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A Muslim and a Daa'iya

From this starting point, it becomes obligatory that the Muslim adorn and beautify himself with good character whether he is a daa`iya or not. Because morality is one of the goals of the Muhammadan mission that Allah blessed the entirety of mankind with, and He specified that the believers alone posses a special kind of it. This He did, when He guided them through it to the straight path, purified their souls, and taught them that which they did not know. “He it is Who raised among the inhabitants of Makka a Messenger from among themselves, who recites to them His communications and purifies them, and teaches them the Book and the Wisdom, although they were before certainly in manifest error." (Surat al-Jumuah:2) The purification [tazkiyah] that is mentioned in this noble verse includes the purification of the nafs [self], exalting it through high morals and cleansing it from wickedness. In this verse as in the previous hadeeth, morality appears not only to be one of the goals of the Muhammadan mission, but one of its most distinctive goals. And if embellishing oneself with moral excellence is obligatory for the Muslims... then what about the daa'iya who carries the banner of dawa and calls the people to it? Surely the popular view is rather inclined towards him, mistakes are rather expected from him, and criticism is stronger against him. His dawa has to be a reflection of how he is. That is why possessing moral integrity is obligatory and essential, for carrying out properly that which Allah burdened him with... as the poet said: "Thanks for your favor of carrying our burden! For because of you, we are certain of calamity." It is essential in order to safeguard the dawa and it's people from the tongues of the biased, the pens of it's opponents, and the conjecture of the heedless and hasty!

If I were to discuss each of the morals, this would be a long discussion and still not be enough. r have in front of me a large collection of assorted books on morality, some of which are: "The Characteristics of the Prophet" by Shaykh al- Asbahaaniy, "The Noble Characteristics" by aI-Tabaraaniy, and al- Karaa'etiy, "The Morals and Biographies" by Ibn Hazm, "Constitution of Morals in the Qur'an" by Muhammad 'Abdullah Darraaz... etc.

So this message, my dear brothers, is not a research into morality and its philosophies, but an illustration along with many evidences, of a host of worthy characteristics which I felt were of great importance for the daa`iya. I have commented in some important areas, and left the rest which is accessible through reference for he who desires it.

Ambition means that a person does not live for himself and his life, but he lives for his ummah, as the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam was, as 'Aisha said about him. When `Abdullah bin Shaqeeq, may Allah be pleased with him, asked her if the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam used to pray sitting? She said, "Yes, after the people wrecked him." [Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Dawud.] So he used to confront people, welcome them, and warmly leave them, command them, and prohibit them, mix up with them and tolerate their errors; that is why the people wrecked him sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam and left an effect upon his body to the point that he started to pray sitting and his hair turned gray.

Deen is three levels; Islam, then Imaan, then Ihsaan. In accordance with this division there is a trilateral division, "And we gave the book as an inheritance to those whom We chose from among our servants; but of them is he who makes his soul to suffer a loss, and of them is he who takes a middle course, and of them is he who is foremost in deeds of goodness by Allah's permission; this is the great excellence. [For them are] gardens of perpetual residence which they will enter. They shall be made to wear therein bracelets of gold and pearls, and their dress shall be silk." [Surat al-Faatir:32] Accordingly, there is another trilateral division that the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam mentioned, in the hadeeth of the saved group in which he mentioned Islam first which is the only guaranty for entering Paradise. That is; nobody enters Jannah but a Muslim, and inside this large circle which is the circle of Islam, there is a smaller circle which is the circle of the Saved group and it contains those who stick to the right conduct and correct aqeedah, and no more than that. There is a third cirle which is smaller than the second, and which is better, more noble and greater, and that is the circle of the Victorious group, those who defend and protect the deen and tolerate harm, therefore Allah Azza wa Jalla gives them victory.So the Muslim should be ambitious and reach for these levels, and look in the deen at the one who is above him and look in the duniya at that one who is beneath him. Try to resemble the noble ones, the righteous ones, the renewers, so that you may achieve some good in this life. Have an ambitious nafs that does not get satisfied with stopping at a certain limit, and does not get enough of doing good until it ends up in the Jannah.

Question: Some who are seeking knowledge are very hasty in giving rulings in matters of halaal and haraam, and this is a common noticeable defect. What is your advice to such people?

Al-Albaanee’s reply: “We have spoken on this issue long before, and we said that Allaah the Wise has divided the Muslim community into two types of people: the Ahl adh-Dhikr, and those that depend on the Ahl adh-Dhikr. As Allaah says to the ordinary people: “then ask those who possess the Message (Ahl adh-Dhikr) if you do not know.” (Soorah 21:7 and 16:43)

The Ahl adh-Dhikr are, as we all know, are the Ahl al-Qur’aan and the Ahl al-Hadeeth, those who know the authentic from the unauthentic, the general from the specific, the abrogating from the abrogated, and other such principles of Fiqh and Hadeeth.

Hence, it is not allowed for a Muslim to begin giving fatwaas on the basis of some hadeeth, simply because he came across it in some book, although he does not know if it is saheeh according to the criteria of the scholars of hadeeth. On the other hand, he knows that he is not sufficiently well-versed in knowledge and competence in the Arabic language to explain the meanings and ideas behind the Kitaab and Sunnah. Therefore, anyone who has not decided to undertake acquiring knowledge and persevere in it for many years, until the people of knowledge testify that he can guide the people and direct them towads good, it is not permissible for him to thank that he is an alim (scholar) simply because he has read some ahadeeth and memorized some aayaat. We often hear of some of them who cannot even read the Qur’aan properly, nor the ahaadeeth of the Prophet (sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam). This is why I advise the seekers of knowledge to study two fundamentals: a) the principles of fiqh and b) the principles of hadeeth.

I have mentioned before that it is not easy for one to deduce the intended aim of the Lawgiver from any text unless he consults as far as possible, all the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah. I will give a clear example: Allaah says: “Forbidden for you are dead meat, blood…” (5:4). If a beginner who is studying the Qur’aan and has no knowledge of hadeeth is asked regarding dead fish, he will immediately bring this aayah as proof to clearly forbid it since it prohibits dead meat. But were he to look into the ahaadeeth, he would know that the Prophet, sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam, excepted two types of animals, fish and locusts, from this prohibition, so he could rule accordingly.

Briefly, the student must learn these two fundamental branches of learning to help to understand the Qur’aan and Sunnah as correctly as possible.”

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.

In an authentic narration narrated by Abdullah ibn `Umar, in Ibn Majah's Kitab al Fitan, which is also mentioned in Al-Hakim's al-Mustadrak, as well as by al-Baihaqi and al-Bazzar, we learn about several causes of most fascinating consequences. The following can be deduced from that narration:

- Rain is withheld when zakat is not paid, and it would not fall at all were it not for animals.
- Illnesses not seen before appear when immorality spreads among people and when it becomes public.
- Lack of provision and injustice of rulers towards their people occurs when those people cheat in measuring.
- Allah sends an enemy to a people that takes from their hands that which they like, when those people leave their covenant with Allah and His Messenger and leave the Book and the Sunnah.
- Discord among people occurs when leaders do not judge by Allah's Book and when they choose from it what they like and leave the rest.

One can wonder, how many secular scientists and those usually perceived as intellectuals are there that fail to understand Allah's Sunan yet spend their lives trying to understand causes of many happenings in the universe? More importantly, how many of us fail to understand true reasons behind various disasters in our own Muslim countries? …Thankfully, we can correct this by learning.

What follows is a mention of two major causes of provision, many of which are mentioned in the Qur'an and the Sunnah.

Among other causes of provision and development are Jihad in the Path of Allah, Hijrah for the sake of Allah, Hajj and `Umrah, leaving sins, da`wah to Allah, seeking forgiveness and repentance, good behavior towards the weak and spending for the sake of Allah.

Causes of Provision (Rizq)

Tawakkul - Relying and depending on Allah the Exalted

Allah the Exalted said:

And whoever relies upon Allah - then He is sufficient for him. Indeed, Allah will accomplish His purpose. Allah has already set for everything a [decreed] extent. [at-Talaaq: 3]

"If you relied on Allah with a true reliance, He would provide for you the same as He provides birds: they set off in the early morning with empty stomachs and return back at the end of the day with full stomachs." [At-Tirmidhi, Ahmad]

Sh. Fadl Ilaahi said: "The one who relies upon Allah with a true reliance is provided for as birds are provided for, and how would it be otherwise, when he has relied upon the Ever-Living who does not die, and whoever relies on Him, He will suffice him." [Mafaatih ar-Rizq, 36]

Tawakkul in the Qur'an:

Tawakkul is enjoined in the Qur'an in many places and is a lofty station:
"And upon Allah let the believers rely." [Ibrahim: 11]

"And rely upon the Ever-Living who does not die." [Al Furqaan: 58]

"So worship Him and rely on Him." [Hood:123]

Tawakkul is a cause of Allah's love for His servant:
"Verily, Allah loves those who rely on Him." [Aal `Imraan: 159]

Tawakkul is a condition of iman and a distinguishing mark of the believers:
"And upon Allah rely if you are believers." [al-Maa`idah:23]

"The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith; and upon their Lord they rely." [al-Anfaal:2]

The believer knows that no harm and no benefit can come except by Allah's permission, that He gives and withholds and that He owns everything in the universe. She or he knows that no one can give what Allah withholds, and that no one can withhold what Allah gives.

Lastly, relying on Allah does not mean that one leaves striving in this world. Allah says:
"So walk among its slopes and eat of His provision" [Al-Mulk: 15]

"And when the prayer has concluded, disperse within the land and seek the bounty of Allah." [al-Jumu`ah: 10]

Taqwaa

"And whoever fears Allah - He will make a way out for him. And will provide for him from where he does not expect." [At-Talaq: 2-3]

Ibn `Abbas said: "'And will provide for him from where he does not expect': meaning from where he does not hope." [Zaad al Masyr 8:291-292]

"And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened [i.e. bestowed] upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth; but they denied [the messengers], so We seized them for what they were earning [of blame for their sin]." [al-A`raaf 96]

Ibn `Abbaas said: "Meaning, We would enrich them with what is good, and facilitate it for them from every side." [Tafsir Abi Sa`ood 3/253]

"And if only they had upheld [the law of] Torah, the gospel and what has been revealed to them form their Lord [the Qur'an], they would have consumed [provision] from above them and from beneath their feat [i.e. in great abundance]. Among them are a moderate [i.e. acceptable] community, but many of them - evil is that which they do." [Al-Maa'idah: 66]

Ibn Mas`ood said: "At-Taqwaa is that Allah is obeyed and not disobeyed, that He is remembered and not forgotten, and that He is thanked and not shown ungratefulness." [At-Tabaraani in al-Kabeer 90/92]

[Most quotes mentioned in “Asbaab ar-Rizq”, collected by Abi al Mundhir Khalil ibn Ibrahim Amin, and published by Daar ibn al Atheer, 1420 H.]

It should be known that our saying "ignorance is an excuse" does not mean that we encourage and call to ignorance, nor that ignorance has any merits, nor that we are satisfied and pleased with it. Rather it is as one of the Salaf (Pious Predecessor) said: "Allaah has not been disobeyed with any sin worse than ignorance."

Ignorance is the reason for sin and it incites sin and leads to it. Ibn al-Qayyim says, "Yoosuf the eminently truthful and upright said: "Unless you turn away their plot from me, I will feel inclined towards them and be one of the ignorant ones (jaahileen)." [Soorah Yoosuf (12) Aayah 33] (The word 'Jaahil' (ignorant) being used to mean): those who do that which you have forbidden."

Allaah says:

"Allah accepts only the repentance of those who do evil in ignorance and foolishness and repent soon afterwards" [Sooratun-Nisa' (4) Aayah 17]

Qataadah said: "The companions of the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) agreed that everything by which Allaah is disobeyed is ignorance."

Others said. "The companions agreed that anyone who disobeys Allaah is an ignorant one (Jaahil)."

'Alee (radhiAllaahu 'anhu) said, "It is enough honour for knowledge that he who is not able leaves it and one becomes happy if he is labelled with it, and it is enough of a censure for ignorance that its people disassociate themselves from it." [See Madaarijus-Saalikeen (1/470) and Dhammul-Jahl of Ibn Rusulaan]

Someone said, "There is in ignorance a death for its people before death, and their bodies before burial are graves, and their souls are in grief on account of their bodies, and there is no resurrection for them (from death) until the Resurrection."

The cure for ignorance is to question and to learn, as the Messenger (sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam) said, "Indeed the cure for ignorance is to ask." [Reported by Ahmed, Abu Daawood and Ibn Maajah. (Hasan)] So he made ignorance a disease and declared asking to be its cure. And Ibn al-Qayyim said in his Ash-Shaafiyatul-Kaafiyah, "Ignorance is a fatal malady and its cure is in two things in agreement: A text from the Qur`aan or from the Sunnah, and a physician possessing knowledge of the Deen."

It is a law of nature that differences will always exist among people. Everywhere and at all times there have been diverse colours, tongues, customs, concepts, intellects and degrees of knowledge. All that is a sign of Allah’s omnipotence, as the following verse from the Holy Qur’an states:

"And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colours: verily in that are signs for those who know." [30:22]

These external variations reflect internal variations, variations of opinions, attitudes and objectives. This also is registered in various places of the Holy Qur’an. Here is an example:

"If thy Lord had so willed, He could have made mankind one people: but they will not cease to dispute, except those on whom thy Lord hath bestowed His mercy: and for this did He create them." [11:118-19]

Al-Fakhr ar-Razi comments: "This verse is indicating the diversity in people’s creeds, moral codes and behaviours."

I would like to elaborate about the above verse by saying that had Allah so willed, all humans would have embraced one religion by instinct and original creation (Arabic: Al-Fitrah). But in this case they would cease to be human in the sense we know them – their social life would be something similar to bees or ants, and in spirit they would be like angels who are disposed by creation to embrace truth and obey all that they are commanded to by Allah. There is no room for conflict or disagreement among them. But Allah in His wisdom has chosen to create humans otherwise. They have to acquire knowledge rather than have it as an inherent endowment; they have the volition to choose what to act and to weigh out possibilities and opposites; they are not predestined to behave in a fixed way. They vary widely as to abilities, capacity for acquiring knowledge and preferences.

As for the clause: "and for this did He create them" in the above-quoted verse, it may not be presumed to mean that Allah created humans so that they may disagree – It is known from other texts that what Allah created humans for is worshipping Him. The purport of the above clause is rather that Allah created humans so that there will be among them the group of the well-guided and the group of the misguided, the former destined to enter Paradise and the latter to be punished in Hell.

In addition, the following may be deduced from the same clause: Allah created humans so that they would, because of diversity in abilities and dispositions, choose different professions, and this would make for stability in the world. It is through  humans that Allah carries out His ordinances. Men will employ other men to do work for them (See Ruh Al-Ma'ani, Vol. IV, Chapter 12, p. 164, and Tafseer Al-Qasimi, Vol. ix, p. 182) . There is in the creation of humans the propensity for variation in learning, viewpoints and feelings; this in turn will lead to variation in wills and preferences; and faith, obedience and disobedience are part of that (Tafseer Al-Manar, Vol. xii, p. 194).

The Qur'aan shows, in no uncertain terms, that the message and the top priority of all the Prophets was one and the same:

"And verily, We have sent among every Ummah (nation, community) a Messenger (proclaiming): "Worship Allah (alone)", and avoid (or keep away from) Taghut5 (all false deities)." [al-Qur'aan, an-Nahl(16):36]

Muhammad ibn `Abdillaah (s), the last Prophet to be sent to the mankind and the Jinn, was ordered by Allah (swt) in the Qur'aan to say:

"Say you (O Muhammad): 'This is my way; I invite unto Allah (i.e. to the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allah i.e. to the Oneness of Allah - Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge. And Glorified and Exalted be Allah (above all that they associate as partners with Him). And I am not of the Mushrikoon (polytheists; those who worship others along with Allah or set up rivals or partners to Allah).'" [al-Qur'aan, Yusuf(12):108]

This verse makes it clear that the Last Prophet and whosoever follows him call to Allah first and foremost. As Ibn Katheer explains, calling to Allah means, "the call to the testimony that nothing is worthy of worship except Allah, alone with no partner."

"It is indeed not my intention to discourage young Muslims from the pursuit of knowledge and learning. To learn is an obligation which is enjoined upon us from the cradle to the grave. But what I intend to emphasize here is that however broad their learning and knowledge may be, they are bound to heed those who are specialized. The Sharee`ah has various interdisciplinary branches and usool which these young Muslims are incapable of knowing and comprehending and for which they neither have the time nor the means. Furthermore, I feel obliged to point out that I do not approve of the tendency of some youths who abandon the colleges in which they have enrolled, and in which they have made good progress and are expected to do well, and seek to specialize in Sharee`ah. Such people ignore the fact that to pursue knowledge - and to excel in any discipline - is fard kifaayah: a collective obligation. It should also be observed that the competition between Muslims and non-Muslims for mastery of the secular sciences is at its highest. When a Muslim seeks to learn, to excel, and acquire insight into such sciences for the sake of Allah (SWT) he is actually performing `ibaadah and jihaad.

Let us remember that when the divine message was revealed to the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam), his earlier companions had various professions. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) did not aks them to give up their work and devote themselves to the study of Islam, except, of course, those who were entrusted with a special mission and who had to adjust themselves to its fulfillment. What I honestly fear is that the tendency to give up pursueing other disciplines in order to study and master Sharee`ah may be motivated by an unconscious covert desire for popularity, ostentation, and leadership, especially in meetings, debates and seminars. Such a desire is not easy to detect, because Satan has countless means and inlets into the human soul which is vulnerable to temptation, unless that individual is constantly alert. This means that we should carefully investigate our thoughts, motivations and strategies; we should constantly try to find out whether these are impelled by mundane or spiritual goals. Self-deception is a snare which confuses motives and blurs clarity of vision. We should never tire of reminding ourselves of this Quranic verse: "Whoever holds firmly to Allah will be shown a Way that is straight" [3:101].

Humbleness is to know the value of oneself, to avoid pride, or disregarding the truth and underestimating people. As the Prophet sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said, according to Muslim and others, "Al-Kibr is rejecting the truth and looking down upon people" [Muslim, Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud]. Humbleness is for one who is important and significant and he fears to gain notoriety or to become too great among people. As it was said, "Humble yourself, you will be as a glimmering star to the viewer on the surface of the water even if it is lofty." We don't say to an ordinary person, "Humble yourself." But it is said to him, "Know the value of yourself, and do not place it in the wrong place!"

It was narrated by al-Khattabi in al-Uzlah that Imaam `Abdullah bin al-Mubaarak came to Khuraassaan [in Persia] and went to a person who was known for his zuhd and wara' [asceticism and cautiousness in piety], so when he entered where the man was, he (the man) did not turn around nor give him any consideration at all. When 'Abdullah bin al-Mubaarak left, some of the people who were inside with the man said to him, "Don't you know who that was?!<sup>"</sup> He said, "No," He was told, "This is the 'Amir of the believers...this is... this is... this is... `Abdullah bin al-Mubaarak." So the man was astonished and came out to Ibn al-Mubaarak in a hurry apologizing and absolving himself from what happened, saying, "O Abu 'Abd al-Rahmaan! Forgive me and advise me!" Ibn al-Mubaarak said, "Yes... whenever you come out of your house and see someone, assume that he is better than you!" He knew that the man was conceited. When Ibn al-Mubaarak inquired as to what the man's profession was, he found out that he was a weaver!! [See comments of adh-Dhahabi in aI-Mizaan concerning Waasil bin Ata'a]. Therefore, this educated Imam noticed that this mutazahid (devoted pious person) possessed a kind of arrogance, conceitedness and feeling of superiority over others.

This disease sometimes envelops pious people; this is why he offered advice that was easy for him. Many times we find this characteristic in some of the pious people, as well as some of the duaat. But when it reaches the small students who misbehave with their shaykhs, scholars and teachers this really hurts inside! There is no objection if you differ in opinion or judgement with a scholar or a daai'ya as long as you are qualified to do so The problem occurs when this difference of opinion becomes a destructive element to the scholar's dignity, diminishes his value, disregards and disrespects him. This may be accepted from the common people, or from the people of innovation and misguidance, but it is not allowed in any circumstance for Ahl-As Sunnah and from the students of `Ilm al-Shariyyah. Surely the scholars of Ahl as Sunnah wal Jamaa'ah in particular, are requested to call for that which is good and to forbid the forbidden, as well as to take into consideration the prominent people... if they are disappointed by the closest people to them, then they are not expected to react in the same manner. Therefore one of them is like a brave knight who is only supported by women! That is, if the Ahl as Sunnah protected their scholars' honor, and knew their value, and encircled them, they could have carried the duty of calling for that which is good and forbidding the forbidden in the correct way. But when a scholar is disappointed from among his own circles, he can't say anything. How sad it is that some people of innovation on the contrary reached the point that they even grant their shaykhs and masters some kind of sanctity, blindly follow behind them.

This is in reality a kind of slavery and dissolution of the follower into the followed. This is the practice of the Batiniyya groups through the ages, in such a manner that it conditions its individuals to give a certain degree of al-`isma (protection from error) to their leaders and Imams. Even the Mu`atazila, the ones who practice "rationalism" and almost have no place for emotions... one of their poets said about their Shaykh Waasil bin Ata'a, "He has, behind the sea of China to it's farthest parts, and in every place behind the barbarians, men (duaat) whose leader is not weakened by the irony of a tyrant... nor by the plot of a deceiver ... They are the people of Allah's religion in every place, and the lords of its fatawa and the science of dispute." And the people of the Sunnah are worthier of evaluation and respect of their scholars. There is no good in a nation where the young do not respect the older, and the older do not have mercy on the younger. It is from the humbleness, from knowing the self value that the young beginner should not look at himself as a rival to this or that scholar, and say, "They are men... and we are men"!! As a matter of fact, manhood differs, that is, the description of manhood in the Noble Qur'an was addressed in a form of glorification in many places, "...in it are men who love that they should be purified…" (Surat al-Tawba:108) and, "In houses which Allah has ordered to be raised, and that His name may be remembered therein; they glorify Him in the mornings and the evenings. Men whom neither merchandise nor trade divert from the remembrance of Allah and keeping to prayer and giving zakah. They fear a day in which the hearts and eyes will [fearfully] turn about..." (Surat al-Nur: 36-37). Manhood also refers only to masculinity in other places: "And that men from among people used to seek refuge with men from among jinn..." (Surat al-Jinn:6) Therefore, men are not all the same.

Humbleness is that one should humble himself with his companions. Frequently when the spirit of competition and envy is agitated between companions and rivals, a person may feel superior over his companion, he may be pleased by harming him, degrading his value and importance, accusing him of defects or exaggerating his faults. Faults that may have come to light when seeking advice, or correction. In reality this is what is called jealousy. It is amazing that the daa`iya becomes jealous about the gathering of a thousand or two at a meeting of knowledge or da`wah but he will not have any kind of reaction if he heard that twenty of thirty thousand people attended a concert or a sports event. By Allah, this is sad, for even if you were not pleased with your brother about something, it should be sufficient for you that he is calling to Allah ta`ala and teaching people the Deen and is sincere in general. In fact, he may even be correct in some of the things that you criticized him about.

Humbleness is to humble oneself to one who is below you. If you find someone who is younger than you, or of less importance than you, you should not despise him, because he might have a better heart than you, or be less sinful, or closer to Allah than you. Even if you see a sinful person and you are righteous, do not act in arrogance towards him, and thank Allah that He saved you from the tribulation that He put him through. Remember that there might be some riyaa' or vanity in your righteous deeds that may cause them to be of no avail, and that this sinful person may be regretful and fearful concerning his bad deeds, and this may be the cause of forgiveness of his sins.

According to Jundub, may Allah be pleased with him, the Messenger of Allah a mentioned that a man said, "By Allah, Allah will not forgive so-and-so," and that Allah Ta`ala said, "Who is swearing by Me that I will not forgive so-and-so? I surely have forgiven so-and-so and nullified your deed" [Muslim]. Therefore, do not act in arrogance towards anyone. Even when you see a sinner, do not act superior towards him, nor treat him with arrogance and domination. If you feel that the sinner may perform some acts of obedience which you do not, and that you may also posses some defects which the sinner may not, then deal kindly with him, and gently give da`wah which will hopefully be the cause of his acceptance and remembrance.

Humbleness is that your deed should not become too great in your eyes. If you do a good deed, or attempt to get closer to Allah ta`ala through an act of obedience, your deed still may not be accepted, "Allah only accepts from those who have taqwa." (Surat al-Maida: 27) This is why some of the Salaf said, "If I knew that Allah accepted one tasbeeh from me, I would have wished to die right now!"

Humbleness is that, when you are advised, if Shaytaan calls you to reject the advice, you must negate him. Because the purpose of advice is that your brother points out the defects that you have. As for he who Allah ta`ala has protected, if he finds one who will advise him and show him his defects, he'll overcome his nafs, accept from him, thank and make du`aa for him. This is why He sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam said, "Al-Kibr is rejecting the truth and despising the people" [Muslim, Tirmidhi, and Abu Dawud]. The arrogant never gives credit to anybody or mentions good about someone, and if he needed to do so, he would also mention five defects of that person. But if he hears somebody reminding him about his own defects, he will not be flexible nor comply due to his inferiority complex. This is why it is among man's moral integrity to accept criticism or comment without any sensitivity or discomfort or feelings of shame and weakness. Here he is, The 'Amir of the Believers `Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, raising the flag and lifting the motto,

"May Allah have mercy on a person who informed us of our defects."

31. If knowledge had no other merit than to make the ignorant fear and respect you, and scholars love and honour you, this would be good enough reason to seek after it. Let alone all its other merits in this world and the next.

32. If ignorance had no other fault than to make the ignorant man jealous of knowledgeable men and jubilant at seeing more people like himself, this by itself would be reason enough to oblige us to feel it. Let alone the other bad results of this evil in this world and the next!

33. If knowledge and the action of devoting oneself to it had no purpose except to free the man who seeks it from the exhausting anxieties and many worries which afflict the mind, that alone would certainly be enough to drive us to seek knowledge. But what should we say of the other benefits too numerous to list, the least of which are the above-mentioned, and all of which accrue to the knowledgeable man. In search of benefits as small as these the petty kings have worn themselves out in seeking distraction from their anxieties in games of chess, dicing, wine, song, hunting expeditions and other pastimes which bring nothing but harm in this world and the next and absolutely no benefit.

34. If the scholar who has spent long peaceful hours (at his studies) stopped to think how his knowledge has protected him against humiliation at the hands of the ignorant, and against anxiety about unknown truths, and what joy it has brought him by enabling him to solve problems which others find insoluble, he would certainly increase his expressions of gratitude to Allah and rejoice more in the knowledge that he has and desire even more to add to it.

35. Anyone who spends his time studying something inferior, abandoning higher studies of which he is capable, is like someone who sows corn in a field capable of growing wheat, or who plants bushes in a soil which could corrupt palm trees and olives.

36. To spread knowledge among those incapable of understanding it would be as harmful as giving honey and sugary confections to someone with a fever, or giving musk and amber to someone with a migraine caused by an excess of bile.

37. A man who is miser with his knowledge is worse than a man who is a miser with his money, for the money-miser is being mean with something which does not get used up and is not lost when it is given away.

38. Anyone who has a natural inclination towards a branch of knowledge, even if it is inferior to other branches, should not abandon it, or he would be like someone who plants coconuts in al-Andalus or olive trees in India where neither would produce fruit.

39. The noblest branches of knowledge are those that bring you close to the Creator and help you to be pleasing to Him.

40. When you compare yourself with others in matters of wealth, position, and health, you should look at people less favored than yourself. When you compare yourself with others in matters of religion, knowledge and virtue, look at people who are better than yourself.

42. If a madman threw himself as deeply into good sense as he throws himself into madness, he would surely be wiser than Al Hasan Al Basri, Plato of Athens and Vuzurgmihr the Persian.

43. Intelligence has its limits; it is useless unless it is based on the guidance of religion or on good fortune in this world.

44. Do not harm your soul by experimenting with corrupt views in order to demonstrate their corruption to someone who has consulted you, otherwise you will lose your soul. If you shield yourself from acting in a detestable way, any criticism that can be thrown at you by a man of corrupt beliefs because you disagree with him is better than his respect and better than the bad effect on both of you if you committed these detestable acts.

45. Guard against taking pleasure in any way that will harm your soul and is not required of you by the religious law nor by virtue.

46. Knowledge no longer exists if one has ignored the attributes of the Almighty Great Creator.

47. There is no worse calamity for knowledge and for scholars than when outsiders intrude. They are ignorant and think that they are knowledgeable; they ruin everything and believe that they are helping.

48. Anyone who is seeking happiness in the Hereafter, wisdom in this world, the best way to behave, the sum of all moral qualities, the practice of all the virtues, should take as his model Muhammad, the Prophet of God – God grant him blessings and peace – and emulate as far as possible the Prophet’s morals and behaviour. May God help us to take him as an example, by His grace, ameen!

49. The ignorant have annoyed me on two occasions in my lifetime. First, when they spoke of things they did not know, at a time when I was equally ignorant; the second time when they kept silent in my presence [in the days when I had learnt something]. In the same way they were always silent about matters which would have benefited them to speak about, and spoke about matters which brought them no benefit.

50. Scholars have brought me pleasure on two occasions in my lifetime: first, they taught me when I was ignorant; the second of them was when they conversed with me after I had been taught.

51. One of the merits of religious knowledge and asceticism in this world is that Almighty God does not put it within reach of anyone except those who are worthy of it and deserve it. One of the disadvantages of the great things of this world, wealth and fame, is that they mostly fall to the lot of people who are unworthy of them and do not deserve them.

52. Anyone who is seeking after virtue should keep company with the virtuous and should take no companion with him on his way except the noblest friend, one of those people who is sympathetic, charitable, truthful, sociable, patient, trustworthy, loyal, magnanimous, pure in conscience and a true friend.

53. Anyone who is seeking fame, fortune and pleasure will keep company only with people who resemble mad dogs and sly foxes: they will take for their travelling companions only people [inimical to his belief] who are cunning and depraved in nature.

54. The usefulness of the knowledge [of good] in the practice of virtue is considerable: anyone who knows the beauty of virtue will practice it, though it may be rarely. Knowing the ugliness of vice, he will avoid it, though it may be rarely. The man with knowledge of the good will listen to soundly based praise and desire it for himself. He will listen to talk of evil and desire to avoid it. From this premise it necessarily follows that knowledge has a part in every virtue, and ignorance has a part in every vice. A man who has had no instruction in the knowledge [of good] will not practice virtue unless he has an extremely pure nature, a virtuous constitution. It is the particular state of the Prophets (peac and the blessings of God be upon them!) for God has taught them virtue in its entirety, without them having learnt it from men.

55. It is true that I have seen among the common people some who, by their excellent behaviour and morals, were not surpassed by any wise man, any scholarly, self-controlled man. But this is very rare. And I have seen man who have studied the different branches of knowledge, who have a good knowledge of the messages of the Prophets – peace be upon them – and the advice of the philosophers and who nevertheless surpass the most wicked in their bad behaviour, their depravity, both internal and external. * These are the worst of creatures. * This is very common and I therefore perceive that these two [moral attitudes] are a favour which is granted or withheld by Allah the Almighty.

From an Islamic point of view, any discussion of knowledge and the importance of acquiring knowledge must begin with a consideration of what we mean by the term knowledge. As a learned scholar of Islam has recently written,

'Indeed the virtues and merits of knowledge (`ilm) are well known to everyone. It is the most noble thing one can ask for, and the best thing a striver can seek to attain. Knowledge consists of many branches, but according to the scholars of Islam: "What is meant by knowledge in the absolute sense is Islamic knowledge."

This is the intended meaning of knowledge in the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. In the absolute sense, it is knowledge regarding Allah, His names and attributes, knowledge of His rights over His creation, and what He, the One free from all defects, the Most High, has prescribed for them. It is the detailed knowledge of the path that leads to Allah; knowledge of the purpose of our creation; and the end which the slave will result in, in the Hereafter.

This Islamic knowledge is the best of sciences worth acquiring because through it Allah is recognized and acknowledged, and by it He is worshipped. One who possesses this knowledge knows what Allah has made lawful for him and what He has prohibited him from; what pleases Him and what evokes His anger. With this knowledge a person knows his result with Allah and his end...' ("Knowledge", Al-Hidaayah, 1995, p.4)

Thus, the Islamic understanding of knowledge pertains to knowledge about Allah swt. This knowledge, of His names and attributes, is generally referred to as 'aqeedah (belief). Connected to this is the understanding of the purpose and obligations that Allah swt has assigned to human existence. Again related to this is knowledge of Arabic, fiqh, hadeeth and hadeeth methodology, the life of the Prophet, and Islamic history since all of these areas of study, given the proper approach and application, ultimately assist in the strengthening of aqeedah.

Knowledge precedes faith. How can one have faith without knowing what it is that one has faith in? The example of the convert illustrates this. Generally, those who voluntarily enter Islam from other religions and belief-systems do so once they have acquired the knowledge and reached the understanding that Islam is the faith and the way of life to which they would like to adhere.

The Qur'an is clear with respect to the preferred rank, in the eyes of Allah, of those who possess the substantive knowledge described above. "Say: 'Are those who know equal to those who know not?' It is only men of understanding who will remember (that is get a lesson from Allah's signs)." [Az-Zumar, 39:9] Also, "Shall he then who knows that what has been revealed unto you (O Muhammad) from your Lord is the truth be like him who is blind? But it is only the men of understanding that pay heed." [Ar-Ra'd, 13:19]. Clearly, the person who has knowledge of Allah swt is not equal to the person who does not. Those who have knowledge are aware of the truth and act accordingly, thereby having a beneficial impact on those around them whereas those who are ignorant fumble through the world, vainly attempting to satisfy their desires, following Shaytan, and ultimately failing to gain consciousness of their purpose and duty in this life. It should be clear that knowledge is a means to an end. The Muslim who acquires knowledge, if he or she is sincere, does so essentially for three purposes. The first is to build aqeedah and taqwa, that is to say, belief in, and consciousness of, Allah. Secondly, and this obviously follows from the first, the Muslim acquires knowledge in order to practice and implement what he or she has learned. Thirdly, a Muslim who gains knowledge then has a duty to share it with others and invite others towards Allah and His messenger. In a sense, these are not three distinct purposes but all connected branches of the single purpose in acquiring knowledge which ought to be the seeking of the pleasure of Allah. According to a hadeeth reported by Abu Huraira, the Messenger of Allah is reported to have said that "He who does not acquire knowledge with the sole intention of seeking the pleasure of Allah, and does not impart it but for the gains of this world would not smell the scent of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection (reported in Ahmad, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah). In this respect, as in everything having to do with Islam, sincerity is key. Sincerity in the acquisition and application of knowledge is critical to achieving success in this world and the hereafter. Consider the hadeeth reported by Abu Hurairah, who heard the Messenger say, "...[Another] will be a man who has acquired knowledge ('ilm) and has taught it and who used to recite the Qur'an. He will be brought (on the Day of Judgement) and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will acknowledge them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied knowledge and taught it and recited the Qur'an for your sake. He (Allah) will say: You have lied - you did but acquire knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. You recited the Qur'an that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into the Hellfire..." (Muslim, at-Tirmidhee, an-Nasaa'ee) Thus those who acquire knowledge and who, either in its acquisition or application or both, engage in riyaa (showing off) face the potential of a grave punishment (no pun intended). They will be the first in the Fire.

(Somewhat tangentially, with respect to sincerity, what springs to mind is the insincerity of the Orientalists. These are individuals who have devoted their lives to the study of one aspect of Islam or another, but who, as a result of their insincerity, remain among the ranks of the kuffar, this despite their having greater factual understanding of Islam than perhaps the vast majority of Muslims).

Having pointed out the meaning of knowledge and its purpose, it should be emphasized that the source of this knowledge must clearly be the Qur'an and Sunnah and the writings of the pious scholars who have adhered closely to the two original sources. The importance of the Qur'an and Sunnah as sources of authentic knowledge is well understood by most. However, a cause of considerable distortion and confusion among Muslims and non-Muslims today is the fact that there exist many writers (both Muslim and non-Muslim) who, in producing different works on Islam, depart from the original sources and the understanding of those sources evinced by the sahaabah and their pious successors. If we accept that the sahaabah and their successors, according to the hadeeth of the Prophet s.a.w., were the best of generations, and the fact that they directly experienced or were most closely connected to the life of the Prophet s.a.w., it should be clear that we must seek out those writings and interpretations that stick most closely to their understanding of the deen.

Especially in this part of the world, acquiring authentic knowledge is a serious struggle. It requires time, money and effort. Alhamdulillah, we are in a period where an ever-increasing number of superb books and audio-cassettes (in English) on all aspects of Islam are becoming available through local mosques, bookstores and other agencies. Thus what is the main aspect of the struggle to gain knowledge really has to do with the time and effort that we put in. We need only consider the amount of energy we put into the study of worldly subjects - engineering, hard sciences, social studies, business - to realize the imbalance that exists in our approach. No one is questioning the fact that we all need to study engineering or commerce or other such subjects in order to earn a living. This is clearly a must. Moreover, Muslims ought to do their best in order to be among the top-ranking students in all of these areas. However, it is a greater duty and obligation upon each of us to sacrifice a certain quantity and quality of time and energy in order to achieve an increasing level of consciousness of Allah. We should all have the intention to learn Arabic, memorize parts of the Qur'an and the Hadeeth, comprehend the life of the Prophet s.a.w. and deepen our understanding of the basic pillars. This requires consistent effort, discipline and commitment. In the end, if we are clear that it is only this type of knowledge - knowledge about Allah, about the Qur'an and Sunnah - that will ultimately be of value to us on the Last Day, then the effort and commitment required should not be difficult to generate.

The adage that ignorance is bliss could not be farther from the truth when seriously put into practical application. Throughout the annals of time, what great accomplishments has ignorance made? What great empires and what marvels of science and technology now bear witness to ignorance's strength and power? That's right, none. Nothing of true worth is achieved without wisdom and knowledge.

It was with supreme knowledge that Allah, SWT, laid the foundations of the heavens and the earth. It was with wisdom, knowledge and understanding that Soleiman (AS) ruled the greatest empire the world has ever known. Our own Prophet, Mohammad (SAW) told us that acquiring knowledge was a duty placed on each and every Muslim. But the knowledge of what and who, remains the question.

Many of us have used the above saying of the Prophet (SAW), to justify dealing in riba (interest), in order to send our sons and daughters to the finest universities to become doctors, lawyers and engineers. We use it to justify sending our children to private schools, because they supposedly have higher academic standing and prestige than Muslim schools. We say we are doing it, because the Prophet (SAW) said to get knowledge, but is this the knowledge he was speaking about?

It is narrated by Abu Musa that the Prophet (SAW) said, "The example of guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me is like abundant rain falling on the earth, some of which was fertile soil that absorbed rain-water and brought forth vegetation and grass in abundance. (And) another portion of it was hard and held the rain- water and Allah benefited the people with it and they utilized it for drinking, (making their animals drink from it) and to irrigate the land for cultivation. (And) a portion of it was barren which could neither hold the water nor bring forth vegetation (then the land was of no benefit). The first is the example of the person who comprehends Allah's Religion and gets benefit from the knowledge which Allah has revealed through me and learns and then teaches it to others. The (last example is that of a) person who does not care for it and does not take Allah's Guidance revealed through me (He is like the barren land.)" (Bukhari).

Through the above narration, the Prophet (SAW) is telling us of the superiority of religious knowledge. This is the knowledge that we should give priority to. All other knowledge will not be of benefit if we do not have this one. First and foremost, comes the knowledge of Allah. Knowing His names and His attributes. Knowing what is expected of us in regard to our servitude to Him, and what mutual rights exist between us.

Secondly, we should strive to know Allah's Book, the Qur'an. We should learn to read it in Arabic, if we don't already know how to do so. We should also be trying to memorize as much of it as possible, and stressing the importance of both of these things to our children. Reading the Qur'an should be something commonplace in every Muslim home, and is an activity that the whole family can, and should participate in.

Thirdly, we should know about the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu alayhe wa sallam, and his companions. It's by reading their stories that we learn of their bravery, love for the Deen and their complete devotion to Allah. It's by knowing them that we grow to love them, and through loving them, we strive to become more and more like them. This is especially true, when most children nowadays want to be like Mike (Michael Jordan) or Janet Jackson or some other celebrity. They want to emulate these people, because they know so much about them. It then becomes increasingly important for us Muslims to introduce our children to our heroes. Who were braver in battle than Umar and Hamza; who was more wise and gentle than Abu Bakr (RAA); and which women were more graceful and honourable than the wives of the Prophet were?

Yes, in these times of increasing technology and information superhighways, it is important to obtain secular knowledge. Also, as a nation, we do need doctors, lawyers and engineers. But we need people who are knowledgeable of their religion first and foremost. What good will it do us to have a nation of professional people who do not know how to make the salah, or to calculate the zakat, or how to perform Haj?

Ignorance is not bliss. Through it runs the deviant courses of innovation, shirk, disunity and hatred. Knowledge is the key to our success. It give us the power to govern ourselves, our households, and ultimately our communities. A nation, which forgets why it was founded, who it serves and what its responsibilities are, by embracing ignorance, is a nation destined to fail.

That is what distinguishes the hypocrites, that they and all praise be to Allaah, do not understand a thing about the Religion. The hypocrite knows how to drive a car and its mechanics, he knows the nations of the world and their capitals, he also knows lots of trivial things and various other useless facts which do not benefit him, if they do not harm him. However, when you approach him with things from the Religion which are common knowledge, he doesn't know a thing about them.

Allaah, the Sublime, says:

"But the hypocrites do not understand." Al-Qur'aan, Al-Munaafiqoon (63):7

The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam, said as is reported in the Saheehs of Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim: "Whomsoever Allah wishes to show goodness, he gives him understanding of the Religion."

The people of knowledge have said the opposite to this is that whomsoever Allaah does not wish to show goodness, He does not bestow upon him the understanding of the Religion.

The sign of a believer is that he understands the Religion and is constantly increasing his knowledge of certain matters and benefits and he is covetous of all that is good, as well as the gatherings wherein it is disseminated. The hypocrite, however, completely turns away. When the people talk in a gathering about matters to do with the Prayer or worship, it is to him as if they are speaking in a different language. However, when a matter of this world comes up such a price of goods, vouchers, bills, travellers cheques, the yen and the dollar (and I do not say that the believer does not know these matters, rather he knows these matters but he also knows the affairs of the Religion) then he (the hypocrite) speaks as if that is the only thing in the world which interests him besides food and drink. So he whoknows these matters but does not know a thing about the Religion, then that is a sign of hypocrisy and refuge is only with Allaah!

The Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam said about Mu`aadh ibn Jabal: "Verily, when the people of knowledge will be present before their Lord, the Mighty and Sublime, Mu`aadh will be one step ahead of them." [Saheeh, Ibn Sa`d, Aboo Nu`aim, at-Tabaraanee]

He, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, also said about Mu`aadh: "…the most knowledgeable of them [my Ummah] about the lawful and the prohibited is Mu`aadh bin Jabal…" [At-Tirmidhee, Ibn Hibbaan, ibn Maajah, al-Baihaqee, al-Haakim, who declared it Saheeh, and adh-Dhahabee and al-Albaanee agreed with him.]

Ibn Taymeeyah writes in al-Wasiyyah: "Part of Mu`aadh’s excellence further is that the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, sent him to the people of Yemen as a preacher on his behalf, a caller, a teacher of understanding in the Deen, a giver of religious verdicts, and a judge."

This is Mu`aadh, radhiallaahu ta`aalaa `anhu, to whom the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, also said: "O Mu`aadh! By Allaah, truly I love you." [Aboo Daawood, an-Nasaa’ee, ibn Hibbaa, Aboo Nu`aim, Ibn Khuzaimah and al-Haakim, who declared its isnaad to be saheeh, and adh-Dhaabee agreed]

Aboo Nu`aim reports some sayings of Mu`aadh himself about the excellence of knowledge, among which we find the following:

"Knowledge is a comforting friend in times of loneliness, it is the best companion during travels, and it is the inner friend who speaks to you in your privacy. Knowledge is the discerning proof of what is right and what is wrong, and it is the positive force that will help you surmount the trials of comfort, as well as those of hardships. Knowledge is your most powerful sword against your enemy, and finally, it is your most dignifying raiment in the company of your close companions."

"Through knowledge, Allah, blessed be His Name, raises some people in rank, and He makes them leaders in righteousness and models in morality. The vestige of their faith is avidly sought, their deeds are emulated perceptively, and people will seek and sanction their opinions solicitously and unequivocally. The heavenly angels seek their company and anoint them with their wings, every fresh or withered life they pass by implore Almighty Allah to forgive them their sins, even the fish in the oceans, the beasts of the lands and every bird of prey and migratory bird pray and solicit the mercy of Almighty Allah on their behalf. This is because knowledge revives the dead hearts and drives them out of darkness into light, and because knowledge is the light of the inner eyes that cures one’s blindness and restores his inner sight."

333. If you attend a study-session, behave only like someone who wishes to increase his knowledge and to win greater recompense from God. Do not behave like someone who is content with what he has, who is looking for some fault to criticise or a curious detail to hawk around. This would be the behaviour of vile men who never succeed in their studies.

If you come to it with good intentions, you will always obtain the best results. Otherwise, to stay at home would be less tiring for your body, more worthy of your moral conduct and more salutary for your religious life.

334. If you do attend under the conditions that we have indicated, take care to adopt one of these three attitudes and there cannot be a fourth: [First,] you may keep quiet in the silence of ignorance. Thus you will obtain the reward of your intention in attending the study-session, praise for your reserve, dignity in your behaviour and the friendship of those you mix with.

335. [Secondly,] if you do not behave like this, ask the questions which someone would ask who wished to learn. Then you will obtain, in addition to the four advantages just mentioned, a fifth, which is to increase your knowledge. What characterizes the questions asked by someone who wishes to learn is that he only asks about the points he does not know, not those he does know. To ask about what one already knows is a proof of ineptitude and a weak spirit, it is only palaver and a useless waste of time for oneself and for others. By doing this you will only provoke dislike and it will only be pure verbiage. So do not play games, it is a bad fault.

If the person you are asking replies satisfactorily, stop questioning. If his reply is not satisfactory, or if you do not understand it, say to him, ''I do not understand", and ask him to elaborate. If he does not explain himself more clearly, if he keeps silent or if he repeats what he said before without adding anything, keep silent, otherwise you will only bring upon yourself trouble and dislike, without obtaining the desired enlightenment.

[Thirdly,] you can riposte as a scholar would, that is to say that you can reply to the arguments advanced in a way that refutes them clearly. If you are not capable of replying in this way, if you are able only to repeat yourself or to reply using arguments which your adversary will not find convincing, do not insist for you will not gain by your repetitions any extra result or any information. You will only succeed in annoying yourself and starting a hostility between the two of you which could have serious consequences.

337. Guard against the questions that a prejudiced man would ask or the ripostes of a show-off who is bent on being right without knowing anything about the matter. These two attitudes are bad: they witness to absence of piety, a great tendency to verbiage, a weakness of spirit and considerable vanity. Let us commend the matter to God who is our best support.

338. If certain statements are put to you verbally, or if you come across a written text, guard against reacting violently, which will bring about excesses in language, before you have assured yourself by irrefutable proof that the ideas expressed are erroneous.

Neither should you accept them with the enthusiasm of someone who is credulous and convinced until you have assured yourself of their veracity by an irrefutable proof. In the two cases, you would be shutting your eyes and turning away from knowing the truth. On the contrary, consider what is being put to you as one would who is neither against it nor for it, one who wants to understand, to the best of his ability, what he has heard and read in order to increase his knowledge, to adopt the new ideas if they are good or reject them if they are erroneous. It is certain that if you behave like this you will be generally rewarded, greatly praised and your merit will be recognized.

339. A man who is content with the small fortune that he has and does not envy your opulence is as rich as you, even if you are a Croesus. If this man resists the bait of gain to which you have succumbed, he will be much richer than you.

340. Anyone who rises above the things of this world to which you kneel is mightier than you.

341. It is a pious duty for Muslims to teach the good and to practice it. Anyone who does both these things at once is doing two virtuous deeds to perfection. But a person who contents himself with teaching the good without practicing it is acting well by teaching and acting badly by failing to put his teaching into practice, so mingling a good with a bad deed. This case is preferable to that of the person who would not teach the good any more than he would practice it. Such a man, although not virtuous, is more worthy of imitation, he is less blameworthy than someone who forbids the teaching of good and opposing anyone who practices it.

342. If it was only a man completely without sin who had the right to forbid evil, if it was only the man of perfect virtue who could teach the good, nobody yet would have forbidden evil or ordained the good since [the death of] the Prophet peace be upon him. This should be enough to make clear to you the corruption, wickedness and opprobrium of anyone who might think this.

343. Abu Muhammad - may God be satisfied with him said, "Here someone contradicted, protesting, 'When alHasan [al-Basri] - may God be satisfied with him - forbade something [bad), he never did it himself, and when he ordained something [good], he himself put his orders firmly into practice. Wisdom requires that we do the same, for it has been said that: nothing is more odious than to preach something and not practise it, or to preach against an action and then to do it."'

344. Abu Muhammad replied, "The person who said that was lying. There is something more ugly, that is, not to preach good and not to preach against evil and also to allow oneself to act badly and not to do good."

345. Abu Muhammad added: Abu al-Aswad al-Du'ali said this: Do not forbid a vice that you are given to yourself, for great shame will fall on you. Start with yourself and forbid yourself your own misdeeds. If you stop devoting yourself to them you will become a wise man. Then your sermons will be accepted, people will take their example from your knowledge and your teaching will be profitable.

346. Abu Muhammad continued: Abu al-Aswad wished to condemn only someone who has done a deed after forbidding it to others: such a deed would be doubly bad for having been committed by the very person who forbade it. The poet was quite right for this is what the Almighty said, "Will you command people to do good and forget to do it yourself?" [Qur'an 2:44]. It cannot be believed that Abu al-Aswad wanted to express any other idea. As for thinking that he did not want to be condemned for a bad deed, God protect him from that! That would have been to act like a wicked man.

347. Here is a true story about al-Hasan: When he heard someone say that only a person who did no evil had the right to forbid evil, he replied, `'Satan would like us to believe that, and then nobody could forbid evil or ordain good."

Abu Muhammad confined: "Al-Hasan was right, and that is what we said before."

348. May God grant that we may count among the number of those whom He permits to do good and to practice it, and among the number of those who see the straight road, for no one is without faults; someone who perceived his own weaknesses will forget those of others. May God permit us to die in the Sunna [law] of Muhammad. Amen, O Lord of the Worlds!

3 -- Seeking knowledge of the religion helps achieve Taqwa (fear) from Allah and increases Iman. Allah said, what translated means, "It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah." [35:28].

Therefore, how can those who have knowledge in the rules of the Shari'ah (Islamic Law), the meaning and implications of Ash-Shahadatayn (the two testimonies, there is no god worthy of worship except Allah, and Mohammad is the Messenger of Allah), the wisdom behind the various rules of the religionwith regards to the permissible and the impermissible, the life story of the Messenger of Allah and knowledge in what will occur after death, such as the torment in the grave, the hardships of the Day of Resurrection, the bounties in Paradise and the torment in Hellfire, how can they be compared to those who do not have knowledge in such aspects? Those latter ones only blindly follow and imitate others, "Say, ‘Are those who know equal to those who know not?’" [39:9].

(...) Al-Qurtubee in his tafseer, he talks about such people who say when they read the Quraan in my mind this comes to my mind, or my heart tells me this, and he concludes who reads the Quraan and says, "ask your heart" or "my heart tells me," and so forth, they are speaking about Allaah without knowledge ('ilm), which, as we will talk about, one of the greatest sins that we could commit, and that they are actually from zanaadiqa, those who have nothing to do with Islaam, and he said they should be killed as apostates (murtadeen). (...)

When you go to the Quraan and you read a verse from the Quraan and you explain that verse without having the propher knowledge, without following the proper methodology, you might be and only Allaah swt knows, actually following your own hawaa, following your own desires, you might be following an inspiration from the Shaytaan, you might be following dhann (conjecture), which Allaah swt speaks about in many places in the Qur'aan, or it might actually be some kind of inspirataion from Allaah swt, but most likely it is not the last case. And why is it not the last case? Because as we will talk about it later, you did not follow the proper methodology of talking about the Qur'aan and if you did not follow a proper methodology of talking about the Quran, then you have committed a sin already. Just by talking about the Quraan, without proper knowledge, by giving interpretation of the Quraan, without proper knowledge, without proper background, without being qualified to do so, then you've already committed a sin. And since you are commiting a sin, it is very unlikely in most cases that Allaah swt will bless you through that sin to give you the right interpretation of the Quran.

When you say that Allaah swt means this or Allaah swt means that in a specific verse, you are actually speaking or saying something on behalf of Allaah swt, you are actually speaking about Allaah swt, and if you are speaking without knowledge, without 'ilm, this is one of the greatest sins that you could commit.

In fact, Ibn ul Qayyim said that it is the greatest sin. Ibn ul Qayyim said that speaking about Allaah swt without `ilm is the greatest sin that you could commit. He bases it on this verse:

"Qul innamaa 7arrama Rabbi-l-fawaa7isha maa DHahara minhaa wa maa baTan, wal-ithma wal-baghya bi ghayri-l-7aqq, wa an tushrikoo bi-Llaahi maa lam yunazzil bihi sulTaanaa, wa an taqoolo 3ala-l-Laahi maa laa ta3lamoon."

"Say: The things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are al-Fawaahishah (great evil sins, every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.), whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppession, joining partners (in worship) with Allaah for which He has given no authority and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge." [The Noble Qur'aan, 7:33]

In discussing this verse, he says, first of all there are some sins which are haraam li-dhaatihi, forbidden due to their own evil nature, and (others which are) haraam li ghairihi, which are forbidden because they lead to some evil or have some evil in them.

And he said with respect to this verse, all of these four, they are haraam in dhaatihi, they are haraam in their own essence, because of the evil in them. Continuing his discussion, he said that Allaah swt first mentions al-fawaahishah, and he says this is the least of the sins that He mentions, after that He mentions the sins of transpasses against the truth; this is a greater sin that the first one that Allaah mentioned.

And then He mentioned making shirk, and finally He mentioned saying things about Allaah swt of which you have no knowledge. He is saying that Allaah swt is going from from the lesser to the greater. And the reason he says is that this last sin of saying about Allaah swt without 'ilm, which is actually what you do when you make tafseer without the proper background, without the proper methodology, he says it involves and it includes many things even more than what commiting shirk involves. He says it involves and it includes:

1. ascribing something falsely to Allaah swt
2. changing or altering the religion of Allaah swt
3. denying what He has confirmed or
4. confirming what He has denied,
5. affirming something declaring false or
6. declaring something false as true, and it also includes
7. supporting something that Allaah swt dislikes or opposes,
8. supporting something that Allaah swt dislikes or opposes, and
9. liking something that Allaah swt dislikes.

In other words, when you are speaking without 'ilm, in the religion, in things which are related to the religion, then in fact you are changing the religion of Allaah swt. And in fact, if you continue what he wrote - this is right from "Madaarij us Saalikeen", 1:372-3 - you find that in fact speaking without `ilm is actually the real source of all kufr and shirk.

He said, for example, the polytheists claim what they are worshipping instead of Allaah swt was something to take them closer to Allaah swt, so the cause of their shirk was saying something about Allaah swt without `ilm, something they did not know about Allaah swt.

Similarly today, the greatest kufr that we have nowadays, among Muslims, but especially among non-Muslims, is secularism and the basis for that is saying that Allaah swt doesn't really care about what we do in worldly affairs, or hasn't really given us guidance for worldly affairs, or the Deen that He sent is not meant for daily affairs; all of this is speaking about Allaah without knowledge.

So in fact, it is one of the greatest sins, and Ibn ul Qayyim even included that it is in fact the greatest sin. And he also mentioned that every bid'ah, every innovation, also is based on some statement that has no support from the Qur'aan and Sunnah, in other words every bid`ah also is based on some statement which is actually made without `ilm.

To think about this point even further, about just going to the Qur'aan, and saying, I am a believer I am pious, I can go to the Qur'aan, and read the Qur'aan, and get its own meaning, if there was any people in the history of mankind who could have said that - maybe we could accept this from them - would be the Companions of the Prophet saws, for many reasons:

• They witnessed the revelation of the Quraan itself,
• they witnessed the events it was referring to, they were living the events that it was referring to,
• the Quran was revealed in their language, the language of their time,
• Allaah swt chose them to be the Companions of the Prophet saws,
• and he described them as the best generation.

So if anyone could actually make that claim that he has such a pure heart and such a close relationship to Allaah swt or such a good understanding of Islaam, that he can go to the Quraan and interpret the Quraan simply by what his heart tells him or what they used to call ra'ee (personal opinion) - after the Soofees it became "What the heart tells you," but originally it was called ra'ee or personal opinion, it would be the Sahaaba, but if we go to the Sahaaba we see that what they understood and what they learned from the Prophet saws in fact is the complete opposite. What they learned is that it is absolutely forbidden to speak about the Quraan without proper knowledge.

And they made such statements. For example, Aboo Bakr one time said, "What earth would give me place to live and what sky would shade me if I should speak about the Qur'aan with my opinion or by something I do not know." And `Umar ibn al Khattaab, he also said, "Beware of using your opinion in religious matters." And Ibn `Abbaas, the one who the Prophet saws made du`aa for him to understand the Qur'aan, to get the understanding of the Deen, and to be given by Allaah swt the ta`weel or the understanding of the Qur'aan, he also said, "All that there is to follow and obey is the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. Whoever makes any statement after these two according to his opinion, then I do not know if you'll find among his good deeds or among his sins."

This is the style of Ibn `Abbaas, that he made in many statements. Meaning that even if what you did was something good, looks like something good, you will find it among your sins. And at-Tirmidhee, in his Sunan, he said it has been related from some of the people of `ilm, people of knowledge, the Sahaaba of the Prophet saws and others, that they that they were very strict when it came to speaking about the Qur'aan without `ilm.

This is similar to the hatred of the Salafus-Saalih (the Pious Predecessors) that a person should put himself forward to give religious verdicts (fataawaa) and to crave them, and to hasten to it, and to do it in excess. Ibn Lahee`ah reports from `Ubaydullaah ibn Abee Ja`far in mursal form from the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam that he said, "He who is boldest from you in giving religious verdicts, will be the boldest in proceeding to the Fire" [It is reported by ad-Daarimee 1/57 and its chain of narration is weak since it is mursal (i.e. there is a missing link or links between the last narrator and the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam)]. `Alqamah said, "They used to say, 'The boldest of you in giving religious verdicts is the one having the least knowledge.'"

Al-Baraa' said, "I met a hundred and twenty of the Ansaar from the Companions of Allaah's Messenger sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam and when one of them was asked about a matter there was not a single man amongst them except that he wished that his brother would suffice him (by answering)." [This saying is reported by ad-Daarimee (1/53) and Ibn `Abdul-Barr in Jaami` (2/163). However it is the saying of `Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Abee Laylaa and not the saying of al-Baraa`, and its chain of narration is saheeh. As for the saying of al-Baraa`, then it is, "I saw three hundred of the people of Badr, there was not a single one of them except that he loved that someone else should take his place in answering." It is reported by Ibnul-Mubaarak in az-Zuhd (no. 58), ibn Sa`d (6/11) and others and its isnaad contains Aboo Ishaaq as-Sabee`ee who is acceptable (sadooq) except that he was mudallis and reports it without stating that he heard it directly.]In a narration there occurs the addition, "…so this one would refer it to another, and he would refer it to someone else until it would eventually return to the first one." From Ibn Mas`ood, radiyallaahu `anhu, who said, "The one who gives a religious verdict to the people about everything that he is asked is indeed insane." [Reported by Ibn `Abdul-Barr (2/164-165), al-Khateeb in al-Faqeeh wal-Mutafaqqih (2/197-198) and Aboo Khaithamah in al-`Ilm (no. 10) and its chain of narration is saheeh.]

`Umar ibn `Abdul-`Azeez was asked about a question and replied, "I am not one who is bold about giving religious verdicts." He also wrote to one of his governors, "By Allaah I am not one who craves after giving religious verdicts, as long as I can find a way to avoid it."

Ibn Yameenah said, "This affair is not for those who love that the people should have need of them, rather this affair is only for those who love that someone can be found to take their place." It is also reported from him that he said, "The most knowledgeable of people concerning religious verdicts is the one who is most often silent, and the most ignorant of people about them is the one who speaks the most with regard to them." [Reported by al-Khateeb in al-Faqeeh wal-Mutafaqqih (2/166) and its isnaad is weak.]

Sufyaan ath-Thawree said, "We reached the scholars and they used to hate answering questions and giving religious verdicts until they could find no way out except to give a verdict, but if they were relieved of having to do so then that was more beloved to them."

Imaam Ahmad said, "He who puts himself forward to give religious verdicts has put himself forward to something very serious, unless he is forced through necessity." It was said to him, "Then which is better: for him to speak or to remain silent?" He said, "It is more beloved to us that he should withhold." It was said, "But if there is a necessity?" So he started saying, "Necessity! Necessity!" And he said, "It is safer for him to withhold."

So those who give religious verdicts should realise that they are transmitting Allaah's orders and prohibitions and that he will be made to stand to account and be questioned about it. Ar-Rabee` ibn Khaitham said, "O giver of religious verdicts! Look and see how you are giving verdicts." `Amr ibn Deenaar said to Qataadah when he sat to give religious verdicts, "Do you realise the affair that you have fallen into? You have come between Allaah and His worshippers and say, 'This is correct and this is not correct.'" [Reported by al-Khateeb in al-Faqeeh wal-Mutafaqqih (2/168)]From Ibnul-Munkadir who said, "The scholar enters between Allaah and His creation, so let him look and see how he enters between them." [Reported with variations in wording by ad-Daarimee (1/53), and al-Khateeb in al-Faqeeh wal-Mutafaqqih (2/168) and its isnaad is saheeh.]

When Ibn Seereen was asked about anything pertaining to the permissible and forbidden his colour would change and he would alter so that he would not seem to be the same person. [Reported by ibn Sa`d (7/195), al-Khateeb in al-Faqeeh wal-Mutafaqqih (2/167) and its isnaad is saheeh]. When an-Nakhaa`ee was asked about something then hatred would be seen upon his face and he would say, "Could you not find someone else to ask other than me?" He also said, "I spoke and if I had found any way out I would not have spoken, and indeed a time when I am the scholar of Koofah is an evil time." [Reported in meaning by Aboo Khaithamah in al-`Ilm (no. 131).]

It is related that Ibn `Umar, radiyallaahu `anhumaa, said, "You ask us for religious verdicts in such a manner that it is as if we are people who are not going to be questioned about the verdicts that we give you." [Reported by al-Fasawee (1/490) and al-Khateeb in al-Faqeeh wal-Mutafaqqih (2/168) and its isnaad is weak.] Also from Muhammad ibn Waasi` who said, "The first of those who will be called to account are the scholars." It is reported about Maalik, radiyallaahu `anhu, that when he was asked about a matter it was as if he were standing between the Paradise and the Hell-Fire. [Reported by al-Khateeb in al-Faqeeh wal-Mutafaqqih (2/167) and its isnaad is weak.]

One of the scholars also said to a person who used to give religious verdicts, "When you are asked about a matter then do not let your concern be to release and find a way out for the questioner, but rather to release and save your own self." [The one who said this was `Umar ibn Khaldah az-Zurqee and he was speaking to Rabee`ah ibn Abee `Abdir-Rahmaan. This narration is reported with very close wordings by al-Fasawee (1/556-557), Aboo Nu`aym in al-Hilyah (3/260-261) and al-Khateeb in al-Faqeeh wal-Mutafaqqih (2/169) and its isnaad is saheeh.]Another said, "If you are asked about a matter then consider - if you find a way out of it then speak, otherwise remain silent." The sayings of the Salaf about this are too many to quote and gather.

On the authority of Zayd ibn Arqam radhiallaahu `anhu that the Messenger of Allaah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam used to say, "O Allaah, I seek refuge in you from knowledge which does not benefit, from a heart which does not feel humble, from a soul that does not feel contended and from an invocation that is not answered."[Muslim] Indeed the Prophet’s sallallahu `alaihi wa sallam seeking refuge from knowledge which doesn’t benefit comprises many things:

So look, for example at the books of Philosophy and those of the Ahl-ul-Kalaam. They have become prevalent and widespread even so far as being included into the syllabuses of institutions and universities. A student may waste most of his time trying to comprehend what an author intended, and once understood he feels no real gain from that, neither towards his religion, nor his life, nor towards his community or the Muslim Ummah.

A student spends years mastering various subjects, not having any affinity to the reality of life, nor bringing him any nearer to Allaah.

How many biographies of unimportant, notorious characters are found, examinations are set about them and certificates are granted because of them. Their status is raised on an international level. This is on the one hand, while on the other hand we remain ignorant of the biographies of the Companions of the Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu `alaihi wa sallam. We are ignorant of the tafseer of even the shortest Chapters of the Qur’aan, ignorant of basic rulings of fiqh that everyone is required to know, and maybe people will treat greatly if I said: We are ignorant of many fundamentals of our `aqeedah.

Having asserted that variation in people's intellects, conceptions and propensity for conflict is a fact, it is important to add that Allah has distinguished the way of truth with landmarks and signs. If we refer again to the above verse: "If thy Lord had so willed, He could have made mankind one people: but they will not cease to dispute, except those on whom thy Lord hath bestowed Ms mercy", the last part is referring to this evidence of truth. In another verse this point is more obvious: " God by his grace guided the believers to the truth" [2: 213].

Free from the control of desires and whims, the self of man will not fail to arrive at truth if he searches diligently for it. Man has been endowed since original creation with a guide within himself to indicate truth. This is the purport of the following verse from the Qur’an: "So set thy face steadily and truly to the faith: establish God's handiwork according to the pattern on which He has made mankind: No change let there be in the work wrought by God: that is the standard religion: but most among mankind understand not." [30:30]

The following tradition of the Prophet's replicates the same point: "Every newborn is endowed with fitrah (original uncorrupted state) It is its parents who later make of it a Jew, a Christian or a Magus; the same way as animals are born whole with the noses intact It is humans who later cut off the noses."

The fundamentals of faith, the main virtues and the main vices, such as all sensible people would unanimously agree upon, are stated in the Qur’an in clear lucid language that admits no dispute or misinterpretation. This part of the Book is called "the mother of the book" (i.e. the foundation of the book) as it comprises categorical orders. No believer may contradict such verses or tamper with them to satisfy his whims or doubts. Nor may they be made the subject or arbitrary or unjustified interpretations. But of this later on. Here we add that after excluding the above category, scholars may disagree about any other points. It is not a sin to differ; a scholar will be rather rewarded in the Hereafter when he errs in his judgment and is doubly rewarded when he is right. This is a great incentive for scholars to exert themselves and reason out controversial issues with a view to revealing truth and suggesting the best available course for the community. This is a manifestation of the great wisdom of the Lord. 

Innal hamdalillaahi nahmaduhu wa nasta`eenuhu wa nastaghfiruh, wa na`oodhubillaahi min shuroori anfusinaa wa sayyi'aati a`maalinaa, wa may yahdi llaahu fa huwal muhtad, wa may yudhlil fa lan tajida lahu waliyyan murshidaa, thumma ammaa ba`d:

For us Muslims there are two sources of knowledge:

• The wahee (revelation), i.e. God's words
• God's creation

In this we differ with the atheists, the materialists, and all those who don't believe in God or who don't have a reliable book which is the word of God. For them the only source of knowledge is the world, God's creation.

We know that there is something that is called the scientific method. And that is the method which enables us to obtain the facts, the true facts from the world. We as Muslims also believe that there is a method, you can also call it a scientific method, for obtaining the facts from the other source. So just as there is a method, scientific method, which if you follow, then you can obtain the facts from the nature, society etc..there is also a method which must be followed if you want to arrive at reliable facts that are contained in the Qur'aan and the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.

So these are our two sources. Those sources are reliable for the Muslim. Because Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa created this world and Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa revealed the words. So whatever we find by observation, experiment, to be a fact, then a Muslim should not deny that fact. Many people think that for a Muslim only the facts which are stated in the Qur'aan are the true facts. They think that if there is a fact which is scientifically proved, then to accept it - some of them think - you have to find evidence for it in the Qur'aan. No. This is a reliable source, that is a reliable source. We don't have to find evidence for the truth of what Allaah said in nature, neither do we have to find evidence for what is stated in nature in the Qur'aan or the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam. I am saying, it is not necessary, but sometimes it increases a person's belief, if you find something that Allaah states in the Qur'aan especially if it is something which was not known by people at the time of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam and was discovered only few hundred years later. This then increases a person's faith. It gives him more confidence. He believes in the Qur'aan, but this increases his faith, that this Qur'aan must be from Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa, otherwise how could anyone at the time of the Prophet know something to be true which would be discovered only in the 20th century so it is not necessary but it helps.

So this is the first point that both these sources are reliable sources. We don't have this contradiction between between science and religion. Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa said in the Qur'aan: "W'Allaahu akhrajakum mim-buTooni ummahaatikum laa ta'lamoona shay'aa."

When Allaah brought you out of the wombs of your mothers you knew nothing ...Wa ja'ala lakumu-s-sam'a wal-abSaara wal-afi'idah." [An-Nahl 16:78]

...then He provided you with hearing, sight and mind.

So when Allaah created us, when He brought us from the wombs of our mothers, we were ignorant. How do we acquire knowledge by these means? Sense and the mind, there is no other way of acquiring knowledge. Even the knowledge of the Qur'aan, how do we know the Qur'aan? We hear it or we read it, so we have to use our senses. And we have to be reasonable, we have to have reason, be rational. Otherwise you cannot understand any speech, whether it is Allaah's speech or someone else's speech.

We need also these means to acquire knowledge from the nature, so the means by which we acquire knowledge are the same for the religion and for the nature.

What if there is a contradiction between the two. What do we do? Suppose we hear in the Qur'aan or in an authentic hadeeth that so and so is the case. And then the scientists tell us otherwise. The answer is that there cannot be real contradiction. Otherwise this would not be revelation. If Allaah created the world, He knows what He created. And we know for sure, that this Qur'aan is Allaah's Word. And Allaah is not deceptive, He is Truthful. So He cannot create the world in one way and tell us about it in another way. If we know for sure that something is the case in the world, and someone tells us that Allaah tells us otherwise, we say, "No, that is not true."

That is why some of the wise Christians, because of the contradictions like this between the Bible and the definite scientific truths, these Christians, they came to the conclusion that this Bible cannot be the word of God, at least not everything in it. I remember reading an example, someone you see the fundamentalists believe that the Bible is the word of God.

Someone who was an opponent of the fundamentalist, said that there is a verse in the Bible which says that the rabbit chews. He said that this is not true, we know that the rabbit doesn't chew, but it moves its mouth in a way which might seem to a person who is not scientific that it chews just as a camel, say, does. So he said that it is Allaah who created the rabbit so Allaah knows whether the rabbit chews or not. So if someone says that Allaah said that the rabbit chews, then this means that he doesn't know, that the person who said this doesn't know, so this cannot be Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa.

So the first truth is that there cannot be real contradiction, there cannot be real contradiction. If we know for sure that this is what Allaah said and we know for sure that this is the meaning of what He said, or we know for sure that this is a hadeeth of the Prophet, and we are positive about the meaning of that hadeeth, and also here, we know for sure that this is a scientific fact, it is not a theory, it is a proven fact, then there cannot be any contradiction between the two. So this means that the contradiction has to be apparent.

I am paraphrasing now what Ibn Taymeeyah said. He says, revelation and reason - and instead of reason I am just putting science because for them al-'aql can include this). Now I will ask you another question that might be easy. Suppose we know for sure - and when I say for sure that means that the hadeeth is authentic and that the meaning is also definite - that this is what the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam said. But here there is a theory, one scientist said so and so, but it is not a proven scientific fact. Which one do we prefer, which one do we take? The first one, it is very clear.

Now, suppose it is the other way around. Suppose we know for sure that this is a scientific fact, but we are not sure, say, about the authenticity of the hadeeth, now which one do we prefer? We take the scientific fact, we are sure about it [unlike this particular hadeeth which has not be proven to be definitely authentic, so it is missing one of two conditions: authenticity and clarity of its meaning]. Suppose we are sure about the authenticity of the hadeeth, but we are not very sure about the meaning, and here we are sure, what do we do? Take the scientific fact, again [and use it to clarify the meaning of the authentic hadeeth whose meaning is not certain/definite].

So he said that we prefer whatever is certain/definite (qaTa'ee), something in which there is no doubt. So we prefer this all the time. If one of them, irrespective whether it is revelation or creation, orscience, we put the one that is sure or certain before the one in which there is some doubt. Then again he asks a third question. What do we do if neither is certain. We are not very sure, say, about the authenticity or the meaning, and here the scientific evidence is not conclusive. What do we do? He said that at least for the time being, we prefer the one that has more evidence behind it. I am sure that this is not easy to measure, but so we either postpone - we say we don't know - or, if we have to chose, we do what Ibn Taymeeyah said, we take that one which has more evidence to support it.

Now, we as Muslims view the Qur'aan, our approach to the Qur'aan, is in many ways like the approach of the scientist to nature. Suppose that the scientist discovered a certain fact, but then he discovered another fact, which seems to him to contradicts the first fact. What does he do? Does he say, this contradiction is inherent in the nature. so there is no use in studying, and i go and do something else?

What does he do, what does he believe in his heart? Why does he go on making research? He thinks that he can reconcile it. He believes that there is no real contradiction in nature. The same thing with the Qur'aan. We come to the Qur'aan, the word of Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa so there can be no contradiction. So if you find an aayah which seems to you to contradict another aayah or a hadeeth, don't be upset, don't let shaytaan make waswasa (whispering) in your heart.

Say to yourself if a non-believing scientist doesn't have a psychological problem when he finds phenomena which seem to him to be contradictory he doesn't have any problem because he believes, he is positive that this contradiction is only apparent.

For example, i remember once in school the teacher said the first time when the degree at which water boils was discovered, this was in ordinary place this, we say at such and such degree water boils, then some scientists were travelling, they were at a very high place, like a mountain or so. They discovered that water could boil at a lower degree. They didn't say that there is a contradiction, or that there are two laws for water. They continued making research until they discovered there is a relationship between temperature and pressure.

The same applies here, if you find an aayah or a hadeeth which seems to you to contradict another hadeeth or an aayah be sure that the contradiction is only in your head, be sure that this is only due to your ignorance. Be sure there cannot be real contradiction between any two verses of the Qur'aan or any verse of the Qur'aan and an authentic verse of the Prophet or any two authentic hadeeths of the Prophet. There are many ways of reconciling the seemingly contradicting statements.

Scientists have theories, they don't rely only on individual facts. They have theories which explain the facts. We have something very similar also. And this is what they call fiqh. A faqeeh is not someone who just knows different rulings on different matters, that the ruling here is this, that the ruling here is that. No, a faqeeh is someone who has a comprehensive view of the religion, he knows that in religion there are things, like laws, which govern these individual facts and truths, so he views these individual facts in the light of these main and comprehensive statements that are found in the Qur'aan or the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, or sometimes the statements that are formulated by the 'ulamaa themselves. And this is what you find in usool ul-fiqh. So this is our approach to the Qur'aan and the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.

Now we come to what I call the scientific method. What is the method that enbales us to get at the true meaning of the Qur'aan or the Sunnah of the Prophet salallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam?

The first one is language. The difference between revelation and creation is that creation are things, so the method that suits them is observation. You hear or you see something. Here - in the case of revelation, we have words, and the most important thing about understanding words is to understand the language. So you find it repeated in many verses in the Qur'aan that this is an Arabic Qur'aan. You can see that it is in Arabic, but Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa stated this fact. It is obvious but He repeated it so that no one can interpret the Qur'aan in a way which contradicts the Arabic language.

So the Qur'aan is Arabic, therefore the first requirement for understanding the Qur'aan is to understand the Arabic language. This is for someone - not for someone who relies on translation, of course, because translation itself is based on the understanding - we are talking about someone who wants to go directly to the Qur'aan. Otherwise there are Arabic speaking people who cannot go directly to the Qur'aan, they have to depend on what the 'ulamaa say, the 'ulamaa who understood the Arabic language of the Qur'aan because the Arabic language of the Qur'aan is not the Arabic that we use in our every day life. I speak Arabic, but I have to read tafseer. There is many words whose meaning is not familiar to Arabic speaking people so they have to go to the dictionaries or commentaries on the Qur'aan. But this is very important, that this Qur'aan is Arabic, and the Arabic of the Qur'aan is the Arabic which was spoken at the time of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam. We who speaks modern Arabic sometimes makes mistakes which a person who reads a translation doesn't make. Why? Because some of these words that are used in the Qur'aan acquire new meanings, that were not known at the time of the Prophet, so many of us when we read, we give a word of the Qur'aan the modern meaning which is very different from the original classical meaning.

So we have to interpret the Qur'aan according to the Arabic language which was spoken at the time of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam. Not any Arabic that was spoken after the time of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.

Many of the people who deviated, who gave the Qur'aan the meanings which are not true, they violated this first rule. They had to. If you want to make any distortions in the Qur'aan then you have to violate the Arabic language. Many of the people like the mutasawwifa, some of the mu'tazila, even some contemporary people whom we call "modernists", who want to interpret the Qur'aan to make it compatible with some western views, they have to deviate from this.

The second requirement is what we call "tafseerun-nassi bin-nass." Nass is a statement. Statement in the Qur'aan must be interpreted, after we know the general Arabic meaning, by going to the Qur'aan itself. Because the Qur'aan, as they say in Arabic, "yufassiru ba'duhu ba'dan," that the Qur'aan itself explains the Qur'aan. So you find something stated in very general terms in one verse, then it is explained in details in another verse. So you say the meaning of this aayah is this aayah.

The same applies to the hadeeth of the Prophet, we interpret the Qur'aan in the light of the hadeeth of the Prophet, because the Qur'aan itself tells us that the task of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam is to interpret the Qur'aan, to explain the Qur'aan. He explained the Qur'aan by his words and by his deeds. So we know for sure that whatever the Prophet says does not contradict any verse in the Qur'aan, because his task, his duty is to explain the Qur'aan, not to contradict it. And we know for sure that whatever the Prophet did is something which at least is allowed in the Qur'aan. So if the Prophet does something, then we don't accept the claim of anyone that says this is haraam in the Qur'aan. So we interpret the Qur'aan in the light of the Qur'aan, we interpret the Qur'aan in the light of Sunnah, we interpret the Sunnah in the light of the Sunnah.

The third requirement for a proper understanding of the Qur'aan is the sayings, the commentaries, the explanations of the Companions of the Prophet. They have a special position, not because we believe that they are ma'sooomeen, infallible, but for a very good reason: Firstly because the language of the Qur'aan is the langague which they used to speak in their every-day life, the classical language, so they understood it better than the later generations.

Secondly, because they lived with the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, they knew the occasions, the circumstances in which the verses of the Qur'aan were revealed. And thirdly, because it might be that the meaning which they attribute to the Qur'aan might be something that they understood from the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, even if they didn't quote the Prophet. But this is what they understood for him. And fourthly, because they are the best of the muslims, they are not like the Prophet, they are not infallible, but they are the best of Muslims.

So we know that none of them would say that this verse is so and so if he is not sure that this is the meaning and if he is not sure, he would say," I am not sure." If he knows, he would say, "I think it is so and so". So this is the third requirement...

If there is concensus, ijmaa', that has to be taken to be the meaning of the aayah or the hadeeth of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam. There is also what is called Qiyaas. Qiyaas is not a means of obtaining facts directly from the Qur'aan but it is a way of knowning the ruling, the "hukm", of something which is not mentioned specifically in the Qur'aan. Qiyaas - as the word analogy explains: We read in the Qur'aan and the Hadeeth that the ruling on A is B. Now, we find something X which is similar to A. So we say that the ruling on this X is also B, because of the similarity between the two. This is what they call Qiyaas.

The sixth - a very important requirement - is sincerity. Any person, even if he is not a Muslim, he can master the language, he can read and learn by heart the ahaadeeth of the Prophet, or the verses from the Qur'aan, he can know the superficial meaning of these verses, but Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa will not give the real meaning, the meaning that influences a person's life and gives him hidaayah, guidance, Allaah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa will not give that except to someone who is sincere.

We do our best to acquire all the necessary means of understanding the Qur'aan and the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, we try you learn Arabic, we think and ponder over the verses, we read as many as ahaadeth of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam, we read the sayings of the Companions, so we do our best, but that is not enough. We have to also pray to Allah subhaanahu wa ta'aalaa to give us knowledge, we have to be very sincere.

Ibn Taymeeyah said, "I used to read a 100 tafaseer on one verse then I would go to the mosque and say, Yaa mu'allimul khaleeli 'alimnee. O you who taught Ibraaheem, khaleel, teach me. It is because of this that our great 'ulamaa acquired this vast knowledge that they acquired. They did not only learn the ahaadeeth and the verses by the heart, they did not only learn the rulings on individual matters, but Allaah gave them fiqh, this comprehensive knowledge of the Qur'aan and of the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alaihi wa sallam.

Sufyaan Ath-Thawree, raHimahullaah, said: "The excellence of knowledge is due only to the fact that it causes a person to fear and obey Allaah, otherwise it is just like anything else." [Related by ibn Rajab]

Al-Hasan al-Basree, raHimahullaah, said: "Whoever learns something in the name of Allaah, seeking that which is with Him, he will win. And whoever learns something for other than Allaah, he will not reach the goal, nor will his acquired knowledge bring him closer to Allaah." [Related by Ibn ul Jawzee]

Ibn Mas`ood, raDiallaahu `anhu, said: "True knowledge is not measured in relationship to how much you memorize and then narrate, but rather, true knowledge is an expression of piety [protecting oneself from what Allaah prohibited and acting upon what He mandated]."Also, "Study and act upon what you learn." [Related by Abu Na`eem]

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