He continued by saying, ‘I was also a student of knowledge, so Allah blessed me with an elevated status to the extent that there were only two levels between the final Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  and myself. One level was that of the Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم and all other Prophets عَـلَـيْهِمُ السَّلَام, and the second was of the Companions عَـلَيْهِمُ الرِّضْوَانْ and those who believed in previous Prophets. The station after this is reserved for scholars and students of knowledge.’

He further mentioned the favours of Allah by saying, ‘When I reached the station of the level of the scholars, they welcomed me wholeheartedly. Then Allah gave us glad tidings and said, “O group of scholars! This is My Paradise which I have granted to you. This is My pleasure, and I am pleased with you. I will grant you whatever you desire, and I will accept your intercession on behalf of whomever you intercede for.”’”

After writing this amazing incident, the scholar Ibn Baṭṭāl رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَلَيْه said, “All these virtues are only for those who acquire knowledge of Islam for the sake of Allah and also act upon what they know.”^[1]

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                 صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

O Allah! Grant us love of knowledge! 

O devotees of Allah’s Messenger! Look at the immense blessings given to the fortunate individuals who leave their homes to study Islamic knowledge and sincerely devote themselves to this endeavour. May Allah allow us to emulate the pious!

Contemplate how fortunate this young man was. He left his home as well as his parents, travelled from Syria to Madinah to gain Islamic knowledge and died as a student of knowledge; what was his reward?