Humility Of Some Scholars: Imam al-Sharani

Salam

The works of Imam Abd al-Wahab al-Sharani were pointed out me to by Shaykh Naeem Abd al-Wali during his first lecturing visit to the UK during Ramadan back in the early 2000’s. He made mention of a work entitled Tanbih al-Mughtarrin which I was lucky enough to get hold of during my first trip to Turkey a few months later.

I came across these quotes from Imam al-Sharani taken from another work of his, and are definitely worth reflecting over, especially in an age where scholars seem to have become inaccessible to the average Muslim due to the cliques surrounding them.

Imam al-Sharani said in Lataif al-Minan Wal-Akhlaq p.416:

“And that which Allah تبارك و تعالى has blessed me with is my natural dislike for those who kiss my hand, not least in gatherings, or walk with me to the door when I exit from the Jami al-Azhar for example…Likewise I love those who do not kiss my hand, do not stand for me, do not walk with me and do not hold me in esteem.

All of this is out of fear of the faith of envious one that they be destroyed because of me. If they do not speak about me with their tongues they will talk about me with their hearts, and fall in to bad opinion and be sinful because of me. For if no one kissed my hand, and did not walk with me, they would perhaps not fall in to any of this. Also the ego loves the one who glorifies it in gatherings, and perhaps may be inclined towards it and [in turn] destroy itself.”

He also said in Lataif al-Minan wal-Akhlaq p.658:

“And that which Allah تبارك و تعالى has blessed me with is my not being offended by the one who calls out to me with just my name without mentioning my kunyah, or laqab, or Shaykh or Sayyid and its like. This is due to my knowing that calling out to a person with just his name without mention of of the above is the truth. As opposed to the titles and kunyahs for they may enter in to them lying…What good is it for the one who is happy with the people calling him: O Shams al-Din (Sun of the religion) or O Nur al-Din (Light of the religion) or O Siraj al-Din when it has preceded in the knowledge of Allah تبارك و تعالى that he is coal from the coals of hell?”.