Advice for the Student of knowledge(نصيحة لطالب علم)

fiqhaddeen:

Some good beginner books to memorize and study indepth as mentioned by Shaykh Abdul Muhsin al Qaasim in his booklet “Easiest way to memorize mutoon(summarized text)”.

The text(matn) are those foundational books which are small in size but large in benefit. As is implied, they build the foundation of the understanding of whatever Islamic science you are studying. Many people may have read these books once or twice but the Taalibul Ilm is advised to memorize all that he can. For instance, in hadeeth the matn(text) usually memorized in hadeeth(for the beginner) is “Al Bayquniyyah” which is a short poem on the sciences of fiqh. Memorizing these mutoon brings about a solid understanding of the knowledge you are trying to delve into.

Shaykh Abdul Muhsin al Qaasim the Imam of Masjid an Nabawi mentions some texts that the beginner should memorize and study. He also mentioned that these are the same books the late Mufti(before Shaykh bin Baz) Shaykh Muhammad ibn Ibraheem al Ash Shaykh, advised his students with.

1) Nawaqidul Islaam(The nullifiers of Islam)

2)Qawa’id al Arba’(The Four principles of shirk)

3)Usool ath Thalaatha(The Three principles)

all of these are written by Shaykhul Islaam Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab an Najdee

4) Al Arba’een an Nawawi by Imam An Nawawi

The first book of all to be memorized is, of course, al Quran. Its narrated some of the Scholars did not teach their students hadeeth until they had memorized the Quran. May Allah guide us.

Do not Speak Without Knowledge or Understanding

nonchalante:

And know for certain that if you open up the arena (when sitting with the people), then questions will come one after the other to you.

However you should beware of answering with that which you do not have knowledge of. Don’t be deceived by the people turning towards you and beginning to ask you (questions), then you reply with that which you do not have knowledge of!

This is a serious issue because Allaah, the Most High, said:

“Say (O Muhammad): My Lord has made forbidden al fawaahish (filthy deeds), whether done openly or secretly, sins, transgression without due right, and that you ascribe partners to Allaah for which He has sent down no authority and that you say about Allaah that which you have no knowledge of.”

(Soorah Al A’raaf, 7:33)

Do not say about Allaah that which you do not have knowledge of. If you are asked about a matter and you do not know about it, then say to him, “Wait, I will ask about it and I will (then) tell you,” or “I will look it up in the books and (then) I will tell you.”

“And do not say that about which you have no knowledge. Indeed the hearing, the sight and the heart – each of these will be questioned by Allaah.”

(Soorah al Israa, 17:36)

— Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih Al Uthaymeen (rahimahullah)

[Source: Quoted in Wasaayaa wa Tawjeehaat li Tullaab il ‘ilm pp. 260, translated by Nasser ibn Najam]

Chapter One: Part Two [The Recording of The Sunnah]

ahlulhadeethwalathar:

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

أسباب الرحلة في طلب العلم:

Reasons for the journey of seeking knowledge:

There are many reasons for the journey to seek knowledge. From these reasons are three major reasons.

1- During the time of the Companions, a Companion would travel to hear a hadeeth that he did not hear from the Prophet (peace be upon him) or to confirm a hadeeth that another Companion would have memorized and is in a different land; even if it meant traveling for a month.

2- During the time of the followers [Tabi’een], it was due to the separation of the Companions in different lands. So the followers would travel to them to listen and record what they had from the ahadeeth.

3-  After these two generations, there were more reasons for traveling to seek knowledge. From these reasons:

• After the appearance of the fabricators and the people of desires, the scholars would travel to confirm the fabricated ahadeeth.
• Seeking for the Ahadeeth with a short chain or the shortest chain to the prophet (peace be upon him). So they would travel for it as Imam Ahmed said: “ Seeking for the shortest chains is the way of the Salaf.”

Al-khateeb al-Bagdady said:

What was intended from the journey of seeking the hadeeth are two things:

1) To seek the shortest chains.

2)To meet scholars and study with them.

Beautiful Advice to the Women Concerning Treatment of Their Husbands

al-musaafirah:

Sheikh Jamaal al-Haarithi, may Allaah preserve him, said,

“So when you understand and have certainty, oh Muslim woman, in respect to the obligations which you have concerning your husband, then it is upon you to seek various ways to please him-so if one path is exhausted, then pursue another newly created path, such that he will experience joy and contentment and then this will be returned back to you because of what he is experiencing of rest and peace of mind in his house after the difficulty and fatigue which he meets outside of the home.”

Source: My Home, My Path by Umm Mujaahid Khadijah bint Lacina

العلم قبل القول والعمل

Knowledge before speech and action.

The Recoding Angel on the Left Waits

path-to-the-salaf:

عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ:”إِنَّ صَاحِبَ الشِّمَالِ لِيَرْفَعُ الْقَلَمَ سِتَّ سَاعَاتٍ عَنِ الْعَبْدِ الْمُسْلِمِ الْمُخْطِئِ أَوِ الْمُسِيءِ، فَإِنْ نَدِمَ وَاسْتَغْفَرَ اللَّهَ مِنْهَا أَلْقَاهَا، وَإِلا كُتِبَتْ وَاحِدَةً”

Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alayhi wa salim) said,

“The companion (Angel) on the left lifts his pen for six hours for the Muslim slave that errs or sins. If this slave repents and seeks Allah’s forgiveness for that error or sin, the Angel doesn’t record it. And if the slave doesn’t ask Allah for forgiveness, the Angel records it once.

[Collected by At-Tabarani in Kabir (7667 ) , Abu Na’eem in Hilya (6/124), Al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ib (6788). Shaykh Al-Albani graded this hadeeth as being Hasan in Saheehah (1209)]

Benefits for this topic:

1. Lifts the pen for six hours: These six hours could refer to astrological time, or another time period.
2. The Muslim slave that errs or sins: Means the Angel won’t record the sin or error before the six hours passes. He simply delays writing it.
3. If the slave repents: This refers to the salve seeking sincere repentance for the sin or error he’s done.
4. The Angel doesn’t record it: Means the Angel on the left ignores writing it.
5. If the slave doesn’t ask Allah for forgiveness: This means the Angel on the left writes it down as one bad deed, unlike the Angel that records the good deeds. The Angel on the right writes down a good deed ten times.

[Faydul Qadir Al-Manawee]

[Translated by Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Lamont Battle]

اللهم علمنا ما ينفعنا و انفعنا بما علمتنا وَ زِدْنا علماً

“Oh Allah benefit us with what you taught us, and teach us what benefits us, and increase us in knowledge”. (Ibn Maajah)

Six Ettiquettes of Learning

Ibn al-Qayyim - rahimahullaah- said: “There are six stages to knowledge:

Firstly: Asking questions in a good manner.
Secondly: Remaining quiet and listening attentively.
Thirdly: Understanding well.
Fourthly: Memorising.
Fifthly: Teaching.
Sixthly- and it is its fruit: Acting upon the knowledge and keeping to its limits.”

[Miftaah Daarus-Sa ‘aadah ( p.283)]

The fake Scholar/Student of Knowledge

And from his character in seeking knowledge is that he seeks it whilst being in the state of neglect and forgetfulness. He only seeks the knowledge which his desire calls him towards.

And if it’s said, ‘How is that possible?’

The reply is, his aim in seeking knowledge is not due to him thinking it is fardh upon him or in order for him to worship Allaah by fulfilling His obligations and staying away from the things He has declared unlawful, No! Rather his aim is to become known to the people as a taalib-ul-’ilm (student of knowledge) and so that the students flock around him.

He studies only for Riyaa (showing off) and debates with others in order to be known for his knowledge and eloquence in discussion. If the person he is debating with has the truth with him, it causes him grief. Even if he knows he is wrong he carries on debatting and never declares he is mistaken due to fear of people criticising his mistakes.

He is lenient with giving fatwaa to those he loves and is severe and stern against those who can not benefit him at all. Whoever he teaches knowledge to he expects benefits back from. And if his students can not benefit him in this world but only benefit him in the aakhirah, teaching them becomes a burden upon him (and he sees it as a waste of time).

He anticipates the reward for knowledge he never practised, and is not afraid of the consequences for knowledge he never acted upon. He speaks words of wisdom so it might seem he is from its people, whilst not fearing the evidence being established against him, because he doesn’t practise what he preaches. The more he learns and seeks knowledge the more he shows off and boasts.

If the scholars of his time are many in number and they are mentioned as people of knowledge he wishes to be mentioned with them. If they, the scholars, are asked about a question and he is not asked he wishes he be asked as well, when it was upon him to praise Allaah who just saved him from being asked when others had fulfilled the need.

If it reaches him that any of the scholars made a mistake whilst he got the right verdict, he becomes happy for the mistakes of others, when in reality he should be sad for the mistakes of his brothers. If any of the scholars pass away it makes him happy since now people will be in need of him and his knowledge more.

And if he is asked about a matter that he has no knowledge of, it becomes difficult for him to say ‘I do not know’. If he hears about someone else that is benefiting the people more than he is, he hates him and does not tell the people about him. His pride stops him from admitting his own mistakes, even when corrected by others he will keep on defending his mistake, despite knowing it is a blatant mistake, just so that he might not be looked down upon by the people.

His fitnah (trial) is love for this dunya and being praised by mankind along with status and nobility. He beautifies himself with knowledge as people in this dunya beautify themselves with jewlerry but he forgets to beautify his knowledge with actions.

[Taken from ‘Akhlaaq al-‘Ulamaa by al-Aajoriyy]