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Whoever Allah
wishes to guide, He opens his heart to Islam.
(Al-Qur'an, 6:125)
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Three Questions Story #1
Three Questions Story #2
Three
Questions Story #1
Many
years ago, during the time of the Tabi'in (the generation of Muslims
after the Sahabah), Baghdad was a great city of Islam. In fact, it was the
capital of the Islamic Empire and, because of the great number of scholars
who lived there, it was the centre of Islamic knowledge.
One day, the ruler of Rome at the time sent an envoy to Baghdad with three
challenges for the Muslims. When the messenger reached the city, he
informed the khalifah that he had three questions which he challenged the
Muslims to answer. The khalifah gathered together all the scholars of the
city and the Roman messenger climbed upon a high platform and said, "I
have come with three questions. If you answer them, then I will leave with
you a great amount of wealth which I have brought from the king of Rome."
As for the questions, they were: "What was there before Allah?" "In which
direction does Allah face?" "What is Allah doing in at this moment?"
The great assembly of people were silent. In the midst of these brilliant
scholars and students of Islam was a man looking on with his young son. "O
my dear father! I will answer him and silence him!" said the youth. So the
boy sought the permission of the khalifah to give the answers and he was
given the permission to do so. The Roman addressed the young Muslim and
repeated his first question, "What was there before Allah?" The boy
asked, "Do you know how to count?" "Yes," said the man. "Then count down
from ten!" So the Roman counted down, "ten, nine, eight..." until he
reached "one" and he stopped counting "But what comes before 'one'?" asked
the boy. "There is nothing before one- that is it!" said the man. "Well
then, if there obviously is nothing before the arithmetic 'one', then how
do you expect that there should be anything before the 'One' who is
Absolute Truth, All-Eternal, Everlasting the First, the Last, the
Manifest, the Hidden?"
Now the man was surprised by this direct answer which he could not
dispute. So he asked, "In which direction is Allah facing?" "Bring
a candle and light it," said the boy, "and tell me in which direction the
flame is facing." "But the flame is just light- it spreads in each of the
four directions, North, South, East and West. It does not face any one
direction only," said the man in wonderment. The boy cried, "Then if this
physical light spreads in all four directions such that you cannot tell me
which way it faces, then what do you expect of the
Nur-us-Samawati-wal-'Ard: Allah - the Light of the Heavens and the Earth!?
Light upon Light, Allah faces all directions at all times."
The Roman was confused and astounded that here was a young child answering
his challenges in such a way that he could not argue against the proofs.
So, he desperately wanted to try his final question. But before doing so,
the boy said, "Wait! You are the one who is asking the questions and I am
the one who is giving the answer to these challenges. It is only fair that
you should come down to where I am standing and that I should go up where
you are right now, in order that the answers may be heard as clearly as
the questions."
This seemed reasonable to the Roman, so he came down from where he was
standing and the boy ascended the platform. Then the man repeated his
final challenge, "What is Allah doing at this moment?" The boy
proudly answered, "At this moment, when Allah found upon this high
platform a liar and mocker of Islam, He caused him to descend and brought
him low. And as for the one who believed in the Oneness of Allah, He
raised him up and established the Truth Every day He exercises (universal)
power (Surah 55 ar-Rahman, Verse 29)." The Roman had nothing to say except
to leave and return back to his country, defeated. Meanwhile, this young
boy grew up to become one of the most famous scholars of Islam. Allah, the
Exalted, blessed him with special wisdom and knowledge of the deen.
His name was Imam Abu Hanifah (Allah have mercy on him) and he is
known today as Imām-e-A'zam, the Great Imam and scholar of Islam. May
Allah shower some of His Mercy in the same way upon our Muslim children
who are growing up today Ameen.
Three Questions Story #2
There was a young man who went overseas to study for quite a long time.
When he returned, he asked his parents to find him a religious scholar or
any expert who could answer his 3 questions. His parents brought many
scholars but no one was able to answer the questions. Finally, his parents
were able to find a Muslim scholar. The young man started...
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Young man:
Who are you? Can you answer my questions?
Scholar: I am one of Allah's slaves and insha-Allah (God willing),
I will be able to answer your questions.
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Young man:
Are you sure? A lot of Professors and experts were not able to answer my
questions.
Scholar: I will try my best, with the help of Allah.
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Young Man:
I have 3 questions:
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Does God
exist? If so, show me His shape.
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What is takdir
(fate)?
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If shaitan
(Devil) was created from the fire, why at the end he will be thrown to
hell that also created from fire. It certainly will not hurt him at all,
since Shaitan (Devil) and the hell were created from fire. Did God not
think of it this far?
Scholar:
Suddenly, the Scholar slapped the young man's face very hard.
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Young Man:
(feeling pain): Why do you get angry at me?
Scholar: I am not angry. The slap is my answer to your three
questions.
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Young Man:
I really don't understand.
Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?
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Young Man:
Of course, I felt the pain.
Scholar: So do you believe that pain exists?
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Young Man:
Yes
Scholar: Show me the shape of the pain!
Young Man: I cannot.
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Scholar:
Here are my three answers.
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All of us feel
God's existence without being able to see His shape.
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Scholar:
Last night, did you dream that you will be slapped by me?
Young Man: No
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Scholar:
Did you ever think that you will get a slap from me, today?
Young Man: No.
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Scholar:
That is takdir (fate).
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Scholar:
My hand that I used to slap you, what is it created from?
Young Man: It is created from skin.
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Scholar:
How about your face, what is it created from?
Young Man: Skin.
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Scholar:
How do you feel after I slapped you?
Young Man: In pain.
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Scholar:
Even though Shaitan (Devil) and also the hell were created from the fire,
if Allah wants, insha-Allah (God willing), the hell will become a very
painful place for Shaitan (Devil).
(Adopted)
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