E be like say business no be my way. Let me remain my malimu jeje.
I have wanted to be a malimu taajir like Ibn Mubaarak - rahimahullah, but in the look of things, e be like say like Fudayl bn Iyaad - rahimahullah - I go be.
Ibn Mubaarak and Fudayl were also contemporaries. Fudayl would stay at Ka'abah doing Ibaadah and teaching the people while Ibn Mubaarak would be trading and doing Jihaad about, while he would still be passing on knowledge.
Ibn Mubaarak was a marvellous person, he said to Fudayl:
'If not because of you and your comrades, I wouldn't have been trading'. (Tahdeeb Tahdeeb 4/144)
The meaning is that Allaah granted him trading skills, blessed his business pursuits and he spent its proceeds on the needy ones among the scholars and others.
He used to spend about a hundred thousand dirham (silver coins) on such people every year.
(Imaam Layth bn Sa'd also comes to mind. That one was just spending on Imaam Maalik like kikode).
He would sponsor his students (in their hundreds) to hajj every year, full sponsorship fa.
I really want to be like Ibn Mubaarak Inshaa Allaah, and if na Fudayl bn Iyaad, I will be extremely happy. There is no ashadanu in all of them.
May Allaah bestow his mercy on all of them, they were all wonderful people.
May Allaah also continue to provide for our brothers spending in His cause. By Allaah we have such wonderful people too amidst us.
