Ismaa‘eel bin Ahmad was the leader of Samarqand. Once, while sitting in the courtroom and listening to the cases that were being presented before him, the great scholar of hadeeth, Muhammad bin Nasr Marwazi (rahimahullah) entered. As a mark of respect, he stood up. When he left the courtroom, his brother Ishaaq reproached him for standing up for one of his subjects. Ismaa‘eel says: “That night when I retired to bed, I saw Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) in a dream. My brother and I were together and Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) came close to me and held my hand saying: ‘Your rule and the rule of your children will continue due to the respect you showed to Muhammad bin Nasr, and the rule of Ishaaq and his children will come to an end due to him disregarding Muhammad bin Nasr’.” (Tareekh Ibni ‘Asaakir vol. 56, pg. 115 & Al-Bidaayah wan Nihaayah vol. 11, pg. 176)
Lesson: Showing respect to the ‘Ulama – the heirs of the Ambiyaa’ is not only a means of safeguarding one’s deen, rather it brings blessings and continuity to one’s material endeavours as well. In the same vein, disregarding and disrespecting the people of knowledge and the friends of Allah Ta‘ala not only ruins ones deen and dunya, it is also tantamount to waging war with Allah Ta‘ala.