A SMALL INCIDENT,
A BIG LESSON
Maulana Sayyid Amir Ali (1858–1921) was born in Malihabad and passed away in Lucknow. Due to poverty, his education ended after middle school. Pressed by financial need, he sought employment and eventually secured a position as a substitute postmaster in a small town called Bahraich. Out of necessity, he learned a little English and began working.
Raised in a religious environment, he was regular in prayer. One Friday, he went to the mosque for Jumu’ah. At that very moment, a postal inspector arrived for a surprise inspection. Not finding the postmaster at his desk, the inspector became furious. Word reached Sayyid Amir Ali while he was making ablution. Unfazed, he calmly completed his prayer and returned to the office.
When questioned by the inspector, he offered neither an explanation nor an apology. Instead, he quietly took a sheet of paper, wrote his resignation, handed it in, and left.
At that time, Sayyid Amir Ali knew only Urdu and a little English. He was unfamiliar with Arabic and Persian. But after resigning, a thought struck him: “I gave up my job for the sake of this religion, yet I don’t even know it properly. If someone asked me a question about my faith, I wouldn’t know how to respond. I pray, but I don’t understand the meaning of what I recite. I have no direct access to the Quran or Hadith.”
This reflection sparked a powerful inner resolve. He committed himself to learning Arabic and Persian. Eventually, he mastered both to such an extent that he came to be regarded among the top scholars of his time. He became Shaykh al-Hadith at Darul Uloom Nadwatul Ulama, later served as head teacher at the Madrasa Aliyah in Calcutta, and translated major Arabic works into Urdu at the Munshi Nawal Kishore Press—including Sahih al-Bukhari, Fatawa Alamgiri, and others. (Daily Urdu Newspaper, Qaumi Awaz, February 4, 1990)
When a person is truly alive inside, even a small incident can awaken them and propel them toward greatness. Such a person becomes capable of achieving remarkable things. But one whose soul is dead—no matter how great the event—remains unmoved, as if they have neither learned nor felt anything at all.
