ZEAL FOR KNOWLEDGE

The Kalimah is the essence of Islam and the basis for all achievements. No good action is acceptable without belief in Kalimah. The Sahabah, therefore, devoted most of their energy, especially in the early days of Islam, to the propagation of the Kalimah and to fighting with the forces that resisted it. Although their engagements left them very little time to drink deep from the ocean of learning with the single-mindedness demanded thereof, yet their zeal even in this direction has left us a legacy in the form of knowledge about the Qur'an and Hadith, which is quite highly creditable and a glaring example. When Sahabah got a little lei-sure from the work that kept them engaged in the beginning of Islam, and also when the number of people in Islam grew considerably, Allah revealed the following verse in the Qur'an

"And the believers should not all go out (in the path of Allah). Of every group of them, a party only should go forth that they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge in religion and that they may warn their folk when they come to them, so that they may beware." (IX: 122).

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) says:

"The verses of the Qur'an which were revealed in the beginning of Islam, demanding every Muslim to move out in the path of Allah; for example:

"If you go not forth, He will afflict you with a painful doom; (IX: 39)"

'Go forth, light and heavily armed, and strive with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah; (IX: 41).'

These verses were later on superceded by the foregoing verse, which advised only a party from each group to leave their places.

The Sahabah, very few in number as they were, had to assume the responsibilities of Islam in all fields. Allah therefore endowed them with the versatility that was theirs. After the Sahabah, the Islam spread far and wide and the Muslims swelled in number. Again, the later people lacked the versatility of the Sahabah. Allah then caused different people to specialize in different branches of Islamic learning. Mohaddithin were to devote them-selves to the collection and propagation of Hadith. Similarly the Fuqaha (jurists) Soofia (Experts in Zikr), Qurraa (Experts in recitation of Qur'an), Mujahidin (Fighters in the path of Allah), etc, each own group had its own field to take up as a whole-time task. This was very necessary at that time, for otherwise different branches of Islamic learning would not have developed so nicely, as it is difficult for one man to specialize in all the branches. The Prophets (alaihimus salaam), and especially Muhammad (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) the chief among them, were specially endowed with such a capacity. This will explain why the stories of other eminent personalities, besides the Sahabah have also been narrated in this chapter.