Monday, November 30, 2009

Salman Farsi (radhiya Allaahu anh) said: "I laugh at the person who hopes for this world and at the same time death is seeking him, the person who neglects the death but the death does not neglect him, and the person who laughs with his mouth full of laughter without knowing if his Lord is angry or satisfied with him."

(az-Zuhd, p. 225, by Imaam Ahmad bin Hanbal)
"Be content with what you have, be satisfied with your dwelling place to accommodate your enterprise, restrain your tongue, and shed tears of regret regarding past sins you committed knowingly, and those you do not recognize."

-Abdullaah bin Mas'ud

Friday, November 20, 2009

The salafs concerning knowledge

As Salamu Alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Below is a compilation of a few beneficial pieces of advice from the Salaf, may Allah have mercy on them, from the book “Knowledge Mandates Action” :

Abu Abdillah Ar-Rudhabaari,

Whoever goes out towards knowledge, intending (just to obtain) the knowledge, knowledge does not benefit him. And whoever goes out towards knowledge, intending to act upon the knowledge, knowledge benefits him - even if it’s a little.

Habeeb ibn Ubayd ar-Rahbi,

Acquire knowledge, comprehend it and use it. And do not acquire it in order to adorn yourselves with it, for indeed, it is imminent - should your life-spans be prolonged for you - that knowledge will be used as a means for adorning oneself, just as a man adorns himself with his garment.

Abdullah ibn Al-Mu’taz,

The knowledge of a hypocrite is in his speech, while the knowledge of a believer is in his actions.

Al Fudayl ibn Iyyadh,

It is upon the people to acquire knowledge. So when they attain knowledge, it is upon them to act (on it).

Yahya ibn Ma’een would recite the verse of poetry,

If you are lacking provisions, you will not find any provision quite like that of righteous actions.

Lastly, an incident with Imam Awzaa’ee rahimahullah perfectly states the condition of most of our students today.

One day a group of students of hadeeth set out early to see Imam Al Awzaa’ee, who then turned to them and recited,
كم من حريص جامع جاشع ٭ ليس بمنتفع و لا نافع
“How many dedicated (students of knowledge) there are,
seeking to gather it and desirous of obtaining it,
yet they do not gain benefit from it nor do they give benefit out to others.”

May Allah ta’ala grant us beneficial knowledge and protect us from knowledge that does not benefit. Ameen.
And verily for everything that a slave loses there is a substitute, but the one who loses Allaah will never find anything to replace Him.”

[Related by Ibn al-Qayyim in ad-Dâ' wad-Dawâ Fasl 49]

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

I complained to Waki' about the weakness of my memorisation ; So he instructed me to abandon disobedience; He informed me that knowledge is a light. And the light of Allah is not given to a sinner.

Imam As-Shafi Rahimullah