Stories of Wisdom ~ Is There a God?

 

A Young Man and a Scholar

 

There was a young man who went overseas to study for quite some time. When he returned, he asked his parents to find him a religious scholar or any expert who could answer his 3 questions. Finally, his parents were able to find a Muslim scholar.


Young man: Who are you? Can you answer my questions?

Scholar: I am one of Allah (SubHana Wa Ta`ala )'s slaves and inshaAllah (God willing), I will be able to answer your questions.

Young man: Are you sure? A lot of Professors and experts were not able to answer my questions.

Scholar: I will try my best, with the help of Allah(SubHana Wa Ta`ala ).

Young man:I have 3 questions:
1. Does God exist? If so, show me His shape.
2. What is takdir (fate)?
3. If shaitan (Devil) was created from the fire, why at the end will he be thrown into hell that was also created from fire. It certainly will not hurt him at all, since Shaitan (Devil) and the hell were created from fire. Did God not think of it this far?

Suddenly, the Scholar slapped the young man's face very hard.

Young man (feeling pain): Why do you get angry at me?

Scholar: I am not angry. The slap is my answer to your three questions.

Young man: I really don't understand.

Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?

Young man: Of course, I felt the pain.

Scholar: So do you believe that pain exists?

Young man: Yes.

Scholar: Show me the shape of the pain!

Young man: I cannot.

Scholar: That is my first answer. All of us feel God's existence without being able to see His shape.

Scholar: Last night, did you dream that you will be slapped by me?

Young man: No.

Scholar: Did you ever think that you will get a slap from me, today?

Young man: No.

Scholar: That is takdir (fate).

Scholar: My hand that I used to slap you, what is it created from?

Young man: It is created from skin.

Scholar: How about your face, what is it created from?

Young man: Skin.

Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?

Young man: In pain.

Scholar: Even though Shaitan (Devil) and also the hell were created from the fire, if Allah wants, inshAllah (God willing) the hell will become a very painful place for Shaitan (Devil).

 

Abu Hanifa and the Atheist

Long ago in the city of Baghdad, there was a Muslim empire. On one side of the River Tigris were the royal palaces and on the other side was the city. The Muslims were gathered in the Royal Palace when an atheist approached them. He said to them, ‘I don’t believe in God, there cannot be a God, you cannot hear Him or see Him, you’re wasting your time! Bring me your best debater and I will debate this issue with him.’

The best debater at the time was Imam Abu Hanifah (r). A messenger from amongst the Muslims was sent over the River Tigris to the city, where Abu Hanifah (r) was, in order to tell him about the atheist who was awaiting him. On crossing the River Tigris, the messenger conveyed the message to Abu Hanifah (r) saying, ‘Oh Abu Hanifah, an atheist is waiting for you, to debate you, please come!’ Abu Hanifah (r) told the messenger that he would be on his way.

The messenger went over the River Tigris once again and to the Royal Palaces, where everyone including the atheist awaited the arrival of Abu Hanifah (r). It was sunset at the time and one hour had passed, but Abu Hanifah (r) still hadn’t arrived. Another hour had passed, but still there was no sign of him. The Muslims started to become tense and worried about his late arrival. They did not want the atheist to think that they were too scared to debate him, yet they did not want to take up the challenge themselves as Abu Hanifah (r) was the best of Debaters from amongst the Muslims. Another hour passed, and suddenly the atheist started laughing and said, ‘ Your best debater is too scared! He knows he’s wrong, he is too frightened to come and debate with me. I guarantee he will not turn up today.’

The Muslims increased in apprehension and eventually it had passed midnight, and the atheist had a smile on his face. The clock ticked on, and finally Abu Hanifah (r) had arrived. The Muslims inquired about his lateness and remarked, ‘Oh Abu Hanifah, a messenger sent for you hours ago, and you arrive now, explain your lateness to us.’

Abu Hanifah Rahimullah (r) for his lateness and began to explain, while the atheist listened to his story:

“Once the messenger delivered the message to me, I began to make my way to the River Tigris, and on reaching the river bank I realised there was no boat, in order to cross the river. It was getting dark, and I looked around, there was no boat anywhere nor was there a navigator or a sailor in order for me to cross the river to get to the Royal Palaces. I continued to look around for a boat, as I did not want the atheist to think I was running away and did not want to debate with him.

I was standing on the river bank looking for a navigator or a boat when something caught my attention in the middle of the river. I looked forward, and to my amazement I saw planks of wood rising to the surface from the sea bed. I was shocked, amazed, I couldn’t believe what I saw seeing. Ready made planks of wood were rising up to the surface and joining together. They were all the same width and length, I was astounded at what I saw.

I continued to look into the middle of the river, and then I saw nails coming up from the sea floor. They positioned themselves onto the boat and held the planks together, without them being banged. I stood in amazement and thought to myself, ‘Oh Allah, how can this happen, planks of wood rising to the surface by itself, and then nails positioning themselves onto the boat without being banged?’ I could not understand what was happening before my eyes.”

The atheist meanwhile was listening with a smile on his face. Abu Hanifah (r) continued, “I was still standing on the river bank watching these planks of wood join together with nails. I could see water seeping through the gaps in the wood, and suddenly I saw a sealant appear from the river and it began sealing the gaps without someone having poured it, again I thought, ‘Ya Allah, how is this possible, how can sealant appear and seal the gaps without someone having poured it, and nails appear without someone having banged them.’ I looked closer and I could see a boat forming before my eyes, I stood in amazement and was filled with shock. All of a sudden a sail appeared and I thought to myself, ‘How is this happening, a boat has appeared before my eyes by itself, planks of wood, nails, sealant and now a sail, but how can I use this boat in order to cross the river to the Royal Palaces?’ I stood staring in wonderment and suddenly the boat began to move. It came towards me against the current. It stood floating beside me while I was on the river bank, as if telling me to embark onto it. I went on the boat and yet again it began to move. There was no navigator or sailor on the boat, and the boat began to travel towards the direction of the royal palaces, without anyone having programmed it as to where to go. I could not understand what was happening, and how this boat had formed and was taking me to my destination against the flow of water. The boat eventually reached the other side of the River Tigris and I disembarked. I turned around and the boat had disappeared, and that is why I am late.”

At this moment, the atheist burst out laughing and remarked, “Oh Abu Hanifah, I heard that you were the best debater from amongst the Muslims, I heard that you were the wisest, the most knowledgeable from amongst your people. From seeing you today, I can say that you show none of these qualities. You speak of a boat appearing from nowhere, without someone having built it. Nails positioning themselves without someone having banged them, sealant being poured without someone having poured it, and the boat taking you to your destination without a navigator against the tide, your taking childish, your talking ridiculous, I swear I do not believe a word of it!”

Abu Hanifah (r) turned to the atheist and replied, “You don’t believe a word of it? You don't believe that nails can appear by themselves? You don't believe sealant can be poured by itself? You don't believe that a boat can move without a navigator, hence you don’t believe that a boat can appear without a boat maker?”

The atheist remarked defiantly, “Yes I don’t believe a word of it!”

Abu Hanifah (r) replied, “If you cannot believe that a boat came into being without a boat maker, than this is only a boat, how can you believe that the whole world, the universe, the stars, the oceans, and the planets came into being without a creator?”

 A Wise Young Boy and the Three Questions of the Roman Envoy

 

 

Many years ago, during the time of the Tâbi’în (the generation of Muslims after the first generation ‘Sahâbah’), Baghdâd was a great city of Islam. In fact, it was the capital of the Islamic Empire and, because of the great number of scholars who lived there; it was the centre of Islamic knowledge.

One day, the ruler of Rome at the time sent an envoy to Baghdad with three challenges for the Muslims. When the messenger reached the city, he informed the Khalîfah that he had three questions which he challenged the Muslims to answer.

The Khalîfah gathered together all the scholars of the city and the Roman messenger climbed upon a high platform and said, “I have come with three questions. If you answer them, then I will leave with you a great amount of wealth which I have brought from the king of Rome.” As for the questions, they were:

1) “What was there before Allâh (swt)?”

2) “In which direction does Allâh (swt) face?”

3) “What is Allâh (swt) engaged in at this moment?”

The great assembly of people were silent. (Can you think of answers to these questions?) In the midst of these brilliant scholars and students of Islam was a man looking on with his young son.

“O my dear father! I will answer him and silence him!” said the youth.

So the boy sought the permission of the Khalîfah to give the answers and he was given the permission to do so.

The Roman addressed the young Muslim and repeated his first question, “What was there before Allâh (swt)?”

The boy asked, “Do you know how to count?”

“Yes,” said the man.

“Then count down from ten!”

So the Roman counted down, “ten, nine, eight, …” until he reached “one” and he stopped counting.

“But what comes before ‘one’?” asked the boy.

“There is nothing before one- that is it!” said the man.

“Well then, if there obviously is nothing before the arithmetic ‘one’, then how do you expect that there should be anything before the ‘One’ who is Absolute Truth, All-Eternal, Everlasting the First, the Last, the Manifest, the Hidden?”

Now the man was surprised by this direct answer which he could not dispute. So he asked, “Then tell me, in which direction is Allâh (swt) facing?”

“Bring a candle and light it,” said the boy, “and tell me in which direction the flame is facing.”

“But the flame is just light- it spreads in each of the four directions,

North, South, East and West. It does not face any one direction only,” said the man in wonderment.

The boy cried, “Then if this physical light spreads in all four directions such that you cannot tell me which way it faces, then what do you expect of the “Nûr us Samâwâti wal ‘Ard”, Allâh (swt) – “the Light of the Heavens and the Earth”!? Light upon Light, Allâh (swt) faces all directions at all times.”

The Roman was stupefied and astounded that here was a young child answering his challenges in such a way that he could not argue against the proofs. So, he desperately wanted to try his final question. But before doing so, the boy said, “Wait! You are the one who is asking the questions and I am the one who is giving the answer to these challenges. It is only fair that you should come down to where I am standing and that I should go up where you are right now, in order that the answers may be heard as clearly as the questions.”

This seemed reasonable to the Roman, so he came down from where he was standing and the boy ascended to the platform. Then the man repeated his final challenge, “Tell me, what Allâh (swt) is doing at this moment?”

The boy proudly answered, “At this moment, when Allâh (swt) found upon this high platform a liar and mocker of Islam, He caused him to descend and brought him low. And as for the one who believed in the Oneness of Allâh (swt), He raised him up and established the Truth. “…Every day He exercises (universal) power” [Al Qur'an - Surah Ar Rahmân (055:029)].”

The Roman had nothing to say except to leave and return back to his country, defeated. Meanwhile, this young boy grew up to become one of the most famous scholars of Islam. Allâh (swt), the Exalted, blessed him with special wisdom and knowledge of the deen. His name was Abu Hanîfah (rahmatullâh ‘alayhi – Allâh (swt) have mercy on him) and he is known today as Imâm-e-A’dham, the Great Imâm and scholar of Islam.

[Adapted into English from "Manâqib Abî Hanîfah" written by Imâm Muwaffaq Ibn Ahmad al-Makki (d. 568 Hijri). Dar al - Kitâb al-'Arabiy, Beirut, 1981/1401H.]