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Strive for Knowledge: Shaykh Ibn Baz’s Call to the Seekers of Truth

Advice on Striving in the Pursuit of Islamic Knowledge and Attending Gatherings of Knowledge – Shaykh Ibn Baz

There is no doubt that circles of knowledge hold a tremendous status. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to sit with the companions, teaching them and reminding them at various times. They would gather around him, listening and learning. This was the way of the Companions — and after the passing of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), they too would hold gatherings of knowledge and teach the people. Likewise, in our time, the scholars and students of knowledge continue this noble tradition.

The benefits of these sittings are immense. The student of knowledge attends and listens attentively, while the common person also participates and benefits. The student brings his book to record the benefits, and through this, the benefit is preserved — for had he not written it down, it might have been lost. As for the common attendee, they listen and ask questions about matters that concern or trouble them, seeking guidance. All of this is from what Allah loves.

Imam Ahmad, al-Tirmidhi, and others narrated on the authority of Anas ibn Malik (رضي الله عنه) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“When you pass by the gardens of Paradise, then feast.”
They asked, “What are the gardens of Paradise?”
He replied, “The circles of remembrance.”

Additionally, in the Sahihayn, it is narrated that one day the Prophet (ﷺ) was in the masjid, and the companions were gathered around him as he was reminding them. During this gathering, three people entered. One of them came forward and joined the gathering. The second sat at the back. The third turned away and left. When the Prophet (ﷺ) had finished speaking, he said:
“Shall I inform you about these three?”
The companions replied, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.”
He (ﷺ) said:
“As for the first, he sought refuge with Allah, so Allah granted him refuge. The second felt shy, so Allah was shy towards him. As for the third, he turned away, so Allah turned away from him.”

The statement regarding the third person — that Allah turned away from him — is a severe warning. It highlights the danger of arrogantly turning away from or abandoning the gatherings of knowledge and the pursuit of understanding.

It is also reported on the authority of Mu’awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
“Whomever Allah intends good for, He grants him understanding of the religion.”
This hadith shows that one of the signs of true happiness is understanding the religion. If Allah grants a person knowledge and comprehension of the religion, it is a sign that He intends good for that individual. In contrast, a sign of a person’s loss and destruction is being deprived of this understanding — that one turns away and remains negligent of the importance of attaining knowledge and its gatherings.

The Prophet (ﷺ) also said:
“Whoever treads a path seeking knowledge, Allah makes easy for him the path to Paradise.”

Thus, seeking knowledge is one of the greatest and most important means of drawing closer to Allah, the Most High.

My sincere advice to every Muslim — male and female — is to be diligent in acquiring an understanding of the religion, to study earnestly, and to pursue knowledge by every possible means.

Summarised and Slightly Paraphrased from Shaykh Ibn Baz’s “Advice on Striving in the Pursuit of Islamic Knowledge and Attending Gatherings of Knowledge.

Reminded about the origin of one’s love for Iman

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Most High, said:

وَاعْلَمُوا أَنَّ فِيكُمْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لَوْ يُطِيعُكُمْ فِي كَثِيرٍ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ لَعَنِتُّمْ وَلَكِنَّ اللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْأِيمَانَ وَزَيَّنَهُ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ الْكُفْرَ وَالْفُسُوقَ وَالْعِصْيَانَ أُولَئِكَ هُمُ الرَّاشِدُونَ فَضْلاً مِنَ اللَّهِ وَنِعْمَةً وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ

And know that, among you there is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you (i.e. follow your opinions and desires) in much of the matter, you would surely be in trouble, but Allah has endeared the Faith to you and has beautified it in your hearts, and has made disbelief, wickedness and disobedience (to Allah and His Messenger) hateful to you. These! They are the rightly guided ones, (This is) a Grace from Allah and His Favour. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise. [Al-Hujurat. 7-8]

Your love for Iman, desire for it and its beautification in your hearts is not from yourselves; rather it is Allah who placed it in your hearts. He is the one who made it preferable and pleasing to you, thus, do not put yourself before Allah’s Messenger. Neither speak until he speaks nor act until he commands you. The one [Allah] who made you love Iman is the most knowledgeable concerning what is of benefit for His slaves than yourselves. And had it not been the Tawfeeq of Allah upon you, your souls would not have yielded to Iman. Iman would not have been (acquired) through your consultation and bestowed from yourselves, nor would you have given it precedence because your souls are unable, weak and cannot reach it.

An Excerpt from Madarij As-Salikin 1/414-415

One of the great services of the scholars of Islam

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Al-Allamah  Muhammad Amaan Al-Jami, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

The call to Islam encompasses a variety of domains and procedures. One of its procedures is the establishment of gatherings and conferences where individuals with sound Islamic perspectives and Muslim jurists convene to address contemporary issues. They counter the misconceptions that are disseminated against Islam and the authentic beliefs of Muslims. Furthermore, they elucidate the principles of the Islamic faith across all aspects of life that necessitate explanation—of which there are many—ensuring that individuals possess clarity in both their religious and worldly matters. This endeavour is grounded in the teachings of the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah, guiding people from the shadows of misguidance into the light of true guidance. There exists no alternative route to escape the darkness of ignorance and (unlawful) pre-Islamic customs except through the comprehension derived from the Book and the Sunnah. This duty has been upheld by the Messengers, from Nuh to Muhammad, peace be upon them. Allah, the Most High, stated:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّبِىُّ إِنَّآ أَرۡسَلۡنَـٰكَ شَـٰهِدً۬ا وَمُبَشِّرً۬ا وَنَذِيرً۬ا
وَدَاعِيًا إِلَى ٱللَّهِ بِإِذۡنِهِۦ وَسِرَاجً۬ا مُّنِيرً۬ا
وَبَشِّرِ ٱلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ بِأَنَّ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ فَضۡلاً۬ كَبِيرً۬ا

O Prophet (Muhammad)! Verily, We have sent you as witness, and a bearer of glad tidings, and a warner; And as one who invites to Allah [Islamic Monotheism, i.e. to worship none but Allah (Alone)] by His Leave, and as a lamp spreading light (through your instructions from the Qur’an and the Sunnah the legal ways of the Prophet). And announce to the believers (in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger Muhammad) the glad tidings, that they will have from Allah a Great Bounty. [33:45-47]

In these three verses, there is a clarification of the job of the noble Messenger Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and his followers- and that is to call to the path of Allah by the Permission and command of Allah, upon clear sightedness and sure knowledge.

Allah [The Most High] said: [ قُلۡ هَـٰذِهِۦ سَبِيلِىٓ أَدۡعُوٓاْ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ‌ۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا۟ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِى‌ۖ – Say (O Muhammad): “This is my way; I invite unto Allah (i.e. to the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge, I and whosoever follows me (also must invite others to Allah i.e. to the Oneness of Allah – Islamic Monotheism) with sure knowledge”]. [12:108]

An excerpt from Nidham Al-Usrah Fil Islam  8-9

Islamic Awakening

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, said:

All the praises and thanks be to Allah- the Lord of the worlds- and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family and companions. To proceed: The Islamic Awakening did not originate in recent times; rather, it traces back to the moment Allah sent His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with the message of Islam, and people entered it in crowds and groups. All praise be to Allah, good has persisted within the Ummah, as the Prophet stated, “There will always be a group among my Ummah that (remains) steadfast in the truth. They will not be harmed by those who abandon them or oppose them until Allah’s command uis established (i.e. the Day of Judgement). Despite the ongoing struggle between truth and falsehood, there have consistently been advocates for the truth and their supporters, adhering to the correct methodology. Throughout history, the Ummah has never been entirely dormant or misled to the extent that a faction could claim a distinct identity, such as “Islamic Awakening,” because this would imply that the entire Islamic World was misguided prior to their emergence. This contradicts the Prophet’s statement that “There will always be a group among my Ummah that remains manifest in the truth,” as well as his statement “My Ummah will never unite upon misguidance.”

Indeed, this (revival) is praiseworthy and safe from criticism when it is based on the methodology of the righteous callers and the pious predecessors, grounded in the Book of Allah, the Sunnah, and the path of the pious predecessors of this Ummah – free from associations that contradict the methodology of the pious predecessors. The primary objective should be to gain knowledge of the truth in order to act upon it and promote it, as well as to recognize falsehood to avoid it and caution others against it. This endeavor should not be motivated by a desire for leadership, dominance, insurrection against the main body of Muslims united behind a ruler, or disobedience to Muslim rulers. Such an approach does not align with the correct methodology of Dawah or that of the pious predecessors; instead, it is the methodology of the Khawaarij and the Mutazilah, groups that have strayed from the teachings of the Qur’an, the Sunnah, and the path of the early Muslims. These groups have been a source of shame in Islamic history and a detriment to the Ummah. We beseech Allah to guide the misguided Muslims towards the right path. [An Excerpt from “Al-Bayaan Li-akhtaa’i Badil Kuttaab pages: 29-30. Slightly paraphrased]

Visit:

https://www.kharijites.com/kj/

http://www.mutazilah.com/authors/Abu.Iyaad.cfm

A basic principle regarding worship

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Shaikh Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Indeed, there has been much confusion in this subject matter, just as it is the case in the subject matter of halal and haram. A group of people make permissible some of the things that Allah has declared impermissible and others declare impermissible some of those things that Allah has made permissible. Likewise, some people innovate acts of worship that are not legislated by Allah, rather Allah, The Most High, prohibited them. The foundation of the religion of Islam is that the permissible things are those that Allah and His Messenger have made permissible, and the impermissible things are those that Allah and His Messenger have made impermissible. It is not allowed for anyone to leave the straight path that Allah sent His Messenger with.  Allah, The Most High, said:

وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَٲطِى مُسۡتَقِيمً۬ا فَٱتَّبِعُوهُ‌ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلسُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمۡ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ‌ۚ ذَٲلِكُمۡ وَصَّٮٰكُم بِهِۦ لَعَلَّڪُمۡ تَتَّقُونَ

And verily, this is my Straight Path, so follow it, and follow not (other) paths, for they will separate you away from His Path. This He has ordained for you that you may become pious]. [Al-An’am 153]

Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, drew a line for us and said: “This is Allah’s Straight Path”. Then he drew lines to its right and left and then said: “These are other paths. Upon every one of them there is a devil calling towards it”. Then he recited: 

وَأَنَّ هَـٰذَا صِرَٲطِى مُسۡتَقِيمً۬ا فَٱتَّبِعُوهُ‌ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُواْ ٱلسُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمۡ عَن سَبِيلِهِۦ‌

Indeed, this is My Straight Path, so follow it. And do not follow other paths; they will separate you from His Path. [Al-Musnad 4437]

Indeed, Allah mentioned – in Surah Al-An’aam, Surah Al-A’raaf and other them – those deeds due to which the idol worshipers were rebuked when they declared impermissible the things that Allah did not declare impermissible, such as the Baahirah [i.e. a she-camel whose milk was spared for the idols and nobody was allowed to milk it] and the Sa’ibah [i.e. a she-camel let loose for free pasture for their false gods, e.g. idols, etc., and nothing was allowed to be carried on it]. They declared permissible those things that Allah declared impermissible, such as the killing of their children, and they instituted a religion that Allah did not allow. Allah, The Most High, said:

أَمۡ لَهُمۡ شُرَڪَـٰٓؤُاْ شَرَعُواْ لَهُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا لَمۡ يَأۡذَنۢ بِهِ ٱللَّهُ‌ۚ

Or have they partners with Allah (false gods), who have instituted for them a religion which Allah has not allowed.” [42:21]

There were impermissible deeds they established as acts of worship, such as shirk, and lewd behaviour, such as Tawaf around the Kabah, whilst naked.

The acts of worship through which a person seeks to get close to Allah are those that are beloved and pleasing to Allah and His Messenger- whether obligatory or recommended – as reported in Sahih [Al-Bukhari] that Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: Allah, The Blessed and Exalted, said: “The most beloved things which My slave comes nearer to Me, is what I have enjoined upon him; and My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawaafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, then I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks; and if he asks Me, I will give him, and if he asks My Protection (Refuge), I will protect him”.[a]

It is well known regarding the prayer that it can either be obligatory, such as the five daily prayers, or optional such as the Qiyaamul Layl [i.e. Tahajjud prayer].

Also regarding fasting, it can either be obligatory, such as fasting in the month of Ramadan, or it can be optional such as fasting three days every month. Also travelling to the Masjid Al-Haram [i.e. The kabah] is obligatory and travelling to the other two Masajid- Masjid of the Prophet and Masjid Al-Aqsaa- is recommended. Also, charity can be an obligation, or a recommendation such as the surplus beyond (what is) needed, as Allah [The Most High] said:

وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ مَاذَا يُنفِقُونَ قُلِ الْعَفْوَ

And they ask you what they ought to spend. Say: That which is beyond (what they need).

It has been reported in an authentic Hadih that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: “O son of Adam! It is better for you if you spend (your) surplus (wealth), but if you withhold it, it is evil for you. And there is no blame (on you) if you withhold the surplus in accordance with a need, in order to spend on yourself and poor relatives. The upper hand (i.e. the one who spends) is better than the lower hand (i.e. the one who asks without a need as opposed to the self-sufficient one); and begin (charity) with your dependents”. [b]

Source: An Excerpt from ‘Al-Ibaadaat Ash-Shar’iyyah Wal-Farqu Baynahaa Wa Baynal Bid’ah page: 7-9


[a]: Regarding the statement: “And My slave keeps on coming closer to Me through performing Nawaafil (praying or doing extra deeds besides what is obligatory) till I love him, then I become his sense of hearing with which he hears, and his sense of sight with which he sees, and his hand with which he grips, and his leg with which he walks…”

This statement is understood to mean that when a person becomes a Wali (close friend) of Allah, The Mighty and Majestic, when the command of Allah is mentioned with regards to what Allah loves or hates, he protects his hearing from what Allah hates and lends an ear to what Allah loves. He does the same with regards to what he looks at, what he grips with his hand and where he walks to; or Allah guides him, thus he only looks at what Allah loves, listens to what Allah loves and walks towards what Allah loves. [Sharh Arba’een by Imaam Muhammad Bin Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen.. Pages 376-381 and Sharh Arba’een by Shaikh Salih Aala Shaikh pages 256-258] [Also see, Jaami’ul Ulum Wal-Hikam by Imaam Ibn Rajab pages 619-641 Daar Ibn Rajab 2002].

[b] Sahih Muslim Hadeeth No 1036 as well as ‘Sharh Saheeh Muslim Vol 7-8 pages 111-113]

Ahlus Sunnah Command with Noble Manners and Forbid Lowly Manners – Al-Allāmah ‘Ubayd Al-Jābirī

Al-Allāmah ‘Ubayd Al-Jābirī (rahimahullāh) in his explanation of Al-Aqīdatu Al-Wāsatiyyah said,

“Ahlus Sunnah command with noble manners and forbid lowly manners.”

What are examples of noble manners?

“Noble lofty manners such as truthfulness, justice and humility.”

What are examples of reprehensible manners?

“Reprehensible blameworthy manners such as lying, cursing, reviling, defamation and false accusations.”

Al-Allāmah ‘Ubayd Al-Jābirī (rahimahullāh) then quoted these two hadith:

Reported by Anas (Allah be pleased with him) that he said, The Prophet (ﷺ) was not one who would abuse (others) or say obscene words, or curse (others), and if he wanted to admonish one of us, he used to say: “What is wrong with him, his forehead be dusted!” (1)

On the authority of Ā’isha that, “The Prophet was not indecent, nor obscene, nor would he shout in the markets. He would not repay an evil deed with an evil deed, rather he would pardon and overlook.” (2)


Al-Qutūf al-Janīyatu fī Sharh al-Aqīdati al-Wāsatiyya pgs. 405-406

(1) Bukhari 6031
(2) Tirmidhi 2016 – Authenticated by Al-Albāni

 

‘Whoever hates (the evils) of his Soul for the Sake of Allāh is Saved from being Hated by Allāh”

“The (evil) of the soul is deserving of being hated for the sake of Allāh, and whoever hates (the evil) of his soul for the sake of Allāh, it is hoped that he will be saved from being hated by Allāh, just as Imām Fudayl Ibn Iyādh said, ‘Whoever hates (the evils) of his soul for the Sake of Allāh is saved from being hated by Allāh”. (1)


Footnote:

Allāh has clarified in His magnificent Book the ruling regarding Shirk and the ruling on what is lesser (in severity) than it. He has made it known that Shirk is unforgivable, while He forgives lesser than (sins) than it to whom He wills. Thus it is known through this that all sins lesser than Shirk are all under Allāh’s will, including acts such as unlawful killing, usury, disobedience to parents, false testimony, and the consumption of alcohol, among others. Additionally, sins such as gambling and severing family ties, along with all other transgressions, are also subject to His will (if He wills He will punish the doer before entry into paradise)

إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَغۡفِرُ أَن يُشۡرَكَ بِهِۦ وَيَغۡفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَٲلِكَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ‌ۚ

Verily, Allāh forgives not that partners should be set up with him in worship, but He forgives except that (anything else) to whom He pleases]. [Surah An-Nisā’ Āyah 48]


[1] An Excerpt From Adabun Nufoos. Page 1-3]

عقيدة أهل السنة والجماعة في أصحاب الكبائر – موقع الشيخ ابن باز (binbaz.org.sa)

Innovators Hide behind Great Imams of Sunnah to Spread their Innovations – Shaykh Rabee


This behaviour is one of the behaviours of the people of innovation and discord, it is inevitable that they (attempt to) hide behind a prominent figure. The Qadariyyah hid behind Al-Hasan Al-Basri (rahimahullah) and wrote, spread and composed treatises falsely and deceitfully attributing the deviant belief regarding Al-Qadr to Al-Hasan, although he was not one of them and perhaps they still claim that Al-Hasan Al-Basri was one of them – may Allah disfigure them and absolve him of them.

The Khawarij were hiding behind another great figure, Abu Al-Sha’tha Jabir bin Zaid, one of the elder students of Ibn Abbas behind whom the Khawarij hid.

These are the tricks of the people of innovation in religious matters, because their innovations do not spread if they do not hide behind the Imams of Islam, and you see that the Ash’aris attach themselves to the Imams, meaning: a man from the Ash’aris may have a Maliki school of thought [in the subsidiary matters], but he attributes his Ashari Aqeedah to Malik and his Sufism he attributes to Malik, and likewise the Maturidis claim to be affiliated with Abu Hanifah and they are Maturidis, and their school of thought is derived from the school of thought of Jahm ibn Safwan, and all the people of deviant paths hide behind the Imams of Islam, the Zaidis hide behind Zaid, the Rafidis hide behind Ja’far al-Sadiq and Ahl al-Bayt, because their rejected creeds do not spread except through tricks and hiding behind the Imams. This is what many people do. The Qutubiyyah hav not spread except due to hiding behind Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn al-Qayyim, Ibn Baz, al-Albani, Ibn Uthaymeen, and other respected figures who are accepted by the people of sunnah worldwide. They say: We are students of Ibn Baz, we follow the methodology of the Salaf, and we are from the students of al-Albani, we are students of Ibn Uthaymeen. They deceive people that these imams are with them. Their tricks/deceit fool many young people who love knowledge, love scholars, love Islam, and love the truth. However, the tricks of these people deceive many people, and they fall into their traps.


Adh-Dharee’ah vol.1 pg. 101-102

Allah Exposes Those Who Feign Adherence to the Truth – Shaykh Abdus Salaam Burjis

Today there are many who ascribe to the Sunnah and adorn themselves with the clothing of the people of Sunnah, so much so that it is not possible (for many) to distinguish between the true people of Sunnah and other than them in an easy manner, and those who wear the garbs of Sunnah and pretend to adhere to the Sunnah do not do so except in order to destroy the unity of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jamaa’ah, attempting to split their ranks, and pitting them against one another. All of this in order to raise the banner of innovation and so that it’s armies prevail, however:

يَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِين

they were plotting and Allah too was planning, and Allah is the Best of the planners. (Al-Anfaal: 30)

Therefore, no matter how much someone infiltrates or hides among the People of Sunnah and no matter how deceptively he puts on their garbs, Allah will tear his cover away and expose his affair, a person does not hide (amongst the people of Sunnah), except that Allah, Glory be to Him, the Most High, brings his hidden affair out through slips of the tongue and expressions of the face.


Al-Rad Al-’Ilmi ‘ala Munkari at-Tasnif pg.22

Knowledge Should Increase a Person in Humility – Shaykh Al-Uthaymeen (rahimahullah)

Shaykh Uthaymeen in explanation of verse 54 of Suratul Maa’idah explains the affair of humility.

This verse comprises of praise for the one who is humble to the believers, he lowers his wings to them – i.e. he is compassionate and is humble for indeed these are characteristics which Allah (the Mighty and Majestic) loves. In opposition to whoever looks down upon his believing brothers then this is not praiseworthy in the sight of Allah, or with the creation. Due to this you should know that every time your eemaan increases you (should) increase in humility, and every time your knowledge increases it (should) increase you in humility, some people – We ask Allah not to make us from them – when his knowledge increases he puffs up with pride and becomes arrogant and he does not speak with the people except with disdain, and when the people speak to him he ignores them, and says “what did you say?” whilst he knows, he heard all of their speech but out of arrogance ignores them, and there is no doubt that this is a grave shortcoming, because every time your knowledge increases it’s a must that your humility increases.


Tafseer Suratul Ma’idah verse 54 of Shaykh Al-Uthaymeen (Allah have Mercy upon him)