The Story of a wise Imam

As salam Alaikum wr br

A Wise Young Muslim Boy Many years ago, during the time of the Tâbi'în
(the
generation of Muslims after the Sahâbah), Baghdâd 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 khalîfah that he had three questions which he challenged
the
Muslims to answer.The khalîfah 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 Allâh?" "In
which
direction does Allâh face?" "What is Allâh 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 khalîfah 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 Allâh?"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 Allâh 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
Nûr-us-Samâwâti-wal-'Ard: Allâh - the Light of the Heavens and the
Earth!?
Light upon Light, Allâh 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 Allâh doing at this moment?"The boy
proudly
answered, "At this moment, when Allâh 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 Allâh, He raised him up and
established the Truth. Every day He exercises (universal) power (Surah
55
ar-Rahmân, 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. Allâh, the Exalted, blessed him with special wisdom
and
knowledge of the deen. His name was Abu Hanîfah (rahmatullâh 'alayhi-
Allâh have mercy on him) and he is known today as Imâm-e-A'dham, the
Great
Imâm and scholar of Islam.


[Adapted into English from "Manâqib Abî Hanîfah" written by Imâm
Muwaffaq
Ibn Ahmad al-Makki (d. 568 Hijri). Dar al - Kitâb al-'Arabiy, Beirut,
1981/1401H.]Biography of Imam Abu Hanifa - by Dr. G.F. HaddadLife of
Imam
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