In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
It is necessary (or crucial) that the seekers of Hadeeth should have the most perfect [behaviour, manners, etiquettes etc] amongst the people, be the most humble amongst the people, the greatest in their impartiality and adherence to the religion, the least in (deviating from good conduct) and (being overcome with) anger, because they constantly listen to the narrations that gathers the excellent manners and etiquettes of Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him], the lives of the virtuous pious predecessors, the path of the scholars of Hadeeth and the virtues of the (pious ones and scholars) who have passed away; so they adhere to the purest and excellent (aspects of those traits, etiquettes, manners etc) and turn away from the most despised and lowly [(raits, behaviour, manners, etiquettes etc). [Source: An Excerpt from ‘Jaami Bayaan Al-Ilm 1/78. By Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadi (rahimahullaah). Slightly paraphrased]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [rahimahullah] said:
When it is the case that the [true] followers of the Prophets are people of knowledge and justice, then the speech of the people of Islaam and the Sunnah about the disbelievers and people of bidah is to be [carried out] with knowledge and justice, and not [based on] conjecture and the soul’s desire. And due to this, the Prophet [sallal-laahu-alayhi wasallam] said, “Judges are three types; one will go to Paradise and two to Hell. A man who knows the truth and judges with it will enter paradise; a man who knows the truth but judges with the opposite of it will enter the fire, and a man who judges for the people based on ignorance will enter the fire’’. [Reported by Imaam Abu Dawud and others]
And when it is the case that the one who judges between the people in [affairs] of wealth, blood [i.e. murder cases etc] and honour will enter the hell fire if he is not a just scholar, then what about the one who passes judgements without knowledge-such being the case with ahlul bidah- on religions, the fundamental principles of Imaan, affairs of knowledge related to Allaah, His Names, Attributes and Actions, and the lofty affairs of knowledge?!’’
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Al-Allaamah Ubaid Al-Jaabiri [may Allaah preserve him] said: When they [i.e. Ahlus Sunnah] speak against anyone amongst the people, it is not due to his lineage, tallness, shortness or specific traits etc. This does not hold any value in their view. They speak against a Mukhaalif [i.e. the one in opposition to the truth] due to the corruptness of his methodology. They speak against the [deviated] groups and individuals who are in opposition- not because of their personalities; rather due to their deviation from guidance, the true religion, the path of the believers [i.e. the Sahaabah] and the [authentic] Sunnah of the leader of the Messengers [i.e. Muhammad (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam)]
[Source: An Excerpt from ‘It-haaf Ulul Basar Bit-Taleeqaat Alaa Risaalah Al-Amr Bil Ma’roof Wan-Nahyi Anil Munkar’ page 17-18. Slightly paraphrased]
He asks, Noble Shaykh, may Allah bless you. It hurts us deeply, what we see of the attempts to lower the station of our virtuous scholars, and the biggest difficulty is what we see from those weak in intellect getting carried away behind the likes of these (individuals belittling the scholars) on social media platforms. So what advice (do you have) for us and the attendees on respecting and appreciating our scholars?
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestowed of Mercy
Shaikh Uthaymeen [rahimahullaah] said: If two men went past you – a mechanic who is wearing trousers and a very senior scholar [also] wearing trousers in a country where the scholars do not wear that type of clothing, then indeed you would look down on the second person [i.e. the scholar] and not the first person [i.e. the mechanic].
The Shaikh [rahimahullaah] also said: It is not befitting that dressing up smart becomes the greatest concern of a person. Dressing up smartly and wearing a Ghut’rah is based on [a person’s] desire [for it], therefore it should not be given [much] importance; but on the other hand, the affair should not be the opposite [such that you refrain] from giving importance to your [appearance] and your clothing. It has been mentioned earlier [i.e. in this Book – Sharh Hilyati Taalibil Ilm] that wearing fine clothing is something beloved to Allaah [The Mighty and Majestic]. Umar [radiyallaahu-anhu] said: “It is more beloved to me that I see a reciter wearing white clothing.” Indeed because it is elegance. [Source: Excerpt from ‘Sharh Hilyati Taalibil Ilm’ page 65. slightly paraphrased]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Imaam Fudayl Ibn Iyaad (rahimahullaah) once cried when he read the statement of Allaah [The Most High]: [أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُ ۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ-Have We not made for him (i.e. the human) a pair of eyes?][ وَلِسَانً۬ا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ -And a tongue and a pair of lips?] [Ref 1]; then he was asked the reason he cried, so he said, ”Have you spent a night really thanking Allaah (for giving) you two eyes by way of which you can see and a tongue by way of which you speak?’’ [Ref 2]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Shuraih Al-Qaadhiy [rahimahullaah] said: Indeed [when] afflicted by a calamity, I praise Allaah four times: I praise Allaah for not making the calamity greater than what it is. I praise Allaah for granting me patience. I praise Allaah for the reward I hope for in that calamity and I praise Allaah for not placing that calamity in the affairs of my religion.
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy
Imaam Ibnul Jawzi [rahimahullaah] said:
I saw that solely being preoccupied with studying Fiqh and listening to [transmission] of hadeeth is not enough to rectify the heart, except [when] combined with [the authentic narrations concerning the] softening of the hearts, and looking into the biographies of the pious predecessors. As for having knowledge of Halaal and Haraam only, it does not have a great strength in softening the heart; rather the softening of the heart is [attained] by mentioning the Ahaadeeth on the subject matter and the stories of the pious predecessors. That is because they [i.e. the pious predecessors] grasped the intent behind narrating [ahadeeth]–they demonstrated the tangible obligated actions by way of them, practical encounter with their meanings and the goals behind them. And there is nothing that will make you experience this, except after cultivation and experience.
That is because I find that the ambition of the majority of the Muhadditheen and the students of hadeeth is [focused on acquiring hadeeth that has the closest chain of transmission from the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) and gathering numerous authentic Ahaadeeth on a particular subject matter in the religion etc]. And the majority of the jurists [focus on] the science of debate and that which gives one the upper hand [i.e. what he observed during his era]; so how can the heart be softened through these affairs?
Indeed, a group of the pious predecessors aspired to see that a righteous slave should look to his character and upright guidance and not [merely] the knowledge he has acquired. That is [because] his character and upright guidance are the fruits of his knowledge. So understand this! The student of Hadeeth and Fiqh should combine [seeking after hadeeth and fiqh] with studying the lives of the pious predecessors and the Zuhhaad, so that it can be a means to softening the heart. Indeed, books have been compiled regarding the affairs and manners of each one of those well-known outstanding men [of piety]. A book has been compiled regarding the affairs of Al-Hasan [Al-Basri], Sufyaan Ath-Thawri, Ibraaheem Bin Ad-ham, Bishr Al-Haafiy, Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Ma’roof and other than them amongst the scholars and the Zuhhaad.
[An Excerpt from ‘Saydul khaatir’ Page 171. Daar Ibn Rajab. 1st edition 2003. Slightly paraphrased]
“How do we combine between the spread of knowledge and the spread of Islam everywhere and the saying of the prophet, peace be upon him, that every time will be worse than the one preceding it.”
The Answer in the video by Shaykh Fawzaan
“Knowledge will spread in all ages and reach the East and the West. Today, you see that knowledge used to spread through Jihad in the path of Allah and the call to Allah. Now, we have the media, so the Qur’an is recited with loud and clear. It is recited in the loudest voice in the East and West. The Athaan (call to prayer) is heard in the East and West. This is from the mercy of Allah and from the establishment of proof against the servants so they can not say, Islam did not reach us or nothing reached us.”
