In Quest Of Knowledge (PART 3)

A Kind Host

My first halt after leaving Makkah was at a place called Zu Tuwa where I came upon an encamped caravan. I greeted the entire company and, while going round, saw an elderly gentleman with a noble mien who took most kindly to me and began to insist that I join him and those with him in their meal. Being thus urged, I sat down, and began to eat without standing on any ceremony. I noticed that they were eating with all their five fingers, while I had been used to eating with three fingers only. However, in order not to embarrass them on finding themselves doing differently from their guest, I too began quietly to eat with my five fingers. After I had finished, took some water, and uttered the usual after-meals prayer:

“All praise is due to Allah (alone), He Who provided us with food and drink, and thanks also be to Him for having made us of those who submit to Him (and are therefore Muslims)”

And then, turning to my host, uttered some appropriate words of thanks. When everybody had finished, and general conversation ensued, the old gentleman said to me:
“Son, you are from Makkah aren’t you?”
“Yes”, I replied, adding, “Makkah is my home indeed”.
“And you are of the Quraish?”
“Yes, I am that too, but how did you know that I come from Makkah and am from the Quraish?”
“That was not so hard to guess, son. After all, I have spent a lifetime roving around. From your dress I concluded that you were a town-dweller while from the way readily closed in with our invitation to eat with us I concluded that you were from the Quraish. Those who so freely share the meals of others are also generous I sharing their own with others, and that is a special noble trait of the Quraish.”
“May I ask, sir”, I then asked, “where you hail from?”
“My home, son, is the holy city of Allah’s Prophet, Madinah al-Munawwarah”.
“Then, can you tell me, sir, who is the most learned person there?”
“The most learned person there is the chief of the Bani Aslah, Malik ibn Anas, may Allah heap more honour on him”.

I said ‘Ameen’ to hat prayer and, uttering a sigh, added, “I cannot tell you, sir, how eager I am to get to him. It is Allah alone who could fulfil my desire.”
“That too I could guess from your talk, and I could tell from your refined manners that it is the desire to acquire knowledge which alone has made you leave your home”.
The old gentleman spoke very tenderly, and his words were full of affection. He again said to me, most sweetly, “My son, yours is a sacred purpose, and so Allah will not let you go unfriended”.

And while he was saying this, I could see that he was experiencing great spiritual happiness at the thought that Allah had given him an opportunity of playing host, and of being help, to one bound on a mission to acquire knowledge of Hadith.