You’ve
GOT to read this story, it’s truly inspiring about the Great Islamic Scholar!

Many
years ago, during the time of the Taabi’een [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 that 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 Allaah?’
‘In which direction
does Allaah face?’
‘What is Allaah 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,
there 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 Allaah?” 

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 Allaah 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 Noor-us-Samawati-wal-‘Ard:
Allaah – the Light of the Heavens and the Earth!? Light upon Light, Allaah
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 answers 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 Allaah doing at this moment?” The boy proudly answered, “At this
moment, when Allaah 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 Allaah, He raised him up and established the Truth. Every day
He exercises [universal]
power. 

[Soorah 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.

Allaah,
the Exalted, blessed him with special wisdom and knowledge of the Deen [religion]. 

His
name was Hazrat Imaam Abu Hanifah [Rahmatul Laah Alaieh – May Allaah have mercy
on him] and he is known today Imaam-e-A’zam], the Great Imaam and scholar of
Islam.