Chapter 2
Seeking knowledge
47273: Is it better to give the adhaan and take care of
the mosque, or to seek knowledge?
Question:
I have been religiously committed for a while, praise
be to Allaah, and Allaah has enabled me to pray regularly
in congregation in the mosque at all times. When
the administration of the mosque saw that I am so
regular, they put me in charge of opening and closing the
mosque, and giving the adhaan. But there are a number of
lessons in fiqh and Tawheed that are given in mosques that
are far away from our mosque, and the brothers told me
that seeking knowledge is better than giving the adhaan. But
I am now tied to the mosque at all times even though
I have brought some CDs of these lessons and listen
to them. Is it better to give the adhaan or to seek knowledge?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Giving the adhaan, coming early to prayer and taking
care of the mosque are all great acts of worship and
beneficial righteous deeds which are encouraged in Islam, in
many well-known ahaadeeth.
The texts also speak of the virtue and honourable
status of knowledge and encourage us to seek it.
It should be noted that seeking knowledge may be
an individual obligation (fard `ayn), i.e., the knowledge
that makes one's belief (`aqeedah), worship and
actions correct. It is not permissible to neglect this kind
of knowledge or to be distracted from seeking it, either
by the adhaan or anything else.
The knowledge that is essential includes: knowledge
of `aqeedah (belief, doctrine) and Tawheed in
general, knowledge of the rulings on prayer and fasting,
knowledge of the rulings on zakaah for those who have wealth
on which zakaah is due, and knowledge of the rulings
on Hajj for those who want to go to Hajj.
It is also essential to know the rulings on buying
and selling for those who want to engage in that; rulings
on marriage and divorce, food and drink, and other
actions and transactions in which people may wish to engage.
Al-Mannaawi (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: There are nearly twenty different opinions regarding
what areas of knowledge should take precedence, all of
which offer evidence to support their view. The best that can
be said is what al-Qaadi said: What we cannot do
without knowing, such as knowledge of the Creator (Allaah,
may He be exalted and glorified) and the Prophethood of
His Messengers, and how to pray etc., knowing these
things is an individual obligation.
Fayd al-Qadeer, 4/267.
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said: Seeking Islamic knowledge is a communal obligation (fard kifaayah); if sufficient people
undertake it, then for the rest it becomes Sunnah. And
seeking knowledge may be an individual obligation. The
guideline is if it is needed for an act of worship that he wants to
do or a transaction or interaction he wants to engage in;
in that case he must learn how to worship Allaah by
doing this act of worship, and how to undertake that
transaction etc. Apart from that, seeking knowledge is a
communal obligation and the seeker of knowledge should feel
that he is undertaking a communal obligation so that he
will attain the reward for undertaking an obligation as well
as gaining knowledge.
From Kitaab al-`Ilm.
You have done well by bringing the CDs of the
lessons, because that is a means of seeking knowledge,
although it does not mean that you do not need to sit with
the scholars and learn from them, and ask them about
anything you do not understand.
It seems that in your situation, where you are trying
to decide whether it is better to give the adhaan and
take care of the mosque, or to seek knowledge that is not
an individual obligation, that you should try to combine
the best of both, by regularly attending some classes,
and continuing to look after the mosque, and make up for
the classes you miss by using the CDs, as well as asking
the scholars about anything you do not understand. If
the administration of the mosque do not agree with you
being absent sometimes, then give precedence to
seeking knowledge, for it is a source of honour and status in
this world and in the Hereafter, especially since there
will never be a shortage of people to give the adhaan and
take care of the mosque, but those who are serious in the
pursuit of knowledge are few and far between.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said, explaining the virtue of knowledge: (108): Many of
the imams clearly stated that the best of deeds after
the obligatory duties is seeking knowledge. Al-Shaafa'i
said: There is nothing after the obligatory duties that is
better than seeking knowledge. This is what his
companions narrated was his opinion. This was also stated by
Sufyaan al-Thawri, and the Hanafis narrated this from
Abu Haneefah. Three opinions were narrated from
Imam Ahmed:
The first was that the best of deeds after the
obligatory duties is seeking knowledge, because it was said to
him: "What thing is dearest to you, for me to sit at night
copying (texts) or to offer voluntary prayers? He said: Your
copying (texts) and learning about your religion from it, that
is dearer to me. Al-Khallaal quoted many texts from him
in Kitaab al-`Ilm about the virtue of knowledge, for
example, he said: People's need for knowledge is greater than
their need for food and drink.
The second is that the best of deeds after the
obligatory duties is voluntary prayer, and he quoted as evidence
for this the words "Know that the best of your deeds is
prayer" and the hadeeth of Abu Dharr, when he asked him
(the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him)) about prayer and he said "(It) is the best that has
been prescribed." And he quoted the fact that the Prophet
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) advised the
one who asked to be close to him in Paradise to do a lot
of prostration, i.e., prayer, and the fact that in another
hadeeth he said: "You should prostrate, for you do not do
one prostration for Allaah, but Allaah will raise you one
degree (in status) thereby and will remove one sin from
you thereby." And there are many other ahaadeeth which
speak of the virtue of prayer.
The third opinion is that jihad is the best of deeds, and
he (Imam Ahmad) said: I cannot think of anything
that matches jihad. And there is no doubt that most of
the ahaadeeth speak of prayer and jihad.
With regard to Maalik, Ibn al-Qaasim said: I heard
Maalik say: Some people pursued worship and
ignored knowledge, then they engaged in an armed
rebellion against the ummah of Muhammad. If they had
sought knowledge, it would have prevented them from doing
that. Maalik said: Abu Moosa al-Ash'ari wrote to `Umar
ibn al-Khattaab (saying) that there are people with us
who read the Qur'aan, such and such a number of them.
`Umar wrote back to him, telling him to allocate them a
stipend from the bayt al-Maal (treasury of the Islamic state).
The following year, he wrote to him saying that many
people, more than before, were reading the Qur'aan. `Umar
wrote back to him telling him to erase their names from
the record saying, "I am afraid that people will be hasty
in reading the Qur'aan and will not understand the
religion properly, then they will distort its meanings." Ibn
Wahb said: Maalik ibn Anas was in front of me and I put
my tablets down and got up to pray, and he said: "What
you have got up for is better than that which you have
left." From Miftaah Daar al-Sa'aadah, 1/119.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
11561: How to memorize the Holy Qur'aan
Question:
I am looking for an easy way to memorize the
Holy Qur'aan.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The way to memorize it is to persist in memorizing
it. There are two ways in which people can memorize it:
1 _ Memorizing it aayah by aayah, or two aayahs by
two aayahs, or three by three, depending on how long or
short the aayahs are.
2 _ Memorizing it page by page.
People vary; some of them prefer to memorize it page
by page, repeating it until they have memorized it.
Others prefer to memorize one aayah at a time, going over
it until they have memorized it, then memorizing the
next aayah, until they have memorized it all.
Whether you use the first method or the second,
you should not move on until you are sure of what you
have learned, lest you build on a wrong foundation. You
should review what you have memorized every day,
especially in the morning. If you know that you have learned
it properly, then you can move on.
From Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, Kitaab al-`Ilm, p. 157, 158
(www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
20191: How to seek knowledge
Question:
What does one need to become a scholar of Islam?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
You have asked about a serious matter, but it is easy
for the one whom Allaah enables to do it. Knowledge is
a sign of guidance. The Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) said: "If Allaah wants to do good
to a person, He gives him understanding of the
religion." This is understood to mean that whoever Allaah does
not wish good for, He does not give him understanding
of the religion.
Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him)
said: "Chapter: it is essential to know a thing first before
saying or acting upon it, according to the aayah
(interpretation of the meaning):
`So know (O Muhammad) that Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah
(none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah),'
[Muhammad 47:19]
So one should start with knowledge. The scholars are
the heirs of the Prophets, i.e., they inherit
knowledge. Whoever gains knowledge has gained great good
fortune, and whoever follows a path to seek knowledge,
Allaah will make easy for him the path to Paradise. Allaah
said (interpretation of the meaning):
`It is only those who have knowledge among His
slaves that fear Allaah'
[Faatir 35:28]
And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
`but none will understand them except those who
have knowledge'
[al-`Ankaboot 29:43]
`And they will say: "Had we but listened or used
our intelligence, we would not have been among the
dwellers of the blazing Fire!"'
[al-Mulk 67:10]
And He said:
`Are those who know equal to those who know not?'
[al-Zumar 39:9]
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) said: "Knowledge is gained by striving for it."
Ibn `Abbaas said: `Be faithful slaves to your Lord,
patient and learned.' And it is said that the good instructor is
the one who starts teaching people simple matters
of knowledge before more difficult ones."
It was narrated that Qays ibn Katheer said: "A man
came from Madeenah to Abu'l-Darda' in Damascus and he
said, `What brought you here, my brother?' He said, `A
hadeeth which I have heard that you narrate from the
Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him).' He said, `Have you come for any other reason?' He
said, `No.' He said, `Have you come for trade?' He said, `No.
I have only come to seek this hadeeth.' He said, `I
heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) say, "Whoever follows a path to
seek knowledge, Allaah will make easy for him the path
to Paradise. The angels beat their wings in approval of
the seeker of knowledge, and those who are in the
heavens and on earth pray for forgiveness for the scholar, even
the fish in the water. The superiority of the scholar over
the worshipper is like the superiority of the moon over
all other heavenly bodies. The scholars are the heirs of
the Prophets, for the Prophets did not leave behind dinars
or dirhams, rather they left behind knowledge, so
whoever gains knowledge has gained great good
fortune.'" (narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2606; classed as saheeh by
al-Albaani).
These are some of the virtues of knowledge, and this
is just a drop in the ocean. If we were to mention all
the virtues of knowledge, it would take too long. Perhaps
what we have mentioned here will serve as a reminder to
the one who has a heart or gives ear whilst he is heedful
(cf. Qaaf 50:37). See Question no. 10471.
With regard to the way to gain knowledge, it is to
fear Allaah (taqwa) and to be aware that He is
always watching, in secret and in the open. Then one should
learn from the scholars whose knowledge and
religious commitment can be trusted. If you find a scholar
who meets this description, then cling to him and consult
him in order to gain knowledge. If you cannot find a
scholar, then look for a seeker of knowledge
(taalib `ilm), and if you cannot find such a person, then you must study
by using tapes and books that deal with the basic issues
of Islam according to the correct methodology of sharee'ah.
If you ask, what are the books that we should study?
The answer is:
First of all you should take a gradual approach to
acquiring Islamic knowledge. For each branch of knowledge
there are specific books. The first thing you should study
should be `aqeedah (basic tenets of faith, doctrine), then
the sciences which will help you to understand the Book
of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him), such as Arabic
grammar, usool al-fiqh, mustalah
al-hadeeth, then fiqh and
Tafseer… before all of that you should start
by memorizing Qur'aan, because all other branches
of knowledge are studied to help one to reach a
correct understanding of the Qur'aan.
Here we will give you a list of books, organized in
order of priority.
On `Aqeedah: start with the book al-Usool
al-Thalaathah [available in English as "The Three Fundamental
Bases of Islamic Theology"], then Kitaab
al-Tawheed [available in English as "Kitab al-Tauhid"], then
Kashf al-Shubuhaat, all by Shaykh Muahmmad ibn `Abd
al-Wahhaab. Then read Kitaab al-`Aqeedah
al-Waasitiyyah [also available in English as "Principles of Islamic
Faith"] by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah.
After studying and understanding these books, move
on to Kitaab al-Ajrumiyyah, on Arabic grammar, then
Kitaab al-Usool fi `Ilm al-Usool, on usool al-fiqh, then
Kitaab Usool al-Tafseer _ both by Shaykh Muhammad
ibn `Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy on him. Then
study al-Arba'een al-Nawawiyyah [al-Nawawi's 40
Hadeeth, available in English in several translations] on
hadeeth, then `Umdat al-Ahkaam, also on hadeeth. Then
start studying fiqh, and it is OK to study the fiqh texts of
any of the recognized schools of thought, such as
Bidaayat al-Saalikeen, `Umdat
al-Fiqh, Matan Abi Shujaa', and Matan
Khaleel. We do not want you to be biased
towards any of the madhhabs, rather your study should
be organized and based on the well-established
principles, so that your pursuit of knowledge will be enhanced
and you will follow the evidence, not be biased towards
any particular madhhab.
It should be noted that the books mentioned above are
to be studied so that you memorize and understand
them. Try to get hold of tapes of the scholars who
have commented on these books, such as Shaykh `Abd
al-`Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh Muhammad ibn
`Uthaymeen, Shaykh `Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen, and others.
After studying fiqh, read two books on Tafseer. Start
with Tayseer al-Kareem al-Rahmaan fi tafseer kalaam
al-Mannaan by Shaykh `Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sa'di
(may Allaah have mercy on him), and Tafseer Ibn Katheer
[an abridged version in 10 volumes is available in English].
These are the most important books which the seeker
of knowledge should study. When you have finished
them, there are more advanced books which we will tell
you about when you have finished these books. Keep in
touch with us.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
39771: al-Saabooni and his book Safwat al-Tafaaseer
Question:
What is your opinion of the book Safwat al-Tafaaseer
by Shaykh al-Saabooni? Some of the
religiously-committed youth criticize us for reading this book, and say that
the `aqeedah of Shaykh al-Saabooni is Mu'tazili or
Ash'ari, and his Tafseer (commentary) on the Qur'aan is
likewise. I do not know anything about this Shaykh, so I started
to read this book because it is straightforward and
written in an attractive style. What is your opinion on this
book and its author? What are the books that you
recommend for every Muslim (who is not specialized in the
sciences of sharee'ah) to read concerning his `aqeedah and
his everyday acts of worship and interactions with others?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
Professor Muhammad `Ali al-Saabooni is one of
the professors in the College of Sharee'ah in Makkah
al-Mukarramah. He was active in the fields of
Qur'aan sciences and Tafseer (commentary), then he wrote
a number of books on Tafseer and Qur'aanic sciences,
most of which are summaries of longer books such
as Mukhtasar Tafseer Ibn Katheer, Mukhtasar Tafseer
al-Tabari, al-Tibyaan fi `Uloom
al-Qur'aan, Rawaa'i' al-Bayaan fi Tafseer Ayaat
al-Ahkaam, Qabs min Noor al-Qur'aan, and
Safwat al-Tafaaseer, which is the book under discussion here.
This is a concise tafseer of which its author said: it
is comprehensive, based on both narrated reports
and rational argument, based on the most authentic
well known tafseers such as al-Tabari, al-Kashshaaf,
Ibn Katheer, al-Bahr al-Muheet and Rooh
al-Ma'aani. It is written in a simple style that is easy to understand,
paying attention to literary style and linguistic form.
He says in the introduction:
I have called my book Safwat
al-Tafaaseer (The Best of Tafseers) because it combines the best of the
major detailed tafseers in a brief, organized and clear fashion.
The book was published in three volumes, in 1400 AH.
With regard to the `aqeedah of the author, his beliefs
are Ash'ari, which makes his books and summaries
subject to criticism and rejection. This also makes him
misquote some hadeeth texts by not quoting them in full, and
distort some of his quotations from other scholars, as we
shall see below.
Shaykh Safar al-Hawaali said:
With regard to al-Saabooni, it does not bother me to
say that what he has written about the `aqeedah of the
salaf and that of the Ash'aris conflicts with the basic
principles that every researcher who studies `aqeedah should
know, and his style is also far removed from the
authenticated academic style and from rationality.
Manhaj al-Ashaa'irah fi'l-`Aqeedah, p. 2
He was refuted by many scholars such as Shaykh
`Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh al-Albaani, Shaykh
Saalih al-Fawzaan, Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd, Shaykh
Muhammad Jameel Zayno and others.
With regard to his book Safwat
al-Tafaaseer, it is one of those books of his which were most emphatically
refuted by the scholars. There follows a list of some of those
who refuted it, along with the titles of their books:
1. al-Radd `ala Akhta' Muhammad `Ali al-Saabooni
fi Kitaabihi Safwat al-Tafaaseer wa Mukhtasar Tafseer
Ibn Jareer, by Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zayno, teacher
of Tafseer in Daar al-Hadeeth, Makkah.
2. Tanbeehaat Haammah `ala Kitaab Safwat
al-Tafaaseer by Shaykh Muhammad Jameel Zayno.
3. Mulaahazaat `ala Kitaab Safwat
al-Tafaaseer by Shaykh Sa'd Zallaam, Dean of the School of
Arabic Language in Egypt.
4. Mulaahazaat `ala Safwat al-Tafaaseer by Shaykh
`Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen.
5. Mulaahazaat `Aammah `ala Kitaab Safwat
al-Tafaaseer by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan.
6. al-Tahzeer min Mukhtasaraat al-Saabooni
fi'l-Tafseer by Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd; this is included in his
major book al-Rudood.
These criticisms led the Ministry of Awqaaf in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to ban this book and
confiscate it, as stated in the Decree of the Ministry of Hajj
and Awqaaf no. 945/2/S, dated 16/4/1408 AH, from
the General Headquarters of Awqaaf and Mosques in
the Riyaadh area, pertaining to the confiscation of the
book Safwat al-Tafaaseer and banning circulation thereof
until its errors with regard to `aqeedah have been corrected.
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd said:
The title Safwat al-Tafaaseer ("The Best of Tafseers")
is deceiving and confusing. How can it be described as
the best when it mixes good and bad, when it mixes
the tafseers of the Salafis Ibn Jareer and Ibn Katheer with
the tasfeers of the Mu'tazili al-Zamakhshari, the Raafidis
al-Radiy and al-Tubrusi, the Ash'ari al-Raazi and
the fanatical Ash'ari grave-worshipper al-Saawi and
others? Especially when this mixing is done by one who does
not know what he is doing and is like one who tries to
climb a wall without a ladder. Otherwise scholars may
benefit from the prominent mufassireen who do not stray
from the path of the salaf, the guidelines of tafseer and the
rules of the Arabic language.
Al-Rudood, p. 311.
And he said: He is described as ignorant because
he classes da'eef (weak) reports as saheeh (sound), and
vice versa; he attributes many ahaadeeth to the two
Saheehs or the four Sunans etc when they are not to be found
in the two Saheehs or in any of those books; he quotes
the Israa'eeliyyaat (reports derived from Jewish sources)
as evidence; and he contradicts himself when
discussing rulings.
He is described as betraying the academic trust
because he misquotes reports, quoting them only partially;
he attributes things to scholars that they did not say;
he distorts many texts; and he tries to produce evidence
for the views of the khalaf (later scholars) concerning
the verses that describe the divine attributes from the
books of the salaf.
Because of his own beliefs, he tries to distort the
`aqeedah of the salaf in his commentaries on the
Tafseers of Ibn Jareer and Ibn Katheer, and even more so in his own
book Safwat al-Tafaaseer. His distortion of a number of
texts is aimed only at proving his own distorted `aqeedah.
Al-Rudood, p. 313, 314.
Shaykh `Abd al-`Azeez ibn Baaz offered him the following advice:
We advise you to fear Allaah, and strive to follow
the path of the righteous salaf in all your books. We also
advise you to study the Qur'aan, the pure Sunnah and the
words of the salaf of this ummah a great deal, and to
benefit from the writings of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah
and his student Ibn al-Qayyim. And we advise you to
study the two essays al-Tadmuriyyah and
al-Hamawiyyah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah, and
al-Sawaa'iq, and Ijtimaa' al-Juyoosh
al-Islamiyyah by Ibn al-Qayyim, and other books of the salaf.
Al-Rudood, p. 375.
Secondly:
With regard to your request for a list of books that
a Muslim needs, please see question no.
14082 which gives a list of what you want and more.
And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
12841: Travelling to seek knowledge without
parents' permission
Question:
Do I have the right to leave to another country to
seek knowledge of the Deen without their permission?
What if they refuse to allow me? I read that Imaam Ahmad
did not see anything wrong with that.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Seeking knowledge, if this knowledge is
something obligatory, is not dependent on having
parents' permission, but if it is supererogatory knowledge then
it is essential to have their permission.
Muslim (2549) narrated that `Abd-Allaah ibn `Amr
ibn al-`Aas said: A man came to the Prophet of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said: "I
give you my oath of allegiance, promising to migrate and
fight in jihad, seeking the reward of Allaah." He said,
"Are either of your parents alive?" He said, "Yes, both of
them." He said, "And do you want to seek the reward of
Allaah?" He said, "Yes." He said, "Then go back to your
parents, and keep good company with them."
Seeking knowledge is one of the kinds of jihad. It is
not permissible to pursue supererogatory kinds of
knowledge which dictates travelling and leaving them, without
their permission.
Ibn Muflih said in al-Adaab
al-Shar'iyyah (2/35-36):
With regard to the one who goes out seeking
knowledge, he must go out with the permission of his parents,
because the virtue of supererogatory actions cannot be
sought without the permission of one's parents.
Al-Marwadhi said to Abu `Abd-Allaah (i.e., Imam Ahmad): What do you think of a man who is
seeking knowledge and he asks his mother for permission,
and she gives him permission, even though he knows that
she would prefer him to stay? He said, If he is ignorant
and does not know ho to issue a shar'i divorce or how to
pray, then I prefer him to seek knowledge, but if he knows
that then I prefer him to stay with her.
Al-Khallaal narrated that a man asked him: I am
seeking knowledge, but my mother does not want me to do
that; she wants me to engage in business. He said to me,
Do your best to please her, but do not stop seeking knowledge.
He said to him: I am a stranger in the land
seeking knowledge. Is that better or should I go back to
my mother? He said, If you are seeking knowledge that
is essential then there is nothing wrong with that.
A man asked him: I have just arrived and I do not
know anything, what do you command me to do? Abu
`Abd-Allaah said to him: You have to seek knowledge.
Ishaaq ibn Ibraaheem said: I asked Abu `Abd-Allaah
about a man who has two well off parents and wants to
seek knowledge of hadeeth, and they do not give
him permission. He said, He should seek as much
knowledge as will benefit him, and there is nothing as good
as knowledge.
It is clear from the above that what is meant by the
words of Imam Ahmad is: If the knowledge is obligatory
then parents' permission is not essential, and if it
is supererogatory then it is essential to have their
permission. And Allaah knows best. Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
31072: Studying in a society that does not adhere to
Islamic sharee'ah
Question:
I am a young Muslim man. I worship Allaah and I
want to act in accordance with the Book of Allaah and
the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him). But the problem is that I live among
people most of whom do not pray or fast or pay zakaah.
They engage in bid'ah and innovated matters, they swear
by things other than Allaah and make vows to others
than Allaah. Some people express disbelief (kufr) in
Allaah and His Messenger in their words. I am a youth
studying in middle school, and most of the students are
bad mannered and do not obey the commands of Allaah.
There are girls with us who do not wear hijaab, and the
female teachers are the same, so that it is too easy to commit
evil and haraam actions, and other things that would take
too long to explain. But my father will not let me leave
school. I want to leave this school and get away from
this environment, and work in farming and worship
Allaah far away from the evil of people, but my father will
not let me do that. I want to ask whether it is permissible
for me to leave school. Is it permissible for me to leave
this country and move to another, even if my father does
not approve? Please advise me, may Allaah reward you
with good.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
If the situation is as you describe, then you must
leave this school and beware of its evil, and keep away from
it and its people, in order to protect your
religious commitment, belief and morals from these
evildoers among the students, male and female, and this bad
society. You must do your utmost to move to a safe school or
a safe city or a farm or whatever is farthest removed
from danger to your religious commitment and morals. This
is what you must do, even if your father does not
approve, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him) said, "Obedience is only with regard to
that which is right and proper." And he (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) also said, "There is no
obedience to any created being if it involves disobedience
towards the Creator." Sitting among evildoers, people of shirk
and those who do not pray, and sitting among girls who
make a wanton display of their beauty and are unveiled poses
a serious danger to one's beliefs and morals, so it is
not permissible for the Muslim to remain in this
situation. Rather he must beware of this society and move
away from it to a society that is better and safer for his
religious commitment even if he has to travel from one city
to another, such as going to Makkah or Madeenah in
order to study in al-Masjid al-Haraam or al-Masjid
al-Nabawi, because there are teachers there who are people
of knowledge, virtue and sound `aqeedah, whether
his parents approve or not, because obedience to parents
is only with regard to that which is right and proper, not
in matters of sin and disobedience, as stated above.
And Allaah is the One Whose help we seek.
Majmoo' Fataawa wa Maqaalaat Mutanawwi'ah li'l-Shaykh Ibn Baaz, 6/344.
(www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
9383: Women and the pursuit of knowledge
Question:
I am an adult muslim female and seeking to adopt
muslims way of life to smallest details ,i try to seek
knowledge from various sources, but always feel a need to have
some priscribed course so that i can have clear concept of
quran & sunnah,i am unable to attend a madarsah for the
main reason as there is none near my area,since i also want
to preach but am always afraid to say any thing
specific.My qestion is how can i aquire that knowledge is there
a priscribed course?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. We appreciate our sister's
eagerness to seek knowledge and call people to Allaah. We
ask Allaah to bless us all with beneficial knowledge
and righteous deeds, and to make us guides who are
rightly guided. The one who calls people to Allaah must
equip himself with knowledge. Allaah says (interpretation
of the meaning):
"Say (O Muhammad): `This is my way; I invite
unto Allaah (i.e. to the Oneness of Allaah —
Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge, I and
whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allaah, i.e. to
the Oneness of Allaah — Islamic Monotheism with
sure knowledge). And Glorified and Exalted be Allaah
(above all that they associate as partners with Him). And I
am not of the Mushrikoon (polytheists, pagans, idolaters
and disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah; those who
worship others along with Allaah or set up rivals or partners
to Allaah)'"
[Yoosuf 12:108]
Allaah has given us many ways nowadays that make
it easy to seek knowledge without any hardship and
without having to go of the house; that is by means of
cassette tapes, the computer and the internet.
Women _ and also men _ must follow the right way
of acquiring knowledge, starting with what is easy
before embarking on difficult matters. It is also essential to
use a balanced approach and not to take on more than
you can handle so that you will not give up.
We advise our sister to do the following:
Be sincere towards Allaah in seeking knowledge _
and indeed in all your affairs; if you intend to dispel
ignorance from yourself and from others, and to draw closer
to Allaah first of all, then this is worship. And you
should not seek to show off to people with your knowledge or
to argue with the foolish.
You should memorize some of the Qur'aan. This can
only be achieved by following and sticking to a daily
program of memorizing a certain amount. It may be a good idea
to commit to learning a small amount, and do not
increase it even if you find that you have more time and energy
on some occasions, for a small deed that is done regularly
is better than a large deed done intermittently.
You should read summaries of all branches of
knowledge, and leave the detailed works until later. In almost
every branch of knowledge there are books which give a
gradual approach, starting with brief discussions and ending
with lengthy and detailed analysis.
You should strive to memorize these texts if you
can, because memorizing evidence, whether from the
Qur'aan or Sunnah, and memorizing the texts of knowledge
will help you to follow the correct path to knowledge.
The scholars said,
"Whoever memorizes the texts has excelled."
You should strive to study the commentaries on
these books. The best is to listen to recordings. We
recommend the sister, and every Muslim, to listen to the lessons
of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn `Uthaymeen,
because there is no branch of knowledge that he did not
discuss on tapes that are easy to get hold of and they are
now available on the internet.
She should look for sisters who can help her to
seek knowledge, with whom she can read and study.
Just as she allocates time for reading Qur'aan, she
should also allocate time for all other branches of
knowledge. She should read a little about Tawheed and about
hadeeth and fiqh and all other branches of knowledge.
She should seek the help of Allaah in her pursuit
of knowledge and da'wah. Putting one's trust in
Allaah, pursuing the appropriate means, and praying to Him
to make things easy are all among the greatest and
most beneficial means of reaching one's goal. Shyness
should not prevent you from seeking knowledge and
asking questions.
One of the salaf said, "No shy or arrogant person
will ever seek knowledge." So shyness should not stop
you from asking questions about Islam. And arrogance
is harmful in this world and in the Hereafter; one of
its harmful effects in this world is that it keeps a person
from asking and learning.
For a list of books which the seeker of knowledge
can begin with, please see Question no.
14082; this contains a list of books which the seeker of knowledge
should study. Please see also question no.
20191.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
31887: She wants to know how to acquire knowledge
and act upon it
Question:
We as Muslims are obliged to act in accordance with
the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him). I am keen to do that, in sha Allaah, to earn the pleasure
of Allaah, but there is too much fitnah and too
many contradictory fatwas and I am confused.
What I want to ask is: how can I know how to act
in accordance with the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah
of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)?
I want to act in accordance with that which Allaah
has revealed and has enjoined. How can I do that, in
sha Allaah?
How can I find the rulings and commandments?
Praise be to Allaah, I read the Qur'aan and books of
seerah and hadeeth. Is there anything that will help me
to understand the rulings and prohibitions of Allaah etc.
from the Qur'aan and Sunnah?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. The commands and prohibitions
of Allaah are to be found in the Book of Allaah and
the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah
be upon him). The scholars have explained that in
their books, whether they are books of hadeeth or of fiqh.
Some of the scholars have written books dealing specifically with the verses of rulings (aayaat
al-ahkaam); others have written books on the ahaadeeth of
rulings (ahaadeeth al-ahkaam). Then there are commentaries
on these books and texts, such as Ahkaam
al-Qur'aan by al-Jassaas; Nayl al-Awtaar Sharh Muntaqa
al-Akhbaar; Subul al_Salaam Sharh Buloogh
al-Maraam; Ihkaam al-Ahkaam Sharh `Umdat
al-Ahkaam.
The Muslim can find out the rulings, commands
and prohibitions of Allaah in two ways:
1 _ From trustworthy books
You can refer to the following questions for
more information on the names of trustworthy books:
14082; 20191.
2 _ From trustworthy scholars
Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen said:
There are two ways of acquiring knowledge:
1 _ Acquiring it from trustworthy books written
by scholars who are known for their knowledge, trustworthiness and sound beliefs, free from
innovations and myths.
2 _ Acquiring it from a teacher who is trustworthy in
terms of his knowledge and religious commitment. This way
is quicker and more reliable for knowledge, because in
the first method a seeker of knowledge may go astray
without realizing, either because he misunderstands or
because of a lack of knowledge, or for some other reason. But if
a seeker of knowledge combines both methods, that is
better and more complete. The student should get his
priorities straight, and brief books on various subjects
before studying books that deal with them in detail, so that
he will move from one level to another, and he will not
move on to the next level until he has mastered the one
that comes before it, so that his progress will be sound.
Kitaab al-`Ilm, p. 64, 65
With regard to acting upon what Allaah has revealed,
that cannot be done before knowing what Allaah has
revealed, So the Muslim must seek knowledge, then when
he knows, he must act upon what he has learned.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: Abu `Abd al-Rahmaan al-Sulami said: Those who used to teach us
the Qur'aan, `Uthmaan ibn `Uthmaan and `Abd-Allaah
ibn Mas'ood and others, told us that when they learned
ten verses from the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him), they would not move on from that
until they learned what was in them of knowledge and put
it into practice. They said, so we learned the Qur'aan
and knowledge and practice all together.
Al-Hasan al-Basri said that Allaah did not reveal any
verse but he wanted to learn concerning what it was
revealed and what was meant by it.
Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Do they not then consider the Qur'aan carefully?"
[al-Nisa' 4:82]
Considering words is only of benefit if one
understands them. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, We have made it a Qur'aan in Arabic that
you may be able to understand (its meanings and
its admonitions)" [al-Zukhruf
43:3]
The Messengers explained to the people that which
was revealed to them from their Lord, and they had to
convey it clearly to mankind. What is required of the people is
to understand what the Messengers conveyed to them,
and understanding implies knowledge and action.
Whoever knows (the difference between) good and evil and
does not follow good and warn against evil, has not
understood. Hence no one can be counted as being a man
of understanding unless he does what will benefit him
and avoids what will harm him. So the insane person
who cannot distinguish between the one and the other
may fall into things that will harm him and may run away
from things that may benefit him.
Majmoo' al-Fataawa, 15/108
Acting upon that which has been revealed from
Allaah means adhering to the commands and obeying them,
and avoiding that which has been forbidden, and believing
in what Allaah has told us of stories and seeking
lessons from them.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
3328: Ways to strengthen one's memory and
combat forgetfulness
Question:
Sheikh.
I tend to forget things that interfere with my
daily activities. Can you advice me any practice according
to Quran and Sunnah that might help me?
All praise to Allah (S).
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is human nature to be forgetful, as the Arab poet said:
"He is only called man (insaan) because of
his forgetfulness (nasiyaan), and it is only called the
heart (al-qalb) because it changes so rapidly
(yataqallib)."
In the past they said that the first one to forget
(awwal naasin) was the first man (awwal
al-naas), meaning Adam, peace be upon him. Forgetfulness is
something that varies from person to person according to
each individual's nature; some may be more forgetful
than others. Some of the things that may help to
combat forgetfulness are the following:
Keeping away from sin, because the bad effects of
sin result in a bad memory and the inability to
retain knowledge. The darkness of sin cannot co-exist with
the light of knowledge. The following words were
attributed to al-Shaafa'i, may Allaah have mercy on him:
"I complained to [my shaykh] Wakee' about my
bad memory, and he taught me that I should keep away
from sin.
He said that knowledge of Allaah is light, and the light
of Allaah is not given to the sinner."
Al-Khateeb reported in al-Jaami' (2/387) that Yahya
ibn Yahya said: "A man asked Maalik ibn Anas, `O Abu
`Abd-Allaah! Is there anything that will improve my
memory?' He said, `If anything will improve it, it is giving up sin.'"
When a person commits a sin, it overwhelms him
and this leads to anxiety and sorrow which keeps him
busy thinking about what he has done. This dulls his
senses and distracts him from many beneficial things,
including seeking knowledge.
Frequently remembering Allaah, may He be glorified,
by reciting dhikr, tasbeeh (saying `Subhan Allaah'),
tahmeed (`Al-hamdu Lillaah'), tahleel (`Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah')
and takbeer (`Allaahu akbar'), etc. Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning): "…And remember your Lord when
you forget…" [al-Kahf 18:24]
Not eating too much, because eating too much makes
one sleep too much and become lazy, and it dulls the
senses, besides exposing one to the risk of physical diseases.
Most of the diseases which we see result from food and drink.
Some of the scholars have mentioned certain foods
which increase the memory, such as drinking honey and
eating raisins and chewing certain kinds of gum resin.
Imaam al-Zuhri said: "You should eat honey because it
is good for the memory."
He also said: "Whoever wants to memorize
hadeeth should eat raisins." (From
al-Jaami' by al-Khateeb, 2/394).
Ibraaheem ibn [sth. omitted] said, "You should chew
resin gum, because it gives energy to the heart and gets rid
of forgetfulness." (From al-Jaami' by al-Khateeb, 2/397).
As they mentioned, too much acidic food is one of
the causes of laziness and weak memory.
Another thing that can help the memory and
reduce forgetfulness is cupping (hijaamah) of the head, as is
well known from experience. (For more information see
Al-Tibb al-Nabawi by Ibn al-Qayyim). And Allaah
knows best. Islam Q&A Sheikh Muhammed Salih
Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
5337: What field should he study at university?
Question:
In your humble opinion, what kind of knowledge
would you encourage Muslims in west, while circumstances
have brought us here, to obtain while attending
secular universities; as I am blanked out as to what to major in?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. When choosing a specialty, you
have to pay attention to a number of points:
Your personal abilities: do not choose a specialty that
does not suit you, lest you fail.
The need of the Muslims for this specialty: so that
you can try to fill a gap in the Muslim community/Ummah.
Your own inclinations: if a person has the inclination
and desire to learn, along with the ability to do so, it is
very seldom that he does not succeed.
The specialty should be free of things that go
against sharee'ah. As for specialties in forbidden fields such
as music, philosophy, etc., it is not permissible to enter
them at all.
Then seek the help of Allaah to make the right
choice, make sure that your intentions are proper, and at all
times put your trust in the Most Generous, Most Merciful.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
22317: Putting people off the books of modern daa'iyahs
Question:
What is your view of those who put people off
from reading the books of contemporary daa'iyahs and
think that we should limit ourselves to the books of the
righteous salaf and take our methods from them? What is the
correct view of the books of the salaf (may Allaah have mercy
on them) as compared with the books of the modern daa'iyahs and thinkers?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him and raise his status among
the guided) was asked this question and he answered
as follows:
I think that basing da'wah on the Book of Allaah and
the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) comes above all else. This is the view of
all of us, beyond a doubt. After that comes that which
has been narrated from the Rightly-Guided khaleefahs,
the Sahaabah and the imams of Islam among the
earlier generations (the salaf).
With regard to what the later and contemporary
scholars speak about, it deals with things that have happened
more recently, which they know better about. If a person
takes from their books that which will benefit him in
that respect, then he will have gained a great deal. We
know that the contemporary scholars have taken the
knowledge that they have from those who came before them, so
let us also take from the same source as they did. But
there are some matters which emerged later, that
they understand better, because these issues did not arise
at the time of the salaf in the same manner. Hence I
think that one should combine the two good things,
relying primarily on the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of
His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon
him) and secondly on the words of the
Rightly-Guided khaleefahs and the Sahaabah and the imams of
the Muslims, then on what has been written by the contemporary scholars who write about things that
did not happen in previous times and were not
specifically known to the salaf.
From Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, Kitaab al-`Ilm, p. 216-217
(www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
22330: Acquiring Islamic knowledge from tapes
Question:
Are tapes regarded as one of the ways to gain
knowledge? What is the best way to benefit from them?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih ibn `Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked this question,
and he replied as follows:
No one doubts that these tapes are one of the means
of acquiring knowledge. We do not deny that Allaah
has blessed us through these tapes from which we have
gained a great deal of knowledge, because they have brought
us the words of the scholars no matter where they may be.
Here in our homes, there is a huge distance between
us and this scholar, but it is easy for us to hear his words
via this tape. This is one of the blessings that Allaah
has bestowed upon us. Indeed it is proof both for us
and against us, for knowledge has spread widely through
these tapes.
With regard to how we may benefit from them:
This depends on the situation of the person himself.
Some people may benefit from them whilst driving, others
may listen to them whilst eating lunch or dinner, or
drinking coffee.
The point is that the way in which benefit is derived
from them depends on the individual himself; we cannot
lay down any general rules.
From Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, Kitaab al-`Ilm, p. 193 (www.islam-qa.com)
Search Inside This Book At Google Book Search - (164 pages)
| 
