Respect For The Ustaadh

The pomp and splendour of the Khilaafat of Haroon Rashid are proverbial. However, despite the worldliness and luxurious lifestyle of the Khalifah, he was a man of lofty Islamic moral character. Haroon Rashid had assigned his son, Maamun who had become the Khalifah after his father, to Imaam Asmaee (Rahmatullah alaih) for the acquisition of Ilm (Islamic Knowledge) and Adab (Islamic moral character).

One day when the Khalifah visited Imaam Asmaee, he found him making Wudhu. The Khalifah’s son, Maamun was pouring water from a jug on to the feet of his Ustaadh, Imaam Asmaee. Beholding this, Haroun Rashid displaying considerable annoyance, commented: “I assigned him to your company to gain moral character. Why did you not instruct him to pour water with one hand, and wash your feet with the other hand?”

This was the attitude of the Khulafa of bygone days. Despite their worldliness, they ensured that good Islamic moral character is inculcated in their offspring.

(Source: Awake, 2012)