A well-known etiquette is that younger individuals will refrain from narrating hadith or discussing mas'ala in the presence of their elders. Unfortunately, nowadays, not only do they narrate hadith or discuss mas'ala before their elders, but they also creat  their own platform to do so. This scenario is becoming increasingly noticeable. Howerver, such behaviour was not prevalent among our predecessors. They used to start activities like da'wah-t'alim, dars-tadris and other such (ifada) activities only under the guidance of their elders. 

In this subject, Khatib Baghdadi's 'Al jami' li akhlaqir Rawi wa Adabis Sami' is a well-known and significant book. The first volume of this book has several chapters, each with the following titles-

1ـ من كره الرواية ببلد فيه من المحدثين من هو أسن منه.

2ـ من كره التحديث بحضرة من هو أسن أو أعلم منه.

3ـ ما قيل في طلب الرئاسة قبل وقتها وذم المثابر عليها وهو غير مستحقها.

There are many incidents in these chapters that draw the reader's attention. Among them is the story of Imam Yahya Ibn Ma'in (156-233 AH) rah. He says-

إذا حدثت ببلدة فيها مثل أبي مسهر، فيجب للحيتي أن تحلق.

That is, if I narrate a hadith in a city where muhaddiths like Abu Mushir Abdul A'la Addimashqi (140-218 AH) are present, my beard should be shaved.

Muhaddith Ahmad Ibn Abul Hawari narrated the story of Imam Ibn Ma'in rah.  After narrating, he said, "If I narrate a hadith in the city where Abul Walid Hisham Ibn 'Ammar resides, then I should shave my beard." Al-jami 1/319; Fathul Mughith 3/241

Some students of jarh ta'dil requested an Imam of jarh-ta'dil to compose a book on 'du'afa'. He said, ‘I am ashamed of Imam 'uqaili rah. He wrote ‘Adduafa ul Kabir’. How can I write about this when his book exists? '

Muhaddith Hamza Assahmi requested Imam Daraqutni (306-375 AH) to write a book on 'duafa'. He said, "Do you not have Imam Ibn 'adi's book Al-Kamil fi du'afa ur Rijal?" The proposer said, yes, we have. Daraqutni rah. said, then that is enough.

In short, the general custom of  Salaf was not to step into the field of action without the permission of their elders. They would leave the task to those who deserved it  to avoid any potential troubles. Before conducting any research, they would think whether there was a need for something new or there was any gap that should be fulfilled through this effort.

Today this etiquette is gradually fading withing our Madrasas. Instead of the customs and traditions observed by Salaf, the tendency of self-sufficiency is prevailing. To many students, working in the shadow of an elder is no longer desirable. They think they will be harmed. They need to stand on their feet and open their own shops!

What they often fail to realize is that many religious tasks, particularly those which are extensive and reliable in the realm of knowledge and research (Ilm and Tahqiq), are not usually accomplished without a collective effort. The way to collaborate effectively involves having numerous skilled individuals work together and designate one of them as the leader. This leader could be a mentor for the group or possess expertise in a particular area. All individuals then work under his supervision. This method has been practiced since the time of the Salaf.

The inclination for every talented individual to be entirely self-sufficient, every intelligent person to establish separate centers, and each person to pursue tasks individually was not present during the time of the Salaf. This approach is not deemed correct. Experience has shown that it often results in the squandering of energy and abilities. A significant amount of time is consumed in organization and management, often yielding less desirable outcomes. Illa- masha Allah.

The sad reality of the present time is not only that every ingenious is interested in establishing a separate space for themselves, but the problem has become even more severe. Nowadays, individuals of all statuses, whether eligible or ineligible, have begun to think that they are all eligible.

The principles mentioned above for the success of the collaborative effort have been followed since the time of the Companions. Here, I will present only the examples of Mujtahid Imams.

The eminent companions of each of the four Mujtahid Imams were ‘Mujtahid Mutlaq’. Each of them was qualified enough to establish an independent ‘Madrasatul Fiqh’. However, they chose to work under the direct supervision of their respective Imams during their lifetimes.

Imam Abu Hanifa r.a narrated his story. I have been in the company of Hammad bin Abu Sulaiman for ten years. At one point, I thought, why would not I establish a separate assembly? One evening, I went to the mosque for this purpose, but I could not make up my mind. I came back to the teacher's gathering. Meanwhile, one of his relatives passed away accidentally in Basra. He replaced me in his gathering. After his departure, new questions began to come up in the assembly. I haven't heard their answers before. So, I would answer and record them. When Hammad r.a returned two months later, I presented him with the answers. He disagreed with me on most of the answers. After that, I decided to stay with him until he died.

Imam Abu Hanifa r.a. was in his company till the death of his Ustadh (120 AH). Thus, for a total of eighteen years, he have been in the company of his teacher-Tarikh e Baghdad-13/133; Tahajibul Kamal.

The story of Imam Abu Yusuf is also very famous. Once he also formed the Majlis. Imam Sahib sent a man to ask him some questions. He asked Abu Yusuf r.a. the questions Imam Sahib taught him. When Abu Yusuf r.a answered, he expressed that all the answers were incorrect. Then Abu Yusuf r.a. attended the gathering of Imam Sahib r.a. and until his death, Abu yusuf r.a. remained in his company and engaged in Islamic jurisprudence.

The advantage of adhering to this etiquette is that it leads to the completion of necessary tasks to a greater extent, ensuring the authenticity and perfection of the work. Simultaniously, by adhering to this etiquette, we can safeguard ourselves from misjudging the value of our teachers and mentors.

May Allah grant us tawfiq. Amin.

Abridged Translation: Enam Hasan Juanid