Quote:O Seekers of Knowledge

<b>Indeed all praise is for We praise Him, seek His aid and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in from the evils of our own souls and from our evil actions. He whom Allâh guides, then none can misguide him; and he whom Allâh misguides, then none can guide him. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allâh alone, having no partner; and I bear witness that Muhammad sallallahu ’alayhi wa sallâm is His Slave and Messenger.</b>

“O you who believe! Have taqwâ (fear) of Allâh as you should have of Him and do not die except as Muslims.” [1]



“O mankind! Have (fear) of your Lord, who created you from a single person and from him, He created his wife and from them both He created many men and women; and have taqwâ of Allâh through whom you demand your mutual rights and do not cut relations of the wombs. Indeed, Allâh is ever an All_Watcher over you.” [2]

“O you who believe! Have taqwâ of Allâh and always speak the truth. He will direct you to do righteous and correct actions and forgive you your sins. Whosoever obeys Allâh and His Messenger has indeed attained a great achievement.” [3]

To proceed:  

The tâbi’î, Talq ibn Habîb - rahimahullâh - said: “Taqwâ is acting in obedience to Allâh hoping in His mercy, upon a light from Him; and taqwâ is leaving acts of disobedience to Allâh out of fear of Him, upon a light from Him.”

<b>Characteristics of the Seekers</b>

Imâm al_آjurrî (d.360H) [5] - rahimahullâh - said:  

“The seeker of knowledge should know that - the Mighty and Majestic - has made the worship of obligatory upon Him; and that this worship is not possible except with knowledge, the seeking has also been made obligatory upon him. He should also realise that ignorance is not befitting for a Believer. He should seek knowledge in order to dispel ignorance from himself, and to worship - the Mighty and Majestic - as Allâh has commanded; not as he desires to worship Him. So the seeker of knowledge should strive hard in this quest, be sincere in this striving and should not become amazed with himself. Rather, he should that this is a favour from Allâh upon him, since it was Allâh who gave him the ability to acquire such knowledge, by which he is able to fulfil his obligations and keep away from that which is forbidden.” [6]

Knowledge with Action  

Al_Khatîb al-Baghdâdî [7] - rahimahullâh- said:

“I advise you - O seeker of knowledge - to make the intention pure and sincere and strive to make the soul act upon what this knowledge demands. Since knowledge is a tree and actions are its fruits and the one who does not act upon his knowledge is not counted as being a Scholar. It has been said: Knowledge is the father and actions are the offspring. Indeed, knowledge comes with actions; and riwâyah (narrating) comes with a dirâyah (investigating).

So do not feel satisfied with action as long as you are lacking in knowledge; and do not feel satisfied with knowledge when you falling short in action. Rather, combine them both - even if your share of the two is small. There is nothing worse than a Scholar whose knowledge the people abandon, due to the corruption of his ways, nor an ignorant person whose ignorance the people accept, because they look at his worship. So a little knowledge, along with a little action, will more likely save you in the end - when grants His Mercy bounteously and completely. However, as regards laziness, love of ease and leisure, preferring lowliness and repose, leaning towards relaxation - then the results of these traits are blameworthy and hateful.  

And knowledge leads to action, just as action leads to being saved. So if the action is lesser than the knowledge, then knowledge is a burden upon the Scholar and we seek Allâh’s protection from knowledge which becomes a burden and produces lowliness, becoming a yoke on the neck of its owner.  

Sahl ibn Muzâhim said:  

The matter is tighter upon the Scholar than clenching the fist tightly, even though the ignorant one is not excused due to his ignorance. However, the Scholar receives a greater punishment if he abandons what he knows and does not act upon it.  

So did the Salaf (the Pious Predecessors) of the past reach the high levels which they reached, except through sincerity of ’aqîdah (beliefs), righteous and correct actions and over_powering zuhd (abstinence) in all the attracting things of this world. And did the wise ones reach the great satisfaction, except by avoiding hastening to worldly things and being pleased with what was easy, and giving what was surplus from their needs to the poor and those who asked.

Is not the one who gathers books of knowledge just like the one  

who gathers gold and silver? Is not the one who has an insatiable greed for them just like the one who is greedy about gold and silver? Is not the one who is a prisoner of the love of the former like the one who hoards the latter?  

So just as wealth does not benefit except by spending it, then  

likewise, knowledge does not benefit except by acting upon it and carrying out its obligations. So let a person examine himself and take advantage of his time, because the stopping is little, the riding beast near, the road is fearful; and going astray upon it is what is usual, the danger is great, the one who discerns has insight, - the Most High - is watching over and to Him is the return. “And whoever does an atoms weight of good shall see it, and whoever does an atoms weight of evil shall see it.” [8] ” [9]

Words of Wisdom

Ibn Masûd - radiallâhu ’anhu - said:  

“Learn, learn! So when you learn, then act.” [10]  

Az_Zuhrî (d.124H) - rahimahullâh - said:  

“The people will not trust the actions of a person who acts without knowledge. And they will not be pleased with the saying of a Scholar who does not.” [11]

Sahl ibn ’Abdullâh (d.283) - rahimahullâh - said:  

“All of mankind are drunk, except the Scholars. And all the Scholars are confused, except whoever acts according to his knowledge.”[12]  

He - rahimahullâh - also said:  

“Knowledge is one of the delights and pleasures of the world. So when it is acted upon, it becomes for the Hereafter.”[13]  

Abû ’Abdullâh ar_Rûdhabârî said:  

“Knowledge rests upon actions and actions rest upon sincerity, and sincerity for Allâh inherits understanding about Allâh - the Mighty and Majestic.”[14]

Habîb ibn ’Ubayd - rahimahullâh - said:  

“Learn knowledge and understand and be benefited by it. Do not learn it for beautifying yourselves by it. Then it may happen - if you live long - that a person beautifies himself with knowledge, just as a man beautifies himself with clothes.”[15]  

Al_Hasan al_Basrî (d.110H) - rahimahullâh - said:  

“The concern of the Scholar is tending to the flock, whilst the concern of the foolish one is just to narrate.”[16]

Fudayl ibn ’Iyyad (d.187H) - rahimahullâh - said:

“The Scholar continues to be ignorant of what he has learnt, until he acts upon it. So when he acts upon it, he becomes knowledgeable.” [17]

Al_Hasan al_Basrî - rahimahullâh - said:

“خmân (faith) is not outer decoration, nor mere hope. Rather it is what settles in the heart and what is affirmed by actions. Whoever spoke good, but did not act righteously, then Allâh throws it back upon his saying. Whoever spoke good and acted righteously, Allâh raises up the actions. This is because Allâh - the Most High - says:

“To Him ascend all goodly words, and righteous actions raise it.” ”[18]

References

1. Sûrah آl-’Imrân 3:102

2. Sûrah an_Nisâ 4:1

3. Sûrah al_Ahzâb 33:70-71

4. Related by Ibn Abî Shaybah in Kitâbul_خmân (no.99) and it was

declared Sahîh by Shaykh al_Albânî.

5. He is: the Scholar, the Imâm, the muhaddith, Muhammad ibn Husayn al-آjurrî. Imâm adh_Dhahabî said: “He was one Scholars who firmly followed the Sunnah.’’ He died in the year 360H. For his biography refer to Târîkh Baghdâd (2/243) of al-Khatîb, Tadhkiratul-Huffâdh (3/936) of adh-Dhahabî and Tabaqâtush-Shâfi’iyyah (3/149) of as_Subki.

6. Akhlâqul-’Ulemma (p.43) of Imâm Al-آjurrî

7. He is the Imâm, the Hâfidh, the Scholar of hadîth, fiqh and history, Abû Bakr ibn ’Alî ibn Thâbit better known as al_Khatîb al-Baghdâdî. Ibn Mâkawlâ said about him: “After ad_Dâraqutnî, no one entered Baghdâd the like of him.’’ For his biography refer to: Siyâr A’lâmun-Nubalâ (18/270) of adh-Dhahabî and Al-Bidâyah wan_Nihâyah (12/101-103) of Ibn Kathîr. He died in the year 463H may Allah have mercy upon him.

8. Sûrah az_Zalzalah 99:7-8

9. Iqtidâ’ul_’Ilmil_’Aml (pp. 13_16) of al_Khatîb al_Baghdâdî.

10. Iqtidâ’ul_’Ilmil_’Aml (no.10)

11. Iqtidâ’ul_’Ilmil_’Aml (no.13)

12. Iqtidâ’ul_’Ilmil_’Aml (no.21)

13. Iqtidâ’ul_’Ilmil_’Aml (no.23)

14. Iqtidâ’ul_’Ilmil_’Aml (no.30)

15. Iqtidâ’ul_’Ilmil_’Aml (no.35)

16. Iqtidâ’ul_’Ilmil_’Aml (no.39)

17. Iqtidâ’ul_’Ilmil_’Aml (no.43)

18. Iqtidâ’ul_’Ilmil_’Aml (no.56)

Quote:<b>Etiquettes of the Seekers of Knowledge</b>

<i>TAQWآ: THE KEY TO LEARNING</i>


Shaykh Abu Anas Hamad al-’Uthmân [1]

Allâh - Most Perfect, Most High - said:

“O you who Believe! Have taqwâ (fear) of Allâh and believe in His Messenger; and He will bestow upon you a double portion of His Mercy and He will provide you with a light by which you will walk.”
[2]

Allâh - the Most High - also said:  

“O you who Believe! If you have of taqwâ of Allâh, He will give to you a Furqân (criterion to judge between right and wrong).”
[3]

Al_Hâfidh Ibn Kathîr (d.777H) - rahimahullâh - said:

“Ibn ’Abbâs, as_Suddî, ’Ikrimah, ad_Dahhâk, Qatâdah and Muqâtil ibn Hayyân all said about “Furqân” that it means: a way out (from difficulty). Mujâhid added: A way out (from difficulty) both in this world and in the Hereafter.  

In a narration from Ibn Abbâs he said it means: salvation; and in another narration from him: being helped. Muhammad ibn Ishâq said that it means: a criterion to judge between truth and falsehood. This explanation from Ibn Ishâq is the most general of what has already preceded and it is a necessary consequence of it.  

Since whoever has taqwâ of Allâh by obeying His command and abandoning what He has prohibited, will be given the ability to recognise truth from falsehood. This will be the cause for his salvation, his being helped; and the cause for his worldly affairs being made easier and his happiness on the Day of Judgement.  

It will also be the cause for his sins to be expiated by Allâh and his being granted forgiveness and shielding him from the people. It will likewise be the cause of him being the recipient of a great reward from Allâh as He - the Most - says:  

“O you who Believe! Have taqwâ (fear) of believe in His Messenger; and He will bestow upon you a double portion of His Mercy and He provide you with a light by which you will walk.”
[4]”[5]

Ibn Masûd - radiallâhu ’anhu - said:  

“Indeed I hold that a person forgets knowledge that he used to know because of sins that he commits.”[6]  

Wakî (d. 197H) - rahimahullâh - said:  

“I seek help in memorization by abandoning sin and disobedience.”[7]  

Mâlik (d.179H) said to ash-Shâfi’î when they first met:  

“Indeed I see that has placed a light upon your heart, so do not extinguish it with the darkness of disobedience and sin.”[8]

 

Imâm ash_Shâfi’î (d.204H) - rahimahullâh - said:

“Whosoever loves that Allâh should open-up his heart for him and grant light to him, then let him abandon speech about that which does not concern him, and abandon sins and turn away from acts of disobedience. Then there will be between him and Allâh a hidden treasure of good actions. So if this is done, then Allâh will open up such knowledge for him, that will pre_occupy him. And indeed in death is the greatest pre-occupation.”[9]

Shaykhul-Islâm Ibn Taymiyyah (d.728H) said:

“Allâh - the Most Perfect - has made as a punishment for people’s sins, the absence of guidance and beneficial knowledge, as He says:

“They say: Our hearts are wrapped_up (and we do not understand). Rather, Allâh has has put a seal upon their hearts because of their disbelief.”[10]


And He said:  

“They say: Our hearts are wrapped_up (and we do not understand). Rather, Allâh has cursed them for their disbelief.”[11]


And He said:  

“And we shall turn their hearts and their sight away from guidance, as they refused to believe therein for the first time.”[12]

And says:  

“In their hearts is a disease, and Allâh increases their disease.”[13]

And He says:  

“So when they turned away, Allâh turned their hearts away.”[14]”[15]

References  

1. An-Nubadh fî آdâbit-Talab (pp.12-15).

2. Sûrah al-Hadîd 57:28

3. Sûrah al-Anfâl 8:29

4. Sûrah al-Hadîd 57:28

5. Tafsîr Qur‘ânul-’Adhîm (2/301-302) of Ibn Kathîr.  

6. Related by Wakî’ in az-Zuhd (no.329) and its isnâd is Sahîh.  

7. Related by Ibn Hibbân in Rawdatul-’Uqalâ (p.39).  

8. A’lâmul-Muwaqqi’în (4/258) of Ibn al_Qayyim.  

9. Related by al_Bayhaqî in Manâqiush-Shâfi’î (2/171).

10. Sûrah an_Nisâ 4:155

11. Sûrah al-Baqarah 2:88

12. Sûrah al-An’âm 6:110

13. Sûrah al-Baqarah 2:10

14. Sûrah as_Saff 61:5

15. Majmû’ul-Fatâwâ (14/152) of Ibn Taymiyyah.

Quote:<b>Understanding the State of Affairs</b>



The Future is for Islâm

By the Shaykh - the Scholar of Hadîth - Muhammad Nâsirud-Dîn al-Albânî [1]

Allâh - the Mighty and Majestic - said:

“It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all other religions, no matter how much the disbelievers detest it.”[2]


We are given the good tidings in this verse that the future is for Islâm, which gain dominance, ascendancy and rule over all other religions. Some people may think that this was fulfilled in the time of the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam and the Rightly-Guided Khalîfahs and the righteous kings - but that is not the case. Rather, only a part of this true promise was fulfilled then - as the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam indicated:

“Night and day will pass away until al-Lât and al-’Uzzâ are worshipped.” So ’آisha - radiallâhu ’anha - said: O Messenger of Allâh! I thought that when Allâh sent down: “It is He who has sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth, that He may make it prevail over all the other religions, no matter how much the disbelievers detest it.” that it would be complete. He sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said, “There will be of that what Allâh wishes.” [3]

[in this hadîth is a clarification that the prevalence and ascendancy mentioned in this آyah has not yet happened - its establishment is yet to be fully realised. There is no doubt that this ascendancy and prevalence continued after the death of the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam, in the age Rightly_Guided Khalîfahs and after them. And it not be completed until Islâm is established over the whole of this earth - and this is realisation is certain.] [4]

There are other ahâdîth which show how far Islâm will reach and dominate and how far it spread, such that there is no doubt that the future is for Islâm, by the permission and favour of Allâh. So I quote what I am able to these ahâdîth and hopefully they will strengthen the determination of the workers for Islâm; and be a proof against those who are indifferent and those who have despaired!

Firstly

“Indeed Allâh gathered up the earth for me so that I saw its east and its west; and indeed the dominion of my Ummah will reach what was what was gathered up for me from it.”[5] And even clearer than it and more general is the hadîth:

Secondly

“This affair will reach what is reached by the night and the day; and Allâh will not leave a dwelling of brick, nor fur, except that Allâh will cause this Dîn to enter it - bringing honour or humiliation. Honour which Allâh gives to Islâm and humiliation which Allâh will give to disbelief.”[6]

[Therefore, it is upon the Muslims to prepare themselves, by turning to their Lord, holding on to His Book, following the Sunnah of His Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam, turning away from all that Allâh has made unlawful and uniting upon that which He - the Perfect, Most High - is pleased with.] [7] Indeed, there is no doubt that fulfillment of this prevalence and domination necessitates that the Muslims return to spiritual, material and armed strength, so that they are able to overcome the might of kufr (disbelief) and suppression. This good tiding is given to us in the hadîth:

Thirdly

From Abû Qabîl who said: We were with ’Abdullâh ibn ’Amr ibn al-’آs and he was asked which city will be conquered first - Constantinople or Rome? So ’Abdullâh called for a sealed trunk and he said: Take out a book from it.[8] Then ’Abdullâh said: Whilst we were with the Messenger of sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam writing, The Messenger of sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam was asked: Which city will be conquered first, Constantinople or Rome? So Allâh’s Messenger sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “The city of Heraclius will be conquered first.” - meaning Constantinople.[9]

The conquest mentioned, occurred at the hands of Muhammad al_Fattâh al-Uthmânî - as is well known - and it occurred more than eight_hundred years after the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam foretold of the conquest. So the second conquest will take place, by the permission of Allâh - the Most High - and it is certain and you will hear of it after a time. There is also no doubt that the fulfillment of the second conquest necessitates the return of the rightly-guided Khilâfah to the Muslim Ummah, which is what he sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam foretold with his saying in the hadîth:

Fourthly

“Prophethood will remain amongst you for as long as Allâh wishes it to, then Allâh will raise it up when He wishes to raise it up. Then there will be Khilâfah upon the manner of Prophethood and it will remain amongst you for as long as Allâh wishes it to, then Allâh will raise up when He wishes to raise up. Then there will be harsh kingship which will remain amongst you for as long as Allâh wishes it to, then Allâh will raise it up when He wishes to raise it up. Then there will be tyrannical kingship and it will remain amongst you for as long as Allâh wishes it to, then will raise it up when He wishes to raise it up. Then there will be Khilâfah upon the manner of Prophethood.” Then he was silent.[10]

From the good tidings of the return of strength to the Muslims, and their having the ability to utilise the earth to attain their goals, and that they have a bright future even in the economic and agricultural spheres, is his sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam’s saying:

Fifthly

“The Hour will not be established until the land of the ‘Arabs returns to being pastures and rivers.” [11] The first signs of the fulfillment of this hadîth have begun to appear in some parts of the Arab lands, upon which Allâh has poured forth His blessings and great favours - such that plentiful water is extracted from the desert ... and tomorrow is very near for the one who awaits it. It must also be known that his sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam’s saying: “A time will not come upon you, except that which comes after it will be worse - until you meet your Lord.” [12]

Then this hadîth must be understood in the light of the preceding ahâdîth as well as in the light of others - such as the ahâdîth about the Mahdî and also the descent of خsâ ’alayhis-salâm - which show that this hadîth is not to be understood as having no exceptions. Bather, it is general and has exceptions. Thus, it is not permissible to cause the people to understand it or be unrestricted, so that they fall into despair which no Believer should have as an attribute:

“Indeed, no one despairs of Allâh’s mercy, except those who disbelieve.” [13]

I ask Allâh to make us true Believer in Him.”



References

1. Silsilatul-Ahâdethus-Sahîhah (pp.6-8) of Shaykh al_Albânî. For the sake of brevity and simplicity, the hadîth authentication and checkings by the Shaykh have been abridged.

2. Sûratus_Saff 61:9

3. Related by Muslim (8/182) and also Abû Ya’lâ in his Musnad (Q.216/2)

4. Added from Tahdhîrus_Sâjid (pp.118-119) of Shaykh al_Albânî.

5. Related by Muslim (8/171), Abû Dâwûd (no.4252) and others, from Thawbân radiallâhu ’anhu.

6. Sahîh: Related by Ahmad (4/103), Ibn Hibbân in his Sahîh (no.1631) and others. Shaykh al_Albânî authenticated it in Tahdhîrus_Sâjid (p. 118).

7. Added from Tahdhîrus_Sâjid (p. 119).

8. This saying of ’Abdullâh - radiallâhu ’anhu - is reported by Abû Zur’ah in Tarîkh Dimashq (96/1) and is a proof that hadîth were indeed written in the time of the Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam, contrary to what some of the innovators of falsehood think!

9. Sahîh: Related by Ahmad (2/176) ad_Dârimî, al_Hâkim (3/422) and others and it was authenticated by ’Abdul_Ghanî al-Maqdisî in Kitâbul-’Ilm (2/30/1) and also al_Hâkim and Dhahabî.

10. Sahîh: Related by Ahmad (4/273) and others from an_Nu’mân ibn Bashîr radiallâhu ’anhu. It was authenticated by al_Hâfidh al-’Irâqî in Mahajjatul_Qarab fî Mahabbatil-’Arab (17/2).

11. Related by Muslim (3/84), Ahmad (2/703) and al-Hâkim (4/477) from Abû Hurayrah radiallâhu ’anhu.

12. Related by al-Bukhârî from the hadîth of Anas radiallâhu ’anhu.

13. Sûrah Yûsuf 12:87

<blockquote data-ipsquote="" class="ipsQuote" data-ipsquote-contentapp="forums" data-ipsquote-contenttype="forums" data-ipsquote-contentid="1045" data-ipsquote-contentclass="forums_Topic"><div>...

Quote: <b>Paving the Way for Victory
</b>\"Therefore, the key to a return of the glory of Islâm is: implementation of beneficial knowledge and establishing righteous and correct actions, and this is a very great affair which the Muslims cannot reach, except through the manhaj (methodology) of tasfiyah (purificationand correction) and tarbiyah (education and cultivation).  

These being two very great obligations. By the first of these, the following is intended:  

Firstly: Purifying the Islâmic ’aqîdah from that which is alien to it, such as shirk (associating partners to in those things that are particular to Him), ta’tîl (rejection Attributes), ta’wîl (twisting the meanings of Allâh’s Attributes), refusing authentic ahâdîth, because they are connected to matters of ’aqîdah, and their like.  

Secondly: Purifying the Islâmic fiqh from the erroneous judgements made, which are contrary to the Book and the Sunnah, freeing the minds from the fetters of blind_following and the darkness of sectarianism and party_spirit.  

Thirdly: Purifying the books of tafsîr, fiqh raqâ’iq (matters concerning the heart) and other than that, from ahâdîth which are weak and fabricated, or the the unsupported narrations from the people of the Book, and the reprehensible narrations.  

As regards the second obligation, then by it I mean: cultivating the young generation upon this Islâm, purified all that we have mentioned, giving to them a correct Islâmic education from the start - without any influence from the disbelieving western education.  

There is no doubt, that bringing these two obligations about requires huge efforts and sincere co_operation between all Muslims - individuals and groups - from all those who are truly concerned with establishing the desired Islâmic society, each one working in his own field and specialty.”