Chapter One
THE SOUND HEART
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, “And the
sound heart is the one which is secure from shirk, hatred, jealousy,
envy, covetousness, pride, love of the world and leadership. So it is
safe from every harmful thing which distances it from Allaah and it
is safe from every doubt that contradicts His information (i.e.,
Revelation). It is safe from every desire that opposes His command
and from every wish that competes (repels) what He intends (from
His servants), and it is also safe from everything that cuts it off from
Allaah. So this sound and safe heart is in a paradise in this world
and in a paradise in the barzakh and in a paradise on the Day of
Resurrection. The heart’s safety and soundness cannot be perfected,
absolutely, until it is secure from five things:
| (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) Him) (v) |
From shirk which nullifies tawheed From innovation which opposes the Sunnah From a desire/lust that opposes the command (of Allaah) From heedlessness that contradicts remembrance (of |
| From a desire that nullifies purity and sincerity (in intent |
and purpose)
These five are barriers to Allaah and beneath each of them are
many other categories that contain unique issues which cannot be
enumerated. [al-Jawaab al-Kaafee (1/176)].
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Chapter Two
THE WAYS OF ATTAINING KNOWLEDGE 18
And the beneficial knowledge has certain ways and means by which
it is obtained and certain paths that are taken in its acquisition and
memorisation. Amongst the most important of them are:
Firstly: That the servant asks his Lord for the beneficial knowledge
and that he seeks assistance by Him, the Exalted, and shows his
need to Him. Allaah ordered His Prophet, Muhammad (ρ) to ask Him
that He increases him in knowledge, in addition to his knowledge.
He, the Exalted said:
And say, “O Lord! Increase me in knowledge.” [Soorah Taa
Haa (21):114].
And the Messenger (ρ) used to say, “O Allaah, benefit me with
what you have taught me and teach me that which will
benefit me and increase me in knowledge.” [Reported by at
Tirmidhee (5/578) and Ibn Maajah (1/92). Also refer to Saheeh Ibn
Maajah (1/47)].
Secondly: And this is the greatest and the essence of them all –
sincerity in seeking the knowledge. The Messenger (ρ) said,
“Whoever learnt knowledge by which the Face of Allaah is to
be sought, but does not do so except for attaining a goal of
this world, (he) will not smell the fragrance of Paradise on
the Day of Resurrection.” [Reported by Aboo Daawood with his
wording in Kitaabul-Ilm and Ibn Maajah in his introduction (1/93).
Refer also to Saheeh Ibn Maajah (1/48)].
Thirdly: Striving and exerting oneself in seeking knowledge, having
keen interest for it, having a true desire in which the Pleasure of
Allaah, the Most High, is sought and adopting all of the ways and
means in seeking knowledge of the Book and the Sunnah.19
18
From AL-Hikmah fid-Da’wah Ilallaah, (pp. 50~53) of Sa’eed ibn ‘Alee ibn Wahf alQahtaanee, with modifications and additions.
19
Such as buying books and cassettes, connecting with the people of knowledge from
Ahlus-Sunnah, not Ahlul-Bid’ah, attending their gatherings, talks and conferences,
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A man came to Aboo Hurairah (τ) and said, “I desire to learn the
knowledge but I fear that I may waste it.” So Aboo Hurairah replied
to him, “Your abandonment of learning it is sufficient in wasting it.”
[Refer to Tafseerus–Sa’dee (5/194)].
For this reason one of the wise people, upon being asked, “What is
the way by which knowledge is obtained?” answered, “With
eagerness is it followed, with love is it listened to, with sole concern
is it gathered, teach your knowledge to the one who is ignorant, and
learn from the one who teaches, for if you do that, you will come to
know that of which you were ignorant and you will memorise that
which you (yourself) have learnt.” [Jaami Bayaanul-Ilm wa Fadlihi of
Ibn Abdul-Barr (1/102,103)].
For this reason, Imaam ash Shaafi’ee (may Allaah have mercy on
him) said:
“My brother! You will not acquire knowledge
except by six matters,
I will inform you of their detail with an explanation:
Intelligence, zeal, striving, competence/proficiency
The companionship of a teacher …
and a long time!”
Fourthly: Avoiding all disobedience by having taqwaa of Allaah, the
Most High, for that is the greatest of means of acquiring knowledge,
as He, the Most High, has said:
Have taqwaa of Allaah and Allaah will teach you, and Allaah
has knowledge of every single thing. [Soorah al-Baqarah
(2):282].
And He, the Most High, also said:
O you who believe! If you have taqwaa of Allaah, He will
grant you a criterion (to judge between truth and falsehood).
[Soorah al-Anfaal (8):29].
travelling for the sake of knowledge and other such efforts. Refer to Chapter Eleven:
The Methodology of a Muslim.
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This is clear and manifest proof that the one who has taqwaa of
Allaah, He will grant him knowledge by which he will distinguish
between truth and falsehood. For this reason Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood
(τ) said, “Indeed, I consider that a man loses knowledge which he
once had, due to a sin which he committed.” [Jaami’ Bayaanul-‘ILm
wa Fadlihi of Ibn ‘Abdul-Barr (1/196)].
Imaam ash Shaafi’ee (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, “I
complained to Wakee’ about the poorness of my memory. So he
directed me to abandon disobedience. And informed me that the
knowledge of Allaah is light. And that the light of Allaah is not given
to the disobedient.” [Deewaanush-Shaafi’ee (p.88). Refer also to AlJawaab al–Kaafee of Ibn al-Qayyim (p.104).]
Imaam Maalik said to Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee (may Allaah have mercy
on them both), “I see that Allaah has placed light in your heart so
do not extinguish it with the darkness of disobedience.” [Al-Jawaab
al–Kaafee of Ibn al-Qayyim (p.104)].
Fifthly: Being neither shy nor arrogant in seeking knowledge, and
this is why ‘Aa’ishah, (may Allaah be pleased with her), said, “How
excellent are the women of the Ansaar, shyness/modesty does not
prevent them from understanding the religion.” [Reported by
Bukhaaree in Kitaabul-Ilm].
Umm Sulaim, (may Allaah be pleased with her), said, “O Messenger
of Allaah! Allaah is not ashamed of the truth, so is it necessary for a
women to make ghusl when she has a wet dream?” The Prophet (ρ)
said, “If she sees the fluid.” [Reported by Bukhaaree in KitaabulIlm].
Mujaahid said, “The shy person and the arrogant one will not learn
the knowledge.” [Reported by Bukhaaree in Kitaabul-Ilm].
And finally: Acting upon the knowledge. The Messenger of Allaah
(ρ) said, “A servants two feet will not move on the Day of
Judgement until he is questioned about four (things). His
youth-how he spent it; his knowledge-how he acted upon it;
his wealth–how he earned it and how he spent it and his
body-how he used/wasted it.” [Reported by at-Tirmidhee
(2417) and see Saheehut-Targheeb wat–Tarheeb (1/126)].
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He (ρ) also said, “A man will be brought on the Day of
Judgement and will be thrown into the Fire and his entrails
will pour out. It will be said, Did you not used to order the
good and forbid the evil?’ He will say, ‘I used to command
you with good and not do it myself and I used to forbid you
from evil and do it myself.” [Reported by Bukhaaree (3094) and
Muslim (2989).