provides peace as well as satisfaction. ‘Ilm is relished by its possessor and it also provides tranquillity. Therefore, wise is the one who engages in acquiring ‘Ilm-e-Deen and gathers provisions for salvation in the Hereafter.

Dear Islamic brothers! Alas! The value of ‘ilm-e-Deen is dying in our hearts. Majority of our society is neither inclined towards acquiring ‘ilm-e-Deen themselves and nor do they teach it to their children either. They do provide their children with worldly education and skills for a bright future but do not think about bettering their own and their children’s Hereafter by providing them with religious education.

If the child is intelligent, then one yearns to make him a doctor, engineer, professor, computer programmer, etc.; and if the child is not intelligent, naughty or handicapped, then he is enrolled into a Dar-ul-‘Uloom, Jami’ah or Madrasah in order to get rid of him. Whereas, our righteous predecessors رَحِمَهُمُ الـلّٰـهُ تَـعَالٰی would teach their children ‘ilm-e-Deen from a young age to the extent that even majestic kings would also adorn their children with the treasure of knowledge because they used to value ‘Ilm and ‘Ulama. 

Caliph Haroon Rasheed was a very pious king who knew the value of knowledge. Once, he requested Sayyiduna Imam Kisa’ee رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه to teach (his son) Mamoon Rasheed. Upon this, he رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: ‘I will not come there to teach him. Send the prince over to my house.’        

Haroon Rasheed humbly said: ‘He will come there at your house. But please teach him first.’ He رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه said: ‘This will not happen either. The one who comes first will be taught first.’

Anyhow, Mamoon Rasheed started to learn from him. One day, by chance, Caliph Haroon Rasheed passed by there and saw that Imam Kisa’ee رَحْمَةُ اللهِ تَعَالٰی عَلَيْه is washing his feet and his son, Mamoon Rasheed, is pouring water over his feet. The king furiously came down of his horse and whipped his son, Mamoon Rasheed, saying: ‘O unmannered son! Why has Allah Almighty given you two hands? Pour water over his foot with one hand and wash his foot with the other one.’ (Malfuzaat-e-A’la Hadrat, pp. 144, summarised)

صَلَّى اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰى عَلٰى مُحَمَّد                      صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب