Take Maulana Muzaaffar Husain Sahib. His qissah comes to mind at the moment, though there are numerous other qissahs. He was a resident Kandla. His generation was just before that of Maulana Rashid Ahmed Gangohi Rahmatullah Alaihi and Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanotwi Rahmatullah Alaihi – the latter two were still in their youth at the time that Maulana Muzaffar Husain had attained old age.
Anyhow while still young, he had gone to complete his studies by Shah Muhammad Ishaq Sahib Rahmatullah Alaihi in Delhi. At the time, he had already completed courses in Farsi and a few other kitabs and he was already conversant with all the Fiqhi masa`il.
He arrived in Delhi and presented himself at the house od Shah Muhammad Ishaq Sahib Rahmatullah Alaihi. Mealtime came and he was served with dhal and roti. He ate the roti but not the dhal.
When the dishes went back to the kitchen, Shahsahib`s wife noticed the uneaten dhal. “Ofo! What kind of youngster is this? He ate the roti, but not the dhal. Does he want to be served meat everyday?” She commented dryly. Shahsahib said: “I will go and find out.” Investigate first. It is not correct to cast aspersions on anybody without first investigating and finding out the facts.
Shahsahib went to enquire, “My lad, you did not eat the dhal. Are you on some kind of diet? You ate the roti but not the dhal.”
“Hadhrat my heart did not desire it.”
“No, no, I insist tell me the real reason.”
“Hadhrat, the fact is that I detected that some sour mangoes had been added to the dhal, that is why I did not eat it.”
At this point, it must be explained that, mostly, the sale of mango crop in those days was the same as is present these days in many areas. The farmer sells the fruit crop before the appearance of the mangoes on the tree. Selling an unknown item is an illegal transaction – bei-batil.
Do you see his insight and taqwa? Yet, he had only gone to study! That was a wondrous age.
Shahsahib was wonder struck: “My thoughts did not even focus on this aspect!” He went inside and told his wife: “Allah Ta’ala has sent a malak to us for our islah!”
It does happen, at times, that certain matters have such fine points that these details escape the attention of many a learned person. When a junior points out something which is correct and haqq, it beholds the seniors to take note and accept. This is the attitude adopted by our akabir. Shahsahib had no hesitation in accepting the correct observation and attitude of the student. He said: “No mangoes are to be bought from the bazar in future until it has not been ascertained from which orchard they came – whether they came from an orchard where the fruit has been sold after the appearance of the crop or before its appearance.”
That age of the talibul-`ilm was such then – and nowadays it is such that using ta`wil (re-interpretation) many matters are made ja`iz.
This qissah also emphasises, once again, the importance of ilm, the great need for ilm and the Madaris. `Ilm is the foundation of all our deeds. There can be no amal without `ilm and any amal without `ilm is not qabul – that deed is not accepted.
