The Humility of the Ahlullah and Pomposity of Shallow Ulama – Stories and Lessons – Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (rahmatullah alayh)

Some villains abused the Ahlullah [pious servants of Allah] and wished to discredit them. They [the villains] had faeces thrown on their [the Ahlullah’s] graves. But their names and their spiritual effulgence are still shining and dazzling whilst those villains have become unknown and assigned to oblivion. No one knows their names now and there is no trace of their graves. The resting places of the Ahlullah on the other hand are up to today frequently visited.

It is furthermore observed that the Ahlullah desire obliteration, nonexistence and obscurity whilst shallow Ulama resort to all tricks in the book for self-aggrandizement and popularity. But the Ahlullah, that is the true Ulama shine out whilst the popularity of the shallow Ulama remains for a short time, only to be lost in the bowels of the earth.

Some writers never even wrote their names in their works. But their kitaabs are accepted and widely-circulated. Shallow Ulama on the other hand extravagantly display their names, but their books are assigned to archives.

An amusing incident comes to mind. One person asked another: “What is your name?” The person questioned wanted to be pompous and replied: “My name is Abu Abdillahis Samee’il Aleem Allathi yumsikus sama-a antaqa’ alal ardhi illa be-ithnih.” [His name was Abu Abdillah. He attached some attributes of Allah Ta’ala with words of the Qur’aan to make his name sound grandiose.]

The questioner smiled and said: “Oh, Welcome, Mr. Half of the Qur’aan.”

This is the mannerism of those who are conceited. By hook or by crook they wish to project themselves into the limelight.