One should consider only Allah to be ῾Ālim al kul (Knower of All)

Hadhrat Maulāna Fateh Muhammad Sāheb rahmatullahi ῾alayh was my teacher for Persian Language. He once said a very intriguing thing to me when I went to study by him.

He said, “Have you come here regarding me as ῾Ālim al kul or ῾Ālim bil Ba῾dh (Knower of  partial knowledge)? If you have come regarding me to be ῾Ālim al kul then let me write it for you now that I am not ῾Ālim al kul. And if you have come to me thinking of me as ῾Ālim bil b῾dh, then that is correct. If (while teaching) I come across a place in the book where I do not know the issue, I will say that I do not understand. Now it is up to you whether you study or go away.”

Mawlāna said, “As for ῾Ālim al kul, then I only consider Allah to be ῾Ālim al kul so much so that I do not even regard the author (of the book) to be ῾Ālim al kul.”

Upon hearing this Hadhrat Maulāna Fateh Muhammad Sāheb rahmatullahi ῾alayh started teaching.

Malfuzaat Hakeemul Ummat Vol. 26 Pg. 370

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