Download PDF: [S] Imam Shafi’s Memory (Islamic story)

Hadrat Sayyiduna Imam Shafi – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that he travelled to Madina Shareef with the intention of joining the Hadith classes of Hadrat Sayyiduna Imam Malik – may Allah be pleased with him. When he reached the Masjid, he noticed a very elderly and pious looking person inside the Masjid who was sitting in a slightly elevated spot. He had a shawl over his head and shoulders.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Imam Shafi – may Allah be pleased with him – continues, “When I heard him reading the Ahadith, I realised that that this was the eminent Hadrat Imam Malik – may Allah be pleased with him This was the day on which he was asking his students to record the Ahadith which were being dictated by him.  I also decided to sit among them. Obviously, I had nothing to record these Ahadith on. In other words, no paper or pen. I noticed a piece of twig on the floor and decided to pick this up and write on my palms. Others were recording in their books and I was recording these Ahadith on my palm. At times, I also placed this twig on my tongue as people were normally doing with their pens.

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Imam Malik – may Allah be pleased with him – dictated one hundred twenty seven Ahadith on that specific day until the time of the next Salaah drew near.

 

He then stopped the classes and since I was near him, he had noticed my actions and called me to him. When I came face to face with him, he asked, “O young man! Where have you come from?”

 

I replied that I had come from Mecca Shareef and that my name was Mohammed bin Idris.

 

He then asked me what I was writing on my palms and I mentioned that I was recording the Ahadith Shareef. He then asked me to show him my palms and obviously there was nothing to be seen on them. He then said that I should not do this.

 

I then replied, “Hadrat, I am a traveller and I do not have a book or a pen and I was appearing to record what you were saying, however in reality I was recoding these Ahadith on my heart.”

 

The great Imam said to me, “I will only believe you if you mention only ten Ahadith to me with the proper Sanad and Matan which I had dictated.’

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Imam Shafi – may Allah be pleased with him – narrates that he continued to not only narrate ten Ahadith, but he also began to mention all of the 127 Ahadith which the great Imam had dictated to his students that same day!

 

This is another miracle of the Awliyah and the amazing power of memory which the Allah Almighty had blessed them with. Bear in mind that we have already mentioned the amazing power of memory held by Hadrat Sayyiduna Imam Bukhari – may Allah be pleased with him – and he is a Shafi scholar. If this is the state of a mere follower, what must be the state of the actual Imam?