Bestowed with a title from the beloved Prophet صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم

The Imam رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه authored an excellent book named JamꜤ al-JawāmiꜤ, in which he compiled the blessed Aḥādīth of the Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم . Imam al-Suyūṭī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه narrates:

Once, I was blessed with the vision of the beloved Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  in a dream. I mentioned my book, JamꜤ al-JawāmiꜤ, and humbly asked: “O Messenger of Allah  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم ! May I recite a portion of this book to you?”

The beloved Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم  replied: “Recite, O Shaykh al-Hadith!”

The beloved Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم   addressing me as Shaykh al-Hadith is a glad tiding that, in my view, is greater than the world and everything within it.^[1]

The excellence of studying Aḥādīth

سُـبْحٰـنَ الـلّٰــه! What an exalted rank Imam al-Suyūṭī  رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه  was granted. May Allah Almighty also grant us the ability to read, write, understand, and memorise Aḥādīth. Aḥādīth are the words of the beloved Prophet  صَلَّى الـلّٰـهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم , each word being an ocean of knowledge and wisdom, a light, and guidance for all humanity until the Day of Judgement.

Unfortunately, the desire to study Aḥādīth is diminishing. The Muslims of earlier generations had great love for Aḥādīth. If those noble people heard that somewhere there was a person who knew even one Hadith, they would leave their homes, suspend their businesses, and travel thousands of kilometres just to hear and study that one Hadith.

Sayyidunā Zakariyā bin ꜤAddī رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه narrates:

After the passing of Sayyidunā ꜤAbdullāh b. Mubārak  رَحْمَةُ الـلّٰـهِ عَـلَيْه , I saw him in a dream and asked: “What did Allah Almighty do with you?”