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AlGhazalisIhya-Book_of_knowledge, page : 70
world are attested by the following report. He said: “Once upon a time as I
entered upon Harun al Rashid, the Caliph told me, „O Abu Abd Allah! You should
frequent our place so that our sons may learn from you the Muwatta.‟ To, which I
replied: “May Allah exalt my lord the prince! You my lord are the source of this
knowledge. If you honor it, it will be exalted, and if you dishonor it, it will be
despised. Furthermore, knowledge is something you achieve, not something you
receive.‟ Thereupon Harun al Rashid said, „You are right.‟ And turning to his son
added, „Go out to the mosque and join the audience with the people‟.”
As to about Hanifah, he too was a worshiper of Allah and an ascetic who knew
Allah, had His fear in his heart and sought through his knowledge the Face of
Allah. That he was a worshiper of Allah is evidenced by a report transmitted on
the authority of Ibn al Mubarak who said that two things were characteristic of
Abu Hanifah, manliness and much prayer. Hammad ibn abi Sulayman reported
that he was in the habit of spending the whole night in prayer. According to
another report it was his custom to spend half the night in prayer until one day,
as he was walking through a street, a certain person pointed to him and said to a
companion, „This is he who spend the whole of the night in prayer.‟ From that
entered upon Harun al Rashid, the Caliph told me, „O Abu Abd Allah! You should
frequent our place so that our sons may learn from you the Muwatta.‟ To, which I
replied: “May Allah exalt my lord the prince! You my lord are the source of this
knowledge. If you honor it, it will be exalted, and if you dishonor it, it will be
despised. Furthermore, knowledge is something you achieve, not something you
receive.‟ Thereupon Harun al Rashid said, „You are right.‟ And turning to his son
added, „Go out to the mosque and join the audience with the people‟.”
As to about Hanifah, he too was a worshiper of Allah and an ascetic who knew
Allah, had His fear in his heart and sought through his knowledge the Face of
Allah. That he was a worshiper of Allah is evidenced by a report transmitted on
the authority of Ibn al Mubarak who said that two things were characteristic of
Abu Hanifah, manliness and much prayer. Hammad ibn abi Sulayman reported
that he was in the habit of spending the whole night in prayer. According to
another report it was his custom to spend half the night in prayer until one day,
as he was walking through a street, a certain person pointed to him and said to a
companion, „This is he who spend the whole of the night in prayer.‟ From that