How the donkey of a scholar slips into mud

The great scholar Abdullah Ibn al-Mubarak used to rebuke the scholars who were found at the doors of the Rulers as more often than not, who sold their religion and their knowledge for mere temporary gain, honor or praise. He would also see it to be unbefitting when a scholar accepted a position of authority from the Rulers as this could also lead to the scholar's downfall and demise in this world. One example of this is when it was said to Ibn al-Mubarak, that 'Isma'il ibn ‘Aliya has been made a Judge.' So Ibn al-Mubarak wrote to him the following lines of poetry: 

يا جاعل العلم له بازيا *** يصطاد أموال المساآين

O you who made his knowledge to be a falcon

With which he seizes the wealth of the poor!

احتلت للدنيا ولذاتها *** بحيلة تذهب بالدين

You have taken on the world and its delights

With a scheme that does away with religion!

فصرت مجنونا بها بعدما *** آنت دواء للمجانين

And so you have become a mad one

After having being a cure for the mad ones

أين رواياتك في سردها *** عن ابن عون وابن سيرين

Where are your recorded narrations

From Ibn 'Awn and Ibn Sireen?

أين رواياتك فيما مضى *** في ترك أبواب السلاطين

Where are your narrations in the past

About abandoning the doors of the Rulers?

إن قلت أآرهت فما هكذا *** زل حمار الشيخ في الطين

If you say that you've been forced (into judgment)

Then that's not how the donkey of a scholar slips into mud

Source: The biography of Abdullah Ibn al-Mubarak compiled by Farhiya Yahya

The silent charity

Muhammad bin ‘Isa related that a young man would often go to Abdullah bin Mubarak; he studied under him, carried out certain errands for him, and would listen to him relate Hadith narrations. One day, Abdullah went to the city where the young man was living, and when he didn’t find him he asked after him. He was told that the young man was imprisoned for a loan that he could not repay. Abdullah said, “And how much does he owe?” He was told that the young man owed 10000 dirhams. Abdullah searched out the creditor, and when he found him, he gave him 10000 dirhams, but he made the man take an oath that he wouldn’t inform anyone as long as he (i.e. Abdullah) was alive that he gave him the money.

When the young man was released from prison, it was said to him, “Abdullah bin Mubarak was here and was asking after you, but he has already left.” The young man hurried off in search for him and when he found him, Abdullah asked, “Young man, where were you? I could not find you.” He said, “Yes, I was imprisoned because of a debt that I could not pay.” He said, “Then how were you released?” He said, “A man came and paid my debt for me, yet I do not know who he is.” Abdullah said, “Young man, praise Allah for the blessing of having your debt repaid.” And the creditor never informed anyone of what really happened until after Abdullah died.

It has been related that Abu Jafar Ak-Hadhdha said, “I heard Ibn Uyainah say: If your inner reality is the same as your outward appearance and deeds, that that is uprightness; if your inner reality is better than your outward appearance, then that is superiority; and if your outward appearance is better than your inner reality, then that is wrongdoing.”

Source: Gems and Jewels Compiled by: Abdul-Malik Mujahid

Ibn al-Mubarak's letter to Fudayl ibn Iyad (Ya 'Abid Al Haramayn)

It is reported that when in Tarsus, Ibn al-Mubarak wrote a letter to his friend al-Fudayl ibn 'Iyadh (who was known for his worship in Makkah and Madinah), encouraging him to partake in Jihad and not to be satisfied with simply worshiping Allah in the mosques. Ibn Abi Sukaynah said, 'In Tarsus in the year 177 AH, Ibn al-Mubarak gave me a letter with the following verses. I bid farewell to him and went to deliver it to al-Fudhayl ibn 'Iyadh:

O Worshipper of the Two Holy Masjids

يا عابد الحرمين لو ابصرتنا

لعلمت انك في العبادة تلعب

من كان يخضب خده بدموعه

فنحورنا بدمائنا تتخضب

أو كان يتعب خيله في باطل

فخيولنا يوم الصبيحة تتعب

ريح العبير لكم ونحن عبيرنا

رهج السنابك والغبار الأطيب

ولقد اتانا من مقال نبينا

قول صحيح صادق لا يكذب

لا يستوي غبار خيل الله في

أنف امرئ ودخان نار تلهب

هذا كتاب الله يحكم بيننا

ليس الشهيد بميت لا يكذب


O Worshiper of the Two Holy Masjids!
Had you witnessed us in the battlefield
You would have known that, compared to our Jihad,
Your worship is child's play.
For every tear you have shed upon your cheek,
We have shed in its place, blood upon our chests.
You are playing with your worship,
While worshipers offer your worship
Mujahideen offer their blood and person (life).
The smell of nice perfume of is for you,
And our perfume is the dust and dirt (which is more pure),
And it has reached us from the sayings of our Prophet,
The martyr is not dead,
This is a true correct saying, in which there is no lie.
The dust of the people of Allah is never equal,
To a thousand men, whilst the smoke is climbing.
This is the book of Allah between us,
The martyr is not dead - and this is no lie

Ibn Abi Sukaynah said, 'So I met al-Fudhayl in the Haram (Makkah) with the letter and when he read it, tears came to his eyes and he said, 'Indeed, Abu Abdur-Rahman (Ibn al-Mubarak) has told the truth and he has certainly advised (me).

Source: The Life of ‘Abdullah Ibn al-Mubarak The scholar of the East and the scholar of the West Compiled by Farhia Yahya Based on the book 'Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, al-Imam al-Qudwah' By Muhammad 'Uthman Jamal
To download this book click here

To listen to the audio click here

The Cobbler's Hajj

It is related that a noted Muslim scholar Abdullah bin Mubarak, had a dream while he was sleeping near the Kaaba.

Abdullah bin Mubarak saw two angels' descend from the sky, and start talking to each other.

One of the angels asked the other: "Do you know how many people have come for Hajj this year?"

The other angel replied: "Six hundred thousand have come for Hajj."

Abdullah bin Mubarak had also gone for Hajj that year.

The first angel asked: "How many people's Hajj has been accepted?"

The second replied: "I wonder if anyone's Hajj has been accepted at all."

Abdullah bin Mubarak was grieved to hear that. He thought, "So many people have come from all over the world, crossing so many obstacles like rivers, jungles, mountains, suffered so many hardships, and meeting so many expenses. Would their effort be wasted? Allah does not let anyone's effort go to waste".

He had thought only so far when he heard the other angel speak: "There is a cobbler in Damascus. His name is Ali bin al-Mufiq. He could not come for Hajj, but Allah has accepted his intention of Hajj. Not only will he get the reward for Hajj, but because of him, all the Hajjis will be rewarded.

When Abdullah bin Mubarak woke up, he decided he would go to Damascus and meet that cobbler whose Hajj intentions carried such a lot of weight.

On reaching Damascus, Abdullah bin Mubarak inquired if anyone knew a cobbler named Ali bin al-Mufiq. The town people directed him to a house. When a man appeared from the house Abdullah bin Mubarak greeted him and asked his name. The man replied "Ali bin al-Mufiq".

Abdullah bin Mubarak asked: "What do you do for a living?"

Ali replied: "I am a cobbler". Then Ali asked the stranger's name that had come looking for him.

Abdullah bin Mubarak was a very well-known scholar of Islam, when Abdullah bin Mubarak introduced him self, the cobbler was anxious to find out why such a well known scholar was seeking him out.

When Abdullah bin Mubarak asked Ali to tell him if he had made any plans to go for Hajj. Ali replied "For thirty years I have lived in the hope of performing the Hajj. This year I had saved enough to go for Hajj, but Allah did not will it, so I couldn't make my intention translate into action.

Abdullah bin Mubarak was eager to find out how could this man's Hajj be accepted and blessed for all the people who went for Hajj that year when he didn't go for Hajj in the first place. While talking to the cobbler he could feel a certain purity in his heart. Islam regards greatness not in wealth or in power, but in civility, in good manners and the goodness of heart.

Abdullah bin Mubarak further asked: "why could you not go on Hajj?". In order not to disclose the reason, Ali again replied "it was Allah's will".

When Abdullah bin Mubarak persisted, Ali revealed: "Once I went to see my neighbor's house. His family was just sitting down for dinner. Although I was not hungry I thought my neighbor would invite me to sit down for dinner out of courtesy but I could see that my neighbor was grieved about something and wanted to avoid inviting me for dinner.

After some hesitation the neighbor told me: "I am sorry I cannot invite you for food. We were without food for three days and I could not bear to see the pain of hunger of my children. I went out looking for food today and found a dead donkey. In my desperation I cut out some meat from the dead animal, and brought it home so that my wife could cook this meat. It is halal (lawful or permitted) for us because of our extreme condition of hunger, but I cannot offer it to you."

Ali continued: "On hearing this, my heart bled with tears. I got up and went home, collected the three thousand dinars I had saved for Hajj, and gave my neighbor the money. I too had to go hungry but that was to save money for Hajj, but I thought helping my neighbor during his difficult times was more important. Although I still desire to go for Hajj if Allah wills."

Abdullah bin Mubarak was greatly inspired by the cobbler's story and told the cobbler of his dream.

God is merciful and shows mercy to those who do likewise to his creatures. This act of compassion on the part of the cobbler was so pleasing to God that it not only earned him the reward of Hajj but was extended to all the people who came for Hajj.

Hajj is a journey that can ignite the soul to be reminded of the time it was created and takes it beyond the dimensions of this life to the time it will meet the creator.

The sincere performance of Hajj can transcend a person's day to day life into a spiritual awakening of the highest magnitude. A successful Hajj experience connects us to our creator and the greater compassion of humanity.

Source: www.Islamicity.com