In Bilad Ash-sham in the city of Damascus, after Mohammad Azzumurrud memorized the Holy Koran, became a certified Koran memorizer, read multiple books about the exegesis of the Holy Koran to deepen his understanding of the Holy Koran, he decided to learn about the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad.
Islam, the only true religion, is built on two resources: the Holy Koran and the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. Allah promised to preserve and protect the Holy Koran from any corruption as He said in the Holy Koran:
“Verily We: It is We (Allah) Who have sent down the Reminder (i.e. the Koran) and surely, We will guard it (from corruption). (9)” [THK: S 15: V 9].
Not only has Allah preserved the Holy Koran, but He also preserved the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad by the companions of Prophet Muhammad and the scholars of Hadeeth. The Holy Koran is the miraculous Word of Allah and the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad is the words, actions and stories of Prophet Muhammad. The word and meaning of the Holy Koran are a revelation from Allah. As for the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad, its meaning is a revelation from Allah but its word is the word of Prophet Muhammad.
The Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad clarifies, explains and complements the Holy Koran. Not all the rules of Islam can be found in the Holy Koran. A myriad of Islamic rules can be found in the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. For example, Allah orders Muslims in the Holy Koran to pray but there is no mention in the Holy Koran about how to pray. The details of how to pray can be found in the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. Prophet Muhammad with his words and actions that are compiled in the Honorable Sunnah represents the ideal and perfect interpretation and application of Islam.
In Islam, the science of Hadeeth documents the words, actions and stories of Prophet Muhammad. The Arabic word Hadeeth linguistically means: speech. But it has another idiomatic meaning which is a speech delivered by Prophet Muhammad or a speech that describes the actions or stories of Prophet Muhammad as described by the companions of Prophet Muhammad.
The science of Hadeeth has multiple aims and functions:
1. Oral memorization of the Hadeeths of Prophet Muhammad.
2. Written documentation of the Hadeeths of Prophet Muhammad by authoring books that compile the Hadeeths of Prophet Muhammad.
3. Classifying Hadeeths as true or false. This is because some liars told lies against Prophet Muhammad and attributed them to Prophet Muhammad as valid Hadeeths. The science of Hadeeth sifts all Hadeeths and classifies them as true Hadeeths that can be truly attributed to Prophet Muhammad or false Hadeeths that are lies by malicious narrators and cannot be attributed to Prophet Muhammad.
4. Tracking the biographies of the narrators of Hadeeth in order to be able to judge their truthfulness, integrity and the quality of their memorization.
5. Classifying the narrators of Hadeeth as truthful or liars.
Technically, a Hadeeth is composed of two parts: Alisnad and Almatn. Alisnad is the chain of narrators who narrated the Hadeeth in sequence. Almatn represents the words of Prophet Muhammad. Consider for example this Hadeeth: (من مات يشرك بالله شيئاً دخل النار)
Albukhari said: Omar Bin Hafs told us: my father told us: Alaamash told us: Shaqeeq told us: Abdullah Bin Masoad (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: Prophet Muhammad said: “Anyone who dies worshipping others along with Allah will definitely enter the Fire.”
In the above Hadeeth, Alisnad represents the chain of narrators as follows:
Albukhari → Omar Bin Hafs → the father of Omar Bin Hafs → Alaamash → Shaqeeq → Abdullah Bin Masoad (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) → Prophet Muhammad.
Almatn (Prophet Muhammad's words) is: Anyone who dies worshipping others along with Allah will definitely enter the Fire.
The are mainly six great scholars of Hadeeth that documented the Honorable Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad and these are:
1. Mohammad Albukhari with his book Saheeh Albukhari (صحيح البخاري).
2. Muslim Alqushayri with his book Saheeh Muslim (صحيح مسلم).
3. Sulayman Assijistani with his book Sunan Abi Dawood (سنن أبي داود).
4. Mohammad Attirmithi with his book Sunan Attirmithi (سنن الترمذي).
5. Ahmad Annasaei with his book Sunan Annasaei (سنن النسائي).
6. Mohammad Alqazweeni with his book Sunan Ibn Majah (سنن ابن ماجه).
Albukhari and Muslim, the two greatest scholars of Hadeeth, took their Hadeeths from truthful, honest, authentic, reliable, pious, righteous and trustworthy chains of narrators and therefore all the Hadeeths that they compiled are truly attributed to Prophet Muhammad.
One Arab and Muslim scholar said two eloquent verses of poetry comparing Saheeh Albukhari and Saheeh Muslim as follows:
لدي و قالوا: أي ذين تقدم؟
كما فاق في حسن الصناعة مسلم
تشاجر قوم في البخاري و مسلم
فقلت: لقد فاق البخاري صحة
“A folk quarreled in my presence about Albukhari and Muslim;
And they said: “Which one of them do you prefer [or consider superior]?”
So I said: “Albukhari surpassed [Muslim] in authenticity;
As Muslim surpassed [Albukhari] in the beauty of profession [or methodology].”
The science of Hadeeth holds a very high rank in Islam and many branches of knowledge in Islam are built on this science. An eloquent verse of Arabic poetry says:
لم يصحبوا نفسه أنفاسه صحبوا
أهل الحديث هم أهل النبي و إن
“The people of Hadeeth are the people of the Prophet (Prophet Muhammad) and if they could not accompany him in person, they accompanied his breaths (by being connected to his words, actions and stories by the Hadeeths they compiled).”
The following two verses of Arabic poetry praise the science of Hadeeth as well:
و زينة المرء في الدنيا الأحاديث
فإنما هذه الدنيا مواريث
رحلت أطلب أصل العلم مجتهداً
لا تعجبن بمال سوف تتركه
“I traveled seeking the foundation of knowledge with diligence and the adornment of man in this life is Hadeeths.
Do not be amazed by money that will leave [after death] because this life is successions.”
After Mohammad Azzumurrud read numerous books of Hadeeth, he now memorizes and understands hundreds of Hadeeths. These Hadeeths strengthen the faith of Mohammad and bring him closer to Allah. One of the brief books of Hadeeth that Mohammad read is Alarbaoon Annawawiyya (الأربعون النووية) that was authored by Yahya Annawawi (يحيى النووي) [BH-7]. In this book, Yahya Annawawi compiled 42 Hadeeths that are very beneficial and convey great meanings. Here is a sample of these Hadeeths:
Hadeeth 1
Abdullah Bin Omar (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) saying:
“Islam has been built on five [pillars]: testifying that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing the prayer, paying the Zakat (obligatory charity), making the pilgrimage to the House, and fasting in Ramadan.”
[Narrated by Albukhari and Muslim].
Hadeeth 2
Annomaan Bin Basheer (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) saying:
“That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which many people do not know. Thus he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor, but he who falls into doubtful matters [eventually] falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh, which, if it be whole, all the body is whole, and which, if it is diseased, all of [the body] is diseased. Truly, it is the heart.”
[Narrated by Albukhari and Muslim].
Hadeeth 3
Abu Hurayra (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) saying:
“What I have forbidden for you, avoid. What I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can. For verily, it was only the excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their Prophets that destroyed [the nations] who were before you.”
[Narrated by Albukhari and Muslim].
Hadeeth 4
Alhasan Bin Ali Bin Abi Taleb (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: I memorized from the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad):
“Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.”
[Narrated by Attirmithi and Annasaei].
Hadeeth 5
Abu Hurayra (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) said:
“Part of the perfection of one’s Islam is his leaving that which does not concern him.”
[Narrated by Attirmithi].
Hadeeth 6
Anas Bin Malik (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) said:
“None of you [truly] believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.”
[Narrated by Albukhari and Muslim].
Hadeeth 7
Abu Hurayra (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) said:
“Let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day speak good, or keep silent; and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his neighbor; and let him who believes in Allah and the Last Day be generous to his guest.”
[Narrated by Albukhari and Muslim].
Hadeeth 8
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Abu Hurayra (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said:
“A man said to the Prophet (Prophet Muhammad), “Counsel me,” so he (Prophet Muhammad) said, “Do not become angry.” The man repeated [his request for counsel] several times, and [each time] he (Prophet Muhammad) said, “Do not become angry.””
[Narrated by Albukhari].
Hadeeth 9
Jundub Bin Janada and Muaath Bin Jabal (the companions of Prophet Muhammad) said: the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) said:
“Have Taqwa (fear) of Allah wherever you may be, and follow up a bad deed with a good deed which will wipe it out, and behave well towards the people.”
[Narrated by Attirmithi].
Hadeeth 10
Abdullah Bin Abbas (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said:
“One day I was behind the Prophet (Prophet Muhammad) [riding on the same mount] and he said, “O young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice]: Be mindful of Allah and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah and you will find Him in front of you. If you ask, then ask Allah [alone]; and if you seek help, then seek help from Allah [alone]. And know that if the nation were to gather together to benefit you with anything, they would not benefit you except with what Allah had already prescribed for you. And if they were to gather together to harm you with anything, they would not harm you except with what Allah had already prescribed against you. The pens have been lifted and the pages have dried.”
[Narrated by Attirmithi].
Hadeeth 11
Oqba Bin Amr (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) said:
“Verily, from what was learnt by the people from the speech of the earliest prophecy is: If you feel no shame, then do as you wish.”
[Narrated by Albukhari].
Hadeeth 12
Sufyan Bin Abdullah (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said:
“I said: O Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad), tell me something about Islam which I can ask of no one but you." He (Prophet Muhammad) said, "Say I believe in Allah - and then be steadfast.””
[Narrated by Muslim].
Hadeeth 13
Jaber Bin Abdullah (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said:
“A man questioned the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) and said, “Do you think that if I perform the obligatory prayers, fast in Ramadan, treat as lawful that which is permitted, and treat as forbidden that which is unlawful, and do not increase upon that [in voluntary good deeds], then I shall enter Paradise?” He (Prophet Muhammad) replied, “Yes.””
[Narrated by Muslim].
Hadeeth 14
Alharith Bin Asim (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) said:
“Purity is half of faith. ‘Al-hamdulillah (praise be to Allah)’ fills the scales, and ‘subhan-Allah (how far is Allah from every imperfection) and ‘Al-hamdulillah (praise be to Allah)’ fill that which is between heaven and earth. And the prayer is a light, and charity is a proof, and patience is illumination, and the Koran is a proof either for you or against you. Every person starts his day as a vendor of his soul, either freeing it or causing its ruin.”
[Narrated by Muslim].
Hadeeth 15
Abu Tharr Alghifari (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) said: Allah said:
“O My servants! I have forbidden oppression for Myself, and I have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another. O My servants, all of you are astray except those whom I have guided, so seek guidance from Me and I shall guide you. O My servants, all of you are hungry except those whom I have fed, so seek food from Me and I shall feed you. O My servants, all of you are naked except those whom I have clothed, so seek clothing from Me and I shall clothe you. O My servants, you commit sins by day and by night, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness from Me and I shall forgive you. O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and you will not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all as pious as the most pious heart of any individual amongst you, then this would not increase My Kingdom an iota. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all as wicked as the most wicked heart of any individual amongst you, then this would not decrease My Kingdom an iota. O My servants, if the first of you and the last of you, and the humans of you and the jinn of you, were all to stand together in one place and ask of Me, and I were to give everyone what he requested, then that would not decrease what I Possess, except what is decreased of the ocean when a needle is dipped into it. O My servants, it is but your deeds that I account for you, and then recompense you for. So he who finds good, let him praise Allah, and he who finds other than that, let him blame no one but himself.”
[Narrated by Muslim].
Hadeeth 16
Annawas Bin Samaan (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) said:
“Righteousness is in good character, and wrongdoing is that which wavers in your soul, and which you dislike people finding out about.”
[Narrated by Muslim].
Hadeeth 17
Jurthoom Bin Nasher (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) said:
“Verily Allah has laid down religious obligations, so do not neglect them; and He has set limits, so do not overstep them; and He has forbidden some things, so do not violate them; and He has remained silent about some things, out of compassion for you, not forgetfulness - so do not seek after them.”
[Narrated by Addaraqutni and others].
Hadeeth 18
Sahl Bin Saad (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said:
“A man came to the Prophet (Prophet Muhammad) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, direct me to an act which, if I do it, [will cause] Allah to love me and the people to love me.” So he (Prophet Muhammad) said, “Renounce the world and Allah will love you, and renounce what the people possess and the people will love you.”
[Narrated by Ibn Majah and others].
Hadeeth 19
Saad Bin Malik (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) said:
“There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.”
[Narrated by Ibn Majah, Addaraqutni and others].
Hadeeth 20
Abu Saeed Alkhudri (the companion of Prophet Muhammad) said: the Messenger of Allah (Prophet Muhammad) said:
“Whosoever of you sees an evil, let him change it with his hand; and if he is not able to do so, then [let him change it] with his tongue; and if he is not able to do so, then with his heart - and that is the weakest of faith.”
[Narrated by Muslim].
Now, Mohammad Azzumurrud memorizes the entire Holy Koran and hundreds of Hadeeths. Mohammad also applies what he memorizes in his daily life in different situations. Mohammad has a strong and close connection with Allah.
One night, Mohammad stayed up late chatting with his parents. Here is a snapshot of their interesting conversation:
Zaynab: Mohammad, who is the most loved person to you?
Mohammad: Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him whenever he is mentioned. He is my true leader in life; I live according to his guidance. He taught me Islam; He taught me the Holy Koran; He taught me the Honorable Sunnah. With Islam, I am salvaged from Hellfire and will enter Paradise by the Will of Allah. Prophet Muhammad rescued me from Hellfire by the Will of Allah. With Islam, I am closely connected with Allah throughout the day and the night. The pleasure of being connected with Allah is the most beautiful pleasure in life.
Abdurrahman: Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him whenever he is mentioned, is the most loved person by a myriad of Muslims. He is the greatest man that Allah has created. He gifted us a complete and perfect way of life (Islam); By his guidance Allah brought us out from darkness into light. So Mohammad, what words of Prophet Muhammad inspire and motivate you greatly?
Mohammad: When I face difficulties, I remember when Prophet Muhammad said: “No doubt, I am the Messenger of Allah and Allah will never neglect me” [BH-1]. This Hadeeth infuses me with great trust in Allah and that whatever hardships that fate brings, Allah will save me and never neglect me. Prophet Muhammad urges me to be strong when he said: “A strong believer is better and is more lovable to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone, (but) cherish that which gives you benefit (in the Hereafter) and seek help from Allah and do not lose heart, and if anything (in the form of trouble) comes to you, don not say: If I had not done that, it would not have happened so and so, but say: Allah did that what He had ordained to do and your 'if' opens the (gate) for the Satan.” [BH-2]. I learned from Prophet Muhammad to appreciate deeds even if they are small in quantity or quality when Prophet Muhammad said: “The acts most pleasing to Allah are those which are done continuously, even if they are small.” [BH-2]. I also learned the importance of working and being self-sufficient when Prophet Muhammad said: “The upper hand is better than the lower hand, the upper hand is the one which gives and the lower hand is the begging one.” [BH-1][BH-2].
Abdurrahman: The life of Prophet Muhammad is full of wisdom and lessons that can be applied by different people in different times.
Zaynab: Mohammad, we have a special banquet this Friday; guess who is invited?
Mohammad: My aunt Fatima Albahr and her family?
Zaynab: True. Have you heard that your cousin, Omar Almarjan, has arrived from his long travel last Monday?
Mohammad: No, I have not heard that. He must be very tired after this exhausting journey. China is very far from Bilad Ash-sham (Syria and its surroundings).
Zaynab: Yes. As you know, Omar is my dear nephew and I love him deeply. He loves me and respect me so much. You can chat with him for a long time when you meet him and exchange ideas with him. You are well-educated but not well-travelled and he is well-travelled but not well-educated. You complement each other and should learn from each other.
Mohammad: Thank you, dear mother. It will be a nice opportunity to learn from him about China and the different experiences he has accumulated over time from travel and trade with foreign countries.
Zaynab: People are not perfect and they complement each other and should learn from each other as well.
Mohamamd: So my mother, what are you cooking for the banquet?
Zaynab: I am cooking Kippa Labaniyya (كبة لبنية), Fried Kippa (كبة مقلية), Grilled Kippa (كبة مشوية) and Lentil Soup. I am also preparing some appetizers such as Tabboola Salad and Fattoosh Salad.
Mohammad: May Allah bless you. These dishes are my favorites. I will help you in preparation and cooking.
Zaynab: Thank you, dear son. You are dutiful and I appreciate your help.
Mohammad: It is my pleasure. It is incumbent on me to help you whenever I can.
On Friday, the guests arrived to Abdurrahman's house and Mohammad warmly greeted his aunt and her family. They enjoyed the traditional Syrian food and had an exciting night exchanging different stories and news about different topics.
Mohammad: It is a great pleasure to see you back dear cousin, Omar. Have you rested well after your arrival from your travel?
Omar Almarjan: Thank you, dear cousin. Yes, I have rested well. It has been a long travel as you know.
Mohammad: How long does it take to travel from Damascus to China?
Omar: It takes around six months.
Mohammad: That is a long journey indeed. Which road do you take in your travel to China?
Omar: There is a famous road named the Silk Road. The Silk Road links China with the Mediterranean region [W-3].
Mohammad: Which language do they speak?
Omar: They speak the Chinese language. It is very different from the Arabic language. In Arabic, we have 28 letters with which we can build thousands of Arabic words or any Arabic word. The Chinese language has a different writing system. They do not have letters; they have symbols. Each word maps to distinct symbol. Therefore, if you want to write in Chinese, you need to memorize thousands of symbols.
Mohammad: Wow! That is a difficult-to-learn language. So why have not they structured their language like Arabic to be built with a few limited letters so that any Chinese word can be built with these letters?
Omar: I do not know. You should ask the designers of the original Chinese writing system.
Mohammad: Tell me more about China. I am really interested in learning more about this great civilization.
Omar: China is one of the most ancient civilizations of the world. It is greatly diverse and has numerous cultures, ethnicities, religions, dialects, etc. They are brilliant in science, engineering and art. They are well-known for their handicrafts. They are also skilled in the art of sculpture.
Mohammad: What is their religion?
Omar: Some Chinese are Muslims while others are polytheists. There are Buddhist, Taoists and people of other religions.
Mohammad: Do Chinese people look similar to Arabs?
Omar: Chinese people look different from Arabs. Allah created them with different physiques and facial features from Arabs. We, Arabs, tend to have distinct faces and we can distinguish one another easily. Chinese people tend to have similar faces and at times it becomes difficult to distinguish one Chinese person from another Chinese person due to the great similarity of faces. Also, many Arab males have their beards growing in a visible manner and they have visible body hair. Many Chinese males are beardless with no body hair or invisible body hair.
Mohammad: I see. So tell me about the politics of China. How is China politically organized?
Omar: China now is an empire consisting of five kingdoms. The current emperor of China is Wei Jian. The five kingdoms are: the Crown Kingdom, the Pearl Kingdom, the Ruby Kingdom, the Star Kingdom and the Cloud Kingdom.
Mohammad: Nice. Have you visited all the five kingdoms?
Omar: Yes. I visited a limited number of cities in each kingdom.
Mohammad: So tell me about the manners or ethics of Chinese people.
Omar: Chinese people are kind, hospitable and generous. They treat visitors with respect and care.
Mohammad: Tell me about beautiful and interesting stories and memories you had in China.
Omar: I have numerous stories and adventures in China and I will narrate some of them now.
Story 1
One time, I found a Chinese child crying so I asked him: “What is the matter with you? Why are you crying?” The child said: “I lost my mother while we were shopping and I do not know where she is now.” I held the child's hand and walked with him in the market for some time but without finding his mother. I then informed some merchants in the market that the child is with me and I will take him to the hotel where I reside. I took the child to the hotel and had lunch with him and soothed his worries by playing with him certain games. After a while his mother came to the hotel looking for her child and when he saw her, he flew like a bird and hugged her while they were both crying. It was a moving moment and I felt happy that they united again. The child told his mother that I accompanied him and treated him very well so his mother thanked me deeply for saving her child and treating him with care. The next day the mother of the child visited me with her child and she gifted me numerous Chinese handicrafts and one Chinese garment in addition to her homemade lunch. I really appreciated her generosity and kindness greatly. I still have her gifts with me and they evoke my memories about that incident.
Story 2
In one occasion, I lost my pouch which had all my money. I searched every place where I was walking and did not find a trace of my pouch. I then went to the hotel with despair of finding my pouch. After a while, a Chinese man came to the hotel asking about anyone who lost his pouch. I ran quickly to meet the man the claim my pouch so he asked me to describe my pouch and what is drawn on it. After describing my pouch and the man made sure that I am the owner of the pouch, he handed me my pouch and I was very happy. I tried to give the man ten golden taels as a token of appreciation for his honesty and integrity but he rejected to accept my money so I offered him to have lunch with me and he agreed. We have a delicious lunch at the hotel's restaurant and I paid for his lunch.
Story 3
In one occasion, I was selling my goods and one woman came and stopped at my booth. She admired my goods and asked me if she can purchase without paying money immediately because she ran out of money while shopping at the market. I agreed to sell her what she needs and agreed that she will come back to pay for what she bought. After a while, she came with five of her relatives and she paid me all my money and let her relatives buy my goods as a way of appreciating that I trusted her and treated her with respect and confidence.
Story 4
One time, one Chinese man bought some goods from me with debt. He promised to pay me in cash the next day. The next day the man did not show up and I had to travel afterwards to return to Damascus. In my next trip to China after around a year, while I was selling my goods at my booth, the man came and he recognized me and paid me what he owed me. He apologized that he had an accident and he broke his leg as a result. He could not show up the next day due to the accident. I appreciated his honesty and integrity a lot.
Story 5
One time, I had to leave China soon so I had to sell all my goods quickly so I offered a 50% discount on all my goods. One Chinese man stopped at my booth and he bought everything I had. That was a great time-saver for me.
Mohammad: Nice stories. I like the manners and ethics of Chinese people. I have an eager and burning desire to visit China and explore its beauty and splendor.
Omar: Mohammad, believe me seeing is not like hearing.
Mohammad: I know. An Arabic poet said:
في طلعة الشمس ما يغنيك عن زحل
خذ ما رأيت و دع شيئاً سمعت به
“Take that which you saw and leave that which you heard of; the rise of the sun lets you dispense with Saturn.”
Omar: True. One day, you must accompany me to China. I am sure you will have unforgettable memories in your visit to this nation. Also, you can benefit financially from trading with me in China. You can bring your own articles of carpentry and sell them in China and conversely buy handicrafts from China and sell them here in Damascus.
Mohammad: Inshaa Allah (if Allah wills; Allah willing). Let us see how the future will unfold.