The great Imam of the science of Hadith, Imam al-Nawawi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه once presented himself in the court of a great muhaddith in Damascus and began seeking Ahadith from him.  This muhaddith would teach with his face veiled. Imam Nawawi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه studied with him for some time. One day, he removed the veil from his face before Imam Nawawi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه whereupon he saw that his face was like that of a donkey.

This muhaddith, advising Imam al-Nawawi رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه said, “I read the hadith mentioning ‘Whoever raises his head before the imam, does he not fear that Allah Almighty may turn his head into that of a donkey?’”^[1] The muhaddith then mentioned, “My intellect could not fathom this hadith, so I deliberately went ahead of the imam in prayer (i.e. raised my head before the imam in ruku’ and sajdah); thus, my face was transformed the way that you see it.”^[2]

May Allah Almighty grant us complete iman; a passion for reading, listening to, learning, and understanding the Ahadith; and may He grant us the ability in having complete certainty in the Ahadith.

اٰمِیْن بِجَاہِ النَّبِیِّ الْاَمِیْن صلَّی اللہ علیہ واٰلہٖ وسلَّم   

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب         صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Encouragement for pious deed number 12

Dear Islamic brothers, in order to attain the blessings of A’la Hazrat  رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه , seek Islamic knowledge and gain a passion for righteous actions, associate yourself with the religious environment of the movement of the prophetic devotees: Dawat e Islami.  Participate in the 12 religious activities wholeheartedly, complete the Pious Deeds