Imām Abu’l Ḥasan ash-Shādhilī had a vision when he entered Jerusalem. He saw Sayyidunā Muḥammad ﷺ on a throne and around him were all the Prophets.
He heard Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) say to the Prophet ﷺ: “You say that the Scholars of your nation (Ummah) are like the Prophets of the Israelites”, the Prophet ﷺ said: “Yes, would you like to see one of them?”
So he ﷺ turned and said: “Where is Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī?” Imām al-Ghazālī entered and sat with them. They asked him: “What is your name, O Imām?” He replied: “My name is Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad al-Ghazālī al-Tūsī.” Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) said to him: “We only asked you your name, we didn’t want to know the name of your father and grandfather and tribe! Is this from good manners?”
So Imām al-Ghazālī turned to the Prophet ﷺ and said: “O Messenger of God, should I keep quiet in front of Kalīm Allāh Moses, or should I answer him?”
The Holy Prophet ﷺ replied: “Go ahead and reply.” So Imām al-Ghazālī said: “O Moses, O Kalīm Allāh, when your Lord asked you ‘what is in your right hand, O Mūsā?’ You replied, ‘it is my Staff, I lean upon it, I tend to my flock with it, and it has many other uses’, and you were not asked about all this except what it was that was in your hand!” Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) was surprised and said: “You have said the truth O Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, the Scholars of your nation resemble the Prophets amongst us.”
The Prophet ﷺ turned to Prophet ‘Īsā and Prophet Mūsā (peace be upon them) and said, “Is there a Scholar or Rabbi in your nation like this one?” They replied: “No.”
— Imām ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Alawī al-Ḥaddād رحمه الله
