الحمد لله، والصلاة والسلام على من بعث رحمة للعالمين، وعلى آله وصحبه، ومن دعى بدعوته واستن بسنته إلى يوم الدين
Assalāmu Alaykum Warahmatullāh Wabarakātuh
Honoured brothers and sisters, you are welcome to this regular session of ours today.
We ask Allah ta’āla to make what we discuss today beneficial for both the presenter and the readers, and to grant us the Barakāt in it, āmīn. We have been discussing the topic: Classical Learning in Islam
We had mentioned what is meant by Classical Learning, We also discussed the importance of child education. We discussed the three phases of study under the Islamic Classical Learning Platform. Thereafter, we returned to explaining the principles upon which the Classical Learning of Islam is based
We mentioned that they were 6 in number.
Last week, we discussed: Rote Memorization, Fellowship, and the use of Classical Texts
The fourth of them is:
PIETY
It was a part of every Muslim School in our history to teach and instill deeply- rooted piety in the hearts of students as they learn. Firstly, a student would be warned against holding wrong intentions in learning and purity of intentions is so stressed in the Ahaadith that it becomes apparent that studying for ulterior motives will lead to nothing but waste in this Dunya and regret in the Ākhirah.
The Ahādith and Scholarly statements that mentioned and discuss this are more numerous than need be quoted.
Secondly, the School’s methodology is based on not doing anything that would affect or alter the student’s intentions. For that reason, students were not asked to write examinations in specific systems like are used today. Also, they are not given certificates in the end of learning. Instead, they are given the Ijaazah; licences to teach. This is done just in order not to make their intentions change to other motives such as possessing certificates or passing exams.
Thirdly, students are made to study it in the school. It is emphasized over and over the importance of piety. Piety is taught in the Madaaris to the extent that there is a science for it in itself. The Ulamā call it ‘Ilmu As-Sulūk’. For this reason, all the Classical texts that are studied in the Madāris contain portions or chapters on this science.
Stating some few examples, the text of Imām Ibn Āshir – rahimahullāh – known as Al-Murshidu Al-Mu’īn was authored on three basis: Aqīdah, Fiqh and Sulūk, otherwise: Īmān, Islām and Ihsān.
And whosoever studies the last portion of the text well will understand better the emphasis put on it. The same thing is noticed in the text of Imām Al-Akhdarī’s Muqaddimah where he spent the first portion of the text explaining the obligation of purifying the heart and concentrating on righteous deeds.
Why were the Ulamā particular about piety?
Its because knowledge, once it is not accompanied with the fear of Allāh, it will lead to its use for ulterior things. For this reason, Ulamā in our history will expelled from their gatherings people that have been accustomed to telling of lies, cheating and who are lazy in Ibādāt.
The fifth of them is:
PATIENCE AND THE PERSISTENCE OF YEARS
It is basically understood that one cannot be said to have learnt and studied if he has not spent years in its pursuit, and been patient over its burdens and needs.
Shaykh Muhammad Al-Mukhtār Ash-Shanqītī – hafidhahullāh – said:
“To spend long periods in the pursuit of Ilm has a lot of good for the Student. And that which hurt a lot of people is their presenting themselves without having first perfected their knowledge. So they were affected by their haste and people did not trust their knowledge. It has come in the Arab’s saying: the love of fame breaks the back.”
Imām Ahmad – rahimahullāh – said:
“We were resolute fellows of ‘Affān bn Muslim for twenty years”
Imām Adh-Dhahabī – rahimahullāh – said about the Muhaddith Imām Yahya Al-Qattān:
“He specialized in that (i.e Hadīth) in its entirety, and he traveled in its pursuit. He surpassed his peers and he reached the peak of Hifdh (memorization). He became an authority in _Al-Ilal_, and _Ar-Rijāl_. He produced many Huffādh, and used to say: ‘I was a resolute fellow of Shu’uba for twenty years”
He also said about Imām Abū Ja’afar Ibn Jarīr At-Tabarī – rahimahullāh –
“He remained traveling and traversing the land for sixteen years and met with the Men (of Knowledge). He authored (a book) on the biographies of those that have preceded and perfected this science…”
Imām Abdullāh Abū Muhammad Ibn Wahb – rahimahullāh – is said to have remained a loyal fellow of Imām Mālik for over twenty years. That was the sort of perseverance that the Salaf displayed in their pursuit.
Imām An-Nawawī – rahimahullāh – said in his book *’At-Tibyān Fī Ādābi Hamli Al-Qur’ān’:
“He needs to be eager in his search for knowledge, remaining steadfast in its pursuit in all of his times, night and day, while on journey and while resident. He should not spend of his time anything in order than Ilm unless what is necessitated such as eating and sleeping in the ammount of which is necessary. Or in other than both such as resting a little to take away tiredness and boredom. He is not a wise person, the one who finds it possible to attain a station close to the position of Prophethood then allows it to escape him…” Miftāhu Dāri As-Sa’ādah
The Imām Ibn Qayyim Al-Jawziyyā – rahimahullāh – said:
“As for the success of Ilm, nothing can bestow it upon you but the expending of efforts, trueness of seeking and sound and correct Intentions…”
The sixth of them is:
PRACTICE
There is no meaning to the seeking of Knowledge if it is not put to practice
Imām Abū Hāmid Al-Ghazzāli – rahimahullāh – said:
العلم بلا عمل جنون، والعمل بلا علم لا يكون
“Knowledge without Practice is madness, Practice without Knowledge is unfounded.”_
For this reason, Ulamā would warn their students not to waste their time learning the Dīn if they know they would not practice it.
And indeed they used to say that what one does in the end with whatever he acquired of Ilm is an indication of his intentions.
Imām Adh-Dhahabī – rahimahullāh – said:
“So whosoever seeks for Ilm for the sake of its practice will be humbled by Ilm and would weep over himself. But he who seeks it for the purpose of mere study, passing Fatāwa, pride, pomposity and ostentatiousness, will be fooled, be arrogant and deriding of people, will be destroyed by self conceit…”
We ask Allāh for guidance.
Beloved brothers and sisters, this is the sort of Ilm that we must revive in this era of ours if we wish to revive Islam. It is the knowledge that pur forefathers sought, propagated and taught. It is what they left us in their literatures and warned us never to turn away from. Are we then ready to thread its path? To seek its fountains and revive its rays? It is the real interpretation of Islam and the one that we must pick and deliver to our offspring the generation that succeeds us. Are we ready to sacrifice in its pursuit and to put aside the burdens of the dunya that weigh us down?
Only and only when we are ready and determined for that can we say to ourselves that we have began to thread the Path of rectitude that revives the Islamic Spirit, the message of Tawhīd, Mercy, Knowledge, Discipline, Justice and Balance. That was the path that the Salaf thread.
Jazākumullāhu khayran
Bārakallāhu fīkum
It is mentioned in *’Al-A’alām’* that Hūt Ibn Rihāb Al-Asdī said:
لا تحسب المجد تمرًا أنت آكله *** لن تبلُغ المجد حتى تلعق الص
“Do not bethink glory a datepalm that you eat; You shall attain no glory until you suck unto patience”
وآخر دعوانا أن الحمد لله رب العالمين
السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته
والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وآله وصحبه وسلم
