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- Imām Mālik x Hārun al-Rashīd 🤝 👑
Imām Mālik x Hārun al-Rashīd 🤝 👑
20 Dhul Hijjah I 1445 AH
Daily Nurture
June 26, 2024
Salaamun ‘Alaykum,
Perhaps one may wonder whether being a king or ruler would help one's status in the eyes of the critical muḥaddithūn. Perhaps the critical muḥaddithūn would be lenient if they knew that the narrator is a king or relative of the king. The reality is that this could not be further from the truth. The critical muḥaddithūn were fearless in their critique or appraisal of a narrator, the influence of the king or ruler would have no effect. Abū Muṣ‘ab al-Zuhrī raḥimahullah (d. 242 AH) states:
Hārūn [al-Rashīd] said to Mālik, "Oh Abū 'Abdillah I wish to listen to Al-Muwaṭṭa' from you," so Mālik said, "Agreed," so he asked, "When?" Mālik replied, "Tomorrow." Thus, Hārūn sat [in his house] waiting for him and Mālik sat in his house waiting for him. After the delay, Hārūn sent someone to call him and said, "Oh Abū 'Abdillah I continued waiting for you all day!" Mālik replied, "And myself as well oh leader of the believers, I continued waiting for you all day. Indeed, knowledge is sought and does not seek, and indeed your relative (the Prophet ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is the one who brought knowledge, thus if you elevate it, it will be elevated and if you desecrate it, it will be desecrated."