Wise young muslim boy

Wise Young Muslim Boy

Many years ago, during the time of the T�bi'�n (the generation of Muslims  after the Sah�bah), Baghd�d 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 the time sent an envoy to Baghdad with three  challenges for the Muslims. When the messenger reached the city, he  informed the khal�fah that he had three questions which he challenged the  Muslims to answer.  The khal�fah 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 All�h?" "In which direction  does All�h face?" "What is All�h engaged in at this moment?" 

The great assembly of people were 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 khal�fah 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 All�h?"
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 All�h 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 N�r-us-Sam�w�ti-wal-'Ard: All�h - the Light of the Heavens and the Earth!? Light upon Light, All�h faces all directions at all times." 

The Roman was stupified 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 All�h doing at this moment?" 
The boy proudly answered, "At this moment, when All�h 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 All�h, He raised him up and established the Truth. Every day He exercises  (universal) power (Surah 55 ar-Rahm�n, Verse 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. All�h, the Exalted, blessed him with special wisdom and knowledge of the deen. His name was Abu Han�fah (rahmatull�h 'alayhi- All�h have mercy on him) and he is known today as Im�m-e-A'dham, the Great Im�m and scholar of Islam.


 [Adapted into English from "Man�qib Ab� Han�fah" written by Im�m Muwaffaq  Ibn Ahmad al-Makki (d. 568 Hijri). Dar al - Kit�b al-'Arabiy, Beirut,1981/1401H.]

Jazakillahu khairan sister Amah.   It's true, when Allah ta'la wants to do good for a person he grants them religious knoledge.

Allah's blessings be on our aimmat.