رِحْلَةُ العَالِمِ

The Scholar's Journey

الفصلُ الأَوَّلُ: طَلَبُ العِلْمِ

Chapter One: The Pursuit of Knowledge

فِي مَدِينَةِ نِزْوَى العامِرَةِ بِالعِلْمِ، كانَ الشَّيْخُ مُحَمَّدُ بنُ عَلِيٍّ يُدَرِّسُ الفِقْهَ وَالتَّفْسِيرَ. لَكِنَّ قَلْبَهُ كانَ يَتُوقُ إِلى المَزِيدِ.

In the city of Nizwa, flourishing with knowledge, Sheikh Muhammad bin Ali taught jurisprudence and Quranic interpretation. But his heart yearned for more.

قالَ لِتَلامِيذِهِ: «إِنَّ العِلْمَ بَحْرٌ لا ساحِلَ لَهُ. وَأَنا ذاهِبٌ لِأَغُوصَ فِي أَعْماقِهِ.»

He said to his students: "Knowledge is a sea without shore. And I am going to dive into its depths."

حَمَلَ كُتُبَهُ وَمِحْبَرَتَهُ، وَانْطَلَقَ فِي رِحْلَةٍ سَتَسْتَمِرُّ عِشْرِينَ عامًا.

He carried his books and inkwell, and embarked on a journey that would last twenty years.

الفصلُ الثَّانِي: بَيْنَ الحَواضِرِ

Chapter Two: Among the Great Cities

سافَرَ الشَّيْخُ مُحَمَّدٌ إِلى بَغْدادَ، حَيْثُ دَرَسَ عَلى يَدِ أَعْلَمِ العُلَماءِ. ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ إِلى القاهِرَةِ، فَتَعَلَّمَ فِي الأَزْهَرِ الشَّرِيفِ. وَزارَ دِمَشْقَ وَحَلَبَ وَقُرْطُبَةَ.

Sheikh Muhammad traveled to Baghdad, where he studied under the most learned scholars. Then he went to Cairo, learning at the noble Al-Azhar. And he visited Damascus, Aleppo, and Cordoba.

فِي كُلِّ مَدِينَةٍ، كانَ يَجْلِسُ مَعَ العُلَماءِ، يَسْأَلُ وَيُناقِشُ وَيَكْتُبُ. كانَ يَقُولُ: «خُذِ الحِكْمَةَ مِنْ أَيِّ وِعاءٍ خَرَجَتْ.»

In every city, he would sit with scholars, asking, discussing, and writing. He used to say: "Take wisdom from whatever vessel it emerges."

وَكَتَبَ فِي رِحْلَتِهِ عِشْرِينَ كِتابًا فِي الفِقْهِ وَالتَّوْحِيدِ وَاللُّغَةِ.

During his journey, he wrote twenty books on jurisprudence, theology, and language.

الفصلُ الثَّالِثُ: العَوْدَةُ إِلى الوَطَنِ

Chapter Three: Return to the Homeland

بَعْدَ عِشْرِينَ عامًا، عادَ الشَّيْخُ إِلى نِزْوَى شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا، شَعْرُهُ أَبْيَضُ كَالثَّلْجِ، لَكِنَّ عَيْنَيْهِ تَشِعَّانِ بِنُورِ المَعْرِفَةِ.

After twenty years, the Sheikh returned to Nizwa an old man, his hair white as snow, but his eyes shining with the light of knowledge.

اسْتَقْبَلَهُ أَهْلُ نِزْوَى بِالدُّمُوعِ وَالفَرَحِ. قالُوا: «عُدْتَ إِلَيْنا يا شَيْخَنا!»

The people of Nizwa received him with tears and joy. They said: "You have returned to us, O our Sheikh!"

قالَ لَهُمْ: «عُدْتُ لِأُعْطِيَكُمْ ما جَمَعْتُهُ. فَإِنَّ العِلْمَ الَّذِي لا يُنْشَرُ كَالكَنْزِ المَدْفُونِ، لا نَفْعَ فِيهِ.»

He said to them: "I have returned to give you what I have gathered. For knowledge that is not spread is like a buried treasure, of no benefit."

وَأَسَّسَ مَدْرَسَةً عَظِيمَةً، تَخَرَّجَ مِنْها أَجْيالٌ مِنَ العُلَماءِ وَالقُضاةِ وَالأَئِمَّةِ.

And he established a great school, from which graduated generations of scholars, judges, and imams.

تَمَّتِ القِصَّةُ | The End