Importance of Recognizing Young Scholars
Imam Ibn al-Jazari, may Allah have mercy on him, narrated from his teacher’s teacher, Taqi al-Din al-Saigh, who said:
When I reached the study of the Qur’anic recitations with our teacher Ibn Nashirah up to Surah Al-Fajr, he prevented me from completing it, as if he deemed me too young for the certification. This distressed me greatly, so I went to our teacher, Kamal al-Din the Blind, and informed him. He said, “Tomorrow, when the sheikh sits, take my hand and lead me to him.”
The next morning, when the sheikh arrived, I went to Kamal al-Din the Blind, took his hand, and led him to Ibn Nashirah. They conversed for a while, and then Kamal al-Din asked, “Why have you not allowed this student to complete his recitation?”
Ibn Nashirah replied, “O my master, there are many people, and this one is young. Only Allah knows when those who have studied with us will pass away.”
Kamal al-Din then said, “Listen, we grant certification to anyone who walks and crawls; perhaps from among them, someone will emerge who benefits the people, and we will be remembered through him. How do you know that this might not be the case?” And he gestured towards me.
Taqi al-Din al-Saigh said, “By Allah, it was indeed an insight from Sheikh Kamal al-Din, for there remains no one on the face of the earth who narrates from both of them except me.”
(Note: Most of our chains of transmission in the Qur’anic recitations today trace back to Imam Ibn al-Jazari, who narrates from several of Taqi al-Din al-Saigh’s students, and Taqi narrates from Kamal al-Din the Blind, who narrates from al-Shatibi, may Allah have mercy on them all. Thus, the insight of the sheikh was proven true, and Allah blessed his knowledge through his student, Taqi al-Din al-Saigh, and his intercession for him, up to this day.
Therefore, no teacher should underestimate any student, even if they are young; for one does not know in which of their students the blessing may reside, nor which of them Allah will elevate in remembrance, making them a means for the transmission of knowledge, the spread of their chain of narration, and the prayers and supplications of the people for them.
And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds.)
