Download PDF: Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi & His Favorite Disciple (Story with Sunnah Morale)

Hazrat Junaid Baghdadi – may Allah be pleased with him – was a very great saint and had many students and disciples.  He used to pay special attention to one of them and the other students did not like it.  Once, they complained to him that he is also a student like them then what’s the reason that he gets special attention?

“He is on a greater intellectual station of Ma’rifah (Spiritual knowledge of Allah) than you and that is why I love him more, and I will take his exam one day for your satisfaction” He replied.

After a few days, he gathered his students and gave each of them a chicken and a knife and said to them, “Go and slaughter it in a place where there is no one watching you.”

All of them went and slaughtered their chickens where there was no one watching them do it but his favorite disciple brought the chicken back alive.  He asked him, “Why did you not slaughter your chicken?”

He replied, “I could not find a place where there was no one watching me.  I found Allah where ever I went, therefore I helplessly brought it back alive.”

After listening to what he said, Hazrat told the other disciples, “The wisdom and insight he has, none of you have it.  This what I like about him.”

 

Moral:

The Holy prophet – peace be upon him – has beautifully explained in His Blessed Hadeeth:

اَنْزِلُوْا النَّاسَ عَلٰی قَدْرِ عُقُوْلِھِمْ

“When dealing with people, treat them according to their level of intellect.”

(Al-Maqaasid Al-Hasanah Vol. 1, p. 52)