The Spanish Legend Baqi Ibn Makhlad

In our last Joomla together, we discussed the fact that greatness does not just fall in your lap.

And if it does, it usually slips through the cracks unless you gear up for it beforehand, unless you work for it in preparation. It doesn't come to those who don't work for it. It isn't claimed by those who haven't put in the discipline and the work and the effort for it. What we did not say last Friday

is that when greatness does come, though, it comes in all different shapes and sizes. It's very interesting and wise, profound, how the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam would constantly separate for the Sahaba the notion of greatness with the notion of popularity, it's not always the same thing.

In one instance, he saw a man that was reputable in the towns and they said to them, what do you think of this man? They say this man when he speaks he's listened to. And when He intercedes he steps in to help someone they always accept and respect his requests. And when he proposes to a family, any family opens the door wide open for him. And at a later time, he asked them, What do you think of this man? They said, This man, he's a nobody speaks, nobody listens. If He intercedes, he's dismissed. When he proposes everyone shuts the door in his face. No family wants to build bonds with him. He said to them, well, this second man is worth so much more. He is even superior to have an

Earth's load of the first man. It's not what you think.

And I was recollecting recently, maybe a perfect example for this is a great Imam and scholar and pioneer of Islam 1200 years ago, that unless you're specialized in the Islamic sciences, you may never hear of,

but those who no no, and this was the great legend of Muslim Spain of en de Lucia.

Al Imam Batavian immaculate, Bucky, even immaculate, may Allah have mercy on his soul. This man traveled twice, he left home twice to collect the sunnah to collect the teachings of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and bring them home to his people. Those two trips accounted for 34 years of his life. The first trip was 20 years. The second trip was 14 years roaming the earth corner to corner if you will, much of that journey was even on foot on foot.

And among those trips are the segments of that lifelong journey was when he finally was able to reach Baghdad. And Baghdad at the time was the powerhouse of the Sunnah the powerhouse of Hadith, a stronghold and so as soon as he gets there, his dream of meeting Imam Muhammad, even the humble is shattered. They tell him no. The man Muhammad didn't humble it's not available. He's under house arrest. He's not allowed to teach anyone anymore. And it's hard to his broken. He goes to basically the equivalent of a motel, drops his bags off and heads for the Masjid.

He gets to the masjid he's he's he's huge crowds of high caliber students and teachers. And in the biggest crowd, he sees everyone asking this one man he asks them who is this man? They say this? Yeah, having in mind, the lifelong partner remember? Hammond? Yeah, hidden marine was specialized within Hadith, particularly on a geography with daddy, which is Narrator evaluation, the way Allah preserved the Sunnah for us, so that we can understand the Quran so that we could live by Islam is that every single narrator that we take a Hadith from, there's like a portfolio for them. They're under investigation, and the fewer and the better people in the chain, the more reliable that hadith

is for us, right. And so this was a person specialized in that sub discipline subset of the Hadith sciences. He was a living legend. So he made his way up to the front and everyone's asking him questions. What about this person from that country and this person from that country? He says to him, Listen, I'm not from around here. Please let me get some priority. Let me get my questions in. You'll be around tomorrow. So they let him in. He asked question after question till I tell them enough. Enough. We want our chance he has Okay, one more question.

What about Medina Hamburg, Imam Muhammad. So instead what you asked me to evaluate Muhammad, you asked me about that. Ahmed is asked about us. We don't grade him. He grades everybody.

And he was bent at that was I have to meet him. I don't care. And so he asked, Where does he live? And he made his way

way to the house of Imam Muhammad himself.

Rahim Allah Allah, he knocks on his door, the Imam comes to the door. He says to him and avalable Hadith I am a seeker I track the globe seeking a hadith. And I've come to you from very faraway lands to learn the Hadith directly from you. I don't want any middlemen directly from you.

And so Imam Ahmed says to him for like where? And then even Muhammad suggested or asked about the farthest place imaginable to him, he said to him, Africa, you from Africa.

So believe knuckle it says to him, I have to cross the ocean to get to Africa.

Like Africa is a pitstop on route to Boca that. So the Imam says to him in that caliber, you really are from far away. And there is nothing more beloved to me than to fulfill this need of yours to learn the Hadith from me, but you may have heard of what I'm going through the persecution and the house arrest and all of these limitations put on me. I cannot allow. He said to him, I heard and I don't care.

We can be slick about it. I'll come to you every single day, dressed like a beggar. I'll dress myself in rags and an oily turban and I'll come to your door saying FISA Videla give me something for Allah give me something for Allah. And I'll keep it brief give you come to the door as if you're given me some money or some food, give me one Hadith to Hadith and I'll walk away I promise.

So Imam Muhammad he folded, he said, Fine, I'll do it on one condition that you not attend any classes in any Masjid. Because if you start attending, people are going to catch who you are, then you're a student of Hadith coming to my house, it's all over. You're going to have to be satisfied and settle for one or two a hadith today, and he did that. He accepted the stipulation.

Eventually, as time went by the alethic, the Caliph of the time one of those who was among the Inquisitors, those who held the Inquisition and the persecution, he finally dies, and every persecutor is bound to die. And Al mutawa kill takes the reigns and he basically removes everything.

And Imam Muhammad is reinstated and he becomes even more famous than before and when he gets into the masjid, he clears out a spot in every gathering for both evening McCullough to come sit next to him. And he says, This is the most deserving person on earth of the title polyboard Alien, a true seeker of sacred knowledge. This guy was relentless. No one none of you know him, but he was relentless.

And then one time even while in Baghdad bhakti evening, McCulloch became sick and stopped attending. Imam Muhammad asked where's the Imam where's the man but they they said he's, he can't get out of his room. So he walks over to the hotel where he's in. And remember, he says, I hear a huge clamor, like there's a riot outside, but I'm laying down I can't get up. Suddenly the knocks on my door open the door. It's Imam Ahmed himself visiting me. And behind him is the planet. Everybody. There's a whole crowd behind behind him, pens and papers in hand, wanting to record the exchange what's going to happen between the Imam Muhammad and believing the Messiah and he made some dua for him some

prayers for him and he left.

And then everyone in the motel realizes, Oh man, we have like a huge Willy of Allah, someone very close to God on our hands, and they start just unloading gifts on him money and food and blankets and he becomes like a celebrity.

But eventually he was on a mission. The mission was not to be popular was not to be a celebrity. He leaves Baghdad and he goes home. He goes home and he says that I have in my time back home before he died. He said I have planted in these lands in Muslim Spain. Things meaning teachings of Islam teachings of the Sunnah teachings of the Mohammed in a way that will not be able no one will be able to uproot them, until the JAL comes out until the end of time.

And he was the two greatest scholars who pioneered Islam teachings in that region. Yes, politically, it was a Muslim land, but the teachings of the Sunnah were credited originally to to people in Muslim Spain, but they even immaculate and Mohammed Mohammed norba to be Rahima. Whom Allah.

What's interesting also, though, not just that he run from celebrity in Baghdad, but he put together historically the largest compilation

Qin Hadith in the history of Islam, it's called the Muslim of birth even immaculate. Unfortunately, that transcript or that manuscript has been lost, we don't have it anymore.

But its impact remains throughout the lens remains throughout the generations remains and was inherited by so many scholars.

And so this was a great but he was invisible for the most part that will never take away from him the reward the celebrity, the honor and glory of doing what he could in whatever little bit of opportunity he was given. May we all be the same Allahumma Amin Apolo COLA that was stuck from La La Familia welcome

Al hamdu Lillahi wa Salatu was Salam ala Milena be about the shadow Allah ilaha illallah wa la sharika lahu a shadow and Mohammed Abdullah who want to be you who are solo.

And so the rule should never be forgotten this golden principle that the greats when we speak about greatness are not only those most visible on the world stage. In fact, even among Muslims, some of the most visible on the world stage

will be the first to enter the Hellfire May we never be of them. Didn't he say Salah who has in the first three to enter the fire will be a scholar and a warrior and a donor that were insincere. That just did it for the fame. So that removed them from the rank of the greats. Even though in terms of this world, they were among the ranks of the popular

greats can be great, even if they're invisible to most. And they can be the most impactful even in this world, even if their names and their marks are forgotten.

You know, it's not just the prophets also that were like minorities in their people and had great impact. You think about the Quran, how many times the Quran captures for you, people whose names we don't know whose story we don't know. But they're sort of just like mentioned, they're like, Allah who wanted to immortalize their mansion. Why, as an inspiration for us? You could be in the grander scheme of things a margin in the story. But with Allah He or something else go to see what he has seen. What do we know about the man in Saudi I seen that he came running from the end of town and he said, You are calling me who mousseline wasn't a prophet or messenger. He directed them Hey, guys,

don't ignore the prophets and messengers, don't you dare. So Allah told us about him. Why?

Because that is that is us. All of us have that opportunity. You go to Salma Ada, long conversation, Musa selling bento Surah, Al enter the Promised Land, no, there's tyrants in there and so on and so forth. Then Allah says, to men who had the fear of God, it's an invisible quality right, stood up and said, just listen to Musa just walk in Allah who will give you victory. Why? Why are these things mentioned in passing? Because many of those who pass unnoticed in this world are true giants in the sight of Allah azza wa jal.

You know, even think about the Dawa in world history, who exactly was it? Who brought Islam to the subcontinent of India, of India? Who brought it?

Who exactly were they? Who put 10s of millions of Muslims there in China? After Allah's permission, right? Who is it exactly who brought Islam to the Americas? Even on an individual level? Who is it that gave Malcolm X or Suraj EHEDG? Who is it you know, their names who gave them their Shahada? And they stepped forward and they they put Islam on their shoulders, they put a generation on their shoulder and say, Get on? I'll carry you who did that? Their names are forgotten but not with Allah azza wa jal?

Who are the people nowadays in this Masjid? I know some of them. Most people don't. They have full time jobs, and they have big families, and they get up at 3am. They get up at 4am hours before Vegeta sometimes to make sure the persecution of the Muslims doesn't go unnoticed, that the world doesn't just hear what the news cycle will quickly flash at you to remain awake to remain aware, to remain cognizant of the propagandas of the misinformation

of the brutality of the people that are downtrodden and need our resources. Who are those people? These are not just people who are warriors for a moment of bravery. These are people who lived for Allah. And those are greater warriors many times and those who died for Allah in one instance.

And think of every single parent what a jihad it is to basically be mocked.

Even the McMullen in your house, I only gonna get one chance or two a day to give my advice or take something from my kids. I can't do shortcuts I sort of have to tread with caution for years on end. Those are giants in Allah's eyes. And that is why I will close with this actually. That is why and sort of the tool, there is an idea that we should pay attention to.

When Allah azza wa jal says, well, Lavina and Manu what Deborah Turia to whom be Iman, Al, how can I be him to reata, whom those who have faith, strong conviction, Allah belief, and their offspring follow them in faith, meaning the moms and dads out there who are in faith, and they work for their kids to follow them stay believers, a generation and two and 10 later, Allah says, I will allow their offspring to catch up with them. Why doesn't it say I'll put them on the higher level whoever is higher, I'll make a reunion for the family at the highest level of each of them, or the single highest level among them, because those parents can be beaten, their greatness can't be reached,

because everything they did the generations after them, do them that will elevate them as well, so you can't catch them. And so Allah is saying, I will just let you be at your parents level, even though you will never be able to catch them. That is greatness in the hereafter. greatness in the ranks of paradise between every two levels of 500 year distance, and they're lightyears ahead of us all. May Allah bless our parents, and bless us as parents and bless our activists and workers and give liberation and peace and tranquility and justice to all the Muslims in every corner of the world. May Allah bless our scholars those that we know and those that we don't mean Allah azza wa

jal sent his finest Peace and blessings upon His messengers, those we know and those we don't mean Allah immortalize our legacy in the heavens, even if it is goes obscure in the earth, Allah whom I mean