_Imaam Ibn Qudaamah Al-Maqdisi -rahimahullaah-_
Said:
*THE VIRTUES OF MINGLING WITH OTHERS.*
Know verily that, there are many things that one cannot achieve alone except with mingling with others and seeking their assistance. amongst those benefits are;
*1.*Seeking for Knowledge and teaching it. This cannot be attained unless with the help of ulamaa and mingling with the people of knowledge. And the importance and reward of seeking for ílm in the shariá cannot be over emphasized. Thus, in seclusion, one looses all these benefits. In addition, it is not allowed for a Jāhil(ignorant person) who lacks the basis of the deen to seclude himself. For it is a great loss and misguidance as stated by the pious ulamaa. Thus, Whoever wishes to seclude himself must have attained some level of knowledge in the shariā and must be able to differentiate the khalwa that is Haram from that which is Halal.
*2.* Benefitting from others. In mingling with others, one benefits from them and they also benefit from one. Thus, for one to benefit others with wealth or knowledge and still maintain his íbádát, no doubt, that is beloved and preferred as against secluding oneself in a place.
*3.* learning of manners. When one mingles with others, one learn experience and manners and one tends to build oneself on how to relate, be patient and bear with the harms of others.
*4.* Opportunity to relate with pious ulamaa and righteous people.
*5.*Gaining a lot of reward in different íbádát. In mingling with others, one can have the opportunity to attend Janaizah, paying visit to sick ones, attending marriage ceremony and most importantly, a way to give dàwāt to others.
*6.* At -tawādí(humbleness).
One cannot attain this position in seclusion. It might even be because of pride and arrogance that one deliberately chooses to seclude oneself from his fellow Muslims or one feels in the gathering, one name will not be mentioned and one’s presence will not be noticed by the public. All these attitudes are against the sharià. Also amongst the symptoms of this bad character is that, such a person love that the people visit him as a honor and he doesn’t like to visit others. He likes that rich ones and the less privilege ones always gather in his house. Therefore, for him to seclude himself because he is not getting what he want of praising from people is an act of ignorance in itself.
*9th Safar, 1438H.*
Allāhu A’alam! Bārakallāhu fīkum!
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