religious and worldly benefits of knowledge, its excellences and blessings and interesting accounts and parables.

The worldly benefits of the knowledge of Deen

Sayyiduna Qadi Abu Yusuf Ya’qoob Bin Ibraheem رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه reported about himself: Before I became an adult (Islamically), my father had passed away. We were poverty-stricken. My mother used to make thread out of either cotton or silk to make ends meet. With the hope of seeing a bright future for me, she got me a job at a laundry service so that I could be skilled and spend a life of financial ease. But I would remain sad and restless in that job. The restlessness was the reason that I reached the gathering of Sayyiduna Imam-e-A’zam Abu Hanifah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه. Instead of going to work, I would attend the sessions held by Imam-e-A’zam رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه. Whenever my mother would come to know, she would collect me from the gathering and drop me at my workplace. Thus, a long time passed in the same way.

When my mother became disturbed, she met Sayyiduna Imam-e-A’zam Abu Hanifah رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه and said, ‘Doesn’t this child find any other teacher than you? He is a poor orphan. I make thread out of cotton or silk to run my home. But this boy comes to you instead of going to his workplace. I earnestly wish that he learns the work while at the launderer’s workplace so that he would have no financial troubles in his life. But I am unable to control him. Instead, he comes to attend your gathering. I beg you not to allow him in your company.’ Having listened to my mother, Sayyiduna Imam A’zam رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه said to her, ‘O fortunate lady! Let him gain the wealth of knowledge. If he acquires knowledge, he will enjoy eating Halwah (a sweet dish) made with pure Ghee and almonds as well as Faloodah dessert. Only a few are blessed to eat such a dish.’

Having listened to this statement of the Imam, my mother became displeased and came out. Then she said, ‘What is this man talking about? How can we poor people afford to eat Halwah made with