Three persons argued with a scholar

One of the scholars was in his orchard and did not mix with the people.Three persons, who used to sneeze at him and at those who behave in suchmanner, heard about him. One of them said, let us go and argue this scholar.The first advanced towards him and said that, you (the scholars) said Allahis existent and accordingly I want to see Allah. The Scholar nodded withthem in agreement. The second advanced and said, you said, on the Day ofJudgment, the chastisement will be with fire and the Jinn were created fromthe fire, so how is fire tortured by fire. The third and this indicatesthat the man is not responsible for his actions and I see that man createshis actions. Consequently, the scholar filled his hand with a dust and threwit at their faces and said to them this is my answer to your questions.Thereupon, they agreed to sue him and they took him to the ruler. The rulerasked him, ‘Are they truthful in what they said that you threw the dust attheir faces?’, He replied, ‘yes’. He said to him, ‘Why?’ the scholar said,‘Because the first asked me to see his Lord since He is existent, so, sayto him to make me see the pain he felt from the dust and I will make him seewhat he wants. ‘The ruler asked the complainer, ‘Are you able to make himsee the pain?’ He replied, ‘No’ The Scholar said, ‘Say to this ignorant personthat not all what is existent can be seen. As for the second, he asked meabout the torturing of the Jinn with the fire and thought that is impossibleto torture the thing with the substance from which it is made. He said tothe ruler why did this man feel pains of this dust since he is created fromit. And the third asked me about the meaning of predestination and saidto me you must admit that the man is forced in his actions and forget thatman has the choice of gaining (whether good or bad). If I had no choice inthrowing the dust at the face of these persons, why did he sue me?’ Here,the ruler said, do not think that you can masterly identify God. He is beyondthe creatures’ intuition for He is more Glorious to be known except throughHis creatures and signs.6 Three persons argued with a scholarThe place of this gathering was Baghdad, the center of radiation ofIslamic thought at that time. The reason of that gathering was the arrivalof a deputy from outside the country to argue the Muslims scholars concerningAllah (Exalted and Dignified be He). The scholars choose the grand scholarin that time, Sheikh Hamad, the Sheikh of Abu Hanifa (may Allah be pleasedwith both of them). While the people were awaiting the scholar, Abu Hanifasuddenly appeared and welcomed the attendees and said, our scholar (Hamad)is too respectable to attend such a gathering to discuss such questions.And he chose the youngest of his students, Al-Nu’man Ibn Thabit (Abu Hanifa),to answer your questions. Then he sat in his place with the deputy and immediatelyhe was faced with a barrage of questions:The deputy: in what your Lord was born?Abu Hanifa: Allah is existent before dates, times or ages (Hisexistence has no limit).The deputy: we want you to give us examples from our tangible reality?Abu Hanifa: what is before the (number) four?The deputy: ThreeAbu Hanifa: What is before the three?The deputy: Two.Abu Hanifa: what is before the two?The deputy: one.Abu Hanifa: what is before the one?The deputy: Nothing.Abu Hanifa: If the statistical one has nothing before it, so, whatabout the Truthful One, Allah. He is Ever-Lasting and His existence has notlimit?The deputy: in which direction your Lord is?Abu Hanifa: If you bring a lamp in a dark place, in which directionthe light goes?The deputy: in all directions.Abu Hanifa: if this is the case of the artificial light, so whatabout the Light of the heavens and the earth?The deputy: Mention something about the identify (self) of yourLord? Is it solid like the steel or liquid like the water or gaseous likesmoke and evaporation?Abu Hanifa: Did you sit beside a person who is in death bed?The deputy: yesAbu Hanifa: Did he ever speak with you after he died?The deputy: certainly notAbu Hanifa: before the death, he was speaking and was also moving,but after death he became immovable and frozen. Who changed him from onestate to another?The deputy: this is because his soul was taken from his body.Abu Hanifa: was his soul taken?The deputy: yesAbu Hanifa: describe this soul for me. Is it solid like steelor liquid like the water or gaseous like smoke and evaporation?The deputy: we do not know anything about it.Abu Hanifa: if the soul which is created cannot be described, doyou want me to describe the Divine Identity for you?The deputy: in which place does your Lord exist?Abu Hanifa: if you bring a vessel filled with a fresh milk, doesthis milk contain butter?The deputy: yesAbu Hanifa: in which place the butter is in the milk?The deputy: it has no particular place, but it is spread in allthe milk.Abu Hanifa: if the created thing, the butter, has not a particularplace, do you want to make the Divine Identity to be restricted to one place?This is an astonishing thing.The deputy: if things are destined before the creation of the Universe,then what is the position of your Lord?Abu Hanifa: He decrees certain things. He raised some people andput down others.The deputy: if entering the Paradise has no beginning, how thereis no end for it, namely, its people are doomed forever.Abu Hanifa: Statistical numbers have neither beginning nor endThe deputy: how will we eat in Paradise, and neither urinate norexcrete?Abu Hanifa: you, every creature and me stayed in our mother’s wombnine months. We were nourished from the blood of our mothers but did noturinate nor excrete.The deputy: how it is possible that the bounties of the Paradiseare increased by eating and spending them and that they have no end norexpiration?Abu Hanifa: the more the knowledge is taught, the more increasingit will be.Once a Bedouin asked Abi Ja’far Muhammad Ibn Ali Ibn Al-Hasain (mayAllah be pleased with him), ‘Did you see your Lord when you worshipped Him?,‘Abi Ja’far said, ‘It is illogical to worship what I do not see.’. The Bedouin,‘How did you see Him?’, Abi Ja’far said, ‘ He cannot be seen with very eyes,but the hearts do that through faith. He cannot be realized by senses, nordoes He resemble people. He is known by His signs and marks and He is Just.This is the Lord, there is no God but He. ‘The Bedouin said, ‘Allah knowsbest where to place His mission”7.