MUSJIDUL HAQ

Download PDF: [S] Who was Haafiz Jareer Tabari

Imamul Uloom, Haafiz Mohammed bin Jareer Tabari – may Allah be pleased with him – whose famous works are “Al Kitab Al Kabeer,” “Kitaab At Tafseer,” “Kitaab At Tahzeeb wal Asaar,” etc. was considered as one of the most prolific writers of his era. Besides having this blessed quality, he was also someone who was completely independent of any need from any government official.

Once the Khalifah, Muktafa billah, asked Haafiz Mohammed bin Jareer Tabari – may Allah be pleased with him – to write a treatise on Waqf.  He wrote the now famous “Kitab Al Waqf.” The Khalifah was highly impressed and overjoyed. He even presented Haafiz Mohammed bin Jareer Tabari – may Allah be pleased with him – with an expensive gift, but he refused to accept this. The Khalifah insisted that he accept something in return and all he mentioned was that the Khalifah should issue a royal decree that people were not allowed to beg on Jumu’ah.

In like manner, one of the advisers of the King requested Haafiz Mohammed bin Jareer Tabari – may Allah be pleased with him – to write a book on Islamic Jurisprudence which he completed in a short time. When this advisor presented a thousand Ashrafis as a gift, the famous scholar refused to accept this as well.

It is mentioned that Haafiz Mohammed bin Jareer Tabari – may Allah be pleased with him – used to write quite extensively. In forty years, he used to write forty pages every day. His famous student, Imam Abu Mohammed Farghani Hanafi, admits that if one had to calculate the pages written by this eminent scholar from the time of his birth until the moment he passed away, it would amount to fourteen pages per day.

Haafiz Mohammed bin Jareer Tabari – may Allah be pleased with him – passed away in 310 A.H. and was buried inside his residence. It is mentioned that after his passing, people came to read his Janazah Salaah for a number of months after that.

There is no doubt that it is difficult to find such eminent scholars in the present age. If only people could study the lives of these eminent scholars of the past and begin to appreciate their immense contribution to Islam, the future generation would then begin to appreciate their rich heritage even more.

There is also a move by certain ignorant people to actually destroy all material and remembrance of these eminent souls with the result that even the Western world is placed in darkness when it comes to learning about these shinning stars of Islam.

When we look around the world today, there is hardly a Darul Uloom which teaches its students about the rich heritage of Islam. Yes, students are taught about the Qur’an and Ahadith and various other principles of Islam, but we should not fall into the trap of Wahabi Khaariji trap of ignoring the eminent Sunni scholars of the past. In fact, this faculty should be a completely separate department in all Darul Ulooms so that the Muslim students are aware of their rich history.

We have also seen that other corrupt cults and sects go out of their way to advertise their leaders and preachers but the Ahle Sunnah Wa Jamaah seems to always lag behind in this department. If this continues on a regular basis, then the younger generation would not be able to be educated about their eminent elders.