. J i ? . .r--J i ? (cont.)

Hence, he decided to have him removed from Damascus. Al-Nawawi said that he would listen and obeyperhaps realizing that such would cause less harm and civil strife then remaining in Damascus and opposing the ruler. Hence, he left Damascus and went to his hometown ofNawa.4 1 Recorded by Muslim. 2 The complete wording of the letter may be found in ibn al-Attaar, pp. 108-1 14; al-Suyooti, al­ Minhaaj, pp. 71-74; al-Haddaad, pp. 1 1 1-1 13; Salmaan, al-Rudood, pp. 310-3 13; al-Diqr, pp. 146-1 49. 3 See al-Diqr, p. 144. 4 Al-Diqr, p. 145. The Life of Imam al-Nawawi Al-Nawawi, the Ruler and the Masses Once Again Sultan al-Dhaahir Baibars understood the dangers of the Mongols close by. Hence, he decided to do what he could to defeat them and drive them further out of the lands of the Muslims. He asked for afatwa from the scholars that would allow him to take money from the citizenry in order to use it in his battles against the Mongols. The scholars of al-Shaam wrote such a fatwa for him. He asked if any scholar refused to write such a letter and he was told that only al-Nawawi refused. Al-Dhaahir Baibars had al-Nawawi brought to him and he asked him personally to sign with the other scholars. However, al­ Nawawi refused. The Sultan asked him why. He answered, I know that you used to be a slave of the Ameer Banduqaar and you did not have any wealth. Then Allah bestowed His bounty upon you and you became the ruler. I have heard that you have one thousand male slaves and each one of them as a girth [by which the horse's saddle is tied] of gold. And you have two hundred slave girls and each of them has a portion of gold jewelry. If you spend all of that and you leave your slaves with straps and dyes instead of the gold girths, and you leave the slave girls with their clothing and no jewelry, then I will give you afatwa that you can take wealth from the citizenry.1 Here, once again, it is narrated that the Sultan got upset with him and had him banished from Damascus. He then left to Nawa. Perhaps, there was more than one event that led to the Sultan's actual decision to ban al-Nawawi from Damascus, Allah knows best. After he left to Nawa, the scholars said that he was one of their leading scholars and workers. He is someone whose example is to be followed. Hence, they went to try to bring him back to Damascus. However, he refused. He said that he would not enter Damascus if al-Dhaahir was still there. After a few months, Sultan al-Dhaahir Baibars died.2 Al-Jaami' commented on this incident by stating that one should note how the Sultan was not willing to take any action until he received the fatwa of the scholars on that matter. Even though the Sultan wanted that wealth for a noble purpose, al-Nawawi refused as he saw it as taking wealth through improper means.3 Pious intentions do not make illegal means permissible. Finally, al-Jaami stated that one should note how the rest of the scholars reacted. They did not remain silent at what had happened to their fellow scholar and leader. Instead, they got together and tried to bring al1 See Abdul Rahmaan al-Jaami, Ulama'una wa Duatuna: Mawaaqif Batoola wa Shujaah ిRiyadh: Daar al-Watn, 141 1 A.H,), p. 37. Ibid., p. 38. 3 Ibid., p. 38. Commentary on the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi Nawawi back to Damascus, showing him that they would support him upon his return. This is the behavior that scholars should exhibit towards one another.1 As shall be seen in the next example, al-Nawawi had already set the example for them. He is the one who came to their defense when the ruler tried to wrong them. Al-Nawawi, the Ruler and the Scholars On one occasion, the ruler decreed that a jurist could only teach at one school at a time. This caused great hardship upon the scholars as many of the schools did not offer sufficient salaries for them to live. Hence, they had to teach in different schools to make ends meet. Al-Nawawi knew the importance of the scholars and knew the importance of standing up on their behalf. Hence, he did not remain silent on this issue but he once again wrote the ruler to correct him on this policy that he had enacted. This shows that al-Nawawi involved himself in social issues that were not directly related to texts of the Quran and sunnah. No one can claim that this decree was not a right of the ruler if he felt that there was some benefit or need for it. However, al-Nawawi realized that such a ruling was not in the best interests of the people or, in particular, of the scholars who are so important to society. Hence, he stepped in and did his best to change the way of the ruler.