بسم الله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله و بعد:
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته.
The director of an all girls Islaamic school recently requested of me that I share with her an inspirational story or piece of advice from one of my teachers. I pondered for a little bit and then began to tell her about the zeal, drive and commitment of one of my beloved Qur'aan teachers - may Allaah preserve her. I shared with her how my teacher, despite her being afflicted with a chronic illness that leaves her with a severe loss of energy along with the weakening of her body in general, despite this, my teacher would get up every day, starting from maybe an hour to two hours after Fajr, she would leave the comfort, safety and security of her home and make her way to one of the at least three places where she teaches the Book of Allaah to an array of students. I say “at least three places” due to the fact that my teacher is very private and discreet and so, outside of the three places that I am aware of her teaching at, there is a strong possibility that her roster of work places numbers more than three. I try to avoid speaking about her in any way that mimics praise or extolling, due to her humble request of me to not do so, however I will say that, without a doubt, she is one of the most well-known and sought after Qur'aan teachers in Alexandria, Egypt by foreigners who travel to the country seeking 'Ilm of the Book of Allaah. Allaah has Willed it that she is exceptionally proficient not just in her knowledge of His Book, from its proper recitation (i.e. Tajweed) to its kaleidoscope of hidden and apparent meanings (i.e. Tafseer), but He – Ta'aalaa – has also endowed her with the ability to disseminate the knowledge with which she has been blessed in a very fluid and thorough manner. Quite simply, when it comes to 'Ilm Al-Qur'aan wa Ta'leemuhu she is that glistening, smooth gem amidst a sea of dull, jagged edged rocks. May Allaah preserve her and raise her rank. Aameen. And of course, as always, I have miserably failed at honoring her request of me to not speak of her in terms other than what would be said of any regular, humble and lowly slave of Allaah. But let it be known that what I have said is no more than an expression of the much deserved appreciation of a student for her beloved teacher, without praising anyone above Allaah, The Most High, The One Deserving of All Praise.
Returning to the subject at hand: I shared with the director of the all girls Islaamic school, how my teacher would endure whatever discomfort she might be experiencing due to her illness in order to teach her students. Day in and day out. From one end of the city to another. By crowded minibus, regular bus or sometimes even train. Sacrificing much-needed sleep and necessary bodily nourishment. If I could possess even a 10th of the commitment and dedication to seeking knowledge that my teacher possesses, that would be suffice. Being around her and getting to know her, while making me realize how much I am lacking as a slave of Allaah and a seeker of knowledge, also inspired me to want to be better. No one but one who has taken the journey of Talab Al-'Ilm AND stayed the course knows how difficult it can be. The loneliness of being in a strange land, away from all that, up until the beginning of your journey, has been familiar to you. Feeling overwhelmed by the task at hand of learning a new language and thereafter delving into the various sciences of the Deen by way of that language. Battling the whisperings of Shaytaan and your own Nafs to just take it easy, skip a day or two of classes, or even perhaps give up entirely because after all, nowhere does it say that you HAVE to be a student of knowledge. And yet, amidst all of the above, the sweetness of going from one who does not know to one who knows trumps any hardship that you may encounter along the path. The land that once seemed strange and unfamiliar envelops and embraces you until you find yourself calling it “Home” and calling your native country “There.” The people who surround you, from other students, to teachers, to your next door neighbor, to the farmer whose cart you buy fruit and vegetables from on a daily basis, to the little boy who brings you your dry cleaning, to the driver whose minibus you always happen to end up riding in no matter what time of day, to the lady who, along with her family, watches over your building and goes from just being that woman you walk past every time you walk in and out of your building to someone who you confide in and seek Naseehah from, all of this makes what was once unfamiliar familiar.
So Na'am, amidst all of that, the general example of my teacher's diligence despite overwhelming instances of adversity, this is what I initially shared. And then, after pondering a little bit more, I remembered another example that was even more appropriate due to the questioning sister's occupation as the director of an all-girls Islaamic school. And this next example that I shared, this next inspirational story, was not from one of my “teachers” in the restricted sense of the word. However, the person who I took this lesson from, she taught me indirectly, by my simply being in her presence and being able to take from her character and manners. I am ashamed to say that I do not know her name, but Maa Shaa Allaah, she is someone who I was blessed to be able to be in the company of every Sunday and Thursday when I ventured to the Masjid in order to recite the Book of Allaah to another teacher of mine. When I first met her she had to have been 2 years old. And by the time this one incident that I am about to convey occurred she was 3 ½. She was the “belle of the ball” so to speak. Everyone that frequented the Masjid for the sittings of the Haafidhah, the Shaykhah, the Doctorah Faatimah Ash-Shaykh – may Allaah preserve her and raise her rank – knew this little girl. Maa Shaa Allaah her mother was known to be one who possessed an immense amount of knowledge and she was from amongst the students of the Shaykhah, as well as one of the teachers at the Masjid. And so, whenever she came to the Masjid, to teach or to attend one of the lessons of the Shaykhah, you could be sure that her daughter would be in tow. The Shaykhah would often have this sister's daughter recite on the microphone in front of all of those present at the Masjid. And Maa Shaa Allaah, her recitation was simply impeccable. For someone whose regular speech was not yet clear and fluid and who had not yet reached the age of discernment, her recitation, I must say, was from the most clear and precise I have heard, not just amongst children, but amongst adults!!! It was not until I had been attending lessons at the Masjid for over a year that I came to learn that Allaah had blessed her to be able to memorize and proficiently recite the entirety of Sooratul-Baqarah at the age of 2 ½!!! Allaahu Akbar! Allaahu Akbar! Laa Ilaaha Illallaah! Wallaahu Akbar! Allaahu Akbar! Wa Lillaahil-Hamd!
As if all of the above is not enough, while in a sitting with my teacher at the Masjid, there was another American sister there reciting for my teacher and having her recitation corrected. She was in the beginning of Sooratul-Baqarah and she was having difficulty with her pronunciation of some of the letters. At first my teacher corrected her a few times. And then, when she continued to make the same mistakes, my teacher called the little girl over to her. She sat her on her lap and introduced her to the American sister. After introductions, my teacher proceeded to order the little girl to recite the part that the American sister was having difficulty with and show her how to correctly pronounce it. And Maa Shaa Allaah, what transpired after that was one of the most beautiful things I have ever witnessed. This little 3 ½ year old Egyptian girl sat directly in front of the American sister, face to face, and she began to recite for her in a very slow pace in order that the sister could follow, being sure to stress those areas where the sister was having difficulty. Allaahu Akbar! What a sight! When I saw this, I thought about how this little girl, in the 1 ½ years that I had been attending the Masjid for my lessons, she was always present, if not attached to the hip of her mother, then attached to the hip of the Shaykhah or another teacher. And yes a good amount of the time she would be playing with one of the other children also present at the Masjid, but the point is, SHE WAS PRESENT IN THE CIRCLES OF KNOWLEDGE. And this showed. It showed in the proficiency of her recitation. And it showed in her ability to sit in front of a complete stranger who was over ten times her age, who was a foreigner, and be able to teach her in the manner that my own teacher would conduct a lesson with me or any of her other students. Simply amazing!
Just to be clear, the example of the 3 ½ year old girl that I mentioned above is not uncommon. In fact, my own teacher would often have her younger students who were more advanced sit with myself or another less advanced student and listen to their recitation until she was able to sit with them herself. This humble exchange of knowledge could be witnessed in more than one corner of the Masjid. It was more the norm than the exception.
I remember my companion sharing with me how, as a teacher teaching English to Egyptian children, she saw a marked difference in the Akhlaaq and the Adab of those students whose parents appeared to be proud adherents of the Sunnah and have 'Ilm of the Deen versus the children of parents who appeared to be trying to mimic the West and not be as committed to the learning and implementation of the Qur'aan and the Sunnah in their daily lives. She told me how those of her students who came from more religiously committed homes, particularly those who also were actively memorizing the Book of Allaah, were more attentive and had an appreciation and respect for learning that she did not witness in other than them. I can not say for sure, but I would not be surprised if these same children who displayed such favorable manners at least once a week ventured to the Masjid with their mother or father and sat in the Duroos of the Shuyookh, thus witnessing the etiquette of the circles of knowledge, from student to teacher.
In reflecting on these examples of Egyptian children grabbing hold to the Rope of Allaah, I cannot help but think about the Muslim children in America and how deprived they are of such blessings. However, I also can say that I have witnessed a number of examples of young children in the states being influenced by sitting in the Duroos with their parents and that having a positive effect on their children's drive and enthusiasm to want to learn this Deen. My hope – by the Permission and Success of Allaah – is that these examples will not dwindle, but multiply, becoming the norm and not the exception. And with Allaah lies all success.
May Allaah increase us all in beneficial knowledge and righteous action done purely for His Sake. Allaahumma Aameen.
