The happiest of people

أَعَزُّ النَّاسِ

(The happiest of people)

أََحْذِيَةٌ دَخَلَتْ الَّتارِيخَ

نَعْلَا الْكِسَائِي

(اللَّذَانِ تَقَاتَلَ عَلَى حَمْلِهِمَا وَلِيَّا عَهْدِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ الأَمِينُ والْمَأْمُونُ)

كَانَ الْكِسَائِيُّ يُؤَدِّبُ الْأَمِيرَيْنِ الَأَمِينَ وَالْمَأْمُونَ ابْنَي الْخَلِيفَةِ هَارُونَ الرَّشِيدِ الْعَبَّاسِيِّ فَلَمَّا أَرَادَ يَوْمًا الُّنهُوضَ لِلْانْصِرَافِ مِنْ عِنْدِهِ تَسَابَقَ الْأَمِيرَانِ عَلَى نَعْلَيْهِ لِيُقَدِمِاهُمَا لَهُ، فَتَنَازَعَا أَيُّهُمَا يَفْعَلُ ثُمَّ اصْطَلَحَا عَلَى أَنْ يُقَدِّمَ كُلُّ وَاحِدٌ مِنْهُمَا وَاحِدَةً فَلَمَّا رُفِعَ الْخَبَرُ إِلَى الْخَلِيفَةِ الرَّشِيدِ، اسْتَدْعَى الْكِسَائِيَّ فَلَمَّا مَثُلَ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ، قَال: مَنْ أَعَزُّ النَّاسِ؟  قَالَ الْكِسَائِيُّ: لَا أَعْلَمُ أَعَزَّ مِنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِين

قَالَ الْخَلِيفَةُ:

بَلَى، إِنَّ أَعَزَّ النَّاسِ مَنْ إِذَا نَهَضَ تَقَاتَلَ عَلَى تَقْدِيمِ نَعْلَيْهِ وَلِيَّا عَهْدِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ حَتَّى يَرْضَى كُلَّ مِنْهُمَا أَنْ يُقَدِّمَ لَهُ وَاحِدَةً.

فَأَخَذَ الْكِسَائِيُّ يَعْتَذِرُ حَاسِبًا أَنَّهُ أَخْطَأَ فِي حَقِّ الْأَمِيرَيْن.

فَقَالَ لَهُ الْخَلِيفَةُ هَارُونُ الرَّشِيدُ: لَوْ مَنَعْتَهُمَا مِنْ تِلْكَ لَأَوْجَعْتَكَ لَوْمًا وَعِتَابًا وَلَأَلْزَمْتُكَ ذَنْبًا.

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One of the Most Infamous Shoes in History! 

Famous Sandals!

(The Role and Importance of Knowledge 

and science in Islam)

Many of the Muslim rulers and caliphs also used to give immense importance to knowledge and the reverence of scholars.  It is related that Hārūn al-Rashīd used to send his two sons al-Amīn and al-Mā’mūn to learn from Imām al-Kisā’ī who was one of the seven reciters of the Qur’an. 

One day after class was finished; al-Amīn and al-Ma’mūn were competing to carry the sandals of the shaykh.  Each one wanted to carry them and then they settled for each of them carrying one sandal. Meanwhile, Hārūn al-Rashīd was watching them from an elevated place in his residence. 

He later invited him to a table he had prepared for him.  He then asked him during the meal, “Who is the happiest of people?”  The shaykh said to him: “You are O Leader of the Believers.”  He said, “No.  The happiest of people is the one who the two heirs of the Leader of the Believers (amīr al-mu’minīn) quarrel to carry his sandals.”

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