Seeking the knowledge of religion (Ilm-e-Deen) is obligatory upon every Muslim, whether it be a man or a woman; however, generally, a lack of religious knowledge and a lack of desire to seek it is found among women. Look at the female companions (Sahabiyaat) and their female successors (Tabi'aat)—to what extent did they possess the quest and yearning for religious knowledge? It is mentioned in the Hadith itself that the female companions requested the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) that men had overcome them (regarding religion)—meaning men got more opportunities to listen to religious discourses and acquire knowledge—therefore, "Please appoint a day for us (in which you may teach us matters of religion)." Consequently, he promised them a day (and appointed a specific day). This Hadith clearly reveals the taste and passion of the Sahabiyaat regarding religious knowledge. On one occasion, Hazrat Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) praised the women of the Ansar, stating: "The best of women are the women of the Ansar, whom modesty and shyness did not prevent from gaining deep understanding (Tafaqquh) and comprehension of religion."

See, Hazrat Aisha praised the Ansari Sahabiyaat by saying that despite their modesty and shyness, they used to acquire religious knowledge; hence, they are the best of women. Accordingly, women investigated and asked about many rulings from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and he answered them. Among all the female companions, Hazrat Aisha narrated the highest number of Ahadith. The number of Ahadith narrated by her is two thousand two hundred and ten (2,210). In terms of the abundance of narrations among all the companions (Sahaba), her rank is sixth. Ibn Hajar (may Allah have mercy on him) wrote that even the illustrious personalities among the Sahaba used to ask Hazrat Aisha about complex and difficult matters.

Hazrat Aisha's nephew, Hazrat Urwah, stated: "I have never seen anyone more knowledgeable in jurisprudence (Fiqh), medicine (Tibb), and poetry than Hazrat Aisha." Hazrat Imam Zuhri (may Allah have mercy on him) states: "If the knowledge of all the female companions were placed on one side and the knowledge of Hazrat Aisha on the other, the knowledge of Hazrat Aisha would outweigh them all." Hazrat Aisha has been mentioned here merely as an example; otherwise, the pattern of the lives of the Sahabiyaat and Tabi'aat presented in history is a clear proof that all of them remained engrossed in the quest and pursuit of religious knowledge, and this very pursuit elevated them to the highest echelons of knowledge.

ارے بھائی!

اگر آپ ہزاروں کتابیں، نعتیں، تصاویر، ویڈیوز، اخبار، مضامین، قبلہ نما، اوقات نماز، اسلامک گھڑی اور بہت کچھ آسانی کے ساتھ حاصل کرنا چاہتے ہیں تو بس ہمارے Islamic Tube ایپ کو پلے سٹور سے انسٹال کرو، اور بالکل مفت اور آسانی کے ساتھ اسلامک مواد حاصل کرو

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The Allegory of Sultan Mahmud and the Thieves: A Lesson in Divine Recognition

The Allegory of Sultan Mahmud and the Thieves: A Lesson in Divine Recognition

Maulana Rumi has narrated a remarkable, allegorical, and deeply lesson-filled incident of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi. During the reign of Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi, thieves had grown quite powerful, causing great distress to the King. To apprehend them, the Sultan devised an ingenious plan: he took off his royal attire, put on tattered clothes like a thief, and began patrolling the city. At one place, he spotted a group of thieves sitting together and conversing. The King went and sat among them. The thieves asked, "Who are you?" The King replied, "I am just like you." Believing him to be a fellow thief, they said, "Tell us your skill. If you possess a unique talent, we will include you in our gang; otherwise, no." The King said, "First, all of you state your talents, and then I shall reveal mine." The first thief said, "I can scale the highest of walls to enter any house, even if it is the King's fortress." The second said, "The specialty of my nose is that I can smell the soil of any place and tell whether a treasure is hidden there or not." The third thief said, "My arms possess such strength that I can dig a hole or tunnel into any house to break in." The fourth thief said, "I am an expert accountant, a Ph.D. holder; no matter how vast the treasure is, I can calculate and distribute it within moments." The fifth thief said, "My ears have the unique ability to understand the barking of a dog and interpret what it is saying." The sixth thief said, "My eyes possess the trait that whatever I see at night, I can easily recognize it during the day." Now the King spoke, "My beard possesses the quality that when criminals are handed over to the executioner to be hanged, if my beard moves at that moment, the criminals are saved from the noose." Since he was the King, he described his authority and perfection in a subtle and clever manner. Hearing this, all the thieves were delighted and said, "You are the supreme leader (Qutb) of thieves! Whenever we fall into trouble, we can find deliverance through you." They all consulted and decided to rob the King's palace that very night, reasoning that today they had the man with the magical beard to rescue them from calamity. Thus, they all marched toward the King's palace. On the way, a dog barked. The one who understood dog language said, "The dog is saying that the King himself is with you!" However, the thieves did not back down from their intent, broke into the palace, and looted the treasure. They then retreated to the forest, where the expert accountant calculated and distributed the loot among everyone within minutes. The King said, "Everyone, write down your addresses so that if we want to rob again in the future, we can gather easily." All addresses were noted, and everyone went their separate ways. The next day, the King held court and ordered the police to arrest them all. When all the thieves were presented in chains, the King sentenced them to death by hanging, stating that no witnesses were required in this case because the Sultan himself was present there. (As a side note, similarly on the Day of Judgment, Allah will not require any witnesses because: "And He is with you wherever you are." If you are two, the third is Allah; if you are four, the fifth is Allah. When you commit sins, Allah sees everything and needs no witness. Despite this, to complete the proof against His servants on the Day of Judgment, the testimony of hands, feet, angels, and the scroll of deeds will be presented.) In short, when all six thieves stood upon the gallows, the sixth thief—the one who possessed the trait of night vision—recognized the King as the very person who was with them the previous night. He cried out from the gallows, "Your Majesty! Grant us amnesty for a few moments and allow me a private audience." The King agreed, suspended the execution temporarily, and called him forward. The thief presented himself and pleaded, "Each one of us displayed his unique talent, but the skills we were proud of only escalated our misfortune, bringing us to the gallows today. O King! I have recognized you. You promised that when criminals are brought to the gallows, if your beard moves, they find salvation. Therefore, manifest your skill today so that our lives may be saved." Sultan Mahmud replied, "Your worldly skills brought you under the grasp of my wrath, but because of this single individual who recognizes the Sultan, you are all released in honor of his Sultan-recognizing eye (Chashm-e-Sultan Shinas)." By narrating this extraordinary story, Maulana Rumi explains that in this world, every person prides themselves on their worldly skills. Great experts are intoxicated by their worldly talents and remain heedless of God. But tomorrow on the Day of Judgment, these worldly skills will be of no use; rather, they might become the cause of divine wrath and punishment. On the contrary, those who recognized their true King, Allah Almighty, in the darkness of this world and cultivated His gnosis (Marifat) in their hearts will achieve salvation themselves and their intercession on behalf of sinners will be accepted. Remember, if a person learns the art of recognizing Allah in the darkness of this world, then learning other worldly skills is not harmful, because no skill can make them heedless of Allah. Becoming a doctor or an engineer is not forbidden, provided you do not become unmindful of Allah. This parable teaches us that only the eye that recognizes the King proved useful, while all other skills led to the gallows. Similarly, all worldly affairs conducted while being heedless of Allah ultimately lead man to ruin. But when a person attains the light of Allah's recognition and becomes conscious of Him instead of being heedless, he saves himself and becomes a source of salvation for others. Therefore, the greatest attainment of all is the recognition (Marifat) of Allah. _____________________________________ Source: Hikayaat-e-Masnavi / Islamic Tube App