Imaam ash-Shafi’ee Visits Imaam Ahmad – A Strange Incident With A Beautiful Explanation!
The Personal Relationship Between a Scholar and His Student
Imam Ahmad used to mention the virtues of his sheikh, Imam Ash Shafi’ee to his wife. He would mention to her the extensive and superb knowledge of Imam Ash Shafi’ee as well as his Taqwah (i.e. piety). Imam Ahmad invited Imam Ash Shafi’ee to come visit him at his home. When the time for dinner arrived, Imam Ash Shafi’ee ate until he was full and went to the guest room for some sleep.
The wife of Imam Ahmad said to him: “O Ahmad! Is this the same Shafi’ee that you used to tell me so much about?”
Imam Ahmad said: “Indeed he is!”
So she said: “I noticed three things about him worthy of criticism! Firstly, when we served him the food, he ate plenty of it! Secondly, when he went into the guest room, he went to sleep without standing up to perform the night prayer (i.e. Tahujjud)! Lastly, when he prayed Salat ul Fajr with us, he did not perform ablution (i.e. wudhu)?!”
So Imam Ahmad went to Imam Ash Shafi’ee to ask him about these three matters his wife noticed. Imam Ash Shafi’ee said to him, (the way a father would explain to his son):
“O Ahmad! I ate plenty because I know for certain that your food is halal (i.e. permissible islamically) and you are a generous man! And the food that comes from a generous man is a cure, while the food that comes from a stingy man is a disease!
However, I didn’t eat plenty of food in order to achieve my fill; rather I ate plenty of your food in order to derive the cure from it! As for the reason I didn’t stand up at night to perform the night prayer, when I laid my head down to get some sleep, I looked and all I could see was the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet ﷺ right in front of my face! So I deducted 72 fiqh related benefits from them for the Muslims to benefit from. Thus there was no opportunity for me to stand and perform the night prayer!
As for the reason why I prayed Salat ul Fajr without performing ablution, by Allah! My eyes never tasted the sweetness of sleep in order for me to renew my wudhu!! I was awake the whole night, so I prayed Salat ul Fajr with the same wudhu I had for Salat ul Isha!!!”
[Collected by Al Hafidh Ibn Hajr in Fath ul Bari concisely and by Abu Nu’aim in Hilya tul Awliyaa’. Translated by Abu Azzubayr Shadeed Muhammad on 3/30/2010 in the City of Riyadh Saudi Arabia]
SUBHANALLAH
MAY ALLAH SW BLESS THE PERSON WHO PUT THE STORY FOR US AND OF COURSE MAY ALLAH INCREASE THE BLESSED IMAMS IN THEIR RANKS AND ACCEPT US AS THEIR LOVERS AND AS THE LOVERS OF THEIR AND OUR BELOVED PROPHET MUHAMMAD IBNE ABDULLAH SW AND HIS LORD THE MOST HIGH, THE MOST MERCIFUL.
AMEEN
Asalaamualaikum sheikh Sajid,
First of all thank you very much for sharing with us this wonderful event from the lives of two of the most pious and respected Imams that served Allah’s deen with utmost sincerity and passion (may Allah azzawajal raise their ranks in jannah)
Sheikh Sajid I would be really grateful if you could throw some light on Imam Shafi’ee(R.A) answer to the second question,
I couldn’t fathom out the correct delineation of the answer that Imam Shafi’ee (R.A.) gave when he was asked regarding the Tahujjud prayer.
May Allah SWT reward you with a blessed and wonderful life here in the duniya and in the aakhirah for your efforts and services for his deen.
Jazaakum Allahu khairun ya sheikh.
Mohammad Umar Siddiqui.
May Allah be pleased with them. May Allah reward for sharing.
Subhan ALLAAH… May ALLAAH swt bless imams and pious lady who became the reason for opening such knowledgeable facts about imams… everything is full of hikmah and divine knowledge ALHAMMDULILLAAH
JAZAAKALLAAH KHAIR
SUBHAAAAAANALLLAHH!! <3
we were blessed with such amazing imams….and Muslims today 🙁 [ya ALLAH guide & correct us]
This story is just beautiful!
May ALLAH bless the writer of this beautiful story for every letter… {rewards abundantly} 🙂
Wassalam!