Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
On one occasion, Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) came out from the town of Firabr intending to go to an area near Bukhaara. Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) wished to build an inn for the travellers and the poor in that area. On learning of the intention of Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah), a large group of people gathered and decided to assist him in building the inn.
During the construction, Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) would carry bricks with his own hands and personally assist with the building. Observing this, his close student, Muhammed bin Abi Haatim (rahimahullah), said to him, “O Abu Abdillah (this was the filial title of Imaam Bukhaari [rahimahullah])! We are here to serve you. Hence, there is no need for you to undergo difficulty by assisting in the construction.” However, Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) replied, “It is this work that will benefit us and assist us in the Hereafter (and hence we wish to personally take part in it).”
After completing the construction of the inn, Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) slaughtered a cow and prepared food to feed the people. This was out of happiness for this work reaching completion, and out of gratitude to those who had assisted him. Hence, Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) invited the people, who numbered more than a hundred, for the meal.
Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) had not expected to feed such a large number of people, and hence when he had come from Firabr, he had only brought three dirhams worth of bread with him. At that time, one dirham could purchase five mann worth of bread. Since one mann is approximately 800g, the total amount of bread which Imaam Bukhaari (rahimahullah) had brought was less than 12kg. Though this was not a very small amount, it was regarded insufficient to feed all the people present.
Nevertheless, Allah Ta‘ala placed such immense barakah in the bread that all the people ate to their fill and there was still bread remaining.
(Siyar A’laamin Nubalaa 12/450)
