Ruhul Adab

Commentary of Imam Hassan

48. Conclusion

In the above 17 verses, the Shaykh concluded the poem bringing it to 121 verses. The author explains that he has made this poem a short one in conformity with the nature of people nowadays. Because these days, people claim to be very busy, but in reality, they are only busy for the secondary purpose of meeting their worldly needs. They have forgotten that the primary duty is worship. The author started and finished this poem in the year 1342 A. H., equivalent to the year 1920.

49.   The author then, out of respect, sought the indulgence and pardon of the learned scholars, who then declared that the apology of the twenty-one-year-old writer would be accepted in good faith because although he was young, the wisdom contained in the poem was irrefutable.

     The author further prays to Allah to make this poem useful and beneficial to all the believers, not because of his efforts, but because of the importance of the best of Messengers. He also prayed that Allah through His Magnificence, Glory, Mercy and Kindness, accept this work as a sincere effort in seeking the Countenance of Allah.

50.    The Shaykh finally warns that, there is both the tendency for people to neglect the statements of a young person, and for the white colored person to neglect the statement of the black colored person. Allah chooses and favors whom He wants with whatever He wants. Allah says in the Qur’an 30:22 “And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed, in that are signs for those of knowledge”. Allah does not grant knowledge based on race, color or age. Allah blesses with knowledge whoever strives for it to the extent that He wishes. The Qur’an is the Mother of all Books, and therefore the mother of all types of knowledge. The Prophet SAW says: “Whoever strives, acquires”. It was related that a Senegalese youth from the city of Kaolack called Hassan got admission into the Ain Shams University, in Egypt. During his first lecture, the teacher of Arabic Grammar brought out an un-voweled Arabic text and demanded that the members of the class take turns reading it. Because he was the only non-Arab in the class, Hassan’s turn was passed over, for the reading. But Hassan asked to read it. His fellow students, most of whom had been rebuked by the teacher for not reading the text correctly, mockingly gave it to him to read. After he finished reading, the teacher commanded all of students to stand up and praise this youth. The lecturer said that although Hassan is a stranger and a non-Arab, his recitation was better than all the others were. One of the members of the class complained and said that Hassan’s good reading does not mean that he understood what he read. The teacher then demanded that the complainant himself read. Immediately after he started reading, the teacher stopped him, saying, “What you have read so far was so wrongly pronounced that neither you nor we could have understood it properly’. The lecturer then said, have I not told you that “correct recitation is the beginning of correct understanding”. The above not only shows that a hardworking youth can achieve great status, but it also shows that color is not a barrier to great status, provided that the individual is sincerely striving. The author quoted a statement of Shaykh Ahmadu Bamba al-Maaliki, in support of his statement. Shaykh Ahmad Bamba said that: “The black skinned will never contract youthful stupidity and evil understanding (simply because of his color)”. The author completes the book of poetry by asking, and imploring Allah to protect us all from every evil. And because of our Prophet SAW, to bless us with a complete knowledge of Allah, and all other desirables. He also implored Allah to mercifully cover our wrongdoings with His beautiful covering and to vanquish our enemies with His power to vanquish. The author also humbly thanks Allah for the success of this work too, Who blessed and made easy the compilation of the work. We also follow him in praying the same way, asking Allah to bless this little effort of ours, as He (Allah) blessed the original text.

To be continued in sha Allah…

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