Abu Taalib Deobandi, abu mohammed, sweetmuslimahk1, Taqwah, Naqshband66, mujaddid313, Acacia, Taalibah, AishaZaynap, Maria al-Qibtiyya, the fake shaykh, queenie, Jinn, Abdullah1 1 guest appreciates this topic.
Ar-Rabi' Ibn Sulayman al-Muradi رحمه الله, a student of Imam ash-Shafi'ee رحمه الله said: "I heard Imam ash-Shafi'ee رحمه الله saying: 'Seeking knowledge is superior to optional salah.'"
"Do not refute the superiority of knowledge because Imam Malik رحمه الله and Imam Abu Hanifa رحمه الله are of the opinion that occupying oneself with knowledge is better than occupying oneself with optional prayers. There are two narrations from Imam Ahmad رحمه الله with regard to this: (1) That knowledge is superior. (2) That Jihad is superior. As mentioned by Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله in Minhaj as-Sunnah."
Imam Ahmad رحمه الله Leaves His Optional Prayers In Order To Engage In Discussions With Imam Abu Zur'ah رحمه الله
Imam Abu Zur'ah ar-Razi رحمه الله was one of the Imams of Hadeeth and a contemporary of Imam Ahmad رحمه الله. 'Abdullah رحمه الله, the son of Imam Ahmad رحمه الله, narrates:
"When Abu Zur'ah came to Baghdad, he stayed with my father. He used to engage in a lot of discussions with my father. One day, I heard my father saying: 'Today I only offered the fard salah (the compulsory prayer and no optional prayers). I gave preferance to sitting and discussing with Abu Zur'ah over my optional salah.'"
[Ibn Abi Ya'la رحمه الله: Tabaqat al-Hanabilah, vol 1, p299; Ibn al-Jawzi رحمه الله: Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad, p289]
One of the amazing things that happened to one of the Imams of the past is that he gave up optional knowledge for optional worship. Then one of his close associates saw a dream which caused the Imam to stop his optional worship and to return to the spread and propagation of knowledge.
Imam 'Abdullah Ibn Wahb al-Qurashi al-Misri رحمه الله was a great scholar of hadeeth, a jurist, an ardent worshipper and an ascetic. He was a companion of Imam Malik رحمه الله, Imam Layth رحمه الله, Imam Thawri رحمه الله, and other great scholars. He passed away in 197 A.H.
Suhnoon رحمه الله narrates: "Ibn Wahb رحمه الله divided his life into three: one third in guarding the Islamic borders, one third in teaching the people of Egypt, and one third for Hajj. It is said that he performed Hajj 36 times. His nephew said: 'I was with him in Alexandria, guarding the Islamic borders. Some people came to him asking to propagate knowledge. So he said to me: "This is a place of worship. Rarely do I get time for myself when I become busy with people." He therefore stopped sitting with the people at those times in which he had set aside to sit with them. He then turned his full attention to worship and guarding the Islamic borders."
"After two days, a person came to him and informed him that he saw himself in a huge masjid like al-Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was there, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr as-Siddeeq رضي الله عنه was sitting to his right, Sayyiduna 'Umar رضي الله عنه was sitting to his left, and you were sitting in front of Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم. There were many candles in the masjid - they were extremely beautiful and intensely bright. Suddenly one candle died down and became extinguished. The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم said to you: 'O 'Abdullah! Go and light it.' So you went and lit it. The same thing happened to another candle. You remained there for several days and you saw all the candles wanting to go off. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said: 'O Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم! Do you see these candles?' The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم replied: 'These are the deeds of 'Abdullah and he wants to extinguish them!'"
"[On hearing this] Ibn Wahb رحمه الله began crying. The man said to him: 'I had come to give you glad tidings. Had I known that it would cause you grief, I would not have come to you.' Imam Ibn Wahb رحمه الله replied: 'It is good. I have been admonished through the dream. I thought that worship was superior to spreading knowledge.' He then gave up many of his deeds for the sake of knowledge. He would sit patiently before the people, they would read to him and ask questions."
"Ibn Wahb رحمه الله said: 'I was sitting in front of Imam Malik رحمه الله, writing. The iqamah was given - and in another narration: the mu'adhdhin called out the adhaan - several books were open before him. I therefore hastened to gather and close all these books. So Imam Malik رحمه الله said to me: "Take your time. The salah for which you are rushing is not superior to what you are engaged in [knowledge] provided your intention in this regard is correct."'"
"Imam Yahya al-Laythi رحمه الله, a scholar of Spain and a student of Imam Malik رحمه الله, said: 'The person who passes away while seeking knowledge will be just one level lower than the Prophets عليهم الصلاة والسلام in Paradise.'"
"The person who does not know should not feel shy to ask until he knows. And the person who is asked about something which he does not know should not feel shy to say: 'I don't know.'"
Sayyiduna 'Abdullah Ibn 'Umar رضي الله عنهما said:
"Knowledge is of three types: the Book that is forever speaking [Qur'an], an established Sunnah, and 'I do not know.'"
[ad-Daraqutni: Ghara'ib Malik; al-Khateeb al-Baghdadi: Asma' man rawa 'an Malik; Abu Da'ud: Kitab al-Fara'id, vol 3, p164; Ibn Majah: in the introduction to his Sunan]
An 'Aalim's Saying "I Do Not Know" Raises His Rank
In his explanation to this statement, an-Munaawi رحمه الله says:
"It is learnt from this hadeeth that it is a duty of an 'alim that if he does not know the answer to a question, he should say 'I do not know.' Or, 'I am not certain.' Or, 'I have no knowledge thereof.' Or, 'Allah knows best.'
If a person is asked a question and he replies: 'I do not know,' this does not drop his rank, as some ignorant peole assume. This is because the ignorance of a qualified 'alim with regards to certain matters does not harm him. Rather, his saying 'I do not know' raises his rank because it is proof of his great status, the strength of his deen, the fear of his Sustainer, the purity of his heart, the perfection of his recognition [of Allah سبحانه و تعالى] and the goodness of his intention.
It is a person whose religiosity is weak and whose recognition [of Allah سبحانه و تعالى] is little who will scorn such a statement. This is because he fears a drop in his status in the eyes of those who are present but does not fear a drop in his status in the sight of the Sustainer of the worlds. This is an act of ignorance and weakness in deen." [1]
The statement, "I do not know" and "I have no knowledge" have thus been recorded with regard to the four A'imma رحمة الله عليهم, the four Rightly Guided Khulafaa' رضي الله عنهم, in fact, even Rasoolullah صلى الله عليه وسلم and Jibra'eel عليه السلام.
Imam Abul Hasan al-Mawardi رحمه الله says:
"Since there is no way whatsoever of encompassing all knowledge, there is no shame in not knowing some of it. Since there is no shame in not knowing some of it, you should not feel shy to say: 'I do not know,' with regard to what you do not know." [2]
"The person who remains silent when he does not know - and he does this solely for Allah - is no lesser in reward than the person who speaks. This is because admitting ignorance is more difficult on the soul."
"The person who remains silent when he does not know - and he does this solely for Allah - is no lesser in reward than the person who speaks. This is because admitting ignorance is more difficult on the soul."
[Risala al-Mustarshidin]
Abu Talib al-Makki رحمة اللہ علیه says:
"This is because the beauty of a person remaning silent for the sake of Allah out of piety is like the beauty of a person who speaks of knowledge for the sake of Allah willingly."
[Risala al-Mustarshidin; al-Ghazzali رحمة اللہ علیه: al-Ihya, vol 1, p69]
Ibn 'Abdil Barr رحمه الله narrates from someone of knowledge who said:
"Learn to say: 'I do not know', and do not learn to say, 'I know.' This is because if you say: 'I do not know,' they will teach you till you know. But if you say, 'I know,' they will continue questioning you till you have no answer."
[Ibn 'Abdil Barr رحمه الله: Bayan al-'Ilm, vol 2, p55]
Ibraheem an-Nakha'ee رحمة اللہ علیه asked a question to 'Aamir ash-Sha'bi رحمة اللہ علیه who was a great Imam and a great scholars from among the Tabi'een. So the latter replied: "I do not know."
On hearing this, Ibraheem رحمة اللہ علیه said: "I take an oath by Allah that this is a true 'Aalim - he was asked about something which he did not know and he said: 'I do not know.'"
It is said that knowledge is of two types: knowledge of the tongue and knowledge of the heart.
The knowledge of the tongue is that knowledge which the person knows and can read out to anyone but it does not have any real effect on his actions.
The knowledge that has the real effect is the knowledge of the heart, by which one fears Allah سبحانه و تعالى, loves Allah سبحانه و تعالى and puts his hope in Allah سبحانه و تعالى.
The knowledge of the tongue is a proof against the person on the Day of Judgment, while the knowledge of the heart is a proof for the person on the Day of Judgment.
[Zarabozo: Commentary on the 40 Hadith of Imam an-Nawawi رحمه الله, vol 2, p1090]
It is recorded of Sayyiduna Abu Hurayra رضي الله عنه that he would divide the night into three portions. One portion was for sleep, one for prayer and the other for studying ahadeeth.[Muhammad Ijaj al-Khateeb: Abu Hurayra: Raawiyah al-Islaam (Maktabah Wahbah, 1982), p 126]
It is reported that 'Abdullāh b. Mas'ūd - Allāh be pleased with him - said:
"The people will remain upon goodness as long as knowledge comes to them from the Companions of Allāh's Messenger - Allāh's praise and peace be upon him, and from their seniors. But when knowledge comes to them from their minors, that is when they will be destroyed."
[Ibn 'Abd Al-Barr, Jāmi' Bayān Al-'Ilm wa Fadlihi article 1060]
Note
Being upon a good and right path is based on following the knowledge of the Companions and seniors: scholars and people who adhere to the Sunnah, whereas taking knowledge from minors like ignorants and heretics is a sign of destruction.
You are here: Forum Index » Literature » VirtuesVirtues of Knowledge which is Learnt and Taught for the sake of Allah
###
Award Rep
Award reps to ... for this post
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
We apologise but you have been denied access to report posts in this thread. This could be due to excessively reporting posts and not understanding our forum rules. For assistance or information, please use the forum help thread to request more information. Jazakallah
