Allah [subhanahu wa ta3la] says in Surah Zumur ayah 9 :

هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

“Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know?”

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Author: Ibn Rajab al Hanbali | Size: 4.4MB | Pages: 88 | Format: PDF

These are some brief words about the meaning of knowledge and its classification into that which is beneficial and that which is not; as well as a note regarding the excellence of the knowledge of the Salaf over that of the Khalaf. The way and wisdom of the Salaf, all goodness lies in traversing the way of the Salaf, beneficial Knowledge with regards the ‘Inner Sciences’, the foundation of knowledge and many other branches of the beneficial knowledge.

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Author: Bakr Abu Zayd | Size: 4.6 MB | Pages: 96 | Format: PDF

The Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge … to adorn oneself with beautiful etiquette, noble manners, good behaviour, and pious conduct are distinguishing characteristics of the people of Islaam, and knowledge – the most precious pearl in the crown of the purified Shareeah – cannot be attained except by those who adorn themselves with its etiquette and those who leave evil qualities associated to it. For this reason the scholars devoted their attention to this etiquette, outlined its importance and wrote books solely on this topic; either pertaining to (general conduct] with all types of knowledge or to specific types of knowledge such as the etiquette of the carriers of the Noble Quireaan, the etiquette of the muhaddith, the etiquette of the muftee, the etiquette of the qaadee (judge), the etiquette of the muhtasib (the one who enjoins good and forbids evil for the sake of Allaah) and so on. The issue of this book is the general conduct of those who take the path of seeking the knowledge of the Sharee’ah.

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Author: Ibn Rajab al Hanbali | Size: 28MB | Pages: 135 | Format: PDF

This is an English translation of Ibn Rajab al Hanbali’s classic work Jami’al Ulum Wal Hikam. It is basically a listing of 50 ahadith (sayings of the Prophet), and along with them are comments, lessons to be learned from them, and sayings of the Sahaba regarding them.

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Authors: al Khateeb al Baghdaadee | Size: 300kb | Pages: 64 | Format: PDF

Since that book served as an introduction to knowledge, its virtues, merits and manners, it seemed proper that the second book be dedicated to the next level of knowledge, which is its result and outcome, and that is righteous deeds.

In this treatise, the author gathers over 200 narrations from the Prophet, his Companions and the pious predecessors on the virtue and obligation of acting upon knowledge. Thus the work serves as an inspiration and encouragement to the readers, guiding them to transfer whatever knowledge they gain of Islaam into good deeds and righteous actions. You will find this book filled with beautiful admonitions and golden words of advice from our righteous predecessors, inciting us to acquire knowledge and to then put it into practice by way of acts of worship.

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29. Someone asked me: What is [legal] knowledge and how much should men know of it?

30. Shaafi’ee replied: Legal knowledge is of two kinds: one is for the general public, and no sober and mature person should be ignorant of it.

31. He asked: For example?

32. [Shaafi'ee] replied: For example, that the daily prayers are five, that men owe it to God to fast the month of Ramadan, to make the pilgrimage to the [Sacred] House whenever they are able, and to [pay] the legal alms in their estate; that He [God] has prohibited usury, adultery, homicide, theft, [the drinking of] wine, and [everything] of that sort which He has obligated men to comprehend, to perform, to pay in their property, and to abstain from [because] He has forbidden it to them.

This kind of knowledge may be found textually in the Book of God, or may be found generally among the people of Islam. The public relates it from the preceding public and ascribes it to the Apostle of God,.nobody ever questioning its ascrip-tion or its binding force upon them. It is the kind of knowledge which admits of error neither in its narrative nor in its interpretation; it is not permissible to question it.

33. He asked: What is the second kind?

34. Shaafi’ee replied: It consists of the detailed duties and rules obligatory on men, concerning which there exists neither a text in the Book of God, nor regarding most of them, a sunna. Whenever a sunna exists [in this case], it is of the kind related by few authorities, not by the public, and is subject to different interpretations arrived at by analogy.

35. He asked: Is [legal knowledge of] this kind as obliga-tory as the other, or is it not obligatory so that he who acquires such knowledge performs a supererogatory act, and he who neglects it falls not into error? Or, is there a third kind, derived from a narrative (khabar) or analogy?

36. [Shaafi'ee] replied: There is a third kind [of knowledge].

37. He asked: Will you explain it, give its source, and state what [portion] of it is obligatory, and on whom it is binding and on whom it is not binding?

38. [Shaafi'ee] replied: The public is incapable of knowing this kind of knowledge, nor can all specialists obtain it. But those who do obtain it should not all neglect it. If some can obtain it, the others are relieved of the duty [of obtaining it]; but those who do obtain it will be rewarded.

39. He asked: Will you cite a liarrative or any other rele-vant information as a basis for [using] analogy?

40. [Shaafi'ee] replied: God has imposed the [duty oq jihild as laid down in His Book and uttered by His Prophet's tongue. He stressed the calling [of men to fulfil] the jihad [duty] as follows:

God has bought from the believers their selves and their posses-sions against [the gift of] Paradise . They fight in the way of God; they kill, and are killed; that is a promise binding upon God in the Torah and Gospel and the Qur’an; and who fulfils his cove-nant better than God? So rejoice in the bargain you have made with Him. That is the mighty triumph [Q. IX, 112].

And He said:

Fight the polytheists totally as they fight you totally; and know that God is with the godfearing [Q. IX, 36].

And He said:

Slay the polytheists wherever you find them, and take them, and confine them, and lie in ambush for them everywhere. But if they repent and perform the prayer and pay the zakat, then let them free. God is All-forgiving, All.compassionate [Q. IX, 5].

And He said:

Fight those who do not believe in God nor in the Last Day, who do not forbid what God and His Apostle have made forbidden, and who do not practice the religion of truth, of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the jizya out of hand and have been humbled [Q. IX, 29].

41. ‘Abd al-’Aziz b. Muhammad al-Darawardi’ told us from Muhammad b. ‘Amr b. ‘Alqama from Abu Salama [b. 'Abd al-Raliman] from Abit Hurayra, who said that the Apostle of God said:

I shall continue to fight the unbelievers until they say: ‘There is no god but God,’ if they make this pronouncement they shall be secured their blood and property, unless taken for its price, and their reward shall be given by God.

And God, glorified be His praise, said:

O believers, what is the matter with you, that when it is said to you: ‘Go forth in the way of God,’ you sink down to the ground? Are you so content with this present life as to neglect the Here-after? The enjoyment of this life is little in comparison with the Hereafter. If you do not go forth, He will inflict upon you a painful punishment, and instead of you He will substitute another people; and you will not hurt Him at all, for God is powerful over everything [Q. IX, 38-39].

And He said:

Go forth, light and heavy! Struggle in God’s way with your possessions and yourselves! That is better for you, did you but know [Q. IX, 41].

42. [Shaafi'ee] said: These communications mean that the jihad, and rising up in arms in particular, is obligatory for all able-bodied [believers], exempting no one, just as prayer, pilgrimage and [payment of] alms are performed, and no person is permitted to perform the duty for another, since performance by one will not fulfil the duty for another. They may also mean that the duty of [jihad] is a collective (kifaya) duty different from that of prayer: Those who per-form it in the war against the polytheists will fulfil the duty and receive the supererogatory merit, thereby preventing those who have stayed behind from falling into error.But God has not put the two [categories of men] on an equal footing, for He said:

Such believers who sit at home-unless they have an injury-are not the equals of those who fight in the path of God with their possessions and their selves. God has given precedence to those who fight with their possessions and their selves over those who sit at home. God has promised the best of things to both, and He has preferred those who fight over those who sit at hoine by [granting them] a mighty reward [Q. IV, 97].

The literal meaning of this communication is that the duty is obligatory on all men.

43. He asked: Where is the proof for your opinion that if some people perform the duty, the others would be relieved of punishment?

44. [Shaafi'ee] said: It is in the communication that I have just cited].

45. He asked: In what part of it?

46. [Shaafi'ee] replied: God said: “Yet to each God has promised the best of things.”
Thus God has promised “the best of things” for those who stayed behind and could not go to the jihad, although he clearly specified his preference for those who went to the jihad over those who stayed at home. If those who stayed at home were in error, while others were fighting, they would be committing a sin, unless God forgives them, rather than receiving ” the best of things.”

47. He asked: Is there any other [proof]?

48. [Shaafi'ee] replied: Yes, God said:

It is not for tile believers to go forth all together, but why should not a party of every section of them go forth, to become learned in religion, and to warn their people when they return to them, perhaps they will beware [Q. IX, 123].

[When] the Apostle went to battle he was accompanied by some of his companions while others stayed at home; for ‘Ali b. Abi Talib stayed at home during the battle of Tabuk. Nor did God ordain that all Muslims were under obligation to go to battle, for He said: “Why should not a party of every section of them go forth?” So He made it known that going into battle was obligatory on some, not on all, [just] as knowl-edge of the law is not obligatory on all but on some, save the fundamental duties which should be known to all men. But God knows best.

49. Shaafi’ee said: In like manner are other duties, the fulfillment of which is intended to be collective; whenever they are performed by some Muslims collectively, those who do not perform them will not fall in error.If all men failed to perform the duty so that no able-bodied man went forth to battle, all, I am afraid, would fall into error (although I am certain that this would never happen) in accordance with [God's] saying:

If you do not go forth, He will inflict upon you a painful punish-ment [Q. IX, 39].

50. He asked: What is the meaning [of this communication]?

51. [Shaafi'ee] replied: It means that it is not permissible that all men should fail to “go forth”; but that if some go forth, so that a sufficient number fulfils [the collective duty], the others do not fall into error, because the going forth by some would fulfil the [duty of] ‘going forth.’

52. He asked: Are there examples other than the jihad?

53. [Shaafi'ee] replied: Ys, such as the funeral and burial prayers, the performance of which should not be neglected; but men are not all under the obligation to attend to their performance, for those who perform them will relieve those who do not from falling into error.In the same [category falls the duty to] reply to a salutation. For God said:

When you are greeted with a greeting, respond with a better one, or return it. Verily God keeps account of everything [Q. IV, 88].

The Apostle of God said:

He who is standing shall greet hin who is sitting. If [only] one replies to a greeting, he would fulfil [the duty] on behalf of the others.

These are merely intended to mean that a reply must be made. So the response of the few fulfils the duty for all who are obligated to reply, for the [collective] response is sufficient. So far as I have been informed, the Muslims have continued to act as I have stated, from the time of the Prophet to the present. Only a few men must know the law, attend the funeral service, perform the jihad and respond to greeting, while others are exempt. So those who know the law, perform the jihad attend the funeral service, and respond to a greeting will be rewarded, while others do not fall into error since a sufficient number fulfil the [collective] duty.

Allah, the Exalted, says:

“And say: `My Rubb! Increase me in knowledge.” (20:114)

“Are those who know equal to those who know not?”’ (39:9)

“Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge.” (58:11)

“It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.” (35:28)

1376. Mu`awiyah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah said, “When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of Deen.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: Knowledge and understanding of Deen (religion) here stands for the understanding of the Qur’an and Hadith, religious injunctions, and knowledge of the lawful and the unlawful. This Hadith highlights the excellence of knowledge and the fact that it is a sign of Allah’s Help to the person who possesses it and acts upon it.

1377. Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “Envy is permitted only in two cases: A man whom Allah gives wealth, and he disposes of it rightfully, and a man to whom Allah gives knowledge which he applies and teaches it.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: According to Imam An-Nawawi’s explanation, the word Hasad (jealousy) is used in the sense of Ghibtah i.e., envy. In Islam, jealousy is forbidden and is held unlawful. The reason being that one who is jealous wants that the person, who possesses the quality of which he is jealous, be deprived of that quality. Envy is permissible for the reason that when one seems that a person has been graced by Allah with certain gifts and qualities, he also desires to be blessed with those gifts. In the latter case, he does not grumble and grieve but eagerly prays to Allah for those gifts. `Knowledge’ here stands for the knowledge of the Qur’an and Hadith because this knowledge alone is beneficial for man, and it is through this knowledge that correct judgements can be made among the people. This Hadith has an inducement for acquiring useful knowledge along with wealth to spend in the ways ordained by Allah.

1378. Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “The guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me are like abundant rain which fell on a land. A fertile part of it absorbed the water and brought forth profuse herbage and pasture; and solid ground patches which retained the water by which Allah has benefited people, who drank from it, irrigated their crops and sowed their seeds; and another sandy plane which could neither retain the water nor produce herbage. Such is the similitude of the person who becomes well-versed in the religion of Allah and receives benefit from the Message entrusted to me by Allah, so he himself has learned and taught it to others; such is also the similitude of the person who has stubbornly and ignorantly rejected Allah’s Guidance with which I have been sent.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned, and is repeated here to highlight the eminence of knowledge and to induce Muslims to gain it. We learn from this Hadith that there are three categories of people. First, those who acquire knowledge of the Qur’an and Hadith, act upon it and also impart it to others. Such people benefit from this knowledge themselves and extend this benefit to others also. By virtue of this quality they are the best of all. Second, those people who acquire knowledge and impart it to others, but do not fulfill the requirements of that knowledge. Such people are inferior in rank to the people of the first category and can be taken to task for their omissions. Third, those who shun the knowledge of the Qur’an and Hadith. Neither they study and hear the two themselves for their own benefit, nor do they acquire knowledge to impart it to others for their benefit. This is the worst category of people. Every Muslim should try to be in the first category of the people.

1379. Sahl bin Sa`d (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said to `Ali (May Allah be pleased with him), “By Allah, if a single person is guided by Allah through you, it will be better for you than a whole lot of red camels.”

[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: “Better for you than red camels” is an allegory for every thing that is better than anything else. Red camels used to be precious in Arabia, and their reference here is to highlight the value of guidance. Thus, this Hadith brings into prominence the importance of calling people towards Allah. But before calling others to the path of Allah, one must himself know it, and for this purpose, the knowledge of the Qur’an and Hadith is essential because one cannot provide any guidance in this respect without this knowledge.

1380. `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “Convey from me even an Ayah of the Qur’an; relate traditions from Banu Israel, and there is no restriction on that; but he who deliberately forges a lie against me let him have his abode in the Hell.”
[Al-Bukhari].

Commentary: This Hadith contains the following three important points:

1. It stresses the importance of acquiring knowledge of the Qur’an and Hadith and imparting it to others. No matter whether one has more or less knowledge, he must communicate it to others. There is no justification to presume that preaching or inviting to the Message of Allah is the duty of religious scholars and those who are well-versed in this sphere. In fact, it is a duty upon every Muslim, so much so that if a person knows even a single Verse of the Qur’an, that is to say if he knows only one injunction of Allah, he is duty bound to communicate it to other people.

2. It allows the communication of Jewish Traditions but this permission is subject to the condition that such Traditions are not against the elucidations of the Qur’an and Hadith.

3. There is a stern warning on attributing any false saying to the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam). This demands strict scrutiny of Ahadith. If a Hadith does not have a reliable authority or whose chain of narrators has a false link or a person of doubtful integrity, that is to say if it is weak, then it is a serious offense to quote it as a Hadith of the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam). There are various grades of weakness, and this requires deep knowledge of the narrators and principles of Hadith to know them since scholars who are expert in this discipline are few and far. The safest course for ordinary scholars is to refrain from stating such Ahadith which are weak, no matter whether the weakness is serious or slight. The reason is that although the majority of Muhaddithun consider the slightly weak Ahadith acceptable but they cannot be identified by everybody. Thus, every Hadith which is marked as weak should not be mentioned. In the present age Sheikh Nasiruddin Al-Albani has done a very remarkable work in this field. He has separated the weak Ahadith found in the four famous volumes of Ahadith (Sunnan Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi, An-Nasa’i and Ibn Majah) from the authentic and prepared separate volumes of authentic and weak Ahadith. This work of Al-Albani has made it easy for the ordinary `Ulama’ to identify the weak Ahadith. Only a man of Sheikh Al-Albani’s calibre can do research on it. The ordinary `Ulama’ and religious scholars of the Muslims are heavily indebted to him for this great work and they should keep it in view before mentioning any Hadith. They should mention only the authentic Ahadith and refrain from quoting the weak ones. It is wrong to ignore this work on the ground that Sheikh Al-Albani is not the last word on the subject. There can be a possibility of error in his work because it is after all a human effort, but it will be very unfair to regard his effort of no account merely because of a possible error. It is regrettable indeed that only because of this possible error many people refuse to accept even the correctness of the Sahihain. (i.e., Sahih Al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim). Should we then accept their view? No, certainly not. So there is no sense in not making use of Sheikh Al-Albani’s matchless contribution. As Muhaddithun have done a great service to the Muslim Ummah by collecting and compiling the Ahadith, similarly in the style of Muhaddithun, and in keeping with the principles laid down by them, the research carried out to separate the authentic Ahadith from the weak is in fact an effort to complete their mission. In this age, Almighty Allah has bestowed this honour on Sheikh Al-Albani. May Allah protect him, give him the best of the reward and give him a long life.

We now revert to the subject under discussion and say that no such saying and practice should be attributed to the Prophet (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) the authenticity of which is doubtful. On this principle, weak Ahadith, should not be mentioned. It is very unfortunate indeed that in spite of such a stern warning, many of our `Ulama’ are not careful in this matter. Not to speak of weak Ahadith, they do not hesitate to mention even Ahadith Maudu`ah forged Ahadith) only to adorn their speech. May Allah guide them to the Right Path. In fact, there is a class of religious scholars who try to refute the authentic Ahadith and validate the weak ones only to add credence to their own juristic school. May Allah save us from such evils.

1381. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “Allah makes the way to Jannah easy for him who treads the path in search of knowledge.”
[Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned in full. See the Commentary on Hadith No. 247. A part of it which relates to the eminence of knowledge has been reproduced here. In this Hadith, knowledge means the knowledge of the religion, that is to say the correct knowledge of the Qur’an and Hadith which is acquired without any prejudice of any juristic school. Otherwise juristic prejudice can turn knowledge into great obstruction. May Allah bestow His Mercy on us.

1382. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “He who calls others to follow the Right Guidance will have a reward equal to the reward of those who follow him, without their reward being diminished in any respect on that account.”
[Muslim].

Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned. This Hadith has glad tidings for those who learn the knowledge of religion, teach it and impart it to others.

1383. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous decendant who prays for him (for the deceased).”
[Muslim].

Commentary: “His deeds come to an end” means that he does not any longer receive the return and reward on his actions. But there are three categories of actions on which he receives reward even after his death. First, Sadaqah Jariyah such as building a mosque, or a hospital, or digging a well. As long as people will benefit from these, he will receive a reward for them. Second, “knowledge which is beneficial” means to impart knowledge to others or to propagate knowledge by means of one’s books. As long as this medium of teaching will continue and his books will be studied and people will benefit from them, he will receive a reward for it. Third, virtuous descendants. Training of children on the right lines is essential so that after a person’s death they continue to pray for him. The prayer of children in favour of parents is highly useful.

1384. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “The world, with all that it contains, is accursed except for the remembrance of Allah that which pleases Allah; and the religious scholars and seekers of knowledge.”
[At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: This Hadith has already been mentioned. It does not mean that this world, and whatever is in it, is really cursed. What it in fact means is that such things of this world are cursed which make a person negligent of the remembrance of Allah; or it is cursed for those who in their whole life do not remember Allah. This Hadith has been mentioned in the present chapter, which relates to knowledge for the reason that acquisition of knowledge is essential to know that such and such work will be a source of winning the Pleasure of Allah and such and such act will incur His displeasure. This is the reason the teacher and the learner have been included in the exemptions from the curse.

1385. Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “He who goes forth in search of knowledge is considered as struggling in the Cause of Allah until he returns.”
[At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: In this Hadith the acquisition of knowledge has been equated with Jihad for the sake of Allah. Sheikh Al-Albani has regarded this Hadith weak in his “Takhriju Fiqh As-Sunnah”.

1386. Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “A believer never satisfies doing good until he reaches Jannah.”
[At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: According to this Hadith, it is a quality of a Muslim that he is very much concerned about acquiring virtues and doing good, and he is never tired of struggling for them and live by them so much so that in this struggle he reaches the end of his life. By mentioning this Hadith in Kitab-ul-`Ilm it has been made evident that the best of the virtues is learning and teaching of religious knowledge because it is actually this knowledge which enables a person to distinguish between good and evil.

1387. Abu Umamah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “The superiority of the learned over the devout worshipper is like my superiority over the most inferior amongst you (in good deeds).” He went on to say, “Allah, His angels, the dwellers of the heaven and the earth, and even the ant in its hole and the fish (in water) supplicate in favour of those who teach people knowledge.”
[At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: `Alim (learned person) here means scholar of the Qur’an and Hadith, who adheres to Faraid and Sunnah and remains busy in learning and imparting knowledge. `Abid (devout worshipper) is one who spends most of his time in the worship of Allah. The benefit of his voluntary prayer and remembrance of Allah is restricted to his own self while the benefit of knowledge of the scholar reaches others also. Hence, of the two, the latter is far superior.

If Salat is mentioned with reference to Allah, it denotes “Allah’s Grace with Mercy;” if it is mentioned with reference to the angels, it denotes “to pray for forgiveness;” and if it is mentioned with reference to other creatures – men, animals, etc., – then it means prayer and supplication. Thus, Allah graces that person with His Mercy who teach people the beneficial knowledge, i.e., the knowledge of Islam; angels pray to Allah to forgive his (or her) sins; and other creatures pray for his (or her) well-being. In this way, this Hadith stresses the distinction of religious scholars and highlights the esteem in which they are held by Allah, His angels and His other creatures.

1388. Abud-Darda (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “He who follows a path in quest of knowledge, Allah will make the path of Jannah easy to him. The angels lower their wings over the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he does. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth and even the fish in the depth of the oceans seek forgiveness for him. The superiority of the learned man over the devout worshipper is like that of the full moon to the rest of the stars (i.e., in brightness). The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who bequeath neither dinar nor dirham but only that of knowledge; and he who acquires it, has in fact acquired an abundant portion.”
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: Like the preceding Ahadith, this Hadith also mentions the eminence of learning religious knowledge, and respecting and honouring `Ulama’.

1389. Ibn Mas`ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) saying, “May Allah freshen the affairs of a person who hears something from us and communicates it to others exactly as he has heard it (i.e., both the meaning and the words). Many a recepient of knowledge understands it better than the one who has heard it.”
[At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: Besides mentioning the eminence of knowledge, this Hadith contains inducement for preaching and inviting people towards the path of Allah. It also urges us to communicate knowledge exactly as we have heard it, without changing anything in the least.

1390. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “He who is asked about knowledge (of religion) and conceals it, will be bridled with a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection.”
[Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi].

Commentary: We learn from this Hadith that to withhold guidance in the matter of religion from anybody who seeks it, is a grave sin which is threatened with Hell. Unfortunately, the religious scholars who are shackled in religious prejudices and terribly lack interest in juristic matters have developed a habit of concealing religious knowledge from people. In fact, this grave sin has become so alarming that any further delay to eradicate it will prove ruinous for us. May Allah grant us true guidance.

1391. Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah(sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) said, “He who does not acquire knowledge with the sole intention of seeking the Pleasure of Allah but for worldly gain, will not smell the fragrance of Jannah on the Day of Resurrection.”
[Abu Dawud].

Commentary: This Hadith has an inducement for acquiring knowledge for the Pleasure of Allah alone. If a religious scholar acquires it to make it a means of worldly gains, then it turns to such a serious crime that such a scholar will not even smell the fragrance of Jannah (i.e., he will not enter it along with the saved). May Allah save us from it. However, if a scholar gains wealth and worldly gains through it without any intention, then it is altogether a different matter. In that case, it is not harmful for him as long as he uses it in a manner pleasing to Allah.

1392. `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah (sallallaahu ’alayhi wa sallam) saying: “Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but He takes it away by taking away (the lives of) the religious scholars till none of the scholars stays alive. Then the people will take ignorant ones as their leaders, who, when asked to deliver religious verdicts, will issue them without knowledge, the result being that they will go astray and will lead others astray.”
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim].

Commentary: It is a sign of the nearness of the Day of Judgement that the world will be deprived of genuine religious scholars, and illiterate people will become leaders who will have neither the knowledge of the Qur’an nor that of the Hadith. Despite their ignorance of the Qur’an and the Hadith, they will be called Mujtahid (jurist entitled to independent reasoning) and Imam (leader) and will mislead people with their legal opinions and self-created problems. Besides urging us to acquire religious knowledge with a view to producing more scholars in the society, this Hadith also warns us against the ignorant self-styled `Ulama’. It also warns us against entrusting religious leadership to them.

Abul `Aasim al-Qaasim bin Yoosuf bin Muhammad at-Tajeebee as-Sabtee al-Maghribee says:

I requested our leader, the shaykh, faqeeh, imaam, respected scholar, vanguard of the predecessors, leader of the later generations, reviver of the Deen, expresser of rare and wonderful ideas with great eloquence and literacy, the most knowledgeable person I have met in the lands of the East and West, Taqi ud-Deen Abul-`Abbaas Ahmad bin Taymiyyah (may Allaah enable us to continue benefiting from him):

[some questions deleted...]

- To point me towards those books which I may rely upon regarding knowledge of hadeeth, and other sciences of the sharee`ah.

[...]

Ibn Taymiyyah answered:

All praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.

As for which books one may depend on for the different branches of knowledge, then this is a vast topic, and again, the answer to this varies according to people’s backgrounds in different lands. This is because in each land, one field of learning or way or mode of thinking may be easier than another, but the source of all good and blessings is that one seeks help from Allaah in acquiring knowledge inherited from the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, because that is what is truly fit to be named knowledge. Anything else is either not knowledge at all even though people call it so, or it is knowledge which is not beneficial, or it is beneficial knowledge, in which case it is necessarily true that there exists in the inheritance of Muhammad, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, that which replaces it, being similar to it or better than it.

Thus the person’s effort should be to understand the purposes of the Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, in his commands, prohibitions and his various other sayings. When the heart is contended that something is indeed as the Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, intended, then he should not waver from it as far as possible, whether it is regarding his duties to Allaah or to the people. In all branches of knowledge, he should strive to hold firmly to principles narrated from the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam; if he is in doubt regarding any matter about which the people of knowledge have differed, then he should supplicate to Allaah with the du`aa which appears in Saheeh Muslim narrated by `Aa’ishah, radiyallaahu `anhaa, that when the Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, stood for the night prayer, he would say,

“O Allaah! Lord of Jibreel, Meekaa’eel and Israafeel, Originator of the Heavens and the Earth, Knower of the Unseen and the Present! You judge among your slaves regarding what they have differed in. Guide me to the truth regarding that in which they have differed, for truly, You do guide whomsoever You wish to a path that is straight.”

This is because Allaah the Exalted has said, as narrated by His Messenger from Him,

“O My slaves, all of you are astray except those that I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you.” [Muslim]

As for a description of good books and compilations: people will have heard from me what Allaah has made easy on other occasions. I will say this much now, that out of all the compiled books which have been divided into chapters, there is none more beneficial than the Saheeh of Muhammad bin Ismaa`eel al-Bukhaaree. However, this alone is not enough to cover all the major principles of knowledge, nor can it fulfill all the objectives of one who seeks to dive deep into the various branches of knowledge. It is imperative that other ahaadeeth, as well as the words of the people of understanding and the people of knowledge of different specialised fields be known, for the Ummah has progressed tremendously in all fields of learning. He whose heart Allaah enlightens He guides him through what reaches him; but he whose heart Allaah blinds, many books only increase him in confusion and misguidance, as the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, said to Ibn Labeed al-Ansaari,

“Did the Jews and Christians not have the Tauraat and the Injeel? So what benefit did these bring them?” [al-Bukhaaree in Khalq Af`aal al-`Ibaad, an-Nasaa'ee, Ahmad, al-Haakim, ibn Hibbaan, Saheeh]

So we ask Allaah Almighty that He sustains us with guidance and firmness, instills in our hearts our correct direction, protects us from the mischief of our own selves, that He does not allow our hearts to deviate after giving us guidance and that He bestows on us Mercy from Him, for He is the Most Generous.

All Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds, and His Blessings be on the most noble of the messengers.

From “Sayd Al-Khaatir” (138)

I have met many mashaaykh and the affair of one was different from that of the other, and their knowledge capacity were of varying levels. And the one whom I benefited from his company the most was the one who used to apply what he knew, even though there were those who were more knowledgeable than him.

I met a group from the people of hadeeth who memorized and knew a lot, however they would permit backbiting under the guise of jarh wa ta’deel (ed.: “accreditation and disreputation”, science of criticism of narrators), they would take monetary payment in return for narrating hadeeth, and they would be hasty in giving answers, even if they are wrong, lest their status diminishes.

I met Abdulwahaab Al-Anmaatee, he used to be upon the methodology of the salaf. One would never hear backbiting in his gatherings nor would he take payment for teaching hadeeth. Whenever I read a hadeeth that contained in it a heart-softener, he used to cry continuously. I was very young at that time, (but) his crying affected my heart. He had the calm of those whose description we hear about from the narrations.

I met Abu Mansur Al-Jawaaliqee, he was very quiet, very careful about what he said, precise, and scholarly. Sometimes he would be asked a question, which may seem easy; one that our young ones would rush to answer, however he would withhold from answering until he was certain. He used to fast a lot and remain quiet often.

Thus, I benefited from these two more than I benefited from the others, and I understood from this that: guiding people by one’s action is more inspiring than doing so by words. So Allah, Allah, one should implement what he knows for it is indeed the greatest foundation. And the miskeen, the true miskeen is the one who wasted his life learning what he does not practice, thus he looses the pleasures of the dunyah and the goodies of the akhirah. (In addition to) Coming forth bankrupt (on the day of judgment) with strong evidences against himself.”