MUSJIDUL HAQ

Download PDF: [S] THey Refused a Position of a Qadi

Hammad bin Mumal Abu Jafer Kalbi mentions that his Shaikh once mentioned to him:

One day, I asked Hadrat Sayyiduna Waqee – may Allah be pleased with him – a question, “Hadrat! A few days ago, Sultan Harun Rashid had called the three of you, namely yourself, Imam Ibn Idris and Hafz bin Ghiyaas to his court. What was the purpose him calling you there.”

Imam Waqee – may Allah be pleased with him – replied, “You have asked me a question which no one had asked me before. However I will reveal what happened. As you know, the three of us were called by Harun Rashid and were made to sit in front of him. I was then called forward and he said to me, ‘O Waqee! The people in your city has requested me for a Qadi and among the names which they presented, your name is also there. I therefore request you to accept the position of Qadi and help these people.’

I then said to him, “O Ameerul Mo’mineen, I have become old and even my eyes are now failing me. Therefore, I request that you do not offer me this position.”

However, he insisted that I accept this position and I again replied, “O Ameerul Mo’mineen! If I am speaking the truth, then you would release me from this request and if I am speaking lies, then certainly a liar can never hold the position of being a Qadi.”

He then mentioned that I should get out from his sight. I thought of this as a great blessing and quickly left from there.

He then called Imam Abdullah bin Idris – may Allah be pleased with him. When he appeared in front of the Sultan, he greeted him in a very soft voice.

Harun Rashid then asked him, “Do you know what I have called you here?”

He replied that he was unaware.

Harun Rashid then declared, “The people in your city have requested a Qadi from me and among the names sent to me, one of them is also you. I therefore request you to accept the position of Qadi and take your place.”

However, Imam Abdullah bin Idris – may Allah be pleased with him – replied, “I am unfit for this position.”

Again the Sultan became very angry and told him to leave as he did not want to see his face. Imam Abdullah bin Idris – may Allah be pleased with him – also informed the Sultan that he also did not want to see his face.

Finally, Hafz bin Ghiyaas was called forward and he accepted this position.

The three of us then returned to our city. While we were travelling, a servant of the Sultan arrived and he had three purses with him and in each of them there was five thousand Dirhams. The servant gave one of us a purse and said to us that the Sultan had given this to us for taking the time to come to his court and for all the inconvenience caused. Imam Waqee admits that he returned his purse and said to the messenger, “Please convey our Salaam to the Sultan  and inform him that his gift has reached us, but we have no need for it at this moment. He should please give it to those subjects of his who are more in need.”

When the messenger gave the purse to Imam Abdullah bin Idris – may Allah be pleased with him – he replied, “Please go away from here. We have no need for this.”

Hafz bin Ghiyas did accept this gift.

The messenger also handed a note to Imam Abdullah bin Idris – may Allah be pleased with him –  which read, “O Abdullah bin Idris. May Allah keep both of us well. I had requested you to help me in this mission but you had refused. I had sent you some money, and you had refused that also. However, I have one final request. I hope that when my son Mamun comes to you, you will be able to teach him Hadith.”

When he read this note, he said to the messenger, “Inform the Khalifah that if he accepts his son to sit with all the other students and learn then he may send his son. I am not prepared to teach him alone. If he is prepared to sit with the other students and learn, then only will he be able to learn something about the Hadith.”

As we walked along the road, we stopped at a certain place to read Salaah and I noticed a soldier who was sitting and shivering in the cold. I then placed my shawl on him and mentioned that only when I complete the wudu and Salaah will I retrieve my shawl.

At that moment, Imam Abdullah bin Idris – may Allah be pleased with him – said to Hafz bin Ghiyaas, “O Hafz, when we left out city and I noticed that you had applied mehndi to your beard and then went into a public bath, from that moment, I realised that you will be presented with the position of Qadi and that you will accept it. Look, the same thing has happened. From now till the time I die, I will never speak to you.”

Imam Waqee – may Allah be pleased with him –  mentions that from that moment onwards, Imam Abdullah bin Idris – may Allah be pleased with him –  never spoke to Hafz bin Ghiyaas until the time he passed away. (Uyunul Hikaayah)