What does the schedule of a student of knowledge at the Islaamic University look like?

Posted Oct 31, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 27 Comments

I often get asked this question, and to be honest, although my day to day schedule changes from time to time, I have certain things that I just have to accomplish during the day; if I don’t, then the rest of my day goes badly and I generally feel down. Read more

Manners

Posted Oct 28, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with No Comments

From amongst the most noble of deeds a human being can do then knowledge is at the top, in particular the seeking thereof. It is through seeking knowledge one comes to know how to worship his Lord and fulfill the obligations placed upon him. Yet before one sets out seeking knowledge it is of great importance that they learn manners.

Allah the Most High says:

إِنِّي أَنَا رَبُّكَ فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ إِنَّكَ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى

Verily, I am thy Lord! Take off, then, thy sandals! Behold, thou art in the blessed valley of Tuwa!

So Allah the All-Mighty taught His Messenger manners [i.e that of removing sandals in a blessed area] before He taught him knowledge itself.

Shaykh Hamad bin al-Ibraaheem al-’Uthmaani states in his book al-Nubad fee aadaab Talib al-’ilm:

One of the students of Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal said:

I was in the company of Aboo ‘Abdillaah [Imaam Ahmad] and learnt from him knowledge and manners.

And Ibn Wahb said:

We benefited more from Imaam Maalik’s manners then his knowledge.

A student of knowledge is in more need to learn manners in the beginning of his studies and this is of great importance. Due to this fact the Imaams talked about manners in great detail.

This is Imaam Maalik [when he] said to a young boy from Quraish [i.e Imaam Shaafi'ee]:

O nephew, learn manners before you learn knowledge.

And Yusuf bin al-Hussain said:

Through manners knowledge is understood.

And Aboo ‘Abdullaah al-Balkhee said:

Manners regarding knowledge is even more vast then knowledge itself.

Laith bin Sa’ad said whilst supervising over a group of students of hadith and seeing something [that he became displeased with]:

You are in more need of a little amount of manners then you are in need of great amounts of knowledge!

[al-Nubad fee aadaab Talib al-'ilm, page. 8]

The Truth

Posted Oct 24, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 2 Comments

There comes a time in our lives when we have to stand up for the truth even though we might be alone in doing so. Standing up for the truth regardless of who might oppose us. Just like Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal did:

The muslim ummah used to be one community [united in their aqeedah] and their religion was upright during the reign of Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq and ‘Umar al-Faaruuq. When ‘Umar was martyred the door that prevented fitnah was broken, just as the Prophet had foretold it would be. It was then that evil started to appear and disunity appeared [amongst the muslims] and sects that declared the majority of the companions of the Messenger of Allah as disbelievers became apparent. Read more

Sajdah Tilaawah

Posted Oct 23, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 2 Comments

The scholar ibn Rushd al-Qurtubi mentions in his book Bidaayatul Mujtahid wa Nihaayatul Muqtasid regarding prostrating when reading a verse of the Qur’aan that signifies prostration:

So as for the ruling of Sujud Tilaawah then Aboo Haneefah and his companions said it is Waajib and Maalik and Shaafi’ee [and Ahmad] said it is sunnah and not Waajib.

And the reason for their difference is that they differed regarding the verses and reports, do they come in the form of an obligation or not? For an example the statement of Allah the Most High:

إِذَا تُتْلَى عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُ الرَّحْمَن خَرُّوا سُجَّدًا وَبُكِيًّا

[and] whenever the messages of the Most Gracious were conveyed unto them, they would fall down [before Him], prostrating themselves and weeping.

Does this verse show an obligation or does it show that it is only a sunnah?

Aboo Haneefah understood the verse on its face value that is Waajib. But as for Maalik and Shaafi’ee [and Ahmad] then they followed the understanding of the companions regarding this verse since they are the ones that understood Islaam the best.

It was reported that ‘Umar bin Khattaab read surah Sajdah on a friday, then he got down and made Sajdah Tilaawah and the people made sajdah with him. Then the following friday he read surah Sajdah again and the people got ready to make sujud where upon ‘Umar said to the people ‘At ease, verily Allah has not made it obligatory upon us except that we do it ourselves.

So they [Maalik, Shaafi'ee and Ahmad] said and this [incident with 'Umar] was infront of the Sahaabah, and there is no difference amongst them that has been reported, and they were the ones that understood Islaam as it was ought to be understood. So since there is no dispute amongst the Sahaabah regarding this then it is firm evidence.

[Bidaayatul Mujtahid wa Nihaayatul Muqtasid, volume one, page 423-424]

Even better!

Posted Oct 22, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with No Comments

I was thinking to myself the other day, can there be anyone more generous then ‘Abdullaah bin Mubaarak? The Prophet verily spoke the truth when he said “Leave my companions alone! For verily if any of you were to give in charity the mountain of Uhud in gold you would not come close to one handful of their charity”. One name popped into my mind.

 ’Abdur-Rahmaan bin ‘Awf. Read more

Hajj with Abdullaah bin Mubaarak

Posted Oct 21, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 1 Comment

With the blessed month of Hajj approaching fast I am sure many of us would love to have Imaam Abdullaah bin Mubaarak as their organiser.

Imaam ad-Dhahabi mentions in his famous book Siyar-’Allaam an-Nubalaa:

Whenever the time for Hajj used to approach Abdullaah bin Mubaarak used to gather the people of his village and they used to say to him ‘We will accompany you [for hajj]‘ He used to reply ‘bring your wealth’ then he used to take their wealth and place it in a safe and lock it.

Then he would take them from their village to Baghdaad, and throughout the journey he would to spend upon them from his own wealth, giving them the best type of food and best type of sweets. Then he would take them from Baghdaad whilst they would be in their most beautiful appearance [in terms of clothes etc] and most complete grandure.

Until they would reach the city of the Prophet, he would ask them what have your families asked you to buy for them? So they replied such and such.  Then he would take them to Makkah, after having completed their hajj he would say to them what have your families asked you to buy for them from the goods of Makkah? So they replied such and such. And he would buy it for them, then they would leave Makkah. Throughout the journey he would spend upon them from his own wealth until they reached their home village again.

Upon returning home he [Abdullaah bin Mubaarak] would help re-build their houses and after three days [after arrival] he would organise a big feast for them and give them new clothes and when they had finished eating and felt joyful he would call for the safe to be brought out and opened then he would return the weatlh of each and everyone.

[Siyar-'Allaam an-Nubalaa by Imaam ad-Dhahabi, volume 8, page 386 the seerah of Abdullaah bin Mubaarak]

Hardship

Posted Oct 19, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 2 Comments

Throughout our lives we are faced with hardships some big and others small. It might be the loss of a loved one or financial difficulties or genuine grief and sorrow. It is human nature to ask the simple question, Why? Why are we tested? Why is it only me that is going through this difficulty whilst the people around me seem to be smiling and happy. As Muslims we realise the reason behind hardships in life and that Allah never means to destroy us thereby rather it is a test to see who amongst us are thankful and who amongst us are ungrateful.

Our noble Prophet said: Read more

Speaking without knowledge

Posted Oct 19, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 1 Comment

`Ata’ ibn As-Sa’ib said:

 “I knew knowledgeable persons who would experience extreme fear on answering a question posed to them lest it would be wrong.”

`Umar ibn Al-Khattab would also say to his Companions:

 “The readier one of you is to answer any question posed to him, the readier he is to enter the Hellfire.’’

Ibn Mas`ud also said:

“I strongly believe that he who gives his opinion on every matter people ask him about is really unwise.”

Whenever the most knowledgeable person among the righteous Successors Sa`id ibn Al-Musayyab came to giving a legal opinion on a certain matter, he would say: “O Allah save me from giving a wrong opinion and spare others the wrongness of my opinion.” Read more

Creation

Posted Oct 05, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with No Comments

Question:

What is the first obligation upon the slaves [of Allah]?

Answer:

The first obligation upon the slaves [of Allah] is to know the reason [and purpose] why Allah created them and took the covenant¹ from them and sent messengers to them and revealed His books through them, [the reason why] this earth was created and the here after, the paradise and the hell fire, [and because of this reason] the Judgement day has been established and the scales have been adjusted and the scrolls opened up, and it is the reason for ultimate wretchedness and happiness and based on it light [and guidance] is given out and whomsoever Allah deprives light from then for him there is no light²

^{——————————————————————————————————————————}

^{1Refer back to the Qur’aan Surah al-Araaf verse 176}

^{2 The reason and purpose for the creation that the Shaykh is refering to is that of La illaaha illa Allah, that none is worthy of worship but Allah}

Translated from: ‘Alaam as-Sunnah al-Manshuurah li ‘itiqaad at-Taa-ifah an-Naajiyah al-Mansuurah by Shaykh al-’Allaamah Haafidh al-Hakami rahimahulAllah 

A sin that leads to Jannah

Posted Oct 03, 2009 by Aboo Thaabit with 1 Comment

Imaam Ibn al-Qayyim – may Allah have mercy upon him – said in his famous book al-Waabil as-Sayyib min Kalaam at-Tayyib

…So if Allah intends goodness for His slave [after he has fallen into a sin], He opens up the doors of repentance for him and puts [in his heart] the feeling of need [for Allah] and makes him dependant upon Allah. Allah  grants him humbleness and brings him closer to Himself through enabling him to preform good deeds, and this one sin was the reason behind a [mountain] of good deeds, so much so that the enemy of Allah [Iblees] will say, o how I wish I had never made him commit that one sin!

This is the meaning of some of the salafs saying:

Verily a slave commits a sin, and thereby  enters Jannah [because of it] and he preforms a good deed and enters Hell because of it. Read more