Are You Eager to Learn Your Religion?
Since 2012-11-26
your eagerness to learn your religion is the start of your success as you will follow a path that takes you to Paradise.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
All Praise be to Allah Almighty who taught man and guided him to the Criterion (of right and wrong, i.e. this Qur'ân) and peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet who has been sent with the Quran and upon his family and companions the masters of the believers.
The followers of the messengers with insight are the most informed people about worshipping their Lord Almighty, Blessed be He; as they have learned from the light of the Devine revelation. As for he who is not blinded to such light, he is the one stumbling and who does not worship his Lord with insight.
Are You Eager to Learn Your Religion?
This is a question that every Muslim should sincerely ask…
My Muslim brother: your eagerness to learn your religion is the start of your success as you will follow a path that takes you to Paradise.
Al-Hasan al-Basri said: "verily, a man learns a part of knowledge and works accordingly is better than this worldly life and what it has!"
Sufian ath-Thawri said: "Nothing is better for seeking Allah than acquiring knowledge, and knowledge has never been to be required at any time better than today."
You are, O Muslim, in dire need for useful knowledge by which you can know your Lord Almighty, so that you single Him out with worship and worship Him with insight.
The nobility of knowledge is related to the nobility of the learned. As the nobility of the religious knowledge, it is linked to the nobility of the religion to which it is attached… which is the most expensive merchandise!
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "This worldly life is cursed and whatever is in it is cursed except the remembrance of Allah and whatever which is related to that, a scholar or learner" [Reported by At-Tirmidhi, and declared Hasan (good) by Al-Albani]
«ألا إن الدنيا ملعونة ملعون ما فيها، إلا ذكر الله وما والاه، وعالم، أو متعلم» رواه الترمذي وحسنه الألباني
You must know, O Muslim, that your need to learn your religion is more than your need for eating and drinking!
As you are eager to earn your livelihood to live, so you should be eager to learn your religion, as it is the real life, without which you are amongst the dead.
Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal said: "People need knowledge more than their need to eating and drinking. Eating and drinking are needed once or twice a day while knowledge is needed as the number of breaths (i.e. as long as you live)"
Ibn al-Qayyim said: "Scholars of Allah and His Ordains are the life and soul of the existence. They cannot be dispensed with for a twinkle. The need of the heart for knowledge is not similar to the need for breathing air; it is rather greater.
To sum up, knowledge for the heart is like water for fish, without which they die. The relation between knowledge to the heart is like the relation between light to the eye.
My Muslim brother: for such need, it is obligatory for each Muslim to learn from their religion what make them worship Allah with insight.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "Seeking knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim (man or woman)." [Authenticated by Al-Albani]
«طلب العلم فريضة على كل مسلم» صححه الألباني
Imam Malik was asked whether seeking knowledge (of religion) is obligatory. He replied: "as for knowing its laws, Sunnah, and distinct jurisprudence, this is obligatory; otherwise if one is weak in the other matters, one is not at fault"
Ibn Abdul-Barr said: "the scholars have unanimously agreed that some knowledge are individual duties for each person to learn and some are sufficiency duties; if someone does, it fails to become obligatory for the related persons to do. The scholars have disagreed in summarizing that. What is obligatory for all is that of which one cannot be ignorant among all obligatory issues."
It was mentioned among that: "knowing Allah and certifying his Oneness, the five obligatory prayers and their related actions and deeds, the fasting of Ramadan and what validates the fasting and the things that spoil it, pilgrimage with capability, the Zakat (obligatory alms giving) if there is money. There things that one cannot be accused for being ignorant about such as the prohibition of adultery, hypocrisy, alcohol, eating pork, eating dead animals, anger, bribery, giving false testimony, eating up one another's property unjustly (in any illegal way e.g. stealing, robbing, deceiving, etc.), the prohibition of injustice, and other prohibitions".
My Muslim brother: the aforementioned matters must not be ignored by any Muslim, so hold yourself accountable: what is its share in the commodity of the religious knowledge?
People are of ranks in their eagerness to learn their religion. Such ranks are different, each of which contains a group. I will mention to you such ranks according to the statements of the religious scholars. So, look into yourself, in which rank are you?
Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "People are of three ranks: a religious scholar, a learner to survive and the rest are rabble and mob, followers of each croaking, who tend with each wind!"
Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Be a scholar or a learner, and do not be between that!"
It is reported by Humaid by al-Hassan that Abu ad-Darda' said: "Be a scholar, or a learner, a lover or a follower and do not be the fifth so you may not perish!"
He said: I asked al-Hassan: who is the fifth?" He replied: a heresiarch!
My Muslim brother: hold yourself accountable. Of which rank of these are you?! Do not ever be one of those persons who do not care for learning their religion or comprehending it!
How many performer of prayers who does not know the correct prayer as performed by the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him!
How many fasters who commit a lot of errors and they do not know about them!
How many pilgrims who do not know how to perform the rites!
How many heresiarchs who perform a lot of heresies, while thinking that these are of the Sunnah!
How many traders who perform prohibited dealings, while thinking that they are permissible!
How many persons who eat up other's property unjustly (in any illegal way e.g. stealing, robbing, deceiving, etc.), without differentiating between the permissible and the prohibited!
The disease in all these matters lies mostly in the ignorance of the laws of the religion. In addition, it is strange that most of those who commit such mistakes are of an age at which it is not suitable to ignore one's religious affairs, especially that the helpful means for learning one's religion are available; so it has become easy for Muslims to know their religion.
Abdullah Ibn al-Mubarak was asked: till when it is better for man to learn?!
He replied: "as long as it is shameful for him to be ignorant, it is better for him to learn."
Mohamed Ibn al-Fadl as-Samarqandi, the preacher, said: "How many ignorant has survived by knowledge and how many ascetics who acted according to the knowledge of (the Days of) Ignorance that ruined them. Be present even if your intention is not; however, knowledge is sought for by intention. The first thing appears from the slave is their tongue. The first thing that appears from their mind is forbearance".
My Muslim brother: be eager to learn your religion and remove any obstacle that prevents you from that. Knowledge is achieved by learning.
Some of the obstacles that prevent some people from learning the religious science are: shyness and pride!
Mujahid said: "he will not learn knowledge whoever is shy or proud".
As for shyness:
Any shyness that holds you back from nobilities is not shyness. Shyness is an innate moral that shields from ugliness. This who does not attend teaching sessions and does not ask scholars about doubtful matters is at great danger. He will perform a lot of deeds without knowledge (of their religious rulings).
As for the proud:
He is committing one of the greatest sins. The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "He who has in his heart the weight of a mustard seed of pride shall not enter Paradise." [Reported by At-Tirmidhi and authenticated by Al-Albani]
«لا يدخل الجنة من كان في قلبه مثقال حبة من خردل من كبر» رواه الترمذي وصححه الألباني
My Muslim brother:
Studying jurisprudence is an evidence for your goodness and success. If you study jurisprudence, you will worship Allah with knowledge, so you will be closer to Allah more and more…
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "If Allah wants to do good to a person, He makes him comprehend the religion." [Reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
«من يرد الله به خيرا يفقهه في الدين» متفق عليه
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar said: "This Hadith implies that this who does not comprehend the religion, i.e. learn the Islamic principles and their related branches is deprived of goodness. This who does not know his religion is neither jurisprudent nor a learner of jurisprudence, so it is right to describe him as one to whom goodness is not meant. This is a clear statement about the preference of religion before all sciences".
So, hold yourself accountable, you sane... Do not you like to be in such goodness?!
They are not equal: a knowing scholar and an ignorant!
{Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?" It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allâh’s Signs and Verses).} [Surat Az-Zumar 39:9]
{...قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ} الزمر: 9
Transliteration: qul hal yastawee allatheena yaAAlamoona waallatheena la yaAAlamoona innamayatathakkaru oloo alalbabi
Abu ad-Darda', may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Allah bestows knowledge upon the blissful and deprives it from the miserable."
Ibn Al-Qayyim said: "The true happiness is a psychological happiness of soul and heart. It is the happiness of the fruit of the useful knowledge. It rests despite the changeable conditions and accompanies the slave in all his travels and in his three homes. By it one ascends the stairs of virtue and perfection. Al long as life passes it increases in power and loftiness."
How many those who are inattentive to such happiness! You may see a person eager to collect money, to know the methods of gaining and increasing his money, but you find him uninterested in knowing his religion and increasing his account of useful knowledge!
He becomes worried if he loses a little of his money, but he is not a bit worried if he loses a lot of his religion!
He gets happy by gaining little money, but will not be happy to gain knowledge of his religion.
It is narrated by 'Uqba Ibn 'Amir, may Allah be pleased with him, that: When we were in Suffa, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, came out and said: "Which of you would like to go out every morning to Buthan or al-'Aqiq and bring two large she-camels without being guilty of sin or without severing the ties of kinship?
We said: O Messenger of Allah, we would like to do it.
Upon this he said: Does not one of you go out in the morning to the mosque and teach or recite two verses from the Book of Allah, the Majestic and the Glorious? That is better for him than two she-camels, and three verses are better (than three she-camels), and four verses are better for him than four (she-camels), and to on their number in camels." [Reported by Muslim]
«أيكم يحب أن يغدو كل يوم إلى بطحان أو إلى العقيق فيأتي منه بناقتين كوماوين، في غير إثم ولا قطع رحم؟ فقلنا: يا رسول الله! نحب ذلك. قال: أفلا يغدو أحدكم إلى المسجد فيعلم أو يقرأ آيتين من كتاب الله عز وجل خير له من ناقتين. وثلاث خير له من ثلاث. وأربع خير له من أربع. ومن أعدادهن من الإبل» رواه مسلم
Abu Ghanyya al-Khulaty said: "A word may be better than giving money as money makes you a tyrannical while a word guides you."
My Muslim brother: The best knowledge you have learned is that which guides you to knowing Allah Almighty and to worshipping Him with insight. You will not find a more expensive merchandise.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Quran and teach it." [Reported by Al-Bukhari]
«خيركم من تعلم القرآن وعلمه» رواه البخاري
Ali al-Azdi said: "I asked Ibn Abbas about Jihad, he said: "would I tell you about what is better for you than Jihad?! You can construct a mosque in which you teach Quran, the tradition of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the comprehension of the religion".
My Muslim brother: asking scholars is a way for comprehending the religion. Allah incited you to ask scholars if you are doubtful about something. Allah Almighty has said: {So ask the people of the Reminder [Scriptures - the Taurât (Torah), the Injeel (Gospel)] if you do not know.} [Surat Al-Anbiyâ' 21:7]
{...فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ} الأنبياء: 7
Transliteration: Wama arsalna qablaka illa rijalan noohee ilayhim
Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, was asked: "How have you achieved such knowledge?! He replied: "By a repeating asking tongue and a rational heart."
Asking scholars is a remedy for ignorance. So beware of starting anything from your religious affairs without knowing its rules. Worshipping Allah with ignorance only increases the distance between the slave and Allah!
Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Increasing knowledge is by desiring and achieving knowledge is by asking, so know what you ignore and work according to what you know."
Abu ad-Darda', may Allah be pleased with him, said: "Knowledge is by learning and patience is by learning to be patient. This who seeks goodness is to achieve it and this who is cautious from evil will be protected from it"
Ibn al-Mubarak was asked: "Which knowledge a believer must seek for and which knowledge he must learn?!
He replied: it is that he cannot advance at anything but with knowledge, and he cannot do that until he asks."
Know my Muslim brother: that it is for the honor of those who seek useful knowledge that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has urged to take care of them. It is an honor for anyone who is eager to learn his religion.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said: "there will come to you People who acquire knowledge. When you see them say to them: welcome to the recommendation of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and suffice them."
I asked al-Hakam: what is "suffice them"?
He said: teach them [Reported by Ibn Majah and declared Hasan (good) by Al-Albani]
«سيأتيكم أقوام يطلبون العلم فإذا رأيتموهم فقولوا لهم مرحبا مرحبا بوصية رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم واقنوهم قلت للحكم ما اقنوهم قال علموهم» رواه ابن ماجه وحسنه الألباني
My Muslim brother: little knowledge you are eager to know in order to comprehend your religion is better than dozens of good deeds you do.
Why not? Knowledge is the way for sound worshipping. There is no worshipping without knowledge.
Abu Huraira, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "everything has a pillar. The pillar of this religion is jurisprudence. Allah has never been worshipped with anything better than comprehending religion. One scholar is severer for Satan than a thousand worshippers!"
O you Muslim: with little effort you can comprehend your religion. And here are some stages if such journey:
First: start with the Book of Allah Almighty. Try to master reciting and reading it soundly. There are many means to achieve that. The best, however, is to read before with a skillful sheikh, listening to the reciting of the Qur'an recorded in the cassette tapes and increasing the reciting. You can refer to the simplified interpretation books to combine between knowing the right reading and understanding what you read.
Second: reading simplified jurisprudence books, especially those needed repeated issues such as praying, ablution, ghusl (bathing after menstruation [for women], sexual intercourse and wet dreams), sand ablution, and the rulings of travelers. If you own money, you will need to know the rulings of the Zakat (alms giving), sales and money transactions.
Third: reading concise books in the explanations of the Hadiths and the other concise texts in the religious sciences; on top of such sciences is theology (from the Islamic perspective). You are to read slowly and comprehensibly. The basis of that is to benefit from a sheikh. If this is not obtainable as in many cases, then by being committed to the mentioned order along with patience and hard work will lead to a satisfactory result.
Fourth: seeking to ask scholars about any dubious matters, and organizing your leisure time and using it to benefit from listening to scientific religious lessons and useful lectures. Faithful desire is the foundation for all that. A Muslim, then, has to be eager to learn his religion, and to have a faithful intention for that. He, undoubtedly, will find support from Allah.
My Muslim brother: it is not a must to learn all the religious sciences, but if you have a supportive intention for that, it will be good.
You know, however, the obligatory parts of the religious sciences without which you cannot soundly worship Allah Almighty.
Be eager to learn your religion. Do not waste the hours of your life uselessly. Invoke Allah Almighty to help you for that.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has said:"Ask Allah for a useful knowledge and seek refuge with Allah from useless knowledge" [Reported by Ibn Majah and declared Hasan (good) by Al-Albani]
«سلوا الله علماً نافعاً، وتعوذوا بالله من علم لا ينفع» رواه ابن ماجه وحسنه الألباني
All praise be to Allah and peace and blessings of Allah be upon the Prophet, Muhammad and upon all his Family and companions.
Azhari Ahmad Mahmoud
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