Not Smaller Than The Woodpecker

Intelligent Children

Not smaller than the woodpecker

Abu Tayyib Madani (Shahzayb)

This incident dates back to the time when there was the rule of caliphs and Islamic scholars and intellectuals used to be with them. One day, a gathering was held in the court of the caliph. There was a crowd of scholars and wise people and a young boy, named Hasan Bin Fazl, came forward and wanted to speak, but he was stopped from doing so by being told:

‘O kid! Will you speak at this place?’

Hasan said: ‘Ameer-ul-Mu’mineen! I am a child, of course, but I am not smaller than the woodpecker of Sayyiduna Sulayman عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام nor are you greater than Sayyiduna Sulayman عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام’. (That is, I can speak to you in the same way that a small bird can speak to the Prophet of Allah, the King of humans and jinn, Sayyiduna Sulayman عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلَام). (Al-Mustatraf, vol. 1, p. 83)

Wise kids! Do you know that this little creature of Allah Almighty, the woodpecker, has the ability to even see the water inside the earth and to know whether it (i.e. the water) is near or far.

Moreover, this incident shows that age is not the standard for knowledge and understanding matters, in fact, the superior are the scholars, i.e. those who have knowledge, whether they are adults or kids. We should also acquire knowledge, sit with Islamic scholars, ask them questions about religion and make ourselves wise.