His Entry into the Field of Guidance “al-irshād”

He set out—may Allah have mercy on him—into the work of guidance (al-irshād) and calling to Allah and to the true religion, possessing nothing, save only the bare minimum required for the maintenance of his family. Despite this, he entered the field of guidance placing his trust (tawakkul) entirely in Allah and relying upon Him alone, having no supporter besides Allah, Exalted is His.

He traversed the lands, journeying through them day and night in order to recruit guides (murshidūn) and provide for their expenses single-handedly, and he exposed himself in this effort, unconcerned with the humiliation entailed in soliciting support for the sake of daʿwah to Allah, nor with the emotional hardship of rejection, rather, he exercised ṣabr for Allah and in His path, and persisted in travelling the lands, encouraging those of wealth to contribute in the path of Allah, until Allah facilitated his affair.

Thus he continued traversing the regions in search of guides, until Allah granted him success in what he sought, after indescribable hardship and exertion. I accompanied him during some of these journeys in search of guides, and I found in him a degree of patience, endurance, and nobility of spirit beyond estimation.

Through his sound leadership (ḥusn al-siyāsah), refined character, and divine tawfīq, he succeeded in all of this, and was able to incline the local populations and persuade them to accept guidance and the presence of guides within their regions. He then personally assigned the guides, dispatching each murshid to his designated post, thereafter revisiting them after short intervals, despite their dispersion across distant regions—preaching to the people, encouraging them, urging them onward, and motivating the guides themselves.

During these visits, he would inspect the progress of guidance efforts, the conditions of the guides, and the people’s receptivity to knowledge (ʿilm).

I frequently accompanied him on these visits and journeys, and he possessed a level of determination (himmah) and patience unmatched by others. He would walk on foot in certain mountainous regions for four or five hours, traversing rugged terrain on foot, heedless of fatigue and exhaustion, rather, we saw nothing upon his face except contentment (riḍā) and joy, all of this despite his advanced age and his chronic illness, namely a condition affecting his stomach.