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

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Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) said:

”All Praise is due to Allaah, Who, in every time period between the (advent of the) Messengers, raises up a group from the People of Knowledge who call the misguided ones to guidance and patiently bear their harm. Through the Book of Allah they give life to the dead, and by Allaah’s light they give sight to the blind. How many a person killed by Iblees have they revived; how many a people astray and wandering (blindly) have they guided; how beautiful their effect has been upon the people, and how vile people have been towards them! They repel from the Book of Allaah the distortions of those going beyond bounds, the false claims of the falsifiers and the false interpretations of the ignoramus–those who uphold the banner of innovation and release the fitan. They differ about the Book, oppose the Book and agree to oppose the Book. They speak about Allah and His Book without knowledge, argue about what is ambiguous in the Book and deceive the ignorant ones with such ambiguities. So we seek refuge in Allaah from the fitan (trials and tribulations) of the misguided ones.” [1]

[مشكلة التسرع في التكفير ومايترتب عليه من دمار وفساد   pages: 175….]

Indeed to possess knowledge of the sharia texts and the (true) knowledge of truth and falsehood are the greatest means to actualising servitude to Allaah (The Mighty and Majestic).  It is the unique cure for the tragedies of ignorance.  And to be ignorant of the Sharia texts and being deprived of (true) knowledge of truth and falsehood will lead a person to a network of paths and hedges designed as a puzzle through which one has to find a way; so he becomes like a ball in the hands of shaytaan, who turns it the way he pleases.  It is enough for an ignorant person to ask a scholar if he is not firmly grounded in seeking knowledge and in acquainting himself with the truth.  Allaah (The Most High) said:

فَسۡـَٔلُوٓاْ أَهۡلَ ٱلذِّكۡرِ إِن كُنتُمۡ لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

” So ask the Ahl Dhikr (i.e. the people knowledge), if you know not.” [An-Nahl. Ayah: 43]

However, the greatest calamity is when a person is ignorant but then he gives verdicts in the most dangerous of affairs, such as takfeer and the rulings related to capital punishment. Ignorance in the affairs of Takfeer and the rulings related to capital punishment, wealth and honour are from the greatest means that leads to chaos in some of the lands.  And it is from the paths utilized by the khawaarij to spread chaos in the rest of the Muslim countries. Indeed Allaah (The Mighty and Majestic) has warned against speaking without knowledge, saying:

قُلۡ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّىَ ٱلۡفَوَٲحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنۡہَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَٱلۡإِثۡمَ وَٱلۡبَغۡىَ بِغَيۡرِ ٱلۡحَقِّ وَأَن تُشۡرِكُواْ بِٱللَّهِ مَا لَمۡ يُنَزِّلۡ بِهِۦ سُلۡطَـٰنً۬ا وَأَن تَقُولُواْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

”Say (O Muhammad): “(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawahish (great evil sins, every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse, etc.) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allah of which you have no knowledge.” [Al-Araaf. Ayah:33]

Allaah (The Most High) said:

وَلَا تَقۡفُ مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌ‌ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡبَصَرَ وَٱلۡفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُوْلَـٰٓٮِٕكَ كَانَ عَنۡهُ مَسۡـُٔولاً۬

”And follow not (O man i.e., say not, or do not or witness not, etc.) that of which you have no knowledge (e.g. one’s saying: “I have seen,” while in fact he has not seen, or “I have heard,” while he has not heard). Verily! The hearing, and the sight, and the heart, of each of those you will be questioned (by Allah).” [Al-Israa. Ayah 36]

Allaah (The Mighty and Majestic) revealed the Noble Qur’aan for the guidance of mankind and to remove them from darkness and enter them into light.  Allaah (The Most High) said:

 مَّا فَرَّطۡنَا فِى ٱلۡكِتَـٰبِ مِن شَىۡءٍ۬‌ۚ

‘’We have neglected nothing in the Book.’’ [An-An’aam. Ayah 38]

And Allaah (The Most High) said:

[كِتَـٰبٌ أَنزَلۡنَـٰهُ إِلَيۡكَ مُبَـٰرَكٌ۬ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوٓاْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ  ]

”(This is) a Book (the Qur’an) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember.” [Saad. Ayah:29]

The Qur’aan is a cure for the sicknesses in the breasts.  Allaah (The Most High) said:

[يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ قَدۡ جَآءَتۡكُم مَّوۡعِظَةٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّڪُمۡ وَشِفَآءٌ۬ لِّمَا فِى ٱلصُّدُورِ وَهُدً۬ى وَرَحۡمَةٌ۬ لِّلۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ ]

”O mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Qur’an, ordering all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that (disease of ignorance, doubt, hypocrisy and differences, etc.) in your breasts, – a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things, etc.) for the believers.” [Yoonus. Ayah: 57]

”Indeed Allaah made the Qur’aan a cure for what is in the breasts and a clarification of all affairs for the people, and the opposite of this is impossible (i.e. the Qur’aan cannot cease to be a cure and a clarification); however, the distinguishing knowledge-based proofs of Messengership may become obscure in some places and eras until they (i.e. the people) become unaware of what the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) was sent with—either by not knowing the wordings or they may know the wording but not their intended true meanings. Thus they begin to tread (the path) of ignorance due to being deprived of the light found in the knowledge of Prophet hood; so at this juncture polytheism occurs, and the religion is split into sects, such as the trial that leads to the use of the sword (i.e. killing).  Therefore, the trials of (ignorant) speech and action are from those aspects of ignorance, (which occurs) as result of the light of Prophet hood being hidden from the people, just as Imaam Maalik (rahimahullaah) said: ‘’Slackness in practicing (the religion) occurs when knowledge becomes scarce and desires (i.e. innovations) occur when the authentic narrations are scarce.”

And because of this trials have been likened to a portion of a very dark night. And also due to this Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah) said:  ”All Praise is due to Allaah, Who, in every time period between the (advent of the) Messengers, raises up a group from the People of Knowledge who call the misguided ones to guidance and patiently bear their harm. Through the Book of Allah they give life to the dead, and by Allaah’s light they give sight to the blind. How many a person killed by Iblees have they revived; how many a people astray and wandering (blindly) have they guided; how beautiful their effect has been upon the people, and how vile people have been towards them! They repel from the Book of Allah the distortions of those going beyond bounds, the false claims of the falsifiers and the false interpretations of the ignoramus–those who uphold the banner of innovation and release the fitan. They differ about the Book, oppose the Book and agree to oppose the Book. They speak about Allah and His Book without knowledge, argue about what is ambiguous in the Book and deceive the ignorant with such ambiguities. So we seek refuge in Allaah from the fitan (trials and tribulations) of the misguided-ones.”

Therefore, Guidance will come to the people of the earth; rather it is from the knowledge of the light of Prophet hood, as Allaah (The Most High) said:

[فَإِمَّا يَأۡتِيَنَّڪُم مِّنِّى هُدً۬ى فَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَ هُدَاىَ فَلَا يَضِلُّ وَلَا يَشۡقَىٰ ] ” Then if there comes to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My Guidance shall neither go astray, nor fall into distress and misery.” [Tahaa. Ayah: 123] [2]

To be continued Inshaa-Allaah

[1] [See: Ar-Radd Alaa Az-Zanaadiqah Wal-Jahmiyyah Feemaa Shakkat Feehi Min Mutashaabihil Qur’aan Wata-awwalat-hu Alaa Ghayri Taweelihi. Page: 170. Introduction by Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan and Shaikh Saaleh Aala Shaikh (may Allaah preserve them]

[2] [مشكلة التسرع في التكفير ومايترتب عليه من دمار وفساد   pages: 175….by Shaikh Abu Umar Usaama Al-Utaybee (may Allaah protect him)]