Gifts of Knowledge

The ʿAllāmah, the Shaikh Muḥammad Sulṭān al-Maʿṣūmī al-Khujandī al-Makkī, who some of you may know through the English translation of his book on blind-following which you can find here, said:

“One of the people who was guided and became enlightened through this Divine Light was a man from the West, from those who ascribe to Christianity. He read the translation of the meanings of the Qurʾān in English and so Allah allowed him to see the truth and enlightened him. He learnt Arabic and came to understand some meanings of the Qurʾān and thus became certain that Islam was the true religion which could make a person happy in this life and the next and so embraced it. Then he migrated from his country intending to settle in a Muslim land and so ended up settling in the two ḥarams [Makkah and Medīnah].

But when he saw those who called themselves Muslims here, and their manners, and how they dealt with people in a manner which opposed Islam and its teachings he was shocked and confused, and said to me:

‘Alḥamdulillāh that I became a Muslim before meeting these Muslims. This is a blessing from Allah on me. If I had seen these people before that I would have fled both from them and Islam, but I understood Allah’s address to us when He said, ‘O Mankind! …’ and I am one of mankind, and that meant that I had to fear Allah who created and nurtured me and that I must believe in His Messengers and Books, and I was certain that everyone who fears Allah, his Lord, will be happy in both abodes, and that whoever disbelieves and denies [the Truth] then Allah’s Punishment is severe, and no-one has the excuse of ignorance as long as he can understand …’ etc.!

So look how this European learnt knowledge and sought guidance, in the same way every individual from mankind has the ability to learn and understand his Lord’s Speech, that is why Allah addressed them in general terms, and ordered them to have faith and fear Him, and to follow the Messenger who He sent with the Truth, a Messenger who was sent to all of mankind as a mercy for them, whether man or jinn …

This gentleman who was guided to Islam has accompanied me since 1937 and attended my lectures. He often asks me about the meanings of āyahs from the Qurʾān and ḥadīths, and has become a good Muslim. I ask Allah, the Most High, to make both me and him and all Muslims firm in īmān, to always grant us success and to give us a good ending, āmīn.”
Tamyīzul-Maḥẓūẓīn ʿanil-Maḥrūmīn fī Tajrīdid-Dīn wa Tawḥīdil-Mursalīn, pp. 39-40.

This is Shaikh Muḥammad Sulṭān al-Maʿṣūmī al-Khujandī: