Madrasa Culture

look at the intrinsic reality of things. Ostentatious displays started to appear utterly meaningless to me. 4. During my student days at Madrasa Al-Islah, one of my teachers was Maulana Muhammad Ahmad Lehravi. Among the books he taught me was Muwatta Imam Malik. While studying this book of Hadith, one narration of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) became so deeply ingrained in my mind that it never left me. The Hadith is as follows: Humayd ibn Abd al-Rahman ibn Awf narrated that a person came to the Prophet and said, “O Messenger of God, teac h me words by which I can live, but make sure they are few so that I do not forget them.” The Prophet of God replied, “Do not get angry.” (Muwatta Imam Malik, Hadith No. 3362) Though my teacher had a somewhat fiery temperament, the explanation he gave of this Hadith became etched in my memory. From it, I learned a fundamental principle of life during my student days: that a person must live without anger, even in provocative situations. Further study helped me understand the deeper meaning of this Hadith. It teaches that even in provocative situations, a person should respond with moderation. One must completely rid oneself of the psychology of negative reactions, even in the face of provocation.