Shaykh Zayn Ad-Din Al-Dimashki رحمۃ اللہ علیہ was a prominent jurist of the Hanbali school and a religious preacher . He settled in Egypt. He narrates his life changing episode,
🌺 بسم اللہ الرحمن الرحیم 🌺
Shaykh Zayn Ad-Din Al-Dimashki رحمۃ اللہ علیہ was a prominent jurist of the Hanbali school and a religious preacher . He settled in Egypt. He narrates his life changing episode,
“I once performed the Hajj , and my travels brought me to Baghdad, along with the companion of mine. We had never been in that city before , and we knew not one of his inhabitants. We had nothing of value with us except for a carving knife, so we told it for a tiny Coin [tassuj], which we than used to purchase some rice. We ate the rice, though it did not taste good to us , as it failed to satisfy our hunger.”
“Then we came to the place where Shaykh Abd Al-Qaadir Al-jilaani رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ was holding his regular session . As soon as we entered , he interrupted his speech, and said:
‘Some needy strangers, far from their homeland , have just arrived from Hijaz. They brought nothing of value with them but a carving knife , which they sold for a mere tassuj, and then spent these money on Rice. They ate the rice, though it did not taste good to them, and it failed to satisfy their hunger.”
We marvelled at the Shaykh in extreme astonishment , and then, when he had completed his sermon , he issued the order for a table-mat to be spread. I asked my companion in a whisper: ‘What do you fancy eating.?’
and he replied: ‘Barley broth with meat of the pheasant.’ I said to myself: ‘What I fancy is the slice of honeycomb.’
At that very moment , the Shaykh رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ told the servant : “Fetch us some barley broth with pheasant meat, as well as a slice of honeycomb, and be quick about it.”
The servant went and brought the two dishes, and the Shaykh رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ said: ‘Set them down in front of those two men’ pointing toward the pair of us, so he set the barley broth in front of me and honeycomb in front of my companion.
The Shaykh رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ said: ‘Switch them around then you will get it right!’
” I simply could not restrain myself from uttering a shriek of surprise. I jumped up, clambered over the necks of the people where they sat, and rushed toward the noble Shaykh رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ .
He said to me: ‘Welcome, O the preacher of the Egyptian regions!’
To this I responded by saying: ‘O my Master رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ , how can that greeting apply to me , when I have hardly mastered the recitation of Al-Fatiha ?’ He said :
“All I can say is that I have been commanded to address you with those very words.”
“I thereupon became his dedicated student , taking lessons from him in religious knowledge. In the course of the single year , Allah endowed me with more learning than anyone could be expected to acquire in twenty years of study . I began my preaching career in Baghdad , but than I asked the Shaykh رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ for permission to undertake the journey of Egypt. He advised:
“You must first go to Damascus . There you will find the Oghuz Turks preparing for the invasion of Egypt , which they intent to subject their rule. You must therefore say to them:
“You cannot achieve you purpose in Egypt at this time. You had better pull back for now, and return there at a later date , for only then will you gain control of that country.”
“When I arrived in Damascus, I found the situation exactly as the Shaykh رضی اللہ تعالیٰ عنہ had described to me. I told the Oghuz what he had told me to convey to them , but they were not inclined to accept my advice . I went from Damascus to Egypt , where I found the caliph preparing to meet the invaders in battle . I said to him: ‘You have nothing to fear! They will turn back in defeat and you will march home victorious.’
When the Oghuz did arrive in Egypt , their forces were quickly broken up and scattered. The caliph chose me for a boon companion, and he made me privy to all his secrets . Then the Oghuz came a second time , and they succeeded in conquering Egypt . The new rulers treated me with enormous Respect, because of what I have told them in Damascus. From the two regimes, I collected 100000 dinars, plus another 50 000, and all on account of a single statement from Shaykh Muhiyud-Deen Abd Al-Qaadir . May Allah be well pleased with him, and may He be well pleased with us, for his sake!”
اگر سلطنت کی ہوس ہو فقیروں
کہو شیٔا اللہ یا غوث اعظم
“If you aspire to attain the sultanate , O paupers,
Then proclaim ‘By the will of Allah _ O Ghawth e A’zam!”
