The Virtue of Reading Books

2414: Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad bin Isma’il al-Bukhari was asked: “What is it that strengthens one’s memory?” He replied: “Constantly looking through books.”

2415: Ahmad bin Abi ‘Imran said:
“I was with Abu Ayyub Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Shuja’, and he was staying in his house. So, he sent one of his sons to Abu ‘Abdillah bin al-A’rabi to invite him over.

The boy returned, saying: “I asked him this, and he said to me: “I am with a group, and when I am done being taught by them, I will be over,” and I did not see a single person at his house. Rather, he had in front of him books that he was looking through. He would look in this book for some time, and then look in another book for some time.”

Shortly thereafter, he arrived. So, Abu Ayyub said to him: “O Abu ‘Abdillah! Glory be to Allah, the Mighty! You stayed behind and prevented us from your presence, and my son said that he did not see anyone with you, and that you said you were with a group, and that you would come as soon as you were done being taught by them!”

So, Ibn al-A’rabi said:

The Middle Course

Q. What is meant by the middle course in religious matters?

A. The middle course in religious matters means that a person should not be excessive, exceeding the limits set by Allah, the Almighty, the All-Powerful, nor be deficient, by not fulfilling what Allah, the Most Glorified, the Most High has ordained.

The middle course in religious matters is to hold fast to the way of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam, while excess in religious matters is to exceed it, and deficiency is not to attain it.

An example of this is that a man says: I want to stand for the night prayer and I will not sleep any of the time, because prayer is one of the best forms of worship, so I love to spend all the night in prayer. We say: This is excess in the religion of Allah, and it is not right, for something like this happened during the life of the Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam: A number of people met and one of them said: I stand in prayer and I do not sleep, while another said: I fast and I do not break my fast, while a third said: I do not marry women. The Prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam was informed of this and he salAllahu alayhi wa sallam said:

The Signs of Beneficial Knowledge

Ask yourself about how much you share from the signs of beneficial knowledge, which are as follows:

 

1. Implementing it.

 2. Hatred of being praised, complimented, or displaying haughtiness over others.

3. Increasing your modesty with the increase of your knowledge.

4. Fleeing from the love of leadership, fame, and worldly pleasures.

5. Abandoning the claim to have knowledge.

6. Having bad suspicions about oneself, and good suspicion about other people, so as to steer clear from disparaging them.

 

‘Abdullaah Ibn al-Mubarak used to say, in poetry if the manners of the Salaf were mentioned:

“Do not compare us to them

For the sound person who walks

is not the same as the crippled one.”

 

• The Etiquettes of Seeking Knowledge | Shaykh Bakr Aboo Zayd rahimahullaah

Age of Gentleness, Patience, and Wisdom

“This day and age is a day and age of being gentle, of being patient, and of having wisdom. It is not a day and age of being harsh and strict. The majority of the people are in a state of ignorance and neglect influenced by the worldly affairs of this life. So it is necessary to have patience and it is necessary to be gentle until the call has reached and been conveyed to the people and that they come to understanding. We ask Allah to grant everyone guidance.”

ash-Shaykh Bin Baaz (rahimahullah)
Majmoo’ Fataawaa Vol. 8 page 376 and Vol. 10 page 91

Why We Can’t Attach Our Feet In Salaah

…and from it is the saying of Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, in a Sunnah from the Sunan of Salaat; and it is the spacing in the Salaat; that a Muslim stands beside his Muslim brother and attaches his feet, knees and shoulders to his brother without being excessive or negligent, as was legislated by the Messenger – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – who said:

“You will straighten your lines or Allaah will separate between your hearts or faces.”

This is why when the hearts have become separated during this time, so did the feet. Why is it that we can’t attach our feet to each other’s feet? It is because our hearts are detached from one another, if our hearts were attached to one another, our feet would also be attached. This is why if a person who loves you and whom you love were to put his foot over yours, you would not get upset, you would not say; ‘why is he bothering me’, this is because your heart loves him. But because there is a detachment between you and him, you cannot stand that he attaches his foot to yours let alone that he puts his foot over yours.

This is why Anas, may Allaah be pleased with him, when he describes his state at the time of the Messenger of Allaah – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – and his state after that, he says; “At the time of the Messenger – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam – we would attach our feet to our brother’s feet, and our knees to our brother’s knees, and our shoulders to our brother’s shoulders, in obedience to the Messenger’s orders – salAllahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, but if we were to do so today, he would escape like an obstinate mule.”

By Allaah I saw with my own eyes here in Madeenah, a man wanted to attach his foot to his brother’s foot, by Allaah his brother cut his Salaat, he cut his Salaat and left the whole first line and went to the second line. He left the first line to escape this Sunnah, and the cause of this is ignorance, may Allaah preserve you. This is why we must teach the people the Sunnah of the Prophet – salAllaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

• Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Abdil Wahhaab Al Aqeel | Reference: Audio Tape | Source: SubulasSalaam

Sins Generate More Sins

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:  

 

Sins generate more sins, and one leads to another, until they overpower a man and he finds it difficult to repent from that. As one of the earlier generation said: One of the punishments of bad deeds is more bad deeds, and one of the rewards of good deeds is more good deeds. 

 

Al-Jawaab al-Kaafi (p. 36)

Death is Upon Us

Don’t you know that protection, tomorrow, will be limited to those who feared Allaah [today], and to those who sold something ephemeral for something permanent, something small for something great, and fear for protection? Don’t you realize that you are the descendants of those who have perished, that those who remain will take their place after you, and that this will continue until you are all returned to Allaah? ‘Umar ibn ‘Abdul ‘Azeez                 

 

Death is upon us, but you wouldn’t think it so. We lie intoxicated by the dunya and its many trappings. We live our fast-paced lives, in its hustle and bustle, with little time to halt – to ponder and reflect over imminent realities. We think we are guaranteed tomorrow, and the next day, and indeed the day after next. Ironically, we find such certainty in the future, in the longevity of our lives, while in fact, the only thing in which we have true yaqeen (certainty) is our own demise – those empty graves which we will occupy in the depths of the cold, merciless earth.    

            

Death comes unexpected, without a warning. Even still, most deal with death as if it is a far-off reality, when indeed none know its appointed time. Perhaps it is the pleasures of this life that make us blind to the reality of what comes after.  Some abhor the topic and frown upon its mention, for it brings them back to the hard-hitting reality of their end, and detracts from the ‘fun’ they engage in.  Be that as it may, the uncontested fact – whether or not we wish to acknowledge it – is that we shall die: 

 

The Righteous will die,and the wicked will die …The warriors who fight jihaad will die,and those who sit at home will die …Those who busy themselves with correct belief will die,and those who treat the people as their slaves will die …The brave who reject injustice will die,and the cowards who seek to cling onto this life at any price will die …The people of great concern and lofty goals will die,and the wretched people who live only for cheap enjoyment will die …1

 

 

I Defeat My Opponents With Three

It was related that a man said to Haatim al Asam: “You are a non-Arab who cannot speak fluently, but no one has debated you except that you silenced him, so how do you defeat your opponents?”

He said: “With three:

1.       I am pleased when my opponent is correct,

2.      I am sad when he is incorrect,

3.      And I preserve my tongue from saying anything that offends him.”

Al Imaam Ahmad stated: “What a wise man he is.”

Al Khateeb al Baghdaadee stated: “A person’s intention should be to clarify the truth when debating, not to defeat his opponent.”

Al Imaam ash Shaafi’ee said: “I did not debate anyone while hoping that he would err.”

He also said: “I never spoke to anyone except that I hoped that he would be granted success and supported. I never spoke to anyone except that I didn’t mind whether Allaah clarified the truth upon my tongue or his.”

Al Hafidh ibn Rajab comments: “This indicates that he did not have any intention except the clarification of the truth, even if it were from the person who is debating and contradicting him. Whoever is of this state would not dislike it when his opinions are refuted and when his contradiction to the Sunnah is clarified, not while alive or after his death. This is also what we think of the other Imaams of Islaam, those who defended Islaam and supported it whether they were from the Salaf or those who came after them. They also never used to dislike those who contradicted them as long as they were following evidence, even though the evidence was not strong enough for them to follow or leave their own evidence for.”

• Reference: The Difference between Advising and Degrading by Ibn Rajab al Hanbali | Al Faqee wal Mutafaqih by al Khateeb al Baghdaadee
• Source: SubulasSalaam

I Acquire Books, But Do Not Read Them

Question: I am a man who has – All Praise be to Allaah – many beneficial books and reference works, yet I do not read them, instead, I choose just a few of them. Am I guilty of sin in keeping these books in my house, bearing in mind that some people borrow some of these books and benefit from them, after which, they return them to me?

Answer: There is no sin upon the Muslim in collecting beneficial books and keeping them with him in his library in order to refer to them, benefit from them, and to lend them to those who visit him among the educated people so that they might benefit from them. Nor is there any sin upon him if he does not refer to them much. As for lending them to reliable people, who benefit from them, this is a lawful action and a means of getting closer to Allaah, the Glorified, since it supports the acquisition of knowledge and because this is included in the Words of Allaah, the Most High: “Help you one another in Al-Birr and At-Taqwa (virtue, righteousness and piety)” [Al-Ma'idah(5): 2]

And the words of the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam: “Allaah helps the worshipper so long as the worshipper helps his brother.” (Muslim no. 2699)  

• Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz | Fatawa Islamiyah, Vol.1, p.367, DARUSSALAM

Shaykh Uthaymeen (Rahimahullaah) – His Humbleness