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Month: March 2017

[1] Reminders From [Virtue of the Knowledge of the Salaf over the Knowledge of the Khalaf] -By Imaam Ibn Rajab [rahimahullaah]

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Imaam Ibn Rajab [rahimahullaah] said: All praises and thanks be to Allaah, the Lord of Aalameen [mankind, jinns and all that exists]. And may Allaah exalt and grant Muhammad a lot of peace, his family and Sahaabah. To proceed:

These are brief statements regarding the meaning of knowledge and its categorization into ‘Beneficial knowledge’, ‘Unbeneficial knowledge’, Blameworthy knowledge’ and a notification regarding the virtue of the knowledge of the Salaf [i.e. the pious predecessors] over the knowledge of the khalaf [i.e. those who came after the Salaf]. Therefore, I say- and Allaah’s aid is sought, I place my trust in Him and there is neither strength nor power except with Allaah.

The Meaning of Knowledge and Its Categorization

Indeed, Allaah mentioned-sometimes- knowledge in His Book with praise and that is [in reference to] ‘Beneficial Knowledge’.  And at other times, He mentioned knowledge with dispraise and that is [in reference to] ‘Unbeneficial knowledge’. As for the first type [i.e. Beneficial Knowledge], then its example is mentioned in the statement of Allaah [The Most High]:

[قُلۡ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡلَمُونَ- Are those who know equal to those who know not? [39:9]

And the statement of Allaah [The Most High]: [شَهِدَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّهُ ۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةُ وَأُوْلُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ   – Allah bears witness that La ilaha illa Huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He), and the angels, and those having knowledge (also give this witness) [3:18]

And the statement of Allaah [The Most High]: [وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدۡنِى عِلۡمً۬ا   -And say: “My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.” [20:114]

And the statement of Allaah [The Most High]: [إِنَّمَا يَخۡشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِ ٱلۡعُلَمَـٰٓؤُاْۗ – It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah. [35:28]

And what Allaah has stated regarding the story of Aadam- when Aadam was taught the names of those things and were then presented to the Angels, so the Angels – [as Allaah informed us] – said: [سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ لَا عِلۡمَ لَنَآ إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمۡتَنَآ‌ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ – Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except what you have taught us. [2:32]

And what Allaah [The Most High] has stated regarding the story of Moosaa [alayhis-salaam] and Khidr- that Moosaa said to him: [هَلۡ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمۡتَ رُشۡدً۬ا – “May I follow you so that you teach me something of that knowledge (guidance and true path) which you have been taught (by Allah)?” [18: 66]

This is beneficial knowledge


To be continued…InShaaAllaah

[Fadl Ilmis Salaf Alaa Ilmil Khalaf’ pages 42-43. Slightly paraphrased]

A Brief Acquaintance with the Affair of Those Who Deviated Due To Their Erroneous Understanding of the Arabic Language and the Sharee’ah Terms

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [rahimahullaah] said:

The one who does not know the language of the Sahaabah- the language they used when speaking to [one another]; the [language] used by the Prophet [sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam] when he spoke to them and the manner in which they spoke in general- he will change words from their right places.  For indeed many people are nurtured upon the idioms of their people and their customary usage of words; so he finds those words in Allaah’s Speech, or the speech of Messenger, or that of the Sahaabah and thinks that what Allaah intends or what His Messenger [intend], or what the Sahaabah [intend] is what is intended by the people of his custom and their oral expressions, even though what Allaah and His Messenger intend is the opposite of that.

This occurred from a group of people- the people of philosophical rhetoric, the people who spoke about Fiqh, the people who spoke about the Arabic language, the common people and other than them.  And there are others who deliberately devised other meanings for the words of the Prophets and that of their [true] followers-meanings that are in opposition to their [true] ones.  Then they spoke with those words whilst intending to aid themselves, saying: ‘’Indeed, we are in agreement with the Prophets.’’  This is found in abundance in the speech of the heretical philosophers, the Ismaa’eeliyyah [Rawaafid] and those similar to them amongst the heretical philosophers, rhetoricians and the soofees.  The one who [truly] knows the Prophets and what they intend [by their speech], he will know by necessity that the [speech of those heretics] is not what is intended by the Prophets.


[Majmoo Fataawaa 1/175. Abridged and slightly paraphrased]

 

If Speech is Silver, Then Silence is Gold – Ibnul Mubaarak [rahimahullaah] Explains

Ibnul Mubaarak [rahimahullaah] was asked about the statement of Luqmaan [alayhis-salaam] to his son: ‘’If speech is from silver, then silence is from gold.” So he said: ‘’It means that if speech in obedience to Allaah is from silver, then silence [in order to refrain from] disobedience to Allaah is gold.”


[Jaami-ul Uloom Wal-Hikam: page: 155]

Allaah Reminds The Nations About The Fate of Their Forefathers!

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Allaah [The Most High] says in Surah Al-A’raaf Ayah 100-102:

[  أَوَلَمۡ يَهۡدِ لِلَّذِينَ يَرِثُونَ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ أَهۡلِهَآ أَن لَّوۡ نَشَآءُ أَصَبۡنَـٰهُم بِذُنُوبِهِمۡ‌ۚ وَنَطۡبَعُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِہِمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يَسۡمَعُونَ- Is it not clear to those who inherit the earth in succession from its (previous) possessors, that had We willed, We would have punished them for their sins. And We seal up their hearts so that they hear not?]- Meaning: Allaah [The Most High] informs those who inherit the earth in succession from those who preceded them, that He [The Most High] destroyed their forefathers due to their sins, yet they commit the same sins that were committed by their forefathers! Do they not take heed that had Allaah willed He would punish them due to their sins, for this is the manner in which Allaah deals with mankind – both the previous nations and those who inherited the earth after them. Allaah [The Most High] warned those who inherited the earth from the previous nations, but they did not take heed. Allaah sent them reminders but they did not reflect. Allaah showed them guidance through signs, but they did not follow guidance, so Allaah punished them by sealing their hearts – neither did truth enter their hearts nor did good reach their hearts; nor did they give an attentive ear [to the truth]; rather they only heard that which established the proofs against them.

Then Allaah [The Most High] said:

[ تِلۡكَ ٱلۡقُرَىٰ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ مِنۡ أَنۢبَآٮِٕهَا‌ۚ وَلَقَدۡ جَآءَتۡہُمۡ رُسُلُهُم بِٱلۡبَيِّنَـٰتِ فَمَا ڪَانُواْ لِيُؤۡمِنُواْ بِمَا ڪَذَّبُواْ مِن قَبۡلُ‌ۚ كَذَٲلِكَ يَطۡبَعُ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ قُلُوبِ ٱلۡڪَـٰفِرِينَ – Those were the towns whose story We relate unto you (O Muhammad). And there came indeed to them their Messengers with clear proofs, but they were not such as to believe in that which they had rejected before. Thus Allah does seal up the hearts of the disbelievers (from each and every kind of religious guidance)]-Meaning: Messengers came and called them to that which will lead them to happiness [in the life and the next]. Those Messengers were given manifest signs and clear evidences to clarify the truth, but the people did not listen and thus were not benefited. And because they belied those manifest signs and clear proofs after being well aware of them, Allaah [The Most High] prevented them from accepting the sound and infallible creed ordained by Allaah. This was punishment on them because they rejected the truth, just as Allaah [The Most High] said in Surah Al-An’aam Ayah 110:

[وَنُقَلِّبُ أَفۡـِٔدَتَہُمۡ وَأَبۡصَـٰرَهُمۡ كَمَا لَمۡ يُؤۡمِنُواْ بِهِۦۤ أَوَّلَ مَرَّةٍ۬ وَنَذَرُهُمۡ فِى طُغۡيَـٰنِهِمۡ يَعۡمَهُونَ – And We shall turn their hearts and their eyes away (from guidance), as they refused to believe therein for the first time, and We shall leave them in their trespass to wander blindly].

Then Allaah [The Most High] says in Ayah 102 Surah Al-A’raaf:

[وَمَا وَجَدۡنَا لِأَڪۡثَرِهِم مِّنۡ عَهۡدٍ۬‌ۖ وَإِن وَجَدۡنَآ أَڪۡثَرَهُمۡ لَفَـٰسِقِينَ  –  And most of them We found not (true) to their covenant, but most of them We found indeed Fasiqun (rebellious, disobedient to Allah)]-Meaning: The majority of the nations -to whom Allaah [The Most High] sent Messengers – were not true to their covenant. Neither were they steadfast nor did they adhere to the commands of Allaah, nor did they submit obediently to the commands of Allaah which the Messengers ordered them to obey; rather they followed their desires, except a very few of them. The majority of them turned away from guidance out of arrogance, so Allaah sent them various types of punishment.


[Source: Tayseer Al-kareem Ar-Rahmaan Fee Tafseer Kalaam al-Mannaan’ by Imaam As-Sadi (rahimahullaah). Paraphrased and abridged]

 

We Do Not Have Time to Defend Ourselves, But We [Defend] The Sunnah- by Shaikh Muqbil [rahimahullaah]

Shaikh Muqbil Bin Haadee [rahimahullaah] said:

”We do not have time to defend ourselves; but we [defend] the Sunnah. And even if we are tormented with fierce battle, we will not leave anyone who speaks against the Sunnah of the Messenger [Sallal-laahu-alayhi- wa-alaa-aalihi-wasallam]- be he a Shia, a Soofee or from Ikhwaan al-Muslimeen [i.e. the deviated Muslim brotherhood sect in Egypt and else] because we are to sacrifice [ourselves] for the Sunnah and our objective is the Sunnah.”


Source: [Nasaa’ih Wa Fadaa’h page 54. slightly paraphrased]