Continuation of the Shaykh's remarks on balancing his work with the pursuit of knowledge, and some of his biography.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The Shaykh : Then, during a period of working in the shop, a Palestinian man who had emigrated to Damascus got to know me. He offered to send one of his sons to learn the trade. I told him, "My brother, I have no objection, but I have conditions. The first condition is:
that it is not permissible for him to work for two or three months, taking the basics of the knowledge, at a time when I would gain absolutely nothing from him, because all my effort would be directed toward teaching him. If he did not feel he had gained any knowledge, he would turn his back and leave me, having benefited while I had gained nothing from him. I thought the man was good and he promised me well. Indeed, this apprentice stayed with me for years until I said, "You are now able to be independent and open a shop." So he opened a shop in a village called *al-Qaboun*, where he and his father were living.
The questioner : Was he a student of knowledge?
The Shaykh : No, he was not a student of knowledge.
The questioner : The knowledge of watches.
The Shaykh : Yes, watches. So, in any case, this also concerned me. I would prepare the watches and things he could not do himself, so some time was also made available for me through him. In this way, I managed to save a long time for studying knowledge, and through the Zahiriyyah Library.
Likewise, Allah made it easy for me by means of some private bookstores that sell books to people. They would lend me what I did not have, and I did not have anything, because I was young and did not have a single book, nor could I afford to buy books. So I would take one or two books, or more, from the private bookstores and leave them with me in the shop. When the lender no longer had another copy and someone came wanting to buy the one I had, he would send me a message, and I would send him the copy. Sometimes the copy would remain with me for years with no one asking for it, especially books on hadith, as you know, it was a neglected matter at that time with no demand for it. The Zahiriyyah Library, the Qasibati Library, and the Hashimi Arab Library were also among the means that Allah provided for me, so that I benefited from their books as if they were my own property.
The questioner : My teacher!
The Shaykh : And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
The questioner : My teacher, regarding the paper that was lost once.
The Shaykh : Yes, he knows its story because it is recorded in the introduction to the index of the Zahiriyyah manuscripts.
The questioner : I have not come across it.
The Shaykh : Do you not have the index?
The questioner : I have not come across it.
The Shaykh : The index of the Zahiriyyah Library?!
The questioner : Yes, it is yours; we do not have it in Egypt at all, and it is not known there.
The Shaykh : Ah, then you are the most deserving person. I have two copies, so I can give you one of them.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If Allah wills, since you do not have it.
The questioner : Fine, can you recite it to me so I can take it by hearing?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : The story of this paper.
The Shaykh : Also here in the upper part?!
The questioner : I will take it by hearing.
The Shaykh : This is a strange story, but there is no time, my teacher. Postpone it for another time, if Allah wills. I will give them a message. It is now nine o'clock; let us finish, if Allah wills, we will have another opportunity, if Allah wills.
The questioner : Fine, what about the index of the Zahiriyyah?!
The Shaykh : What about it?
The questioner : The index.
Another questioner: Have some coffee, my teacher.
The Shaykh : Say it is nine o'clock.
The questioner : He says they are having coffee.
The Shaykh : He will finish his cup.
The questioner : As I told Dr. 'Isam when I was sick, other than today, praise be to Allah for your safety.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I told him, "You have shared the burden with me now."
The questioner : How is our Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, I am well.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good for the book, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And may you have the same and better.
The questioner : Fine, if Allah wills, shall we continue the translation?
The Shaykh : As you wish.
that it is not permissible for him to work for two or three months, taking the basics of the knowledge, at a time when I would gain absolutely nothing from him, because all my effort would be directed toward teaching him. If he did not feel he had gained any knowledge, he would turn his back and leave me, having benefited while I had gained nothing from him. I thought the man was good and he promised me well. Indeed, this apprentice stayed with me for years until I said, "You are now able to be independent and open a shop." So he opened a shop in a village called *al-Qaboun*, where he and his father were living.
The questioner : Was he a student of knowledge?
The Shaykh : No, he was not a student of knowledge.
The questioner : The knowledge of watches.
The Shaykh : Yes, watches. So, in any case, this also concerned me. I would prepare the watches and things he could not do himself, so some time was also made available for me through him. In this way, I managed to save a long time for studying knowledge, and through the Zahiriyyah Library.
Likewise, Allah made it easy for me by means of some private bookstores that sell books to people. They would lend me what I did not have, and I did not have anything, because I was young and did not have a single book, nor could I afford to buy books. So I would take one or two books, or more, from the private bookstores and leave them with me in the shop. When the lender no longer had another copy and someone came wanting to buy the one I had, he would send me a message, and I would send him the copy. Sometimes the copy would remain with me for years with no one asking for it, especially books on hadith, as you know, it was a neglected matter at that time with no demand for it. The Zahiriyyah Library, the Qasibati Library, and the Hashimi Arab Library were also among the means that Allah provided for me, so that I benefited from their books as if they were my own property.
The questioner : My teacher!
The Shaykh : And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
The questioner : My teacher, regarding the paper that was lost once.
The Shaykh : Yes, he knows its story because it is recorded in the introduction to the index of the Zahiriyyah manuscripts.
The questioner : I have not come across it.
The Shaykh : Do you not have the index?
The questioner : I have not come across it.
The Shaykh : The index of the Zahiriyyah Library?!
The questioner : Yes, it is yours; we do not have it in Egypt at all, and it is not known there.
The Shaykh : Ah, then you are the most deserving person. I have two copies, so I can give you one of them.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : If Allah wills, since you do not have it.
The questioner : Fine, can you recite it to me so I can take it by hearing?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : The story of this paper.
The Shaykh : Also here in the upper part?!
The questioner : I will take it by hearing.
The Shaykh : This is a strange story, but there is no time, my teacher. Postpone it for another time, if Allah wills. I will give them a message. It is now nine o'clock; let us finish, if Allah wills, we will have another opportunity, if Allah wills.
The questioner : Fine, what about the index of the Zahiriyyah?!
The Shaykh : What about it?
The questioner : The index.
Another questioner: Have some coffee, my teacher.
The Shaykh : Say it is nine o'clock.
The questioner : He says they are having coffee.
The Shaykh : He will finish his cup.
The questioner : As I told Dr. 'Isam when I was sick, other than today, praise be to Allah for your safety.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I told him, "You have shared the burden with me now."
The questioner : How is our Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, I am well.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good for the book, my Shaykh.
The Shaykh : And may you have the same and better.
The questioner : Fine, if Allah wills, shall we continue the translation?
The Shaykh : As you wish.