people; many great rulers and senior officers kiss the hands of Islamic scholars, work for them and consider it a privilege to serve them devotedly.

King who would respect knowledge

It has been narrated that once caliph Haroon Rasheed invited Abu Mu’awiyah ‘Azeez رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه who was blind. When a Lota for washing hands and the pot from which hands and mouth are washed were brought at the time of having a meal, caliph Haroon Rasheed gave the pot to the servant and washed the hands of Abu Mu’awiyah ‘Azeez رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه himself after taking the Lota in his hand and said: Do you know who is pouring water onto your hands? He replied: No. The king humbly said: Haroon. (So making Du’a for him Abu Mu’awiyah رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه) said: May Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ respect you the way you have respected knowledge. Haroon Rasheed said: I did all this in order to obtain this Du’a. (Malfuzaat A’la Hadrat, pp. 145; summarized)

Imam-e-A’zam’s intelligence and wisdom

Similarly, it has been narrated about Sayyiduna Qadi Abu Yusuf Ya’qoob Bin Ibraheem رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه that he became an orphan in his childhood; his mother made him work with a washer-man so that she could run the home. Once he went to the gathering of Imam-e-A’zam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه and liked so much the things which were being mentioned in the gathering that he started sitting in that gathering instead of working with the washer-man.

When her mother knew she took him to the washer-man. When the matter got further severe, his mother said to Imam-e-A’zam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه: There is no one to bring this child up. I send him to the washer-man so that he can earn something, but you have spoilt him. Sayyiduna Imam-e-A’zam رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: O the fortunate! Let him gain knowledge. The day is not far when he will be eating the halvah of almonds and pure ghee and nice Faloodah. Having heard this the mother of Imam Abu Yusuf got very displeased and said: (Are you making fun of us) how can poor people like us eat the halvah of almonds and pure ghee?

Imam Abu Yusuf رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه continued to gain Islamic knowledge with steadfastness and the time came when the post of Qada (chief justice) was