Three Tough Questions

Subhanallah

I have seen many versions of this, but not this one.

barakallah feeki

Assalamu alaikum

But the real story is about Imaam Abu Hanifa, is it not?

It is similar, here is the true story of Abu Hanafi.

Many years ago, during the time of the Tabi'in (the generation of Muslims after the Sahabah), Baghdad 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 khalifah that he had three questions which he challenged the Muslims to answer.

The khalifah 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: "What was there before Allah?" "In which direction does Allah face?" "What is Allah 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 khalifah 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 Allah?" 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 Allah 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 Nur-us-Samawati-wal-'Ard: Allah - the Light of the Heavens and the Earth!? Light upon Light, Allah 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 the platform. Then the man repeated his final challenge, "Tell me, what is Allah doing at this moment?"

The boy proudly answered, "At this moment, when Allah 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 Allah, He raised him up and established the Truth Every day He exercises (universal) power (Surah 55 ar-Rahman, Verse 29)." 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. Allah, the Exalted, blessed him with special wisdom and knowledge of the deen.

His name was Abu Hanifah (rahmatullah 'alayhi- Allah have mercy on him)

Asalam brother al-ansar, I did not mean to inflame at all but to simply post an article as others had. Prophet Mohammad will not be very proud to see that you are FORCING YOUR OPINION down people's throat. Inshallah, you will be not be forgiven for having such character. Brother surely you should know that there is great responsibility in being a moderator, you need to have an even handed approach. You are only here as a moderator to ensure that things dont get out of hand, and You are not here as a moderator SO YOU CAN EXPRESS YOUR VIEW OVER OTHER PEOPLES VIEW. This clearly means you have abused the authority that has been placed in your hand. Even if you are doing the ring thing, with right intentions, it is not Islamic, becuase there is no justification for being unjust, none. Please try to understand this brother, what you are doing is wrong, we as muslims are brothers, not enemies of each other that we should be acting as such. You have broken my heart brother, you truly have.

Im not a sister, lol, jus a brother. And thank you sister for bringing that up cuz it is important to hide others' sins but I felt as if I needed to say it for their to be progress. If I did it just to make the brother look bad, astagfirullah, I wouldnt have posted to the public. In other words, I was hoping that the public would see the offense and thus side with me against the brother so it doesnt happen again. God knows my intentions, that I did not mean any harm to anyone.

Three Questions


There was a young man who went overseas to study for quite a long 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 insha-Allah
(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 he will be thrown to hell that 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, insha-Allah (God willing), the hell will become a very painful place for Shaitan (Devil).

nice I love such stories.

Walaykum Assalam!

Jazak'Allah, for the sweet comments :sister:

:SL:

jazakallah for posting the story. My parents used to tell me that story when i was a kid.

that was a nice story...
Jazakallah for posting it sis...
i have heard one like it but it was cool...

Allahu Akbar!!!! Thats was good read. I haven't read it before. Good post sis

heard it quite a lot of time before.

Masha Allah...