Chapter 3
Manners of Seeking Knowledge
10324: Etiquette of the seeker of knowledge
Question:
Allaah has blessed me by causing me to seek
knowledge. What is the etiquette which you advise me to follow?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There is a certain amount of etiquette for
seeking knowledge which the seeker of knowledge should
follow. We will give you this advice and this etiquette for
seeking knowledge; may Allaah cause you to benefit thereby.
1 _ Patience
My dear brother, seeking knowledge is one of the
highest of pursuits, and heights cannot be scaled except
by working hard and stribing. Abu Tamaam said,
addressing himself:
"Let me scale the heights that cannot be scaled,
for reaching high things is difficult whilst reaching low
things is easy.
You want to scale the heights without any effort, but
honey cannot be gathered without beestings."
Another poet said:
"You seek to attain glory, and those who seek to
attain glory
Strive their utmost and roll up their sleeves for
that purpose.
They strive hard but most of them become tired.
But those who have patience and perseverance attain
the heights of the glory that they desired.
Do not think that attaining glory is as easy as eating dates;
You cannot attain glory until you swallow the
bitterest medicine."
So be patient and persevere. If jihaad requires an hour
of patience, then the seeker of knowledge must be
patient until the end of his life. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning)
"O you who believe! Endure and be more patient
(than your enemy), and guard your territory by stationing
army units permanently at the places from where the
enemy can attack you, and fear Allâh, so that you may
be successful."
[Aal `Imraan 3:200]
2 _ Purity of intention in action
Adhere to purity of intention in what you do. Let
your aim be to seek the Face of Allaah (i.e., the pleasure
of Allaah) and the Home of the Hereafter. Beware of
showing off and the love of making oneself appear to be
superior to one's peers. The Messenger of Allaah (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "Whoever
seeks knowledge in order to compete with the scholars or
to prove himself superior to the ignorant or to make
the people look up to him, Allaah will cause him to
enter Hell." (narrated by al-Nasaa'i, 2654; classed as
saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Nasaa'i).
To sum up, you have to be pure both outwardly
and inwardly from every major and minor sin.
3 _ Acting upon what you know
Know that acting upon what you know is the fruit
of knowledge. Whoever knows but does not act upon
his knowledge is like the Jews whom Allaah likened to
the ugliest things in His Book, when He said
(interpretation of the meaning):
"The likeness of those who were entrusted with
the (obligation of the) Tawraat (Torah) (i.e. to obey
its commandments and to practise its laws), but
who subsequently failed in those (obligations), is as
the likeness of a donkey which carries huge burdens of
books (but understands nothing from them). How bad is
the example of people who deny the Ayaat (proofs,
evidences, verses, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allaah. And
Allaah guides not the people who are Zaalimoon
(polytheists, wrongdoers, disbelievers)" [al-Jumu'ah
62:5]
And whoever acts without knowledge is like the Christians, who are the
"daalleen (those who have gone astray)" mentioned in
Soorat al-Faatihah. With regard to the books which you should study, they are
mentioned in Question # 20191; please refer to this Question as it
is important.
4 _ Always being aware that Allaah is
watching
You must always be aware that Allaah is watching
you, in secret and in the open. Your attitude towards your
Lord must always be balanced between fear and hope,
which for the Muslims are like the two wings of a bird. Turn
to Allaah wholeheartedly and let your heart be filled
with love for Him, your tongue with remembrance of
Him (dhikr). Be happy and rejoice in His rulings and
His wisdom.
Always call upon Allaah (du'aa') in every sujood,
asking Him to bless you and grant you beneficial
knowledge, for if you are sincere towards Allaah, He will support
you and help you, and will cause you to attain the level of
the righteous scholars.
5 _ Make the best use of time
Make the most of your youth and your whole life
by learning. Do not be deceived by procrastination
and wishful thinking about the future. Every hour of your
life that passes cannot be replaced. Do away with
whatever you can of distractions and obstacles which prevent
you from striving your utmost to attain knowledge. Hence
the salaf encouraged keeping away from one's family
and keeping a distance from one's homeland, because
when a person is distracted he will not be able to
understand facts of knowledge and subtle issues. Allaah has not
given man two hearts in his chest, and similarly it is said
that knowledge will not give you a part of it until you give
it your all.
6 _ Be cautious
Beware of being preoccupied in the beginning with
the disputes among the scholars, or among people in
general, because this confuses the mind. Also beware
of musannafaat , because they will waste your time and
make you confused. Instead, give your all to the book
which you are reading or the topic which you are studying
until you become competent in it. Beware of moving from
one book to another (before completing the former), for
that is a sign of boredom and failure. You must pay
attention to each branch of knowledge, in order of importance.
7 _ Precision and focus
Strive to verify that which you want to memorize so
that you are certain of it, either from a shaykh or from
someone else who can help you. Then memorize it properly
and continually repeat it and review at specific times
each day, lest you forget what you have memorized.
8 _ Studying books
After you have memorized the summarized books properly, with their commentaries, and you
have understood any difficult passages in them and
understood the important points, then move on to studying the
detailed versions, always reviewing what you have learned
and noting the valuable points, subtle issues, strange
minor issues, solutions to problems and differences
between similar rulings, in all branches of knowledge. Do not
think little of anything useful that you learn or any
basic principle that you understand; instead, hasten to note
and memorize it.
Let your concern to seek knowledge be uppermost;
do not be content to learn only a little when you are able
to do more. Do not be content with a little of the legacy
of the Prophets (may the blessings of Allaah be upon
them), and do not delay learning anything that you can, or
be distracted or put off by wishful thinking. Delay is
a problem, and if you learn something now you can
learn something else later.
Make the most of your time, when you are free and
when you are busy. Make the most of your youth when
your mind is fresh and you have less distractions, before
you become distracted by false ambitions and the desire
for worldly possessions.
You should try to obtain as many of the books you
need as you can, because they are the tools of learning. Do
not make getting and keeping a lot of them (without
benefiting from them) the only share of knowledge that you
have, and collecting them the only share of understanding
that you have. You also have to use and benefit from them
as much as you can.
9 _ Choosing companions
Strive to choose righteous friends who are
preoccupied with seeking knowledge and are of a good nature,
who can help you in achieving your aim, add to the
benefits you have already gained, encourage you to seek
more knowledge and stop you from feeling bored and
tired; friends who are religiously-committed, trustworthy
and of good character, who are sincere towards Allaah
and who are not merely messing about. (See Tadhkirat
al-Saami' by Ibn Jamaa'aah).
Beware of the bad companion, for he may influence
you and people are like birds, they will resemble one
another [i.e., "birds of a feather flock together"]. So beware
of mixing with people like that, for that is a sickness,
and prevention is better than cure.
10 _ Finally, good manners towards the
shaykh
Knowledge cannot be gained only from books; you
must also have a shaykh whom you trust to open the door
to knowledge and keep you from making mistakes. So
you must have good manners towards him, for this is the
way to success, learning and strength. So you must
honour, respect and be polite to the shaykh. Observe the
utmost standards of etiquette when you sit with your shaykh
and speak with him. Ask questions in a proper manner
and listen attentively. Be polite when studying the book
with him and do not try to argue with him or compete
with him. Do not initiate conversation with him or walk
ahead of him or speak too much in his presence, or
interrupt him or interrupt him when he is teaching. Do
not pressurize him to give you an answer, and avoid
asking him too many questions, especially in front of
other people, for this will make you appear to be showing
off and make him bored with you. Do not call him
directly by his name or nickname; rather say "O my shaykh"
or "O our shaykh" (Yaa shaykhi or Yaa shaykhunaa)
If you think that the shaykh has made a mistake, do
not let that make him lose respect in your eyes, because
that will deprive you of his knowledge. Who is there who
is entirely free from error? See Hilyat Taalib
al-`Ilm by Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd
We ask Allaah to make you and us strong and
steadfast, and to let us see the day when you will become one of
the scholars of the Muslims and an authority in the
religion of Allaah and one of the imaams of the pious.
Ameen, ameen.. We hope to meet soon, and peace be upon
you.
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
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21420: Is it obligatory to follow a particular madhhab?
Question:
Is it mandatory for a muslim to follow a specific
madhab (maliki, hanafi, hanbali,etc)?
If it is so, what madhab is the best? Is it true that
Abou Hanifa's madhab is the most followed in the
muslim world?.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It is not obligatory for a Muslim to follow any
particular madhhab among these four. People vary in their level
of understanding and ability to derive rulings from
the evidence. There are some for whom it is permissible
to follow (taqleed), and indeed it may be obligatory in
their case. There are others who can only follow the
shar'i evidence. In Fataawa al-Lajnah
al-Daa'imah this question was answered in a detailed manner, which
is worth quoting here in full.
Question:
What is the ruling on following one of the four
madhhabs in all cases and situations?
The Committee replied:
Praise be to Allaah, and blessings and peace be upon
His Messenger and his family and companions.
Firstly: the four madhhabs are named after the four
imams _ Imam Abu Haneefah, Imam Maalik, Imam
al-Shaafa'i and Imam Ahmad.
Secondly: These imams learned fiqh (jurisprudence)
from the Qur'aan and Sunnah, and they are mujtahideen in
this regard. The mujtahid either gets it right, in which case
he will have two rewards, the reward for his ijtihaad and
the reward for getting it right, or he will get it wrong, in
which case he will be rewarded for his ijtihaad and will
be forgiven for his mistake.
Thirdly: the one who is able to derive rulings from
the Qur'aan and Sunnah should take from them like
those who came before him; it is not right for him to
follow blindly (taqleed) when he is believes that the truth
lies elsewhere. Rather he should follow that which he
believes is the truth. It is permissible for him to follow in
matters in which he is unable to come to a conclusion based
on the Qur'aan and Sunnah and he needs guidelines concerning a particular issue.
Fourthly: Whoever does not have the ability to
derive rulings himself is permitted to follow one whom he
feels comfortable following. If he is not comfortable
following him then he should ask until he finds someone with
whom he is comfortable.
Fifthly: From the above it is clear that we should
not follow their opinions in all situations and at all
times, because they may make mistakes, but we may follow
their views that are sound and are based on the evidence.
Fataawa al-Lajnah, 5/28
It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah, no. 3323:
Whoever is qualified to derive rulings from the
Qur'aan and Sunnah, and has strong knowledge in that
regard, even if that is with the help of the legacy of fiqh that
we have inherited from earlier scholars of Islam, has the
right to do that, so he can act upon it himself and explain it
in disputes and issue fatwas to those who consult
him. Whoever is not qualified to do that has to ask
trustworthy people who so that he may learn the rulings from
their books and act upon that, without limiting his asking
or his reading to one of the scholars of the four
madhhabs. Rather people refer to the four imams because they are
so well known and their books are well written and
widely available.
Whoever says that it is obligatory for the learned
people to follow the scholars blindly in all cases is making
a mistake and being inflexible, and is thinking that
these learned people are inadequate, and he is
restricting something that is broad in scope.
Whoever says that we should limit following to the
four madhhabs is also mistaken, because he is
restricting something that is broad in scope with no evidence
for doing so. With regard to the common (i.e.,
uneducated) man there is no difference between the four imams
and others such as al-Layth ibn Sa'd, al-Awzaa'i and
other fuqaha'. Fataawa al-Lajnah, 5/41
It says in Fatwa no. 1591:
None of them called people to follow his madhhab,
or was partisan in following it, or obliged anyone else to
act in accordance with it or with a specific madhhab.
Rather they used to call people to follow the Qur'aan and
Sunnah, and they would comment on the texts of Islam, and
explain its basic principles and discuss minor issues according
to general guidelines, and issue fatwas concerning
what people asked about, without obliging any of their
students or anyone else to follow their views. Rather they
criticized those who did that and said that their opinions should
be cast aside if they went against a saheeh hadeeth. One
of them said: "If the hadeeth is saheeh then that is
my madhhab." May Allaah have mercy on them all.
It is not obligatory for anyone to follow a
particular madhhab, rather we should strive to learn the truth
if possible, or to seek the help of Allaah in doing so, then
to rely on the legacy that the earlier Muslim scholars
left behind for those who came after them, thus making
it easier for them to understand and apply the texts.
Whoever cannot derive rulings from the texts etc for some
reason that prevents him from doing so should ask
trustworthy scholars for whatever rulings of sharee'ah he
needs, because Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"So ask the people of the Reminder [Scriptures —
the Tawraat (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel)] if you do not
know" [al-Anbiya' 21:7]
So he has to strive to ask one whom he trusts among
those who are well known for their knowledge, virtue,
piety and righteousness. Fataawa al-Lajnah
al-Daa'imah, 5/56
The madhhab of Abu Haneefah (may Allaah have
mercy on him) is the most widespread madhhab among
the Muslims, and perhaps one of the reasons for that is
that the Ottoman caliphs followed this madhhab and they
ruled the Muslim lands for more than six centuries. That
does not mean that the madhhab of Abu Haneefah is the
most sound madhhab or that every ijtihaad in it is correct,
rather like other madhhabs it contains some things that
are correct and some that are incorrect. What the
believer must do is to follow the truth and what is
correct, regardless of who says it.
And Allaah knows best.
Islam Q&A (www.islam-qa.com)
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32670: Mixing of male and female students for a
project required for graduation
Question:
I am in the college of engineering and there is a
project we must do in order to graduate next year, in sha
Allaah. As the number of girls is so little, especially girls
who work hard, and I am the top student in my year, praise
be to Allaah, is it permissible for me to work with boys,
or should I take the risk of working with girls whose level
is lower than mine and having to do all the work
myself? May Allaah reward you with good.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Mixed education brings a lot of bad consequences
and many dangers. Hence a number of scholars have
issued fatwas stating that it is haraam. We have stated
that previously in the answers to questions no.
23407, 31210, 23393.
Undoubtedly working with men on the graduation
project will involve more than just being with them in
the classroom, because it will require a lot of mixing,
meeting, contact and consultation. Hence the ruling on that is
more strict. What you have mentioned is not an excuse to
allow this work. The interest of protecting religious
commitment takes precedence over all other interests.
So fear Allaah and seek His help and the means
of steadfastness. Beware of mixing with men, and trust
that Allaah is with the pious, the believers and those who
do good, as He has told us.
For the rest of your studies, observe hijab, avoid
men, persist in lowering your gaze and avoid adornment.
We ask Allaah to make you strong and to guide you
to that which He loves and which pleases Him.
And Allaah knows best.
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26298: Women meeting for halaqahs and study circles
Question:
I am asking weather it right for women to have
halaqas or study circles excusively for sisters in the mosque or
at a home.I heard it is not right for sisters to have their
own gatherings but rather to learn from the ulama
whenever there is an opportunity.
Would you please clarify this and give me a
detailed answer, as, if it is wrong I would not like to participate
in them. And how would I explain to sisters who think it
is better for them to spend the time learning rather
than waisting time or going to the malls.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There is no reason why women should not have
study circles that are exclusively for them, whether that is
in the mosque or in one of their houses. Rather this
is something that is prescribed in Islam. The women
asked the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) to give them a special session separate from the
men, and he responded to their request.
Al-Bukhaari (7310) and Muslim (2634) narrated from
Abu Sa'eed that a woman came to the Messenger of
Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and said:
"O Messenger of Allaah, the men have taken all your
time; give us a day when we can come to you and you
can teach us what Allaah has taught you." He said,
"Gather together on such and such a day in such and such a
place (according to a report narrated by Ahmad (7310),
your appointment is in the house of So and so)." So
they gathered and the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) came to them and taught
them what Allaah had taught him. Then he said, "There is
no woman among you whose three children die (before
her) but they will be a shield for her from the Fire." A
woman asked, "O Messenger of Allaah, what about two?"
and she repeated it twice. He said, "And two, and two,
and two."
Undoubtedly if a woman spends her time seeking knowledge that is better for her than wasting her time
in going to the mall etc, but her intention should not be
to fill her time so that she will not go to the mall; rather
her intention should be to worship Allaah and draw closer
to Him by seeking knowledge; to dispel her ignorance
so that she can worship Allaah with proper
understanding; and to teach other sisters in faith; and to raise a
generation that is educated in the basic issues of Islam and its
great teachings.
May Allaah bless us with beneficial knowledge
and righteous deeds.
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22652: Our attitude towards differences among
the scholars
Question:
If there is some issue and there is more than one
shar'i fatwa concerning it, and a fatwa that says it is
halaal (permissible) and a fatwa that says it is
haraam (forbidden), and a fatwa that is in between, then
which should the Muslim choose, especially with regard
to modern issues in which qiyaas (analogy) and
ijtihaad (studying an issue within the framework of the
Qur'aan and Sunnah) may play a part, and concerning which
there is no shar'i text, such as bank interest, or what we
call investments or returns on investment, or any other
new names that are given to it?
What do you say about people who say that this is
the fatwa of a scholar, and that he is responsible for it,
and that it is hung around his neck?
What is your view on one who follows the
dispensations granted by the scholars or the easier options that
they grant? They say that these are the people of
knowledge and these are their fatwas, and they know better than
we do about that? But their fatwa may go against the
fatwas of other shaykhs and scholars in the same country or
in other countries, so which of them should we follow?
How can we know what is right and what is not? Please
note that most people do not have sufficient knowledge
to decide whether the fatwa issued by a scholar or
mufti differs from those issued by other scholars.
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah. Before answering this
important question, we must first describe the conditions that
must be met by the mufti so that he may be regarded as one
of the people of knowledge whose words count and if
he expresses a different view we may then say that there
is indeed a difference of opinion among the scholars.
There are many such conditions, which ultimately boil down
to two:
1 _ Knowledge, because the mufti will be telling
people about the rulings of Allaah, and he cannot speak of
the rulings of Allaah if he is ignorant of them.
2 _ Soundness of character, i.e., he is righteous in all
his affairs, he fears Allaah and he keeps away from
anything that may undermine his credibility. The scholars are
agreed that a fatwa cannot be accepted from one who is
immoral, even if he is knowledgeable. This was clearly stated
by al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi.
Whoever meets these two conditions is a scholar
whose words may be accepted, but whoever does not meet
these conditions is not one of the people of knowledge
whose words may be accepted. The words of one who is
known to be ignorant or who is known not to be of good
character cannot be accepted.
Al-Khilaaf bayna al-`Ulama' Asbaabuhu wa
Mawqifuna minhu, by Shaykh Ibn `Uthaymeen, p. 23
What is the Muslim's attitude towards the differences
of the scholars described above?
If the Muslim has enough knowledge to enable him
to compare the views of the scholars based on the
evidence and to decide which is more likely to be correct, and
he can tell what is more correct and more likely to be
correct, then he must do that, because Allaah has commanded
us to refer disputed matters to the Qur'aan and Sunnah,
as He says (interpretation of the meaning):
"(And) if you differ in anything amongst yourselves,
refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in
Allaah and in the Last Day. That is better and more suitable
for final determination"
[al-Nisa' 4:59]
So he should refer the disputed matter to the Qur'aan
and Sunnah, and whatever appears to him to be more
correct, based on the evidence, is what he should follow,
because what is obligatory is to follow the evidence, and he
may refer to the words of the scholars to help him
understand the evidence.
But if the Muslim does not have sufficient knowledge
to enable him to decide which of the scholarly opinions
is more likely to be correct, then he should ask the
people of knowledge whose knowledge and religious commitment he trusts and then follow the advice or
fatwas they give. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):
"So ask the people of the Reminder if you do not know"
[al-Anbiya' 21:43]
The scholars have stated that the madhhab of the
common man is the madhhab of his mufti.
If their opinions differ, then he should follow the one
who is most trustworthy and most knowledgeable. This is
like when a person falls sick _ may Allaah give us all
good health _ and he looks for the most trustworthy
and knowledgeable doctor so that he can go to him,
because he is most likely to give him the right treatment
than anyone else. It is more important to be on the safe side
in religious matters than in worldly ones.
It is not permissible for the Muslim to follow
whatever scholarly opinion suits his desires if it goes against
the evidence, or to seek fatwas from those who he thinks
are going to be lenient in their fatwas.
Rather he has to be on the safe side when it comes to
his religion, and ask the scholars who have the
most knowledge and are most fearing of Allaah.
Al-Khilaaf bayna al-`Ulama' by Shaykh Ibn
`Uthaymeen, 26; Liqa' Munawwa' ma'a Shaykh Saalih
al-Fawzaan, p. 25, 26
Is it befitting for a wise man to take precautions for
his physical health and go to the most skilled doctors
no matter how far away they are, and spend a great deal
of money on that, then take the matter of his religion
lightly and not to care about it unless it coincides with his
whims and desires, and to take the easiest fatwa even if it
is contrary to the truth? Indeed, there are even people
who _ Allaah forbid _ ask a scholar a question, and if his
fatwa does not suit their whims and desires, they will
ask another, and another, until they find a person who
will give them the fatwa they want!
There is no scholar who does not have some issues
in which he strove to make a decision on the basis of
ijtihaad but failed to reach the right answer, but he is excused
for that and he will have a reward for his ijtihaad, as
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
"If a judge passes a ruling to the best of his ability
and knowledge and gets it right, he will have two rewards.
If he passes a ruling to the best of his ability and
knowledge but gets it wrong, he will have one reward."
(al-Bukhaari, 7352; Muslim, 1716).
It is not permissible for the Muslim to follow the
errors and mistakes of the scholars, for that combines all
kinds of evil. Hence the scholars said: whoever follows
that concerning which the scholars differed, and takes
the easiest of their fatwas, becomes a heretic, or close
enough. Ighaathat al-Lahfaan, 1/228. Heresy means hypocrisy.
We ask Allaah to give us understanding and to help us
to acquire beneficial knowledge and to do righteous deeds.
With regard to what you mention about bank profits,
this has already been answered. Please see Questions no.
181 and 12823.
And Allaah knows best. May Allaah bless our
Prophet Muhammad and grant him peace.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
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22242: He is asking about the length of Nuh's ship
Question:
What was the length of the ship of Nuh (peace be
upon him), and how many levels were there in it, and what
was the material of which it was made?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh al-Shanqeeti said in his commentary on the
name of the dog belonging to the people of the Cave:
With regard to what the mufassireen said about
the opinions on the name of their dog _ some saying that
his name was Qitmeer, others saying that his name
was Hamraan, etc _ we will not discuss this matter at
length because there is no benefit in it.
In the Qur'aan there are many things which neither
Allaah nor His Messenger have explained to us, and there
is proven report to clarify them and nothing to be
gained thereby.
Many of the mufassireen discussed in details the
opinions on these matters, without knowledge and with no
purpose. We always turn away from such discussions _ such as
the colour or the name of the dog belonging to the people
of the Cave, which part of the cow the slain man from
among the Children of Israel was struck with, the name of
the boy whom al-Khidr killed and Moosa objected to
his killing him, what kind of tree the wood from which
the ship of Nuh was made came from, how long and
wide the ship was, how many levels there were in it, and
other issues in which there is nothing to be gained by
discussing them and there is no evidence to be studied.
Adwaa' al-Bayaan, 4/84. (www.islam-qa.com)
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22119: The problem of the one who memorizes
Qur'aan and comments on it
Question:
Which books of Tafseer do you advise me to read?
And with regard to memorizing Qur'aan _ if a
person memorizes Qur'aan then forgets it, is there any
warning of punishment in this case? How should one retain
what one has memorized?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) was asked this question
and he replied as follows:
The sciences of the Qur'aan vary. Every mufassir
who comments on the Qur'aan focuses on one aspect of
these sciences. It is impossible for one tafseer to encompass
all aspects of the Qur'aan.
Among the scholars are those who focus on the
theoretical aspects of tafseer, like al-Zammakhshaari and others.
But I think that he should think of the meaning of the
aayah himself first _ i.e., he should think of the meaning of
the aayah _ then he should check what the scholars
said concerning it, because this will help him to be strong
in Tafseer and not dependent on others. From the time
when the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be
upon him) was sent until the present, the word of Allaah
has always been "In the plain Arabic language" (cf.
al-Shu'araa 26:195 _ interpretation of the meaning).
It is necessary to refer to the tafseer of the
Sahaabah, because they had the greatest understanding of
its meanings; then to the books of the mufassireen
among the Taabi'een. But despite that no one can ever
encompass all the meanings of the words of Allaah.
What I think is the best way is for a person to think
of what an aayah means, then to refer to the words of
the scholars. If he finds that his view is the same, that
will help him to become good in tafseer and make it easy
for him. If he finds that his view is different, then he
should follow that which is correct.
With regard to memorizing the Qur'aan, the way in
which it is memorized varies from one person to another.
Some people memorize Qur'aan aayah by aayah, i.e.,
they memorize one aayah, reading it two or three times,
then they work at it until they have memorized it, then
they memorize the following aayah, and so on until they
have completed one-eighth or one-quarter of the juz' and
so on. Other people read the whole one-eighth of a juz'
and repeat it until they have memorized it. In such matters
we cannot lay down a general rule, so we tell people,
use whatever method suits you to memorize Qur'aan.
But it is important that you should know what you
have memorized when you want to go back to it. The best
way that I have seen is that if a person memorizes
something on one day, he should read it again early the
following morning. This is a great help in remembering what
he memorized on the previous day. This is something that
I have done myself and it was a great help in
memorizing properly.
With regard to the warning against one who
forgets, Imaam Ahmad said, "How severe the warning is,"
i.e., against one who memorizes an aayah then forgets it.
What is meant here is the one who neglects it until he forgets
it. But if a person forgets it because of some natural
reason or because of duties which he got involved in, which
kept him away from revising what he mad memorized, in
this case he is not guilty of sin. "Allaah burdens not a
person beyond his scope" [al-Baqarah 2:286 _ interpretation
of the meaning].
It was reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings
of Allaah be upon him) led his companions in prayer,
and he forgot an aayah. One of his companions reminded
him of it after the prayer. He said, "Why did you not
remind me of it sooner?" But the one who is negligent
concerning that or who turns away from it is undoubtedly a loser
and deserves to be guilty of sin But the one who forgets
it because he became involved in duties which Allaah
has enjoined upon him, or who forgot it for some
natural reason, is not guilty of anything.
From Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn `Uthaymeen, Kitaab al-`Ilm, p. 136
(www.islam-qa.com)
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10195: Does feeling pleased with one's grades
contradict sincerity of intention in seeking knowledge?
Question:
I am a student and I like to get good grades and
excellent reports. But at the same time my intention is good.
What is your view on feeling pleased with good grades
and feeling upset with poor grades _ does this
undermine sincerity of intention?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
It appears, in sha' Allaah, that this does not
undermine sincerity of intention, because it is natural for a person
to feel happy about something good and be upset by something bad. Allaah has explained that things
which do not agree with man are called bad things (sayi'ah),
so that should upset him, and that the good things
(hasanah) should make him feel happy.
This does not affect your sincerity of intention if, as
you say, your intention is good. But if your concern is
only your grades or certificate, then this is another matter.
Look at `Abd-Allaah ibn `Umar ibn al-Khattaab (may
Allaah be pleased with him), when the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) posed a question to
his companions and said, "Among the trees there is one
which resembles the believer." The Sahaabah (may Allaah
be pleased with them) started guessing the names of all
kind of trees, guessing the names of desert trees. Ibn
`Umar said: "I thought that it was the date-palm, but I was
young and I did not want to speak." (narrated by
al-Bukhaari, Kitaab al-`Ilm).
`Umar (may Allaah be pleased with him) said to his
son, "I wish that you had said it." This indicates that there
is nothing wrong with a person feeling happy when he
does well and the like.
From Fataawa al- Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, Kitaab al-`Ilm, p. 133 (www.islam-qa.com)
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20163: Dealing with the lack of interest in
seeking knowledge
Question:
One may note that there is a lack of interest and
apathy towards seeking knowledge. What are the ways and
means of stirring up interest in seeking knowledge?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Lack of interest in seeking Islamic knowledge is a
major calamity. There are a number of things which we
must do, including the following:
1 _ sincerity of intention towards Allaah in
seeking knowledge. If a person is sincere towards Allaah in
his pursuit of knowledge, and knows that he will be
rewarded for his efforts and that he will be in the third level of
the ummah, then his interest will be increased.
"And whoso obey Allaah and the Messenger (Muhammad), then they will be in the company of
those on whom Allaah has bestowed His Grace, of the
Prophets, the Siddiqoon (those followers of the Prophets who
were first and foremost to believe in them, like Abu
Bakr AsSiddeeq), the martyrs, and the righteous. And
how excellent these companions are!"
[al-Nisaa' 4:69 _ interpretation of the
meaning]
2 _ keeping company with friends who will
encourage you to seek knowledge and will help you to discuss
and research, and you will not got bored of their company
so long as they help you to gain knowledge.
3 _ Being patient with yourself, by disciplining
yourself when you want to turn away. Allaah said to His
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him):
"And keep yourself (O Muhammad) patiently with
those who call on their Lord (i.e. your companions
who remember their Lord with glorification, praising
in prayers, and other righteous deeds) morning and afternoon, seeking His Face; and let not your
eyes overlook them, desiring the pomp and glitter of the
life of the world"
[al-Kahf 18:28 _ interpretation of the meaning]
So be patient, for if you are patient and get used to
seeking knowledge, that will become a characteristic of
yours. Then a day when you have no opportunity for
seeking knowledge becomes a long (i.e., boring) day. But if
you give yourself free rein in following your whims
and desires, this is wring, because the soul is inclined
towards evil, and the Shaytaan encourages people to be lazy
and not to learn.
From Fataawa al-Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-`Uthaymeen, Kitaab al-`Ilm, P. 105
(www.islam-qa.com)
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21643: Attending Graduation Ceremonies
Question:
Is participating in graduation ceremonies haraam?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
If the graduation ceremony included disobedience,
it becomes haram to attend or witness. Some of the
common disobedience that takes place in these ceremonies:
Music and the marching of the graduates to it; Uncovered
women and mixing with men; the graduation dress which is
in imitation of disbelievers (such as church dress).
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)
10296: Those who follow madhhabs and refuse to learn
Question:
What should we say to those people who
continuously follow Mazhab and who say that :"we are too weak
to follow Daleels, only scholars can follow Daleels as
they know them very well"... What should be our response
to these people who are learning the DEEN but
through Mazhab glasses...
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
The regular Muslim who cannot access the proofs (daleels) or understand them in the way that scholars
do is obliged to consult and follow the scholars. Allaah
says (interpretation of the meaning):
"So ask of those who know the Scripture, if you do
not know" [al-Nahl 16:43]
But in the case of those who can arrive at the correct
view on a matter by examining the evidence, it is
not permissible for them to follow, unless they do not
have the time to research the matter. In that case, they
come under the same ruling as a regular Muslim who does
not have enough knowledge.
- Shaykh `Abd al-Kareem al-Khudayr
There is nothing wrong with learning fiqh according
to one of the four madhhabs, on condition that one
follows the daleel (evidence) if it becomes apparent that
the madhhab says something contrary to the daleel on a
given matter, because obedience to Allaah and His
Messenger comes before obedience to anyone else. It is also
essential to have good manners towards other schools of
thought and not to develop sectarian attitudes in opposing
them. He should make the truth his aim and respect the
opinions and efforts (ijtihaad) of the scholars. He should
make discussing matters with them in a polite manner
his method of reaching the truth, and he should advise
people in a polite way if he thinks that they are mistaken.
It is wrong for a person who is able to learn to refuse
to do so on the grounds that only the scholars are able
to understand the daleel. We do not say to one who is
unable to engage in ijtihaad that he has to strive to derive
rulings from the texts when he does not have the ability to
do that and does not understand the principles;
otherwise chaos would reign. But we do say that if you have
some knowledge and understanding, you should at least
know what the proof and daleel of your imaam (whom you
are following) is, so that you can see the connection with
the Qur'aan and Sunnah, and you can follow with
some measure of insight and not be merely a bind follower.
And Allaah is the Source of strength and the Guide to
the Straight Path.
Islam Q&A
Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid (www.islam-qa.com)
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10215: Is it bid'ah for daa'iyahs and seekers of
knowledge to get together on Friday nights to get to know one
another and to study together?
Question:
The daa'iyahs in this area have agreed to get together
one night every week, to listen to lectures, get to know
one another, hold seminars, study and do da'wah. They
chose Friday nights for these gatherings, so that everyone,
near and far, can come together and each one can bring
enough food for himself for this evening. Is this bid'ah as
in singling out Friday nights for an act of worship as
this scholar said, or not? All they are intending is that
Friday night should be a time for gathering together only, not
for worship. For my own part, I am taking a defensive
stance on behalf of these daa'iyahs. I think that this
gathering and their getting to know one another is something
which is important and is a means of creating harmony
among them and promoting the da'wah. What is the correct
view concerning this matter?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
There is nothing wrong with the daa'iyahs gathering
on Friday nights each week to listen to lectures, get to
know one another and study. This does not mean that they
are singling out Friday nights for worship.
From Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 13/258 (www.islam-qa.com)
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10202: Memorizing Qur'aan and Sunnah
Question:
I am memorizing some of the Qur'aan, and I hope
to memorize all of it, then move on, by the help of
Allaah, to memorizing the ahaadeeth of the Messenger
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) which are
recorded in al-Saheehayn. Is this method good, or should I
work on memorizing both at the same time, memorizing
some of the Qur'aan and some of the ahaadeeth?
Answer:
Praise be to Allaah.
Both methods are sound, so choose the one which is
easier for you and which best meets your needs and the needs
of the people around you. We ask Allaah to give us and
you strength and right guidance.
From Fataawaa al-Lajnah al-Daa'imah, 12/110 (www.islam-qa.com)
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