Taking notes for knowledge – Are they enough?

Taking notes for knowledge – Are they enough?


On his way back from Jurjan to Tus al-Ghazzali (rahimahu Llah) was robbed by highwaymen. When they left him he followed them but was told:

“Leave us or you will die.”

He replied:

“I ask you for Allah’ sake to only return to me my notes, for they are of no use to you.”

The robber asked him:

“What are those notes?”

He said:

“Books in that satchel, for the sake of which I left my country in order to hear, write, and obtain their knowledge.”

The robber laughed and said:

“How can you claim that you obtained their knowledge when we took it away from you and left you devoid of knowledge!”

Then he gave an order and the satchel was returned to him.

Al-Ghazzali (rahimahu Llah) said:

“This man’s utterance was divinely inspired (hâdhâ mustantaqun): Allah caused him to say this in order to guide me. When I reached Tus I worked for three years until I had memorized all that I had written down.”