Long, long ago there lived a great teacher in Madinah. He was known as Imam Malik. Students from all over the world came to learn from him.

One day while Imam Malik was giving a lecture there was a noise outside. The people shouted, "Elephant, Elephant!"

The elephant was not commonly known in Arabia. Most of the people had only heard about it, but had never seen it in their whole life.

The students attending the lecture were very excited to know that there was an elephant in their midst. They all went outside to have a look at the animal.

Imam Malik realised that all the students had left the classroom except one. His name was Yahya and he had come all the way from Spain to learn. " Why do you not join the others, Yahya?" Imam Malik asked. "There are no elephants in Spain. Why don't you go and see what you have never seen before?"

The boy replied, "My respected teacher, I have come all the way from Spain to seek knowledge of my religion. I have not come here to see an elephant."

Imam Malik was very pleased by this youth. He wished him every success for his future and said "You are no doubt, wiser than your age, my boy."

These words said out of love by a teacher like Imam Malik, attracted the pleasure of Allah and the young lad, Yahya, become a great scholar of his time in spain.

* Learning in the way of Allah is a form of Ibadaah.

"Only those of Allah's servants who are learned truly fear Him." (Qur'an 35:28)