This tradition is associated with the words, “Seek knowledge even if you have to go to China”.
Imam Bayhaqi (may Allah have mercy on him) has mentioned it in “Shaab-ul-Iman” and Khatib Baghdadi (may Allah have mercy on him) in his “Kitab-ul-Rahla” with his testimonies from Hazrat Anas (may Allah be pleased with him). Therefore, Imam Ibn Habban declared it invalid and Imam Ibn Jawzi (may Allah have mercy on him) has also mentioned this narration in his book on the subject of narrations, so it is not correct to narrate this hadith in the light of the rules stated by the narrators. It is to be noted that some scholars have tried to prove this hadith by supporting this narration from historical events and Quran, but in the case of muhaddithin (who have hadith knowledge), when there is no proof of Sunnah narration.
In spite of the differences between the narrators, it is better to state it for the sake of acquiring knowledge, but the real debate at this time is not which narrators consider it weak and which consider it authentic. The motive behind this discussion is that nowadays China has almost occupied the world economy, yet it considers Pakistan as its friend, and despite people from Pakistan go to China, Beijing is sending teachers to Pakistan to teach our people and there is a well-known saying of the preachers that in the work in which man spends his time, his life and his money, Allah Almighty will surely reward him.
China is spending its capital and precious time and sending its teachers to Pakistan.
In collaboration with the Sichuan University, a series of non-profit education was started which was named as Confucius Institute (CIUK). This series was started in 2013 between the educational institutions of China and Pakistan, the main purpose of which was to understand the Chinese language and expression and its culture and to promote mutual relations between the people of Pakistan and China.
It is also the largest language program in the country. Under this program the student is taught language and speech in a Pakistani university with Chinese teachers for two years, after that, a two-year scholarship is awarded to Sichuan Normal University of China, after which a joint BS degree is awarded by the two universities.
The Confucius Institute has two computer language labs and a library with a storage capacity of 8000 books. The center’s modern classrooms, conference halls, auditoriums, etc. have air-conditioning facilities. The percentage of employment opportunities is 100%, and BS students are easily getting jobs in the relevant faculty including research, translation and interpretation, media, and international trade.
The first Chinese director at the Confucius Institute was Zhang-Xiaoping, who was appointed here in 2013 for three years, after which Mr. Li was sent here for three years, who returned in 2020, after which Zhang-Xiaoping was reassigned with the task with six Chinese lecturers, including Wang-Yuqing, who was injured in the crash, and Ding-Mufan, as well as Professor Huang-Guiping and Chen-sai, who died.
The Confucius Institute, which has made headlines in the international media, is operating not only at Karachi University but also at other universities including Punjab University, National University for Modern Language and others. According to a Pakistani think tank, a total of more than 30,000 students are currently learning Chinese at various levels in Pakistan.
Pakistani people are expressing the hope that just as in the hadith they were encouraged to go to China to acquire knowledge, because of the friendship between the two countries, China came here to teach itself. The internal enemy in our country was annoyed with it and made a vicious attempt to keep China away from us. China will keep this chain of love long in view of our uneasy situation.
