Imam Bukhari (May Allah Have Mercy on Him)
Imam Bukhari (rahmatullahi alayhi) was one of the greatest scholars this Ummah (Islamic nation) has ever produced. The fame of his knowledge and his prodigious memory spread far and wide, and people used to travel thousands of miles in order to meet him and hear from him the Ahadith (Sayings of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace). Imam Bukhari (rahmatullahi alayhi) often used to engage in archery while on horseback. Once he missed the target and his arrow struck the pillar of a bridge, causing it to be damaged. He jumped of his horse, removed the arrow from the pillar and said to his companion, “Go to the owner of this bridge and explain to him that we have caused some damage to the pillar of his bridge. Beg for forgiveness from him. In addition,...
Read MoreHadhrat Yunus ibn ‘Ubaid
Yunus ibn ‘Ubaid was an honest and truthful Muslim trader, whose conduct is worthy of emulation. Once, he remarked, “two things have the greatest honour: a dirham earned in a halal (permissible) manner and a person who practises upon the sunnah (example of the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace)).” Once, a woman came to sell a silk robe to Yunus ibn ‘Ubaid. He enquired, “How much would you like for it?” She replied, “five hundred” Yunus said, “I think it is worth more.” She then suggested, “Six hundred.” He again said that he thought it was worth more. This continued until the price was finally agreed at a thousand. One day, a man from Syria came to the silk market and asked Yunus ibn ‘UBaid, “Do you have a shawl worth...
Read MoreScrupulous Muslim Rulers
The standard of piety set by the great Muslim rulers was indeed lofty and rare. Due to the fear of Allah (Glory be He, Most High) and accountability in the divine court, they displayed extreme caution. Public property was regarded as a trust in their hands and they took care of it prudently. Once, some musk (perfume) came to ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (radiallahu anhu) from Bahrain. He asked for someone who would weigh it carefully, so that it may be equally distributed among the Muslims. His wife, Atikah, volunteered, but ‘Umar (radiallahu anhu) refused to give it to her. When she inquired why, he replied, “I fear that, while weighing it, some of it may rub-off onto your hand and body. This will give me an unfair advantage over the other Muslims.” A similar...
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