Chapter I: Acquisition of Knowledge
Ibn Maqatil's sickness became thereafter acute and the inhabitants of Rayy came to know what passed between him and Hatem. They said to Ha tern: The palace of Tanafusi and Qazawin is more lofty and spacious. Hatem went there on his own accord and said to Tanafusi: May God have mercy on you! I am a foreigner and I wish that you should teach me the elements of my religion and the particulars of ablution. Tanafusi said: Yes, O lad, bring a pot of water, when it was brought, Tanafusi made ablution and washed each limb thrice and said: This is thus Hatem said: I am making ablution in your presence. Then he began to wash each limb four times. Tanafusi said: O Shaikh, you have been extravagant and washed your hands four times.
Hatem said: O glorious God, i have been extravagant for washing my hands four times, but you do not consider yourself extravagant for what you are in all these luxuries. Tanafusi then came to know that he had no necessity of learning from him ablution. Thereafter he did not come out to the people for forty days.
Hatem once went to Bagdad and there Imam Ahmad went to see him and asked him: What will ensure salvation from the world? Hatem said: You are not safe in this world unless you possess four characteristics - (1) overlook the ignorance of man, (2) conceal your ignorance from them, (3) seek their good and (4)
don't seek anything from them.
When the sage Hatem went to Madina, some of its inhabitants went to him and he asked them: O people, what is the name of this city? They said: It is the city of the Prophet of God.
He asked: Where is the palace of the Prophet of God? I shall observe my prayer therein. They said: He had no palace except a
74 THE BOOK OF WORSHIP Vol-I
small cottage wherein he rested. He asked: Where are the palaces of his companions? They said: They had no palaces. They had only cottages in this world for rest. Hatem said: O people, this city then is the city of Pharaoh. They brought him before the Governor and said: This man is a foreigner and says that this is the city of Pharaoh. The governor asked him: Why do you utter this? Hatem said: Don't be hasty in judgment upon me. I am a foreigner. Then he narrated the whole conversation between him and some Medinites. Then he said: God said: You will find in the Prophet of God an excellent example - 33 : 21 Q. Whose example have you adopted, example - 33 ; 21 Q. Whose example have you adopted, example of the Prophet or of Pharaoh? They then left him. These are the stories of Hatem Asem.