Secrets of Islam

A Wise Young Boy

Many years ago, during the time of Tabi’in (the generation of muslims after
the Sahabah)), Baghdad was a great city in Islam. In fact, it was the
capitol 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 the time sent an envoy to Bahgdad 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 the answer.

The Khalifa 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 you with a great amount of
wealth which I have brought from the king of Rome.” As for the questions,
they were as follows:

“What was there before Allah?”

“In which direction does Allah face?”

“What is Allah engaged in at this moment?”

The great assembly of people were silent. (Can you think of the answers to
these questions?) In the midst of these brilliant scholars and students of
Islam was a man looking on with his young son. “Oh my dear father, I will
answer him and silence him!” said the youth.

So, the boy sought the permission of the Khalifa 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 Allah?”

The boy asked, “Do you know how to count?” “Yes”, said the man. “Then
count down from ten”, said the boy. So the Roman counted down, “Ten, nine,
eight, …….” Until he counted to one. When he reached the number one he
stopped counting. “What comes before one?”, asked the boy. “There is
nothing before the arithmetic number one”, said the Roman. “Well then, if
there is nothing before the arithmetic number ‘one’ then how do you expect
there to 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 the boy, Then tell me which direction is Allah
facing?”

The boy told the Roman, “Bring a candle and light it then tell me which
direction the flame is facing. “But the flame is just light, it spreads in
four directions, North South, East and West. It does not face any one
direction only.” Said the Roman in wonderment. The boy cried out, “Then if
this physical light spreads in all four directions in such a way that you
can not tell me the exact direction it is facing then what do you expect of
the Nur-us-Samawati-wal-Ard; Allah - the light of the Heavens and the Earth!
Light upon Light, Allah faces all directions at al 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 the boy said,
“Wait! You are the one asking the questions and I am the one giving the
answers to these challenges. It is only fair that you should come down to
where I am standing and I should go to where you are standing so that the
answers can be clearly heard to all the people. This seemed reasonable to
the Roman so he went down to where the boy was standing and the boy ascended
to the platform. The Roman the asked the boy his final question, “Tell me,
what is Allah doing at this moment?”

The boy proudly answered, “At this moment, when Allah found upon this
platform a liar and a mockery of Islam, he caused him to descend and brought
him low. And for him who believed in the Oneness of Allah, he raised him up
and established the Truth.Every day he exercises universal power. (Surah
55-Ar-Rahman- Ayah 29).

The Roman had nothing to say just to leave and return to his country,
defeated. Meanwhile, this boy grew up to be one of the most famous scholars
of Islam. Allah, the Exalted, blessed him with special wisdom and knowledge
of the Deen.[b]