Part 5

Then I was inspired to abandon the vanities of this world so I began constant fasting and reduced my food intake to very little. I trained myself to be patient, embarking on a continuous pursuit in order to do so and staying up at night. I didn’t feel satisfied with studying just one science” so I read jurisprudence, sermon delivery and hadith and followed those who practiced guhd (as-

“ May Allah have mercy on Ibn al-Jawzi for he was serious about his studies in both his childhood and after growing up. He dedicated himself to learning and would not allow anything of his time to be wasted. He says about himself (Said a-Khatir, 235): “During my pursuit of this quest for knowledge I would go through difficulties that, to me, were sweeter than honey due to what I was expecting to gain. When I was small I used to take some dry bread with me and go out to learn hadith. I would sit by the ‘Isa river, and as I was unable to eat the bread without washing it down with water, I took a sip after every bite. My ambition only allowed me to see the delight of learning. Due to that I became known for having heard much of the hadith of Allah’s Messenger and his conditions and ways along with the life of his companions and their followers. My dealings with the creation also elevated to a level that cannot be achieved except through knowledge. In my childhood and during the times of lust and being stranger I could have done things that the soul desires like a thirsty man does cold water, and only the fear of Allah caused by knowledge stopped me from doing them.”

*” He also said about himself (Said a/-Khatir, 37): “I am a man to whom knowl-

ceticism). After that I studied linguistics.

There was not a narrating scholar or a preacher where I lived who I didn’t sit with and whenever such a person would arrive from elsewhere I would go to him. I used to choose of virtuous deeds what suited me and if I had to choose between two things T usually chose the right of a/-Hagq (Allah). He has planned my life and cultivated me in a beautiful fashion, guiding me towards what is best for me. He has protected me from my enemies, the jealous, and those who might plot against me. He has made everything convenient for my studies of Sacred Knowledge and sent me books from unexpected places. He gave me good understanding, the ability to memorize and write quickly and a talent for authoring books.

T lacked nothing of this world. As a matter of fact, things were quite the opposite as Allah gave me more than enough. He put a great deal of acceptance of me into peoples’ hearts and made the impact of my words leave them not questioning the authenticity of what I had to say. Approximately 200 shimmis [i.e. people of the book who live in Muslim lands according to a truce contract]

edge was made dear since childhood, so I began studying. I was not drawn towards one particular science but all of them. When I studied one, J would not just learn some of it but wanted to learn it inside out.” He studied every single day of his life to such an extent that not Jong before his death he still read the Qur’an with its narrations to Ibn al-Baqillani as mentioned by al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi: “He was 80 years old and read the ten readings in Wasit to Ibn alBaqillani along with his son Yusuf.” This upbringing during which he was inspired to worship Allah by fasting and praying had a great effect on this Imam since he was a child. He says about himself (Said a/-Khatir, 78): “I was inspired to follow the path of the ascetics in the very beginning of my childhood so practiced continuous fasting and praying and staying by myself was made dear co me. | observed how my heart became good and I started to have a very deep insight into things.”

Fear Allah and He Shall Teach You

have become Muslim at my hands and over 100 000 sinners have repented in my gatherings. More than 20 000 men have announced their repentance from foolish ways during my exhortations.**

Lused to go around hadith-gatherings of different scholars and run till I was out of breath so no-one would precede me. I would start my day having nothing to eat and finish it having nothing to eat. Never did Allah degrade me to take from another person, instead He provided for me in order to protect my honor. Truth is, mentioning all my experiences would take quite a while.

And here Iam now and you can see what I have achieved. I will tell you the whole story in one single sentence, and that is Allah’s saying:

ipa sat as 4a 25 Fear Allah, and Allah shall teach you. [Sarah al-Bagarab : 282|

* His grandson Abii al-Muzfir said in (Mir‘at al-Zaman, 8/482): ‘I heard my uncle say: ‘Through the two fingers of my hands I was the greatest whip in righting wrong, 100 000 people repented in my hands and 20 000 became Muslim.” The number 20 had dropped from the print of Mirdt alZamén but the checker of Siyar al-A lam al-Nubula’, noticed it (21/370). He also said in (a/- Muntazam, 10/237): ‘I preached in al-Halba in Ramadan and 120 people announced their repentance.’ He also said in (Said al-Khafir, 41): “All my gatherings are attended by countless people who cry and regret their sins. Most times a group of people would get up to have the hair of their youth cut (which was a habit at thar time when announcing repentance). They were often as big as 50 or 100 people and some days their number exceeded 100. Most of them were youth who had grown up playing games and immersing themselves in worldly and sinful matters.’ Al-Hafiz ibn Rajab says in (Thail Tabagat al-Hanabila, 3/ 410): “We can conclude that his gathering of exhortation had no equal and noone had heard of anything similar. They were very beneficial sittings where the heedless came to remember, the ignorant came to know, the sinners repented and the polytheists became Muslim.”

Benefiting from Time and Opportunities

AKE HEED, MY SON, for your own benefit, and regret

your previous shortcomings. Work hard to attain the

company of those who have achieved perfection while you still have time. Water your tree while there is still some moisture left in it, and remember the time you have wasted for that indeed is a sufficient reminder. As time has passed, the delight of laziness has vanished and the levels of virtuous deeds have been missed. Indeed, our pious predecessors loved to enact every virtue and would cry out of missing just one.

Benefiting from Time and Opportunities

which he replied, ‘They did not become dirty in the path of Allah” Another person cried, and they asked: ‘Why are you crying?’ He answered: ‘Due to a day that passed without me fasting it and a night that passed without me standing it.”

Know, my son, that days consist of hours and hours are made of the breaths you take. Every breath is a treasure chest, so beware of letting a breath pass by with no benefit. You do not want to find an empty treasure chest on the Day of Judgment and regret. Indeed, a man once said to ‘Amir ibn ‘Abd Qais*: “Stop, I want to talk to you”, so he said to him: “Hold the sun in your hands [i.e. stop time] so I can talk to you.”

5! Ma‘raf al-Karkhi Aba Mab fiz al-Baghdadi, described by al-Hafiz al-Dhahabi as: ‘The authority of the ascetics, the blessing of our times.’ Al-Hafiz Ibn alJawzi has gathered his virtues in a book that has been printed. He passed away in 200 AH. Imam Abmad said that he is a person whose di‘dis answered. ‘Abd Allah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal said: ‘I said to my father: ‘Did Ma'raf have any knowledge?’ to which he replied: ‘My son, he had the basis of all knowledge and that is fear of Allah.” (Refer to his biogeaphy: Tabagat al-Auliya’, 280, 285, Tabagat al Sifiyya, 83-90, Tabagat al-Hanabila, 1/381, 389, Sifat al-Safva, 2/79-83, Hibyaty'LAulya’ , 8/360, 368, Siyar al-A Yam al-Nubuld’, 0/339, 345.)

people sitting with him: “Do you not wish to get up? Verily, the angel of the sun is dragging it and does not get weary [i.e. time is passing|.”

The Prophet (8) said in a hadith: “Whoever says: ‘Glory be to Allah, the Exalted, and all praise is His,’ will have a palm tree planted for him in Paradise due to that” So just think about the number of palm trees you will miss by wasting time!