Page 71 - The Importance of the Ahl Al-Sunnah

ADNAN OKTAR

ions on matters until he felt mature enough to handle this kind
of serious intellectual responsibility. With his knowledge and
modesty, he quickly became a renowned and respected schol-
ar.
His discourses generally directed his audiences’ attention to
three subjects. Seriousness, modesty and spiritual peace dom-
inated his conversation. He did not like to mock anybody and
was naturally very respectful of people with whom he con-
versed.
He would only relate hadiths when requested to do so. In
order not to make a mistake he would read the hadiths from
their sources rather than relying on memory. Again, this
shows his meticulousness and his commitment to the truthful
relaying of the sayings of the Prophet (saas).
He made special requests that the hadiths he related to his
students should be written down. He also demanded that the
fatwas he issued should be described in writing lest they might
be misunderstood.
He struggled against heretical movements right up to the end
of his life. That resulted in him having serious problems with the
ruler of the time, Caliph al-Mutasim. He was arrested and
imprisoned in Baghdad. The difficulties he endured elevated him
even further in the public eye. The oppression continued even
after his release. He was forbidden to hold discourses, and per-
mission was even denied for him to go to the mosque to per-
form the prayer. One after another his students were cast into
prison. His feet were shackled and he began the journey from
Baghdad to Tarsus to be brought into the presence of the
Caliph, and died on the road in 128 AH.
His school was prevented from spreading because the
Hanafi, Maliki and Shafi‘i schools had already spread in Islamic
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