment of free-intermingling between males and females! The outcome is that they acquire mere ‘information’, not the knowledge of Deen. The knowledge of Deen creates a noor (light) in the heart and guides a person to Allah Ta‘ala.

Ibn Battuta

Also known as Shams ad - Din, was born at Tangier, Morocco, on the 24th February 1304 C.E. (703 Hijra). He left Tangier on Thursday, 14th June, 1325 C.E. (2nd Rajab 725 A.H.), when he was twenty one years of age. His travels lasted for about thirty years, after which he returned to Fez , Morocco at the court of Sultan Abu 'Inan and dictated accounts of his journeys to Ibn Juzay. These are known as the famous Travels (Rihala) of Ibn Battuta. He died at Fez in 1369 C.E.

Ibn Battuta was the only medieval traveller who is known to have visited the lands of every Muslim ruler of his time. He also travelled in Ceylon (present Sri Lanka), China and Byzantium and South Russia. The mere extent of his travels is estimated at no less than 75,000 miles, a figure which is not likely to have been surpassed before the age of steam.

Travels
In the course of his first journey, Ibn Battuta travelled through Algiers, Tunis, Egypt, Palestine and Syria to Makkah. After visiting Iraq, Shiraz and Mesopotamia he once more returned to perform the Hajj at Makkah and remained there for three years. Then travelling to Jeddah he went to Yemen by sea, visited Aden and set sail for Mombasa, East Africa. After going up to Kulwa he came back to Oman and repeated pilgrimage to Makkah in 1332 C.E. via Hormuz, Siraf Bahrain and Yamama. Subsequently he set out with the purpose of going to India, but on reaching Jeddah, he appears to have changed his mind (due perhaps to the unavailability of a ship bound for India), and revisited Cairo, Palestine and Syria, thereafter arriving at Aleya (Asia Minor) by sea and travelled across Anatolia and Sinope. He then crossed the Black Sea and after long wanderings he reached Constantinople through Southern Ukraine.

On his return to Fez, Ibn Battuta dictated the accounts of his travels to Ibn Juzay al-Kalbi (1321-1356 C.E.) at the court of Sultan Abu Inan (1348-1358 C.E). Ibn Juzay took three months to accomplish this work, which he finished on 9th December 1355 C.E.

Writings
In order to experience the flavour of Ibn Battuta's narrative one must sample a few extracts. The following passage illustrates the system of social security in operation in the Muslim world in the early 14th century C.E.: "The variety and expenditure of the religious endowments at Damascus are beyond computation. There are endowments in aid of persons who cannot undertake the pilgrimage to Makkah, out of which ate paid the expenses of those who go in their stead. There are other endowments for supplying wedding outfits to girls whose families are unable to provide them and others for the freeing of prisoners. There are endowments for travellers, out of the revenues of which they are given food, clothing, and the expenses of conveyance to their countries. Then there are endowments for the improvement and paving of the streets, because all the lanes in Damascus have pavements on either side, on which the foot passengers walk, while those who ride use the roadway in the centre". p.69, ref l

Ibn Battuta - The Forgotten Traveller
Ibn Battuta's sea voyages and references to shipping reveal that the Muslims completely dominated the maritime activity of the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Indian Ocean , and the Chinese waters. Also it is seen that though the Christian traders were subject to certain restrictions, most of the economic negotiations were transacted on the basis of equality and mutual respect.

One can understand why these great Muslims are ignored by the West. But the indifference of the Muslim governments is incomprehensible. In order to combat the inferiority complex that plagues the Muslim Ummah, we must rediscover the contributions of Muslims in fields such as science, medicine, engineering, architecture and astronomy. This will encourage contemporary young Muslims to strive in these fields and not think that major success is beyond their reach.