FROM A DOORMAN TO A RENOWNED SCHOLAR!

Shaykh Sulayman Ar-Ruhaili hafidahullah states: Shaykh Muqbil Al-Wadi‘ee, may Allāh have mercy on him, was an imām—just as Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen, may Allāh have mercy on him, used to say, "I regard him as an imām." Undoubtedly, whoever learns about the life of Shaykh Muqbil, may Allāh have mercy on him, will be astonished. He began as a guard for a building —a mere guard! Then some textbooks land in his hands on the subject of Tawheed. He read them and developed a love for knowledge, Tawheed, and the Sunnah. He then began seeking knowledge, until Allāh willed that he be admitted to the Islamic University (of Madinah), where he obtained two degrees simultaneously. This was permitted at the time: a student could study through affiliation (non-residential) in one college while being a regular (residential) student in another. I believe he studied in the College of Shari'ah and the College of Da‘wah. When he prepared his master’s thesis, it was said during the defense: "If the regulations permitted awarding a doctorate in the same sitting, he would have been granted both a master's and a doctorate." Allāh then caused great benefit to come through him in Yemen, where his call to Islam became truly remarkable. Dear brothers, we ought to read the biographies and histories of our scholars—both those from earlier times and those closer to our own. Doing so lifts the ambitions, by the will of Allāh. Consider: a building guard became one of the great imāms of the Muslim Ummah—through sincerity and a commitment to seeking knowledge. Therefore, do not belittle yourself, nor yearn for recognition. Rather, be sincere for the sake of Allāh and pursue knowledge; for indeed, Allāh elevates those who believe and are given knowledge in degrees. Shaykh Muqbil, may Allāh have mercy on him, was not granted sons, but was blessed with four daughters. He used to say to his students, “I have more sons than any of you—my students are my sons.” Indeed, anyone who knew Shaykh Muqbil knows that he cared for his students with the care of a father toward his children. He would visit some of them in their rooms, repeat and explain scholarly matters to them, and regularly check on them. How much we are in need of this today. How much we are in need of genuine love among ourselves—so that we may sincerely advise one another and defend one another’s honour as a means of drawing nearer to Allāh, the Exalted. I ask Allāh, the Almighty, to grant us sincerity and truthfulness, to bless us with good conduct in the manner that He loves, and to protect us from the evil within ourselves and from the devils. #فوائد_تربوية #Tarbiyah@masjidsahabah