Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles

(Thalaathatul-Usool)Transcribed from Classes by Shaykh Ahmad

Musa Jibril

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Class One.....................................................................................................................1Introduction.................................................................................................................1The Basmalah...............................................................................................................51. Tawheed in Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem........................................................5

A. Tawheed Al-Uloohiyyah...........................................................................................5B. Tawheed Ar-Rububiyyah..........................................................................................6C. Tawheed Al-Asmaa Was-Sifaat................................................................................6

2. Linguistic Rules in Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem..............................................6A. Al-Jaar wal-Majroor fil-Basmalah Muta’alliqun Bimahthoof Taqdeeruhu Fi’il Laa’iqun Bilmaqaam...................................................................................................................6B. Ta’kheer Al-‘Aamil Yufeed Al-Hasr...........................................................................7

3. Proofs for Beginning with the Basmalah...................................................................7A. It is in Accordance with the Qur’an..........................................................................8B. The Prophet Sallallahu ‘Alayhi Wa Sallam Began his Letters with Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem...................................................................................................8

4. The Blessing in the Basmalah....................................................................................9Class Two...................................................................................................................105. Do we say Bismillah or Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem?...................................106. The Name Allah......................................................................................................13

A. Allah is The Sole Title for the Lord that Fashioned Everything...............................13B. The Root of the Name Allah...................................................................................14C. Allah uses Allah and Rabb in the Qur’an................................................................14D. Allah is Different to any other Names....................................................................15E. The Name Allah by Itself is not a Dhikr..................................................................15F. Allah is the Name that All His Other Names Follow...............................................15G. Aspects of Tawheed in the Name Allah.................................................................15H. The Mighty Name Allah.........................................................................................16

7. Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem..................................................................................18A. Ar-Rahmaan...........................................................................................................18B. Ar-Raheem.............................................................................................................18C. Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem.................................................................................19

8. The Mercy of Allah.................................................................................................21A. The Attribute of Mercy..........................................................................................21B. The Mercy of Allah.................................................................................................22C. Attaining the Mercy of Alah...................................................................................23

Class Three.................................................................................................................24Know May Allah Have Mercy on you..........................................................................241. The Importance of Knowledge................................................................................25

2. The Definition of Knowledge..................................................................................283. The Use of the Word I’lam......................................................................................28

A. Is Knowledge Conveyed to other than Humans?...................................................29B. Can you say I’lam to Someone More Knowledgeable?..........................................31

3. The Levels of Knowledge: Ibn Al-Qayyim................................................................314. The Honour of Knowledge......................................................................................335. The Example of the Scholars...................................................................................37

A. Jaabir and Abu Ayyub............................................................................................37B. Muhammad bin Hassan Ash-Shaybaani.................................................................39C. Asad ibn Al-Furaat..................................................................................................39D. Sa’eed ibn Musayyib, Ar-Raazi and Al-Bukhari......................................................40E. An-Nawawi, Lisaan ad-Deen ibn Khateeb and Mu’adh ibn Jabal...........................41F. Sulaymaan ibn Abdul Malik the Khalifah and Ataa’ ibn Rabah...............................42G. Al-Kasaa’ee and the Sons of the Khalifah..............................................................43H. Ash-Shaafi’ee and Ibn Jawzi...................................................................................43

6. Rahimak Allah........................................................................................................44A. Maghfirah and Rahmah.........................................................................................44B. Do you say Rahimak Allah to a Non Muslim?.........................................................45C. Why did he say Rahimak Allah?.............................................................................46

CLASS ONE

INTRODUCTION

As we promised, this is the start of the explanation on the Usool Ath-Thalaathah, the three fundamental principles. As you all know, it is a booklet, not a book, a booklet on Tawheed, and we’ve mentioned it many times. It is very small in words but has some great, great meanings. These meanings, no one can be ignorant of. Scholars have always discussed this book and taught it among the first that is taught in Tawheed. If you really look into the three principles, what he means about those principles, they are in reality the matters you are going to be asked about in your grave. So you need to know, really as best as one knows, those three principles, and you need to apply them, so when you are asked about them in the grave, you quickly go through them Inshaa Allah Ta’aala.

We start gradually because knowledge in Islam is to be taken gradual, you don’t wake up overnight an ‘Aalim or a Shaykh. Ibn Abd-al-Barr, in his book al-Jami’ said Az-Zuhri said, whoever seeks to get knowledge in a lump sum overnight, it leaves him, knowledge leaves him, it ends up leaving him in a lump sum. Knowledge is to be attained slowly, over days and nights. Knowledge needs patience, it needs persistence, it is a step by step process. You don’t go for example to some in depth ‘Aqeedah books and then you’re getting frustrated, and facing complex matters you can’t break down, which you would have been able to do had you went in a step by step process. Some brothers tell me they are studying ‘Aqeedah books, Tawheed books that Ulamaa’ have had a hard time breaking down. And the bigger problem is they are studying it on their own, and to top that off, they are not even studying it in the language of the author. So explain to me how you can understand it like that? If you are unable to get to a teacher, which many, especially in this day and age, they can’t get to a teacher, that’s a whole different story but you still need to at least know how to start.

Now this is a starter book on Tawheed. Even though you can sit and read this book right now, before I even finish this introduction you can probably have the book done, reading it; it still needs to be broken down, sentence by sentence, so the student of knowledge understands the deep meaning of what that book really entails. If you start in the step by step process, and you find it difficult, which you may find, never ever give up. The simple book that you have before your hand, I studied it cover to cover with eleven different Shuyookh, and portions of it I studied with even more than that, but the entire booklet with eleven different Shuyookh. Al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in his book al-Jami’ narrated, a student of knowledge went to the Shuyookh of Hadith to learn. He found knowledge of Hadith is very difficult, he got frustrated and he said this is not for me. One day he was walking, casual walk, and he seen water dripping on a stone, maybe a spring. If you’ve ever seen a spring, especially where water has been dripping on a stone for years and years, or even if you look

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at a fountain, it has been dripping on a stone or even cement, it dents it, it dents the cement or the rock over the years, water. He said to himself, wow, look at that, water as light as it is, soft, mild, it affected the stone as hard as it is. He said knowledge is softer and lighter than water and my heart and my mind are not as hard as the rock. He went back to studying Hadith and became a very well reputable, famous scholar of Hadith.

Start gradually, and as you go on, move patiently, move forward patiently. This is the start of the classical study we mentioned and it is to create, I’m not going to say students of knowledge, Inshaa Allah it is to create Ulamaa’. The other lectures we did and we will continue to do, like the University of Yusuf, The Ultimate Pleasure, The Love and Fear Series, the question and answers. They are informative, inspirational, there is definitely knowledge in them but that is not what makes an ‘Aalim. Those kind of lectures are not what can make an ‘Aalim. If you hear a lecture here and there and attend a two day seminar, an event and trailer here and there, that is good but if that is what makes an ‘Aalim, the whole Ummah is Ulamaa’ because your fathers have been attending Jumu’ah for about fifty, sixty years. And they’ve been attending lectures between Maghrib and Ishaa’ for a similar time. There is a structured study to becoming a student of knowledge and ‘Aalim. There is an uncountable number of benefits in studying Islam in the classical way.

This is a step by step process that will encompass the Madinah program Inshaa Allah and even more than that Bi’ithnihi Ta’aala, if Allah blesses us to continue. The next issue, many people, and I really say it with no exaggeration Alhamdulillah, from all over the world, they want to come and study with you, with us; especially from UK, Europe, parts of the US and even some Arabic countries. And I, as you know, we don’t have resources and a very well established place to accommodate such number of students, yet. My father has taught me and done so throughout his career, never to charge or take anything for Da’wah, whether it may be a marriage or seminars or lectures, or classes like this or even more than that. So you can study with us through the internet until Allah finds us a way out. Why I mentioned this is because many ask is it the same as studying with you.

Back in the day, the students of knowledge had three levels of studying:

Samaa al-Mubaashir: Immediately learning from a Shaykh, those who are attending, that is Sama al-Mubaashir. That is the best, the reward in itself for that is immense.

Al-Waasitah: Between you and the Shaykh is a mediator, so if one of you goes and conveys this whole message to another person, that is Waasitah. You were the mediator between me and that person you taught. Some used to do that, especially business men or farmers, they would take turns in learning and teaching each other.

Wijaadah: To find a book written by a Shaykh and study from it.

Now where does learning for example, from a Shaykh on Youtube come in? In my opinion, it is higher than number two, because you’re not learning through a mediator, you’re learning

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from a Shaykh but you are learning possibly through the internet. And it’s definitely not Wijaadah, it’s not taking a book and studying from it. So it’s really between the number one and number two. Through the internet one can even interact these days through emails, or he can call the Shaykh that he is learning from, so in reality, it has become a notch under Samaa al-Mubaashir. That is not to minimise going to a Shaykh. One should not resort to Wijaadah or Waasitah or any other means if he can find a direct Shaykh. If you find a righteous Shaykh, you are able to, and he is in the end of the world, you pack your bags and go if you are able to go and learn from him. If Allah blesses us in the future, we can accommodate, we would love for everyone Inshaa Allah to join us. Learning from a Shaykh in person has its benefits also, like you see his private life, you see his manners, you see his attitude, you see his Ibaadah, you see how he reacts to things.

My father, outside of the regular Madinah curriculum when he sent me, he made sure to contact the major Shuyookh of our time, many of them who are dead, and made sure that I study with them. The last one for example was Shaykh Muqbil, that he wanted me to go attend and I always used to make Du’aa to learn from him but I wasn’t able to go to Yemen. He was kicked out of Saudi in the late seventies, and I wasn’t able to go to Yemen. So Subhan Allah, in the year two thousand, he came to Los Angeles, California to get medical treatment. I immediately headed there and stayed with him in his house, then suddenly in the middle of the treatment, it was Dhul Hijjah so he decided to go to Makkah, make Hajj and return. And when he went to Makkah, an article broke out in California, some newspaper that Shaykh Muqbil was a radical, was this and that, is in United States, how they let him in. So immediately, the embassy in Saudi revoked his visa. I say Inshaa Allah that was possibly from my Du’aa because right after, a few weeks later he died, Rahmatullahi ‘Alayh. So I think Inshaa Allah, I always think of it and say Alhamdulillah, it might have been my Du’aa that he came all the way from Yemen to LA, for medical treatment, I learned from him, then he went back and shortly thereafter he died. So if you can pursue a reputable, righteous Shaykh who fears Allah and is not a lowlife deluded sell out modernist or a promoter for the Kufr, or Kuffar, or those who work for governments; if you can find that, then surely go ahead and learn from him and follow him even if he is in the end of the globe.

The Salaf used to consider a negative characteristic for one to study from books alone, that is considered negative because they said, if your Shaykh is your book, your mistakes are more than your correctness. When Shaykh ibn ‘Uthaymeen was asked about one who studies through audio tape, he encouraged it, but he said, learning direct is better because you can discuss and ask. So that factor that he said it is better because you can discuss and ask, you can apply that today because you can ask us, you can email us, and you can call us by phone and ask, and those who are in the classical study with us will get precedence in answering their questions Inshaa Allah Ta’aala.

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The next thing is, those of you who attended here without pen and paper, you need to go get your pen and paper. Invest in some pen and paper and write, or you can like some here are doing on their laptop, taking notes, or even on their phone taking notes. Whatever method you use, you should document down your knowledge. You should try your best even possibly to type verbatim, and that is your back up. jotting down notes on your laptop is great. One time I was in California in north Carolina, and a brother was on his phone so back then I was just recently getting into the technology, a few months ago, and I sort of scolded him for using the text. And he showed me after the lecture, he came respectfully to me and showed me his phone, he said look Shaykh, this was all the notes from your lecture. I said Subhan Allah because back then I didn’t know they also used phones to take notes. So, one needs to write down his knowledge.

When I was seven years old, an Iraqi student with my father, I was in Madinah, my father was a student. He came to me and told me your father is a lion, your father, in class he writes every single word down. And then I used to notice my father in the Haram, in his classes outside the university where I seen him, he would write everything down and always have an audio recording, record every single lecture and we still have the tapes until today. So I took it upon myself to do the same, I never ever sat before a Shaykh where I did not write every single thing he said. There are some exceptional things you don’t write, or that you miss, but I tried my best to write verbatim everything. In fact, I always refer to my notes that I took from Shuyookh, and writing is the trend of the Salaf.

Abdullah ibn Amr used to write the Hadith of the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam until Quraysh deterred him from that. Then the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, proceed and write, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam encouraged him to write the Hadith. In Sunan Daarimi, Mu’aawiyah ibn Qurrah ibn Ilyaas , he said, if you don’t write knowledge, your knowledge is not considered nothing. Those who don’t write knowledge, their knowledge is not considered nothing. They may have possibly meant Hadith, but even if they did mean that, it still applies to this kind of study that we are doing today. Sa’eed ibn Jubayr used to write what he hears in sand, if he doesn’t have nothing to write it down, and when daylight breaks or he finds something to write it down he goes and writes it down. And similar things about writing is narrated by al-Muwardi, al-Khalil ibn Ahmad and others. They encouraged knowledge to be documented.

We will start slow, today will be a little bit longer than usual because of this introduction but we will start slow and pick up speed as time goes by. This is like I said, the first of our classical study Inshaa Allah. Everyone should also have a copy of this book, and now Alhamdulillah these days you don’t have to go out and buy it, you can go ahead on the internet and print it, I think it’s about five pages or so in English or close to that. To avoid confusion, before I start, the author starts with four matters before he gets to the three matters, he starts with an introduction of four matters. Then he goes and talks about the

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three matters, which is the core book, and then there is an ending and a conclusion at the end of the book that we will talk about Inshaa Allah Ta’aala.

The book like I said, is no more than five pages but it has great immense benefits. We will take it line by line, possibly even word by word. Today, we are only going to take Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem, or even I don’t think we are going to Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem, so we’ll probably take Bismillah. He starts off with Bismillah, Basmalah. Bismillah is called the Basmalah. The author starts with Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem and we’re going to break that down point by point. We want to understand as students of knowledge, as students of knowledge, your understanding to do Bismillah is not like any regular person. There is 1.5 or 1.8 billion Muslims that are outside, and if you ask them, why do you say Bismillah, many may not even know that. As a student of knowledge, you are supposed to get the entire perspective, as to why you are saying Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem to everything. Now you should come out with a different understanding as to why you say Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem.

THE BASMALAH

حيم حمن الر ه الر بسم الل

1. TAWHEED IN BISMILLAHI AR-RAHMAAN AR-RAHEEM

A. TAWHEED AL-ULOOHIYYAH

When you say Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem, you are exerting your entire Tawheed to Allah in that matter that you are saying Bismillah to. It has all aspects of Tawheed in it. You are saying when you say Bismillah, you say Bismillah, Allah permits me to do this. Athin Allahu Li. Bismillah, and if Allah did not permit me, I would not do it. So when you are saying Bismillah, you are saying, I’m doing it for the sake of Allah because Allah permitted me to do this. Allah allowed me to do this, Athin Allahu Li. I’m doing it for your sake Ya Allah because you permitted me, you allowed me to do this. That is why you don’t say Bismillah when you are committing a sin, may Allah guard us and protect us from that. But if someone is drinking alcohol, they don’t say Bismillah. You don’t say Bismillah because if you say Bismillah, you are actually getting two sins. You are saying Bismillah, that Allah permitted you and Allah never permitted that, and you are getting the actual sin for drinking the alcohol. So, you are getting two sins if you do say Bismillah. Even though, believe it or not it is a trend in some countries, in some Muslim countries that they say Bismillah before drinking alcohol.

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So that is Tawheed Uloohiyyah, Bismillah, Allah permitted me to do this, I’m doing this for the sake of Allah. So we are doing this by the permission of Allah, this is Tawheed Uloohiyyah.

B. TAWHEED AR-RUBUBIYYAH

When you write down, who gave you the power to write? Allah gave you the power to write. So when you say Bismillah, you are saying, I could not have done this without the power Allah has given me. Bismillah, I do this by the power Allah has given me. Bismillah, I eat, because Allah has given me this provision, and because had it not been for the power Allah has given me, I would not be able to chew it. Bismillah, I write because if it was not for Allah giving me the power, my hand would not be able to move, it would be paralysed. That is like saying Laa hawla wa la quwwata illah billah, if it was not for His power, I would not have done this act, the power that Allah has given me to do this act. That is why Allah says:

ه ...وما بكم من نعمة فمن اللEvery provision is from Allah. So that is the second aspect, that is Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah in Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem.

C. TAWHEED AL-ASMAA WAS-SIFAAT

You are seeking blessing by the name of Allah, Bismillah, you are using the Name of Allah to bless whatever you’re doing. When you are using the Name of Allah and then following, which we will take later, Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem, those are names, qualities and attributes of Allah that we will discuss Inshaa Allah. So you are using the Name of Allah to bless the act you are doing, that is Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat. That applies to any matter that you say Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem to, any matter you say Basmalah to. Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem is called Basmalah. When I say Bismillah to eat, or to sit an exam for example, I say Bismillah to bless that matter, to bless the test that I am taking. That is Asmaa was-Sifaat. Allah gave me the power to eat or to write, that is Rububiyyah. I do this for the sake of Allah, by the permission of Allah, he permitted me to do this, it is Halaal so I am doing it, that is Tawheed Uloohiyyah. And likewise, take it for everything else. You understand now, when you say Bismillah, now you’re going to get a different perspective of what you used to say Bismillah before. Sometimes you’re saying it because you read a Hadith to say it, now you understand why you are saying it.

2. LINGUISTIC RULES IN BISMILLAHI AR-RAHMAAN AR-RAHEEM

A. AL-JAAR WAL-MAJROOR FIL-BASMALAH MUTA’ALLIQUN BIMAHTHOOF TAQDEERUHU FI’IL LAA’IQUN BILMAQAAM

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ت'ق'د'ي'ر'ه' الجار و المجرور في البسملة متعلق بمحذوف،ب'ا'ل'م'ق'ا'م' الئق ف'ع'ل'

The Baa in Bismillah is Isti’aanah and Tawakkul, the Baa. To seek help, and dependence on Allah. The grammatical rule in Arabic is Al-Jaar wal-Majroor fil-Basmalah Muta’alliqun Bimahthoof Taqdeeruhu Fi’l Laa’iqun Bilmaqaam.

When you say Bismillah in Arabic, it automatically implies you are saying, Bismillah I eat, Bismillah I drink, Bismillah I write. You don’t have to say the act that you are saying Bismillah to it, you don’t have to specify, I eat, I drink, I write. The Arabic language eliminates the need to mention the act you are saying Bismillah to, it is automatically implied. You don’t have to say the word I eat, you don’t have to say the word I drink, it is automatically implied in Bismilllah. That is among the beauties of the Arabic language.

When you eat, and you say Bismillah, it is like saying Bismillah I eat, even though you don’t tag on the word I eat. I want you to understand this fully, if you are writing, and you say Bismillah, it automatically means Bismillah, I write. Al-Jaar wal-Majroor fil-Basmalah Muta’alliqun Bimahthoof Taqdeeruhu Fi’l Laa’iqun Bilmaqaam, that is the Arabic grammatical rule. Now we established that rule, every time I say Bismillah, it automatically means Bismillah I eat, it automatically means Bismillah I drink if I am drinking, Bismillah I’m riding in my car. It always come after the Name of Allah, note I always said Bismillah I eat, I never said I eat Bismillah. There is a big difference. Why is it Bismillah I eat, not I eat Bismillah?

B. TA’KHEER AL-‘AAMIL YUFEED AL-HASR

تأخير العامل يفيد الحصر The scholars of Nahw said for two reasons. First of all, you start with Bismillah, the Name of Allah comes first in the sentence, Bismillah I eat, let the name of Allah come to bless it.

That slight change makes a huge difference because when you delay naming the act after, in Arabic grammar, by saying Bismillah I eat, instead of saying I eat Bismillah, in essence, it limits your action solely for the sake of Allah. The grammatical rule is Takheer Al-‘Aamil Yufeed Al-Hasad. Bismillah I eat, I don’t eat by any Name other than Your name, you limit it for the sake of Allah, only for You Allah I write. That is the difference between saying Bismillah I eat and I eat Bismillah. Only for you Ya Allah I write, only for you Ya Allah I drink, for Your sake.

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3. PROOFS FOR BEGINNING WITH THE BASMALAH

Why does he start with Bismillah, this is a matter of Ibaadah and when you do Ibaadah, the burden of proof is on you to bring proof. You have to bring proof when you are doing an Ibaadah, the burden is on the one doing the Ibaadah to bring proof.

A. IT IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE QUR’AN

There are a hundred and fourteen Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem in the Qur’an.

Even though there are a hundred and thirteen in the start of the Surahs, Tawbah doesn’t have Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem, but in Surah Naml:

حيم ) حمن الر ه الر ه بسم الل ه من سليمان وإن (٣٠إنCompensates for the one missing in Surah at-Tawbah. Ibn Abbaas said the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam did not know the beginning and end of Surah, except by Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem.

B. THE PROPHET SALLALLAHU ‘ALAYHI WA SALLAM BEGAN HIS LETTERS WITH BISMILLAHI AR-RAHMAAN AR-RAHEEM

In Bukhari, in Muslim, from Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to Heraclius, he started the letter with Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem:

ه ورسوله" حيم، من محمد عبد الل حمن الر ه الر بسم اللبع الهدى، أما وم، السالم على من ات إلى هرقل عظيم الر

"بعد When the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam made a treaty with Quraysh, Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came to do the treaty with the Prophet between him and Quraysh, he told Ali:

حيم حمن الر ه الر "" اكتب بسم اللHe told Ali, start and write and say Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem. Az-Zuhri narrated a similar Hadith like that. Ibn Hajr said it is the trend of the scholars and that which is settled upon that they always start their works with Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem.

Abu Bakr did the same, when he sent Anas ibn Malik to Bahrain, he sent a letter with him and he started it with Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem.

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And there is an Alleged Hadith that any important matter which does not start with Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem is cut off from all good. The Hadith is narrated in Ibn Hibbaan and other books and it is weak. It is weakened by Ibn Hajr, Suyooti Albaani and other scholars. Some tried hard to authenticate but it is weak. Had that hadith been, that direct hadith on starting with Bismillah been authentic, we would not have had to mention the other proofs. That Hadith would have been sufficient but because that Hadith is weak, we can’t use it as proof so we resorted to other proof to establish that saying Bismillah on matters like writing books is permissible. In fact, some scholars like I said, tried very hard to authenticate the Hadith but it is really a weak Hadith and it cannot be authenticated for many reasons that we don’t want to get into right now. In fact, there is an entire booklet on how the Hadith is weak, al-Aqawil al-Mufaṣṣalah li-Bayan Hadith al-Ibtida’ bi al-Basmalah, Shaykh Kattani, who died around eighty years ago, a famous scholar of Hadith from Maghrib, Rahmatullahi ‘Alayh.

4. THE BLESSING IN THE BASMALAH So the next point is the blessing in Basmalah, we say Bismillah to bless whatever we say Bismillah on. Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem, to bless whatever act you are doing. Islam encourages Bismillah in everything, every situation that you are in.

When you are writing, riding, when sacrificing:

ه عليه ...فكلوا مما ذكر اسم الل‘Eat from what which Allah’s Name has been mentioned on.’ When eating and drinking, in Bukhari and Muslim, Umar ibn Abi Salamah said, that the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam told him:

ه وكل بيمينك ، وكل مما يليك سم اللEven with relationship with your wife, with your spouse:

يطان ما رزقتنا ب الش يطان وجن بنا الش هم جن ه الل بسم اللWhen you’re turning the lights off, when you’re closing a bottle. Jaabir ibn Abdullah in Bukhari and Muslim said the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said close your bottle with the name of Allah, turn your light off with the Name of Allah, with Bismillah.

Get used to mentioning the Name of Allah in everything for Barakah in your life. That is one of the reasons blessing, Barakah, the blessing has been taken out of our lives. When they resort to materialistic means, we resort to Allah for our Barakah. Bismillah is your means to get Barakah from Allah in everything, Bismillah is your means to getting Barakah from Allah

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in everything you do, if u say Bismillah. If you get Allah on your side, for Barakah, what else do you need?

'ات من 'ا عليهم برك قوا لفتحن ولو أن أهل القرى آمنوا واتماء واألرض ...الس

‘If the people of the towns had believed and had they had Taqwa, certainly, we would have opened for them blessings from the Heavens and the Earth.’ Allah will open for you blessing from the Heavens and Earth, just say Bismillah, Barakah is the blessing from Allah. If you ever wonder why there is no blessing in our time these days, or in our food, or in our sleep, in our recitation of the Qur’an, ask yourself, have you been saying Allah’s Name and have you been saying it from your heart knowing its meaning? After you listen to this glimpse today, you are coming with an entirely different perspective on Basmalah.

CLASS TWO

Last week, we gave a little introduction, then we mentioned the three aspects of Tawheed in Bismillah, then we mentioned two grammatical rules in Bismillah, then we mentioned proof for initiating your actions with Bismillah, because it’s a matter of Ibaadah that needs proof, then we mentioned a portion of the blessings of Allah when you say Bismillah. We’re not done with Bismillah, and here I say, you need patience, we all need patience in our study. Sometimes we are going to pick up the pace, and sometimes we are going to slow down. Sometimes, we are going to pick up the pace because it’s obvious or in the future, we are going to study it in more detail. Sometimes, like here, we need to know it, this is our first verse in Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem. You have to fully encompass the meaning, and really, we can go into more depth in this, but we have to understand as students of knowledge, somewhat of what Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem means.

Having said that, when you do your outline, so I won’t lose count, write the topic. For example, Bismillah, and then put the numbers under it, or asterisk and the points, because it is a systematic study, it is not sporadic stuff, so organise it.

5. DO WE SAY BISMILLAH OR BISMILLAHI AR-RAHMAAN AR-RAHEEM?

The general rule is when there is no specific proof on a certain matter, you can say the entire Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem. For example, writing a book, you’re writing in day to day activity, you can say Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem not just Bismillah. It is Mustahabb, you can Bismillah or Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem. In fact, matters like writing a book, you got proof to back it up from what the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa

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sallam did in Sulh al-Hudaybiyyah to say the entire Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem. So a matter where there is no specific proof, you say Bismillah or Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem.

Now, there are matters where there is specific proof the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam only said Bismillah, Bismillah without Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem. Like eating for example, do you say Bismillah or Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem when you eat? In this matter, there is specific proof in eating. There is a Hadith in Sunan at-Tirmidhi narrated by Aishah radiallahu anha that the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, when you eat say Bismillah, if you forget it in the beginning, then say:

ه في أوله وآخره بسم اللLook at that, he didn’t say Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem. In this Hadith, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said Bismillah for eating and he repeated it twice, once if you say it originally, and the second, what to say if you forgot it. Bismillah in the beginning, and if you forget it, you say:

ه في أوله وآخره بسم اللThis Hadith is also narrated by Ibn Masood, and this Hadith, Ibn Hajr Rahimahullah said, this Hadith is the most forthright Hadith on this matter, meaning saying Bismillah when you eat. The problem for example, is an-Nawawi in his book al-Adhkaar said, it is better to say Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem when you eat than it is to say Bismillah. Ibn Taymiyyah said it is permissible to say Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem, however, Ibn Hajr commented on the statement of an-Nawawi, saying I don’t know where there is any proof to say it is better to say Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem than it is to say Bismillah.

The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said in a Hadith narrated by Samurah, If I tell you a Hadith, do not add to my saying:

م ،سمرة بن جندب عن ه عليه وسل بي صلى الل ، عن النإذا حدثتك حديثا فال تزيدن علي : " قال

Don’t add to Ahadeeth I tell you. The general meaning of it is when you learn something, don’t add to that Hadith. But it also means in application, in Ibaadah, you yourself in your private Ibaadah, don’t add. If he didn’t say Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem, don’t add. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was teaching a young boy, the Hadith we mentioned last week, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam does not hide anything, specifically when he teaches. He is a legislator, he is legislating, when he sees something he is legislating. When he told Umar ibn Abi Salamah, he said:

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ه ، وكل بيمينك ، وكل مما يليك قل : بسم الل‘Say Bismillah.’

Some say what is the big deal here, why are you making a big deal, Bismillah or Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem. This issue is an issue of Ibaadah and in Ibaadah we adhere strictly to proof because anyone who adds to Ibaadah or any matter of Islam, is like saying to Allah and the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, you don’t know, I want to add a little bit from my own. That is what you are saying when you are adding innovation in Islam.

In Hadith Muslim, Umaarah ibn Ru’aybah seen Bishr ibn Marwaan raising his hands in the pulpit on Friday. He said, may Allah disgrace those two hands:

ه هاتين اليدين ح الل قبI seen the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam on the pulpit and he never went beyond this (and he gestured with his forefinger). The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam only did this, where did you come up with this? An-Nawawi commented on this and said, the Sunnah is not to raise your hands during the Khutbah. I wrote an article on this several months ago, because a local Masjid here where I attended Jumu’ah, and a young Khateeb got up and he commented on this saying you should not raise your hands and you know, commotion broke out. How can you say don’t raise your hands? So you can refer to that article for more detail on raising your hands in general.

Even more than that, even more than the Hadith of Umaarah, Mustadarak al-Haakim, Ibn Umar radiallahu anhu saw a man sneeze, what do you say when you sneeze? Alhamdulillah, you say Alhamdulillah. The man sneezed in front of ibn Umar and says Alhamdulillahi was-Salaatu was-Salaam ‘Ala Rasoolillah, he added was-Salaatu was-Salaam ‘Ala Rasoolillah. Beautiful meaning, peace and blessing be upon the prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, what’s wrong with adding that? Some say what is wrong with adding that, it is a nice addition to Alhamdulillah. Ibn Umar deterred him from that addition, he wanted him to stick with Alhamdulillah, period. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said Alhamdulillah, period that’s it. Ibn Abdeen said it is disliked, disliked to add was-Salaatu was-Salaam ‘Ala Rasoolillah when you sneeze and say Alhamdulillah. As-Suyooti said it is affirmatively a vilified Bid’ah, Alhamdulillah was-Salaatu was-Salaam ‘Ala Rasoolillah when you sneeze, even though the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam started some of his Khutub with that. What is wrong if you add praise to the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to Alhamdulillah when you sneeze? After you sneeze, say Alhamdulillah, period, because the Prophet sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam Alhamdulillah, period. Then you go when you are done, if someone responds to you, then when you are done, go and say as-Salaatu was-Salaam ‘Ala Rasoolillah a thousand times.

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Here we have the issue of eating, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is telling Umar ibn Abi Salamah:

ه وكل بيمينك إذا أكلت فقل : بسم اللHe didn’t say Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem. So u have the hadith of Aishah, and Ibn Masood, the Hadith Ibn Hajr said is the most forthright Hadith on this issue. So, it is best to stick with what the hadith said.

There are some other matters where the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam specified only Bismillah. For example, relationship with your spouse, in Bukhari and Muslim:

يطان ما رزقتنا ب الش يطان وجن بنا الش هم جن ه الل بسم الل When you go to the bathroom:

ي أعوذ بك من الخبث والخبائث هم إن ه ، الل بسم اللLook how Bismillah is specific in those. Other than these matters, where there is no specific proof or a Hadith just mentioning Bismillah alone, you are free to mention the entire Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem. Where the Hadith limits it to Bismillah, stick to Bismillah.

6. THE NAME ALLAH

A. ALLAH IS THE SOLE TITLE FOR THE LORD THAT FASHIONED EVERYTHING

Allah is a name that is only for Allah.

طبر ''ده واص'' ماوات واألرض وم''ا بينهم''ا فاعب رب الس''ا ) (٦٥لعبادته هل تعلم له سمي

Do you know anyone who is similar to Him? You know what that question is, this question at the end of this verse has:

ا هل تعلم له سمي It is not a question that needs an answer, it is like a rhetorical question, it is a question that is used to make a point. Some scholars said the meaning of, do you know of any similar to Him is that there is no one other than Allah with the name Allah.

B. THE ROOT OF THE NAME ALLAH

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Allah is derivative from the word Ilaah, the word is Ilaah as ibn al-Qayyim and others said. Ilaah is from Uloohiyyah, oneship, Ilaah is oneship, that is the root word of Allah. Sibawayh said Alif and Laam were added to Ilaah as an honour and Ta’dheem to Allah. When you add it, you add the Shaddah then and you take one of the Hamzah out so it becomes Allah.

C. ALLAH USES ALLAH AND RABB IN THE QUR’AN

Look at how the Qur’an uses Allah, and at other times it uses Rabb. When Musa went to get the fire, his family were cold and he wanted light and fire, Allah says in the Qur’an:

ك بالواد المقدس طوى ) ك فاخلع نعليك إن ي أنا رب (١٢إنVerily Musa, I am your Lord, He uses Lordship because the setting was that of Lordship. Allah wanted to tell Musa, I take care of you, I sustain you, He is telling Musa, I protect you. What are those aspects of? I guard you, I nourish you. Then shortly thereafter, Allah uses Allah in the same talk to Musa. He says, I have chosen you so listen to that which will be revealed to you:

(١٣وأنا اخترتك فاستمع لما يوحى )Verily, I am Allah:

ه ال إله إال أنا ني أنا الل …إنThe second time, Allah says I am Allah, not Rabbuka, why? He said that a few moments ago, Rabb, now He is saying Allah. First, Musa was afraid so Allah is telling him, I take care of you, protect you, maintain you and sustain you. Second statement, was in a speech where Allah was telling Musa what is requested of Musa. That means Musa, you need to do this, you need to do that. What are those aspects of? Uloohiyyah, so Allah uses Allah. The verse said:

(١٤فاعبدني وأقم الصالة لذكري )…Worship me Musa, perform Salah, what are those? When you do those, they entail Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah. So that is why Allah said in the first one Rabbuka and in the second one, He said:

ه ني أنا الل إنHe could have used either one but these are to show you how sensitive the Qur’an is and how Allah and Rabb are used.

D. ALLAH IS DIFFERENT TO ANY OTHER NAMES

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When you call Allah, you say Ya Allah, with the Alif and Laam before, meaning ‘The’. Linguistic scholars and scholars of the Salaf all said, you say Ya Allah. Do you ever say Ya Al-Jabbaar, Ya Al-Kareem? No, you say Ya Ar-Raheem, you say Ya Al-Kareem? You say Ya Raheem, Ya Kareem, you take out ‘Al’. In Allah, you say Ya Allah with the Alif and Laam before it, unique, unlike any other of Allah’s Names. Some like at-Tahhaawi, ibn al-Qayyim, used that as proof to substantiate that that is the mighty name of Allah, the one if one uses it to make a supplication, Allah will answer. We will talk about that Inshaa Allah in the future when we talk about Asmaa and Sifaat in detail.

E. THE NAME ALLAH BY ITSELF IS NOT A DHIKR

It is in Du’aa, it is in praise, it is in glorification, it is in the Shahaadah, but it is not by itself a form of Dhikr that we were taught by the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. So you don’t go and say one hundred times Allah, Allah, Allah. You don’t hold the beads and say one hundred times, Allah. You say Alhamdulillah, you say Bismillah, you say Laa ilaaha illallah, you say Ya Allah, I need this, but Allah, Allah, Allah alone is not a form of Dhikr that we were taught.

F. ALLAH IS THE NAME THAT ALL HIS OTHER NAMES FOLLOW

Allah does not follow any of the other names. The name Allah does not follow any of the other names, the other names of Allah follow the name Allah. Let me explain it with an example because you might have heard this statement before, but an example is going to clear the confused faces that I see. Al-Quddoos, Al-Azeez, Al-Jabbaar, Al-Khaaliq, all those are names of Allah. You don’t say Allah is the name of Al-Azeez, you don’t say that. You don’t say Allah is the name of Ar-Rahmaan. You flip it, you say Al-Quddoos is the name of Allah. The first was improper to say, this one, Al-Azeez is the name of Allah, Ar-Rahmaan is the name of Allah. So the other names follow the name of Allah.

G. ASPECTS OF TAWHEED IN THE NAME ALLAH

We previously said in the last class that Bismillah entails all three aspects of Tawheed, you submit all three forms of Tawheed in Allah for any matter you say Bismillah. That is the same Bismillah Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem, or even Bismillah, we mentioned that in the last class.

Now we are going to say the name Allah includes believing in all three types of Tawheed, implies that you must believe in all three types of Tawheed. Not even the name Allah, the root of Allah, Ilaah, is the three types of Tawheed. That entails that you must believe in all Tawheed. Tawheed ar-Rububiyyah is included as part of Tawheed al-Uloohiyyah, but the opposite is not true. So, Ilaah, the root word of Allah is Uloohiyyah, oneship. Included in the oneship is Rububiyyah, you go two Tawheed there. Then Allah, the name itself is Asmaa, so

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that is Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat. That is three Tawheed in the name of Allah, not even Allah, in the root name of Allah, Ilaah.

H. THE MIGHTY NAME ALLAH

Allah is mentioned in the Qur’an two thousand, six hundred and two times according to al-Muʻjam al-Mufahras. It is the most popular name of Allah, the name chosen out of all the names to say your Shahaadah, when you say Shahaadah, Ash-hadu alla ilaaha illallah, chosen to say your Shahaadah.

When you utter that name, you are not uttering just any name, you are uttering the name of the Majestic, the Reverent, the Sublime, Allah. Allah is the name you shout when you are in fear to gain safety. Allah is the name that if you mention it in something scarce, seeking it to be blessed, it becomes plenty and even more, the name that those who in fear call to attain security. The name that those call for relief when they are in distress, when they are in anguish, when they are in agony, in sorrow, Allah, you call Allah, nobody troubled or worried calls the name of Allah except that Allah relieves his troubles and his worries, Allah. Not a poor, that clings on to the name of Allah except that Allah makes him affluent. Not an ill, who clings on to the name of Allah except that he becomes healthy. The name when a distressed calls, he gets provided with safety. Allah, the name when a weak calls that name, He gives him power and honour, when an oppressed uses that name and calls that name, Allah, He grants him victory. Allah is the name to call when you want mercy, call Allah. Allah is the name to call for abundance and blessings, Allah. Allah is the name you call when you want to cleanse your sins, Allah. Allah is not any ordinary name.

If one comprehended the name of Allah, He would live in ultimate happiness, the meanings of the name of Allah. When you make Allah magnificent in your heart, your heart becomes the strongest, most firm, most pure heart, and at the same time it becomes a merciful heart because it has Allah in it. Allah, is not any ordinary name. A heart that truly knows the meaning of Allah could never belittle a sin, if it truly knows Allah, the name Allah. When you say Bismillah by Fard from Allah, you say Allah’s name by Fard seventeen times. Bismillah, you have to say seventeen times a day in your Salah, al-Faatihah. In addition to tens of times you got to say it as Sunnah, recommendation. Don’t think it is just another normal word you are uttering, Allah is not a normal word you are uttering. Some have a higher regard when they are mentioning the names of their bosses and their kings and their spouses and their president, than they do when they mention Allah’s name. Check your level of your Emaan by knowing your feeling when you hear the name of Allah.

''ون ذين ال يؤمن ''وب ال ت قل مأز ه وح''ده اش'' ''ر الل وإذا ذك ...باآلخرة

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‘When Allah’s name alone is mentioned, the hearts of those who do not believe, are filled with disgust.’ The level of gratification, the level of comfort, the level of content, the level of tranquillity and happiness you feel when the name of Allah is mentioned, tells you the level of Emaan you have in your heart because of that verse. You are saying the name of the one who raised seven skies with no pillars to hold them up, when you are saying Allah. You are saying the name of the one who lowered seven earths under you by the word:

كن فيكون And then He created you from emitted semen, as beautiful, and in the best of all stature. Let that go through your mind every time you hear of a sentence with Allah in it. More importantly, remember that when you say Allah:

ه حق قدره واألرض جميعا ...وما قدروا اللThey underestimate, don’t be like those who underestimate Allah, don’t ever be like that when you hear His name, it is something big, it is something huge. They make not a just estimate of Allah,

واألرض جميعا قبضته يوم القيامة... And the Day of the Resurrection, the whole earth will be grasped in His hand.

ات بيمينه ماوات مطوي ...والسAnd the heavens will be rolled up in his right hand.

(٦٧سبحانه وتعالى عما يشركون ) Glorified be He, and high above those who attribute a partner to Him.

7. AR-RAHMAAN AND AR-RAHEEM

A. AR-RAHMAAN

Rahmaan is the one who has the complete mercy, mercy that encompasses everything. This name is unique in that it is among the exclusive names to Allah, Ar-Rahmaan is an exclusive name to Allah. It is a name particular to Allah, Wasf, description, like an adjective of mercy. Owner of the great, vast, ultimate, extensive mercy. The ultimate complete mercy that is exclusive to no one other than Allah, that is a Rahmaan.

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Words in Arabic that are on the scale of Fa’laan indicate vastness and abundance, extensive. Meaning, the words that rhyme with the world Fa’laan. Like Rahmaan, Fa’laan, you see how they rhyme. For example, take it in how it pertains to human beings, Ghadhbaaan, which is on the rhythm of Fa’laan, Sakraan which is on the rhythm of Fa’laan, you notice how they all rhyme. They all rhyme, when you say Ghadhbaan it means anger but not just anger, complete, enraged, ultimate anger. Atshaan, thirsty, utmost, entire, complete, full thirst. Likewise, Ar-Rahmaan, and Allah of course has supreme examples, it means a high scale of mercy that only belongs to Allah. Ar-Rahmaan is mentioned in the Qu’ran fifty seven times according to Muʻjam al-Mufahras.

B. AR-RAHEEM

Ar-Raheem is a name which refers to the action, meaning the one whose mercy reaches to others. This name applies to Allah but restrictly applies to others, and it is mentioned one hundred and fourteen times in the Qur’an, like I said, according to Muʻjam al-Mufahras.

The mercy that encompasses His creation, this word is on the scale of Fa’eel. This one here is on Fa’eel, Raheem. In Arabic, words on the scale of Fa’eel are a form, they take it to a form of being an intensified form of that action, reaching others. Allah is the Most Merciful to the universe, the Most Merciful to the universe, to His creation. The name restrictly applies to others, you can have mercy to your children, to your brothers, to your family. But of course, there is no way you can merely imagine comparing the mercy of Allah to the mercy of any of His creation, or even the mercy of His creations combined from the time of the creation until the Judgment Day. You cannot even compare, it is not even a feather weight or an atom’s weight, or even less than that, compared to the mercy of Allah who is Ar-Rahmaan, Ar-Raheem. Even though you may some type of mercy which no one can deny, you can never compare your mercy to Allah’s mercy, that is what we mean when we say restrictly, applies to others. In Surah ash-Shoora:

ميع البصير )… (١١ليس كمثله شيء وهو الس

‘There is none like Him, He is the All Hearing, the All Seeing.

In Surah al-An’aam:

...ال تدركه األبصار وهو يدرك األبصار‘No vision can grasp Him but he grasps all visions.’

C. AR-RAHMAAN AND AR-RAHEEM

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The phrase Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem indicates the great, vast, ultimate mercy of Allah.

No one can be named Ar-Rahmaan but some people can be named Ar-Raheem, of His creation. No one can be named a name exclusive to Allah, it is a restricted name to Allah, Rahmaan, you can not name that name. The utmost mercy, the complete, the full mercy is only to Allah, you can not have that, it is not a characteristic in you so you can not have that. Just like you can’t name Allah because you don’t have the characteristics of Allah, you can’t name Ar-Rahmaan, it is an exclusive name to Allah. Likewise, you can’t name Al-Khaaliq, the Creator, Ar-Razzaaq, the Sustainer, al-Ahad, you can’t name As-Samad, Al-Baari, Al-Qayyoom. Al-Khaaliq for example, the Creator, the one who creates something with nothing similar, no resemblance, no comparison, no similar comparison to it. Can you create something similar to that? No, so you can’t be called Al-Khaaliq because you don’t have that characteristic. Al-Baari is the Maker, the one who makes something free from any deficiency; can you make anything free of any deficiency? Of course you can not do that, so you can’t be called Al-Baari.

Then, there are some names that you can be named, like Ghani, Malik, Azeez, Jabbaar. In the Qur’an, Allah describes the woman who accuses Yusuf:

امرأة العزيز Allah is saying Al-Azeez and Allah calls her the wife of Al-Azeez. Hakeem ibn Hizam, Hakeem is a name of Allah. A Sahaabi during the time of the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was named al-Hakeem.

Allah said in the Qur’an:

ار )... ر جب ه على كل قلب متكب (٣٥كذلك يطبع الل‘Allah seals the heart of every arrogant tyrant.’ He used the name Jabbaar to His creation, His name is Jabbaar and He uses that for His creation, it is used ten times in the Qur’an. Nine out of those ten times it is for people who are strong, oppressive, commit injustice or those who do any type of Dhulm. The last time it is mentioned, Al-Jabbaar, is in Surah Hashr and it refers to Allah.

When a human is permitted to name those, in one way or another, it is in a negative sense. Even if mentioned positively, it has some kind of deficiency in it because you are human. When you mention Allah, then there is none like Allah, it is the complete, positive, ultimate, example. It is the complete, utmost, positive quality of that name, whatever it means. That is the difference between Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem. Look in the Qur’an, Allah said in the Qur’an:

ميع البصير السPage | 19

The Hearing and Listening. Allah calls you, in Surah al-Insaan:

ميعا ا خلقنا اإلنسان من نطفة أمشاج نبتليه فجعلناه س'' إن(٢بصيرا )

Allah says about you:

فجعلناه سميعا بصيرا And many times in the Qur’an, Allah says about Himself:

ميع البصير وهو السSpecifically, this name Raheem, can be named like that. Raheem, you can name yourself or your child that. Allah says in the Qur’an:

(٤٣وكان بالمؤمنين رحيما )…About the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, He names His Prophet Raheema.

There are names that you can be named, of Allah’s names, but always know that there is no way you can compare your quality to Allah’s quality. Musaylamah the Liar decided to call himself Rahmaan, an exclusive name for Allah. As a punishment from Allah, Allah made him known as the Liar, and exposed him. He chose the exclusive name of Allah, Rahmaan, his name was Rahmaan al-Yamaamah. Allah clothed him with the nickname, the Liar, that he is known by all the way until the Judgment Day. If you say Rahmaan al-Yamaamah, does anyone today know him? Nobody knows him. History documents him as Musaylamah al-Kathaab, Musaylamah the Liar. That is his punishment for trying to use an exclusive name of Allah. He became an example of a liar among the residents of his cities and villages, the people of the deserts and the Bedouins and in history, the liar, a punishment for one who tries to use the exclusive name of Allah.

So the first difference between Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem is you can name yourself Ar-Raheem but you can not name yourself Ar-Rahmaan because one is exclusive to Allah, and the other is not. Even with Raheem, you are different resemblance in the qualities, between creation and the Creator.

Ibn Jareer and others, al-Faarisi said Ar-Rahmaan is for all the creation, evil and non evil, human and non human, and Ar-Raheem is only for the believers. Ar-Rahmaan carries a broader scope of meaning pertaining to the mercy of Allah. That is basically what al-Faarisi, Ibn Jareer and others said, and they used this proof:

(٤٣وكان بالمؤمنين رحيما )…Page | 20

And he is with the believers Raheema, using the word Raheema. So the first one is a broad form, the second one is only for the believers. Some scholars objected to this, we don’t want to get into that right now but some scholars objected. Ibn Abbaas said, they are soft, tender, gentle, Raqeeq names, one of them is softer than the other. Meaning one carries more implication than the other, each one is more merciful than the other. Ibn Mubaarak said Ar-Rahmaan, if you ask He gives; Raheem, if you don’t ask, He gets mad. So basically that is what some scholars said.

8. THE MERCY OF ALLAH

A. THE ATTRIBUTE OF MERCY

Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem give the quality the mercy of Allah, the quality of mercy, to Allah. We affirm to Allah what he affirmed to Himself and what His Messenger, the most knowledgeable of creation affirmed to Him.

ميع البصير )… (١١ليس كمثله شيء وهو الس...ال تدركه األبصار وهو يدرك األبصار

We have two names that give the quality of mercy to Allah, so we affirm to Allah what he affirmed to Himself and what His Messenger, the most knowledgeable human in knowledge of Allah affirmed to Him. We do it without, free of any Tashbeeh. Tashbeeh means comparison, we don’t compare it. We do it free from Tamtheel, Tamtheel means the likening of Allah’s attributes to attributes of His creation. Without Tahreef, without distorting the name or quality. Without Ta’teel, without denial of any of Allah’s qualities or any aspect of it. We will talk about this Inshaa Allah in the future in Aqeedah when we talk about Tawheed al-Asmaa was-Sifaat in depth.

Allah says:

ه أحد ) (١قل هو اللWhen you read that, you read He Allah is the one, one. He is the one without a partner or no associate. That is what everyone understands, but it also means He is one in his names, in His qualities and His attributes. In His qualities, he is Ahad, Ahad in his actions, no comparison to him, that is what Ahad means, just like it means He is the one without a partner. The terms Ar-Rahmaan and Ar-Raheem give the quality of mercy to Allah, so let us take a quick glance at the mercy of Allah from some few Ahadeeth and Ayaat.

B. THE MERCY OF ALLAH

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When one says Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem, or any praise, any verse of Allah or any glorification of Allah, and you know its meaning, it is an Emaan energiser. It is an Emaan booster right there, so you charge up your Emaan many times a day if u know what you are really saying, not merely uttering on your lips. That is why we talked about this in somewhat of depth. The terms give the quality of mercy to Allah, so, let us take a quick glimpse at the mercy of Allah from some Ahadeeth and Ayaat.

هم ال تقنط''وا من رفوا على أنفس'' ذين أس'' قل يا عبادي اله يغفر الذنوب جميعا ه إن الل ...رحمة الل

Ali ibn Abi Talib radiallahu anhu said this is the most encompassing verse of Allah in the whole Qur’an. Ibn Masood radiallahu anhu said this is the most easing verse in the Qur’an. Ash-Shawkaani said it is the most hopeful verse in the Qur’an. Why? Because it is mentioning Allah’s mercy, He is giving hope. Who is He mentioning to, the angels? Don’t make mistakes, who are obedient to Allah, who are infallible? No, He is mentioning it to sinners, not just any sinners, sinners with the utmost crimes. Oh my slaves who have transgressed their boundaries, who committed evil deeds, evil sins, despair not the mercy of Allah, Allah forgives all sins. Despair not the mercy of Allah, He forgives all sins.

Abu Hurayrah in Sahih Muslim and in Sahih Bukhari said, when Allah created the creation, Allah wrote above his throne:

رحمتي سبقت غضبيMy mercy precedes my wrath. In Bukhari, narrated by Umar, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam seen a woman seeking her son. When she finally found him, the companions were looking at the scene, when she found him she embraced him tightly and she began to nurse him. It was such a moving scene, an emotional scene, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and the companions were moved by that gentle, tender love of a mother to her child. At that point, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam took the opportunity to teach the companions about the mercy of Allah. They seen the mercy of a woman, he wanted to teach them about the mercy of Allah. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, do you think a mother like that would harm her son? You think a mother like that would put her son in a fire? They said no, they even said, no Wallaahi, they said Wallaahi, no way, while she is alive, no way. He said Allah is more merciful with his servants than this mother is with her child:

ه أرحم بعباده من هذه بولدها اللSome used to make the Du’aa, oh Allah, you know my mother is the most merciful human to me on the earth, and I know you are more merciful to me than my mother is. She would not

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let a punishment or harm get to me, so Ya Allah I ask you to save me from any punishment. In Sahih Muslim, Abu Hurayrah radiallahu anhu reported that the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said mercy has one hundred parts, there is one hundred parts to mercy. He sent down to the earth, one part of mercy. To the jinn, one part goes down to the jinn, to the human, to the insects, and it is because of this one part that they have love amongst each other. It is because of that mercy, one mercy, that they show kindness to one another. It is because, this is all the Hadith, it is because of that one mercy that a beast treats its young with affection. Allah reserved ninety nine parts of the mercy for Him. Do you understand Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem now? Does that come to mind when you hear Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem?

C. ATTAINING THE MERCY OF ALAH

The best way to attain Allah’s mercy, a practical way, is to say Astaghfirullah as a form of Dhikr. Look at the verse, Saalih told his people in Surah an-Naml:

كم ترحمون )... ه لعل (٤٦لوال تستغفرون اللSeek the forgiveness of Allah so that you may receive the mercy of Allah. Continuous Dhikr of Astaghfirullah brings you the mercy of Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem.

Allah’s mercy is unto the good doers:

ه قريب من المحسنين )... (٥٦رحمة اللMusa, when he helped that woman, the two sisters, with water, then he went and said:

ي لما أنزلت إلي من خير فقير )... (٢٤رب إنHe showed some mercy, some compassion, it came back to him. So when you show others mercy, that is the second way of getting it, it comes back at you.

In Sunan Abu Dawood, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, be merciful to people on this earth, the one above the heavens will have mercy upon you. Be merciful to others on this earth, your compassion to your wife, your mercy to your wife, your kids, your students, your employees, those you supervise, animals, showing compassion to them, helping them, showing mercy like Musa, it comes back at you. This is by the verse:

ه قريب من المحسنين )... (٥٦رحمة اللAnas, he served the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam ten years, never once did he reprimand him. Do you think he never did any mistakes? Keep that in mind when you treat others, to attain the mercy of Allah.

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CLASS THREE

KNOW MAY ALLAH HAVE MERCY ON YOU

الله رحمك اعلمThis is our third class of the explanation and elucidation of Sharh Al-Usool Ath-Thalaathah. The previous two classes, we finally completed Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem and I promise you Inshaa Allah to speed up the pace a little bit. Our topic today is the first sentence after Bismillahi Ar-Rahmaan Ar-Raheem, which is I’lam Rahimak Allah, know, may Allah have mercy on you. And some brothers asked me to slow down, if I do not slow down if I’m not good at it, then you always have the recording to go by. The word I’lam with its variations is mentioned in the Qur’an seven hundred and seventy nine times. We are talking about our first point, the importance of I’lam, knowledge or I’lam, the word I’lam in the Qur’an.

1. THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE

When you look at the story of Adam alayhis salaam in Surah Baqarah and you analyse it, you will see something within that story of the first creation Adam alayhis salaam. Look at it, it is Surah Baqarah, verses thirty to thirty four:

ي جاعل في األرض خليفة ق''الوا ك للمالئكة إن وإذ قال ربح ب فك ال''دماء ونحن نس'' أتجعل فيها من يفسد فيه''ا ويس''

ي ''ك ق''ال إن (٣٠ )تعلم''ون م''ا ال أعلمبحمدك ونق''دس لمو ''ة فق''العل هم على المالئك ها ثم عرض'' آدم األسماء كل

ادقين ) ماء ه'''ؤالء إن كنتم ص''' ق'''الوا (٣١أنبئوني بأس'''متنا لنا إال ما علمسبحانك ال ك أنت العليم الحكيم )عل إن

مائهم (٣٢ ''أهم بأس'' مائهم فلما أنب ''ا آدم أنبئهم بأس'' قال يي ماوات واألرضأعلمق'''ال ألم أق'''ل لكم إن غيب الس'''

(٣٣ ما تبدون وما كنتم تكتمون )أعلموKnowledge, ‘Ilm within its variations is mentioned in these four verses talking about Adam and his creation, eight times. In these four verses, they are mentioned eight times, whether it may be I’lam, the variation Ta’lamoon, or the variation ‘Allamaa or the variation

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‘Allamtanaa, it is mentioned eight times in these chain of verses about Adam and seven hundred and seventy nine times throughout the Qur’an. Not only is ‘Ilm mentioned in these four verses, but more delicate than that is, Adam had a virtue and an excellence that made the angels prostrate for him. The angels praise Allah more than Adam, the angels glorify Allah more than Adam and they thank Him more than Adam, but he has the superiority of knowledge and the application of knowledge. As a Khalifah on this Earth, as Allah said:

ي جاعل في األرض خليفة ك للمالئكة إن …وإذ قال ربKnowledge is of the essence, an Ummah that wants to lead all the other Ummam, is an Ummah of knowledge, definitely has to have knowledge. With lack of knowledge, Shirk seeps into the nation, destroying the nation, and decaying it, just like it decays an individual, decays anything that it seeps into. Everything requires knowledge, not just Tawheed, which is the heart and the core of knowledges, but even manners require knowledge, if you don’t have knowledge for manners they become tainted. Standards, today, you see people who are called heroes when they are in reality cowards. Today, without knowledge, free mixing and mingling becomes freedom and independence. With no knowledge, attacking and degrading and transgressing upon Islam and Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala and the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is considered intellect and knowledge, and freedom of speech. ‘Ilm is so important that the more you see the lack of it, the closer we are to the Judgment day. The more you see the ignorance, the more closer we are to the Judgment day, isn’t it a sign of the Judgment day?

Everyone who seeks to make a change, needs knowledge. Here, we raise revivers Inshaa Allah and I said that before, we ask Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala that a reviver come from out of you. A reviver to revive this Ummah, its legacy, and the key to it is knowledge. Look at the greatest revivers of all times, the Messengers and Prophets. We mentioned Adam and how ‘Ilm was mentioned eight times in four verses about him, Surah Baqarah verses thirty to thirty four, but look also at Lut:

…ولوطا آتيناه حكما وعلماAllah says about Lut, we gave his wisdom and knowledge, look at Musa:

…ولما بلغ أشده واستوى آتيناه حكما وعلماLook at Yusuf:

…ولما بلغ أشده آتيناه حكما وعلماWe gave him knowledge and wisdom, Ya’qoob:

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مناه… ه لذو علم لما عل …وإنHe is a man of knowledge from that which we have given him of our knowledge, Dawood and Sulaymaan:

…ففهمناها سليمان وكال آتينا حكما وعلماWe gave each one of them wisdom and knowledge, ‘Isa alayhis salaam:

وراة واإلنجيل… متك الكتاب والحكمة والت …علI taught you the Book, and the wisdom, and the Tawraat, the Gospel. Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:

مك ما لم تكن تعلم… …وعلWe taught you that which you did not know. Without knowledge, there is no leadership, there is no power, there is no sovereignty. The first revelation to the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, pertains to knowledge:

ذي خلق ) ك ال (١اقرأ باسم ربIqra, ‘Allama, Qalam, all those are knowledge, variations mentioned in the Qur’an of ‘Ilm is seven hundred and seventy nine times, it is the second most used word after Allah. Number one most popular word in the Qur’an is Allah, the second one is ‘Ilm, seven hundred and seventy nine times.

Look at the leadership qualities, when Allah chose for Bani Isra’eel, Taloot. He told the Messenger, I don’t want to mention the whole story, there is no time for it but the part of it that concerns us, Allah told His Messenger, tell them Taloot is your King:

ه قد بعث لكم طالوت ملكا هم إن الل …وقال لهم نبيTaloot is your king, Taloot is from a fraction from Bani Isra’eel that did not have kings, it was from the other fraction that they chose their kings, Allah chose it from the other faction. They said number one, he is not from the fraction that are descendants of kings. Number two, we might let that slide for you, but he got no money:

…ولم يؤت سعة من المال…So they went back and fought with their Messenger, we don’t accept this man as our king, we don’t accept Taloot. He doesn’t got no money, he is not from the fraction, and then as the feud is going on, Allah reveals to His Messenger to tell them:

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ه اصطفاه عليكم… …إن اللAllah chose him for you. That’s it, that is the end of it, but why did Allah choose him? Look in the Qur’an what it says, look at his characteristics:

… ه اصطفاه عليكم وزاده بسطة في العلم إن الل …والجسم

He got more knowledge and power than you, knowledge and power, characteristics of a true, strong nation. Even among the Jinn, knowledge is praised and they are considered higher ranking. Look at when Sulaymaan wanted to get Bilqees’ palace, the first one:

''ل أن تق''وم من ''ه قب ''ا آتي''ك ب ق''ال عف''ريت من الجن أن…مقامك

‘Ifreet said, I will get it for you before you get up. And the other one said, the one knowledgeable, Allah says:

ذي عنده ''دعلمقال ال ''ل أن يرت من الكتاب أنا آتيك به قب…إليك طرفك

I’ll get it before you blink, he was chosen. In fact, when everything was done with Bilqees, the final thing he said, Sulaymaan:

…وأوتينا العلم…And we were given knowledge:

ا مسلمين )… (٤٢وأوتينا العلم من قبلها وكن

2. THE DEFINITION OF KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge or ‘Ilm means to comprehend the reality of something as it truly is, with certainty. Comprehend something as it truly is, with certainty. When he says I’lam, he is saying teach, he is preparing you to hear some kind of important knowledge. It is used when there is some important knowledge coming, and it is used when there is something important and here, it is the most important knowledge, which is Tawheed. Of course, what the author is talking about is the three essential matters, the three fundamental principles of Islam, so these are important matters that he is raising awareness, listen up.

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3. THE USE OF THE WORD I’LAM

A. IS KNOWLEDGE CONVEYED TO OTHER THAN HUMANS?

Does the word I’lam go for humans and animal or just for humans? Really, this is a linguistic point, only people who are int linguistic matters really would appreciate but I wanted to mention it because of some Hadith in there I would like to mention. You get the Hadith out of them and you will know that they are authentic and you will get that more than you get the point of this matter.

I’lam, the linguistic scholars mentioned, is usually for someone who comprehends of course, you don’t tell a wall, I’lam. Some scholars went into depth and said sometimes, yes, a wall and a rock and a tree are taught and you can tell them I’lam and you can teach them. so whoever shows or whatsoever shows signs of being susceptible, of learning, you can say I’lam and you can teach. The stone that ran away from Musa, and this is one of the Hadith that I wanted to mention. Musa was a very modest man, I want to mention it because I’ve heard those who say it is weak, and actually it is in Bukhari. He used to keep himself covered, none of his body was seen because he was an extremely modest man, unlike what the children of Bani Isra’eel used to do, bathing together. Some of the children of Bani Isra’eel said he conceals himself because he got a disease, he got some defect in him, he got leprosy, he got hernia, in Arabic it is called Udhra, he had some kind of defect in him. Allah wanted to clear Musa alayhis salaam, so one day while he was alone, he put his clothes under a stone and he went to bathe in seclusion. When he came back out, the stone, when he finished taking the bath and he went to get his clothes, the stone took his clothes and ran off with it. The stone took it and fled, Musa picked up his staff and ran after the stone and he began to say, and this is the point of this for this matter:

ثوبي حجر ثوبي حجرMy garment stone, my garment stone, meaning give me back my clothes, give me back my clothes. He ran until he reached the company of Bani Isra’eel who were gathered and they seen him naked. They saw him naked and they saw that there was nothing wrong with him and that was solid proof that they were wrong and they had wronged him, they cleared him of that which they accused him. The stone stopped, Musa took his clothes then he took his staff and then he began to hit the stone, this is the second point for what we are talking about, that he hit a stone. How does he hit a stone? How does he talk to a stone? When the rock showed signs that it knows and it comprehends, he treated it as that. When it showed signs of comprehension, he treated it like that. That is the story what Allah revealed:

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أه ''ر ى فب ذين آذوا موس' 'وا كال 'وا ال تكون ذين آمن ه'ا ال ''ا أي يه وجيها ) ه مما قالوا وكان عند الل (٦٩الل

Oh you who believe, don’t be like those who annoyed and accused Musa, and Allah cleared him of that which they said and he was honoured by Allah, the verse in Surah al-Ahzaab. The point of the story is, he beat the stone, which is a sign, maybe an old school style of teaching, but a sign of teaching, reprimanding. Not only that, he talked to it, he said:

ثوبي حجرWhen the rock shows signs different than its normal nature, that it is responsive, that he can teach it, he taught it, maybe old school teaching, but he did teach it and he got his point across to it. So that is what the linguistic scholars say, I’lam or knowledge can apply to human and other than human, that is what they use as proof for that.

More so, maybe to get the point across better, in Sunan al-Haakim, Daarimi, Bayhaqi, and Ibn Katheer considered it authentic and so did al-Albaani, about the Bedouin who came to the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to take his Shahaadah. And he actually came passing by, and the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam taught him Islam and the Bedouin decided to take his Shahaadah. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, you testify there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is His Servant and Messenger, do you testify to that? The Bedouin was giving the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam somewhat of a hard time, he said, who can testify to what you are telling me to testify to? You got to bring someone to testify to what you are telling me to testify to. Basically, he wants a miracle, he wants something to substantiate what the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is saying. So the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam called a tree, called a tree over from a distance and the tree, from distance, came to the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam dragging its roots and greeted the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, saying to the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:

ه ، وأن محمدا عبده ورسوله أشهد أن ال إله إال اللI beat witness that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam is the servant and Messenger of Allah. So the tree, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam spoke to the tree, communicated to the tree. The Bedouin of course, a continuation of the story, became Muslim and he told the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, if my people embrace Islam I will stay there and teach them, if not, I’m going to come back and join you. So basically, you don’t teach a tree on a normal occasion, but when it showed signs of being susceptible to knowledge, he taught it, he gave it its Shahaadah and it said Shahaadah three times.

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Sometimes, you can teach a rock and not a human being. Sometimes, humans, their hearts are sealed shut like an upside down cup, you can’t put water in it. A tree and a rock are more susceptible to knowledge, like that which we seen with the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and with Musa. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, I knew a stone in Makkah that used to salute me, give me Salaam, before he got his first revelation, in Sahih Muslim. It used to say Assalaamu Alaykum, Oh Prophet of Allah, before the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi sallam got his first message. He used to point where that stone was to the Sahaabah. The trees that used to shade the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam so no one would see him when he wanted to go to use the restroom. The linguistic scholars say if non humans show signs of understanding and comprehending, then they can be told I’lam and they can be taught. So the word I’lam and knowledge is typically for humans who comprehend are susceptible of understanding, not for stones and sticks, but when they do show signs of comprehending and they are susceptible of learning, then they are taught and they are told I’lam or whatever it may be, like anyone or anything else. So this is our point about whether I’lam or knowledge is told to other than human beings.

B. CAN YOU SAY I’LAM TO SOMEONE MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE?

Can you tell a scholar I’lam? We take it to another extreme, can you tell someone more knowledgeable I’lam? Of course you can. For example, a scholar may know al-‘Asr but he may have forgotten the time of ‘Asr so you say it is time for al-‘Asr. He may have forgotten, so ‘Ilm or knowledge, someone who is less in knowledge can always teach someone and tell him I’lam to one who is higher in knowledge. Someone who is higher in knowledge overlooks, it happens a lot, overlooks some of the most simplest things that a younger person in knowledge can detect.

3. THE LEVELS OF KNOWLEDGE: IBN AL-QAYYIM

The next point now is the levels of knowledge. Ibn al-Qayyim, in Miftaah Daaris Sa’aadah said, the levels of knowledge are six, these are the ladders of knowledge:

عادة( م في )مفتاح دار الس مة ابن القي :قال العالؤال .وللعلم ست مراتب أولها: حسن السانية: حسن اإلنصات واالستماع .الث الثة: حسن الفهم .الثابعة: الحفظ .الرعليم .الخامسة: الت

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ادسة: - وهي ثمرته - وهي العمل به ومراعاة الس.حدودهThe first one is asking and pursuing correctly, asking and pursuing knowledge correctly. Some people are deprived of knowledge because they don’t perfect asking or seeking it in the proper way. And this is something I already mentioned in the first class, they may not ask at all, some people may not ask, they have a question, they may not ask at all. Or some may ask about something, when there is something more important and essential that they should be asking or searching or pursuing. So they ask about that which is least important for them and for their religion and they ask about something which is least important, rather than that which is most important. That is a problem with many of those who are ignorant and trying to learn on their own, without at least foundation of how to learn. Some Salaf said, your way in asking or pursuing in knowledge is half of knowledge and that is very true. Asking or pursuing or seeking knowledge in the right manner, is half of knowledge they said.

For example, if one got into studying Islam and jumped into laws of inheritance, al-Faraa’id, but doesn’t know the Fiqh of purification, is that acceptable? Or more practical example for us here, someone goes to al-‘Aqeedah at-Tahawiyyah and tries to understand it. That is a very difficult book that gives scholars a hard time, he goes to that but has never studied the basic books before that, now that is the first one.

The second one is listening and being silent. It is allegedly said that Ali ibn Abi Talib said, if you sit with a scholar, be more eager to hear than you are to speak. Be more wanting to listen than you are to talk. Third one is understand, which is obvious. The fourth one is Hifdh, memorise. There are things, especially in our knowledges that you got to memorise. The fifth one is Ta’leem, you got to teach, and all these, we will go through them later but you should know them for now. The sixth one is the fruit of the knowledge, which is to act accordingly to what you learned and stay within the limits and boundaries of what you learn.

Ali said, knowledge calls for action, if it responds it stays, if it does not respond, it moves away. Ash-Sha’bi said, our support for memorisation of our knowledge used to come from acting upon it. Al-Fudhayl ibn Iyyaadh, Muhammad ibn Nadr, Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah, Umar ibn ‘Ala, and others said very similar quotes about that. A side thing is al-Khalaal said, when he wanted to study grammar he said I went to study grammar, I stayed one year silent ( The third year, I pondered .(نظرت) The next year, I considered and looked into it .(انصتover it (تدبرت). In the fourth year, I began to ask my Shaykh (سألت). So it took him four years, don’t go to that level, I’m just showing you some stuff old scholars said. That is to show you the level of patience that they had also in attaining the knowledge and that it is a structured study, it is not a sporadic thing.

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4. THE HONOUR OF KNOWLEDGE

Our next point is I’lam Rahimak Allah, we are still in the portion of I’lam. Take the honour of knowledge, and this is good for you, it will inspire you not to ever stop learning. Anas ibn Malik radiallahu anhu said the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:

طلب العلم فريضة على كل مسلمIbn Maajah, the Prophet salallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, learning knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim. This Hadith is considered weak by some because of matters within its chain, but other scholars have considered it authentic like al-Muzzi, as-Suyooti, and Albaani Rahimahumullah Jamee’an. Ahmad said, one must know that which is essential to establish his Deen. You must, as an obligation, and we’ll talk about this in the next four introductory matters when we talk about knowledge again. Matters like for example, for Salah, Siyaam, that you need to know, it is obligatory, it is Fardh, it is Waajib on you to know. Look more than that, the honour of knowledge that you are doing right now. Allah bears witness in the verse, Allah bears witness that there is none that have a right to be worshipped but He, Allah bears witness to that. And the angels bear witness to that, and look at the third one, and those having knowledge, those people who have knowledge, He maintains justice on this Earth:

''و العلم قائم''ا ''ة وأول ''ه إال ه'و والمالئك ه ال إل ه أن هد الل ش'(١٨بالقسط ال إله إال هو العزيز الحكيم )

Al-Qurtubi said about this, had there been anyone more honourable than scholars, of the categories of human beings, Allah would have combined them to His Name, and to that of His Angels as He did with the Ulamaa’. Allah testified, the angels, and then He said the knowledgeable people. Allah in the Qur’an told the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, and say Muhammad:

(١١٤رب زدني علما )…Increase me in knowledge, Allah directs His Messenger to ask Allah to gain more knowledge. Had there been anything more honourable to acquire than knowledge, Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala would have directed His Messenger to ask for that.

(١١٤وقل رب زدني علما )…He would have asked him to ask for more wealth, or prestige, or fame, or whatever it is, but He told him to ask for more knowledge.

The next verse in the Qur’an, Allah says:

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ه عزيز غف''ور… ه من عباده العلماء إن الل ما يخشى الل إن(٢٨)

It is only those who have knowledge amongst His slaves, that truly fear Allah subhaanahu wa ta’aala. Mu’aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan radiallahu anhuma said:

ه به خيرا يفقهه في الدين من يرد اللEvery time you get relaxed and lazy about knowledge, listen to this Hadith in Bukhari and Muslim. Whoever Allah wishes good for, He gives him profound understanding of the religion. You coming here today is a sign that Inshaa Allah, Allah likes you and wants good for you.

ه عليه ه صلى الل عن أبي هريرة قال قال رسول الله له م من سلك طريقا يلتمس فيه علما سهل الل وسل

ة طريقا إلى الجنIn Sahih Muslim, the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, whosoever seeks a path to acquire the knowledge of the Deen, and over here when we are talking, this is knowledge of the Deen, Allah will make the path for him easy to enter Heaven. You, by sitting here, learning and sitting, or those by the computer, learning Islam, that is your path to Jannah Inshaa Allah, you are paving yourself a path for Jannah by what you are doing in studying Islam.

Abu Darda said in a Hadith in Ibn Maajah, in Abu Dawood and at-Tirmidhi, he said, look at the value of knowledge, I want you to see how big of an ordeal it is that you are students of knowledge:

ه له طريقا من سلك طريقا يلتمس فيه علما سهل اللة …إلى الجن

Whoever treads a path in search of knowledge, Allah will direct him to tread a path to enter Paradise. This portion of the Hadith of course, we mentioned it, it is in Sahih Muslim. The rest of the Hadith and this part is also mentioned in Ibn Maajah, Sunan Abu Dawood and at-Tirmidhi:

إن المالئكة لتضع أجنحتها لطالب العلم رضا بما……يصنع

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The angels lower their wings for the student of knowledge, in approval for that which he does. They lower their wings for you in approval for that which you do. The angels love and respect and honour you, the angels come down and lower their wings for you, they humble themselves for you, and protect you and guard you, why? Because you made an effort to study Islam, so they protect you, guard you, lower their wings for you. Look at the Hadith, goes on to say:

موات ومن في… وإن العالم ليستغفر له من في السى الحيتان في الماء …األرض حت

A person of knowledge, a seeker of knowledge, a knowledgeable person, the Heavens and the Earth seek the forgiveness for the student of knowledge, or the scholar. So one won’t get the implication that it is only humans and Jinn making Istighfaar, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:

ى الحيتان في الماء حتMeaning everything, don’t assume it is only human beings and Jinn, it is even the fish, it is even the whale, and it is everything else. If it is the whale and fish in the deep dark waters, it is everything else. Do you want everything to make Du’aa for you? Continue steadfast in studying knowledge wherever you are.

فضل العالم على العابد كفضل القمر على سائر……الكواكب

The next portion of the Hadith, the superiority of a scholar over a worshipper is like the superiority of the full moon at night time over the stars. You see how supreme the moon is over the stars, when you look at night time, you see the moon and you see how glowing and radiant it is and it dominates the sky; and if you do see the stars, they are like little dots. That is what the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam compared a scholar to a worshipper to. In this particular Hadith, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam compares how supreme a scholar is in comparison to a worshipper, like the moon in comparison to the stars. In another narration, in Sunan at-Tirmidhi, by Abu Umaamah al-Baahili, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:

أدناكمع�ل�ى� كفضلي ف�ض�ل� ا�ل�ع�ا�ل�م� ع�ل�ى� ا�ل�ع�ا�ب�د�The supreme status of an ‘Aalim over an ‘Aabid is like how supreme I am over the least one of you. We know the superiority of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam over scholars, or anyone other than that, and less than that or above that. For the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam to compare himself like that is such an honour, all the honour

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and encouragement for one to continue steadfast in studying this knowledge. Look what the Hadith goes on to say:

…وإن العلماء ورثة األنبياء…Verily, the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets, they are the heirs of the Prophets. You want to be the heir of the Prophets? Study Islam. Honour after honour, do you know what an honour it is to be called an inheritor of an heir of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam?

ثوا… وإن العلماء هم ورثة األنبياء ، إن األنبياء لم يورثوا العلم ، فمن أخذه أخذ بحظ ما ور دينارا وال درهما وإن

وافرThe Hadith goes on to tell you, verily, the Prophets did not leave as inheritance, Dinar and Dirhams, they didn’t leave dollars and change, they didn’t leave wealth. They left behind knowledge, so whoever takes it, has indeed acquired a great fortune. Sometimes people say they want billions to be like the billionaires, like Bill Gates, Warren Buffett, or Waleed ibn Talaal or their likes. Some want to be presidents, or like the presidents, and like the kings, or prominent positions and some seek some certain ranks people look up to so people can look up to them. Some want to look like others in their dress and in their style, everyone has certain things they want to look up to. What really matters is the inheritance of the Messengers, to grab a chunk of that inheritance. That's the least of what people pursue today, people pursue everything wanting to be like kings and leaders, and social statuses and money, but the least pursued today is the inheritance of the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam. How many people pursue that and how many people raise their kids to pursue that?

Abul-Wafaa’ ibn Aqeel said, Allah guarded me as a youth, I limited my love to all I loved when I was a youth was knowledge. I never mingled with people who were players or foolish people ever, I only enjoined with the students of knowledge. Now that I am in my eighties, I am more eager to learn than when I was in my twenties. Now that I am in my eighties I love to learn more than when I was in my twenties, imagine that. Mutarif said:

فضل العلم أحب إلي من فضل العبادةI love to learn, I think it is better and I would love to learn more than I do worship. It is more beloved to him than to worship and it is not only his saying, it is a saying of many, many other scholars. Yahya ibn Katheer said:

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You’ll never get knowledge, real knowledge, with a lot of rest. You got to take away a little bit of your rest time and a little bit of your sleep time, and I’m going to add to that, you are not ever going to become knowledgeable spending a lot of time on Facebook and Twitter. Some brothers spend historical time on it, that I’ve heard of, fifteen to twenty minutes max. Ibn Abbaas radiallahu anhu said, studying knowledge at night is more beloved to me at times than worshipping in it. Studying Islam is more beloved to me than worshipping. Az-Zuhri Rahimhullah said:

العلم بمثل الله عبد ماAllah was never worshipped in a way like knowledge. Meaning studying Islamic knowledge, and memorising, and reading. All types of knowledge, not just Tawheed but we mentioned because that is the mother of knowledges, that is the one that will save you and protect you from Hellfire. Ash-Shaafi’ee Rahimahullah said:

ط'ل'ب' ا'ل'ع'ل'م' أ'ف'ض'ل' م'ن' ص'ال'ة' ا'ل'ن'ا'ف'ل'ة'Studying ‘Ilm is more important than a Naafilah prayer. What this means is that you got to understand their lifestyle, their lifestyle was full, complete, it had a full schedule to Allah. So at times, they get cornered either I stay up today and pray, or I teach this student or I write this book or I read this book or I prepare for this class, it is one or the other. So at that time, it becomes better than a Naafilah, but we are different. We have plenty of time that we waste and trust me, the way we live, we can accommodate for both because our schedule is not full, we still haven’t reached their rank in how they filled their schedule. This is how they sacred ‘Ilm, look how they travelled and pursued it.

5. THE EXAMPLE OF THE SCHOLARS

A. JAABIR AND ABU AYYUB

Ahmad and Abu Ya’la narrated that Jaabir radiallahu anhu travelled from Madinah to ash-Shaam, from Madinah towards Syria, look on the map, to take one Hadith from Abdullah ibn Unays.

In fact, a more story than that, Ibn Abd-al-Barr narrated it in his book Jami’ Bayan al-‘Ilm, very nice book about knowledge, about the significance of knowledge, he mentioned the story of Abu Ayyub radiallahu anhu. Abu Ayyub was in Madinah, he packed his belongings and headed from Madinah to Egypt to meet Uqbah ibn Naafi’a. When he got to Egypt, he met the Ameer of Egypt, Muslima ibn Makhlad al-Ansaari. Muslima Makhlad greeted him for a few moments, embraced him, asked him what brings you here Abu Ayyub? Abu Ayyub said, what brings me here is a Hadith I heard from the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi

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wa sallam, no one heard it from the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam but me and Uqbah ibn Naafi’a so you can send someone with me to direct me to where Uqbah is living, to his house. He got to Uqbah’s house, Uqbah opened the door, warmly embraced him, was amazed and surprised to see him and says, Abu Ayyub, what brings you here? What brings you to town? Abu Ayyub said there is a Hadith I heard from the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, no one heard that Hadith but me and you. It is the Hadith about covering the faults of a Muslim, what is it Uqbah?

Uqbah said, yes I heard it from the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said:

ه يوممن ستر مؤمنا في الدنيا على خ" زية ، ستره الل "القيامة

Whoever covers the faults, the embarrassments of a believer in this life, Allah will cover his faults on the Day of Judgment. So he heard that Hadith, now, Abu Ayyoob said, you’re right, Saddaqt. What do you think happens after this? Do you think he sat down in Uqbah’s house for a coffee or tea? Even though there is no doubt that Uqbah invited him:

ما حل رحله وما جلسThe Hadith says, did not untie his baggage nor did he sit. He turned back, got on top of his camel and headed back to Madinah. From Madinah to there, from Madinah to Egypt, to listen to one Hadith. Not a Hadith he didn’t know, but a Hadith that he knew that no one else heard it except Uqbah, him and Uqbah, he wanted the honour of hearing it from Uqbah again. He just wanted the honour of listening and seeing Uqbah utter the words that the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam uttered, that no one else had the honour of listening to but them two. Today, we tell people, go heat up your meal, go get your coffee and go lay on your bed and click Youtube, and learn a couple of things about Islam in the comfort, and heat, or in the warm weather of your house, but people turn away from it.

B. MUHAMMAD BIN HASSAN ASH-SHAYBAANI

Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaani, was a man who didn’t sleep, he was a big student, one of the top students of Abu Haneefah. He was a man who barely slept, but when we say they took out of their sleep time, when we say they didn’t sleep, you think they were not human beings? You think they were not made out of flesh and blood, that they were not humans who got tired? They were but they were devoted, they had a goal they wanted to reach, and they needed to pursue that goal. They did everything they had within their might to pursue that goal, that’s why they were the giants they were. Whenever Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaani used to get tired at night time, he would have a bucket with ice in it and cold water and he would wipe his eyes and face with it. He would say, warmth brings

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me sleep and this cold water takes away the sleep. This was among the top students of Abu Haneefah Rahimahullah.

C. ASAD IBN AL-FURAAT

Look at his student, there was a man called Asad ibn al-Furaat. Asad ibn al-Furaat was an ‘Aalim from Spain, he used to live in Spain and he lived around North Africa region as well. He went from Spain to Madinah to learn from Imaam Maalik, he studied the Madhab of Imaam Maalik and he studied with Imaam Maalik Rahimahullah. When he finished everything with Maalik, he headed from, look at that, from Spain to North Africa, to Madinah, then he went to Iraq. He went to Iraq to study with Abu Haneefah, and then he went to study with Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaani, this man who used to put cold water on his eyes to stay awake. So when he entered Iraq, to go study with Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaani, he was directed to the mosque that Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaani teaches in. It is of course full, this is the Imaam of his time, so he waits for some of the crowd to leave. Then the close knit that were around Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaani, he broke his way through them, and he told Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaani, Imaam, I am a stranger and I no wealth so I can’t stay here too long. I can’t stay here too long in Iraq, I have to go back to Spain so what is the best way to absorb all your knowledge as quickly as possible so my money won’t run out on me?

Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaani said in the day time, you join the regular Halaqah, at night time come to my house, I’m going to teach you. And I mentioned a similar story that was considered weak, by BaqI ibn Makhlad. You can refer to it on my tape on Baqi ibn Makhlad. So the day time, he would join the regular Halaqah, and at night time, he would go in his house, and learn from him. And now, every time Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaani gets tired as he is teaching, he puts water, but not his student. His student slumbers as he is teaching him, so Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaani takes from that cold water and sprinkles in his face, until Fajr breaks, while they are sitting there and learning, Qaala Allah, Qaala Rasool.

Do you know if you sleep eight hours a day, and you live sixty years, if you do sleep eight hours a day, sixty years, and most sleep more than that even today, you’ve spent one third of your life sleeping and that would be considered approximately I think about twenty years or so. Today, we don’t say do that, we don’t say go to that extent, there is no need to stay up like they did. If you could, do it. If everyone is truthful, and uses the moments, the time he spends in vain, or possibly in sin, and gives that to studying, then he has done a lot. Asad ibn al-Furaat went back to Spain, do you think he put leg on leg and said you know what I studied with Imaam Maalik, studied with Abu Haneefah, I studied with Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaani and he must have studied with many other scholars, you think he went back and put leg on top of another and kicked back and relaxed? He went back and taught Imaam Maalik’s Muwatta throughout the Spain, North African region and then he

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went and fought in the conquer of Suqliyyah (Sicily) and in that battle, he got killed, an Imaam, Rahimahullah.

Do you think Asad ibn al-Furaat became what he was wasting his time or Muhammad bin Hassan ash-Shaybaani, or Abu Haneefah? These were men who sacred their time, and more so, knew how to sacred knowledge.

D. SA’EED IBN MUSAYYIB, AR-RAAZI AND AL-BUKHARI

Sa’eed ibn Musayyib said, I used to travel nights and days for one Hadith. Nights and days for one Hadith that you could click today, within two seconds, with your fingers and get it. Ar-Raazi said, I travelled more than one thousand Farsakh, as a student of knowledge, and then I stopped counting at one thousand Farsakh. Farsakh back in the days is like five thousand kilometres today, it is like three thousand, one hundred and six miles today. That is the amount he calculated, he stopped because he no longer calculated, and then continued his journey as a student of knowledge. Al-Bukhari used to go to sleep and remember some things for his books, or for his Hadith compilation, and he would write and jot down the notes, he would wake up from his sleep or from his nap and write down. And a second time, get up and write down, and then he would remember something, he would get up and write it down. Ibn Katheer in his famous book at-Tareekh, said al-Bukhari used to wake up twenty times on an average night to jot down something he remembers as he puts his head to sleep.

These were people who knew the value of knowledge, this is I’lam, you see what I’lam means. Knowledge, it didn’t come to them while they were pampered on lofty mattresses like we have today. This was the man, Bukhari, who compiled a book that he selected, he selected this Ahadeeth book from over six hundred thousand Hadith that he had before his hand. Without repetition, Bukhari has two thousand, six hundred and two Hadith. With repetition, it is seven thousand, five hundred and ninety three, and Ibn Hajr said it is seven thousand, three hundred and ninety seven Hadith. If you put the repeated Hadith with the Taaliqaat al-Mutaaba’aat, he has over nine thousand and eighty three Hadith in his book. Not a single Hadith did he put in there, except that he prayed two Ra’akaat Istikhaarah, every time he put a Hadith in there.

Knowledge never comes without effort and some time off sleep or some time off rest time, and some time off the social media time. We mention this to show you what the author means when he says I’lam. I’lam, he wants you to know, he wants you to know how to honour knowledge, something important is coming, I’m going to teach you. We are engaging in something important that is what he is trying to tell you, sacrifice for what I’m about to tell you. We mentioned examples that we could never be like them, I know that. Why we mention them? We mention those examples and you be like five percent of that, possibly ten percent of that, you would be good, you would be in good shape. Unlike if we mention our surroundings, who waste their time in possibly sins, or vain times, they can

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never get no where but if mention these supreme examples, and you are like five percent or you try to hit fifty percent like them, then you’re good.

E. AN-NAWAWI, LISAAN AD-DEEN IBN KHATEEB AND MU’ADH IBN JABAL

Look at an-Nawawi Rahimahullah, who wrote volumes and volumes. What amazes me about this man is that he died when he was a few years older than I am today right now, he died when he was forty four years old. Do you know, he only started writing when he was in his thirties, spending time learning. People today just want to jump to the Khutbah, give Khutbahs. He started writing in his thirties, Sharh Muslim he wrote, he wrote Riyaadh as-Saaliheen. Sharh Muslim, that amazing, magnificent book, Riyaadh as-Saaliheen, al-Adhkaar, his book al-Majmoo’, his book Minhaj fil Fiqh, at-Tibyaan fi Adaab Hamalat al-Qur’an, a great book on the matters of those who carry the Qur’an. Al-Idaah, Bustan al-Aarifeen, Minhaj at-Taalibeen, Rawdat at-Taalibeen, he wrote Tahdhib al-Asma wal-Lughat, he wrote at-Taqreeb, it’s a summary of Ibn Salah’s book on the science of Hadith. He wrote Forty Nawawi Hadith, compiled those, who doesn’t have that? Who doesn’t say an-Nawawi Rahimahullah tens of times a day, every student of knowledge says that. He wrote a Zawaa'id al-Rawdah and it’s a book on Usool al-Fiqh. He started interpretation or elucidation on Sahih Bukhari but he was never able to finish it, it would have been a great magnificent book like that of Ibn Hajr on Sharh Sahih Muslim.

One time he said, I spent two years in my life, I never laid on my side on a mattress or on the ground. So they asked him how did you sleep, an-Nawawi? Two years, his side never got a mattress or the ground. He said, I used to lean when I get tired, I used to lean over my books, and take a little nap. I lean on my books for a few moments. People’s goals are different, if you want to criticise him, you are going to find childish kids who want to criticise him, but these people’s goals are different. Some people want Firdaws, some people want A’raaf, some people just want the front gate of heaven. At forty four, he did for the Ummah more than, I’m going to say without an exaggeration, possibly millions at times, than what millions did for the Ummah.

Lisaan ad-Deen ibn Khateeb was a scholar from Spain, he lived around 1340 and he was a well known leader and the scholar of Spain. They said to call him Dhul-Umrayn, the man with a double life. You know why they used to call him that name? Because at day time he would be occupied with dealing with matters and resolving issues in his country, at night time he would sit and write and learn. So he got a double life, he took out of his sleep time and got a double life. Again, I say we mention these examples so we can get a small percentage of like them, to improve our quality and attitude towards knowledge, when he says I’lam.

I would say get your full eight hours of sleep, and sleep on a good, nice mattress or a waterbed, don’t lean on your books, I don’t want you to do that. Just take the time off your vain time, the time you spend gossiping, the time you spend in social media, and focus it for

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knowledge. Mu’adh ibn Jabal radiallahu anhu died when he was thirty five years old, can you believe that, thirty five years old, the man we say radiallahu anhu. The man who is a father to everyone from Yemen and everyone from Yemen, Mu’adh ibn Jabal is in his grave getting rewards for him. The tiresome and pain an-Nawawi and Mu’adh went through is gone now, because they are in their grave. The work remains and the reward remains, the tiresome and restless nights are all gone. When Imaam Ahmad was asked when will you rest, they seen how he was, he said when I go in the grave. An-Nawawi, I imagine an-Nawawi now laying in his grave, with such a big smile on his face, Rahimahullah, it is as if he has a smile on his face. Every time we say Rahimahullah, he gets reward for it, every time we use his knowledge that is an ongoing, never ending charity, Sadaqah Jaariyah. And he sits in his grave, and gets all that reward.

Al-Badr ibn Jama'ah said, I went to visit an-Nawawi one time, and I couldn’t find a place to sit. When I did, he made room for me, through his books, he kept searching and pursuing books. Al-Badr ibn Jama’ah said, he pursued knowledge in his books, looking in his books, like a mother would be in pursuit of a lost son of hers, looking and striving. Al-Hassan al-Basri said two people never get satisfied, a student of knowledge and a student of wealth. You never get satisfied; you always want more and more and more. That is to show you the level and patience that they had in attaining the treasure of knowledge. It is a treasure, you got to pursue it. I’lam Rahimak Allah.

F. SULAYMAAN IBN ABDUL MALIK THE KHALIFAH AND ATAA’ IBN RABAH

Sulaymaan ibn Abdul Malik, the leader, the Khalifah, famous Khalifah from Bani Umayyah, he went to make Hajj, and he had two of his sons with him. He needed to ask some questions pertaining to Hajj, so everyone told him go to Ataa’ ibn Abi Rabah. Ataa’ ibn Abi Rabah was a Tabi’ee who died one hundred and fourteen years after the Hijrah. He was an ex-slave, he was just freed, he had a disease in his eyes, one of his eyes wasn’t functioning, he used to limp, and he was black. Imagine all that, matters that ignorant people always look down upon, he had it all in him. The ignorant people look down on all these matters, and he had all those in him. The Khalifah of the Muslim was directed to go ask that man for issues pertaining to his Hajj. When they finally found him, he was in Salah, he was standing in Salah near the Ka’bah so the Khalifah stands with his two sons and they wait and wait. And when he is done with his Salah, the Khalifah says Ataa’ I have a question. So he is facing the Ka’bah and he is behind him, the Khalifah asks him the question, an ex slave. And his back was turned to them, as if they were low, and he is the honourable, and he didn’t even turn around to answer him because he doesn’t need nothing from the Khalifah. The Khalifah needs him, needs a man who in every way people look down upon, the ignorant people.

When Sulaymaan seen this, how honourable he was, and how low he was even though he was the Khalifah, and even though he had wealth and he had power and everything, he told his two sons:

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يا أوالدي ال تنيا في طلب العلمDon’t be lazy in learning or attaining knowledge because I will never forget how low we had to stand in front of Ataa’. The Khalifah going to ask someone that’s a big thing, imagine if it is someone that was an ex-slave with a blind eye, looked down upon, the Khalifah goes to ask him. So he told his kids never ever leave knowledge. Provision is always guaranteed, but knowledge is not so a Khalifah has provision, but he doesn’t have knowledge. We seek knowledge, Allah always guarantees your provision.

G. AL-KASAA’EE AND THE SONS OF THE KHALIFAH

Haroon ar-Rasheed had two sons, al-Ameen and al-Ma’moon, that he brought a scholar called al-Kasaa’ee known during his tome to teach them. When al-Kasaa’ee used to get to their door, Haroon ar-Rasheed either seen or was told that his two sons al-Ma’moon and his brother went to the door, opened the door for al-Kasaa’ee, take his shoes and greet him in. When Haroon was told of this or he seen this, he summoned al-Kasaa’ee to his palace, to his room. He said Kasaa’ee, who is the most honoured of people? Al-Kasaa’ee said you Haroon ar-Rasheed, you are the Khalifah, you are the most honoured of the people here. Haroon said no, rather the most honoured among people is the one who the next in command to be leaders, go and open the door for him and take his shoes because his sons were next in command to be leaders. We need to understand the value of knowledge and the great noble mission of attaining this.

H. ASH-SHAAFI’EE AND IBN JAWZI

Ash-Shaafi’ee, when he was asked how he studied and how he attained his knowledge, he said I pursued knowledge like a mother who is seeking her only lost son. Imagine a mother with her only lost son how she runs and chases him if he is lost. He said I pursued knowledge like a mum does to find her son. Ibn Jawzi said, I stayed years desiring Hareesah. Hareesah, it is a famous sweet we know still today. He said, I desired Hareesah for years but I could never eat it because the guy who sells it by the Masjid, at his time, would come when I have a class, and I want to go eat it but I don’t want to miss the class. Honour and reward for learning, it is deep, learning is not just a superficial thing that you take or you do it if you got time or at your leisure, or if you got nothing better to do, you go to attend the Halaqah.

6. RAHIMAK ALLAH

A. MAGHFIRAH AND RAHMAH

May Allah shower His mercy on you. So the next word, I’lam Rahimak Allah, he means may Allah shower His mercy on you so you can achieve what you seek. May Allah shower His

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mercy on you so you can achieve what you seek, that is the meaning of it. It means may Allah grant you mercy to achieve all that, that is good for you and to keep you away from that which is evil. That is what he means when he says Rahimak Allah. It means, may Allah forgive your past, Rahimak Allah, means may Allah forgive your past, may Allah protect and guide you for your future, these are all meanings of Rahimak Allah.

If you combine a couple, Rahimak Allah and Ghafara Lak, Maghfirah and Rahmah. Maghfirah is forgiveness and mercy is Rahmah. If you combine them together, each one would have a meaning. If they are combined, then Maghfirah is that which was of prior sins, if they are combined in one sentence. Maghfirah is what was a prior sin, and Rahmah is a safety in harm, affect and punishment from future sins. If they are separated, Maghfirah and Rahmah, it entails the meaning of the other. So if Maghfirah is by itself it means Rahmah as well, if it’s Rahmah by itself it means Maghfirah. If Maghfirah is in a sentence alone, it entails the meaning of Rahmah in it. They encompass each other’s meanings when they are separate, when they are in separate sentences. So Maghfirah means Rahmah and Rahmah means Maghrifrah if they are separate.

The rule here is similar to the usage of Islam and Emaan, in a sentence. Islam is three levels, Islam, Emaan and Ihsaan. We have Islam and Emaan, Allah said in the Qur’an:

ه اإلسالم …إن الدين عند اللIslam is mentioned there alone without Emaan. So here it includes within it, Emaan and Ihsaan. It includes Emaan in it, it is mentioned alone in a sentence. In another verse, Emaan is mentioned alone:

ا …قالت األعراب آمنEmaan is mentioned alone so Emaan here includes Islam and Ihsaan in it. Emaan and Islam, if they are mentioned together in one sentence, then each word entails a different meaning. If only one of them is mentioned, then each one encompasses the meaning of the other. You see that rule, same applies with our situation here, Maghfirah and Rahmah.

B. DO YOU SAY RAHIMAK ALLAH TO A NON MUSLIM?

Over here he said Rahimak Allah because he is trying to teach. If you are going out to give Da’wah, you go tell a non Muslim, may Allah have mercy on you, or any non Muslim for that matter, a relative or any non Muslim. Let me say this, number one, there is no difference of opinion among scholars that one cannot pray for forgiveness and mercy for a non Muslim who dies in that status, a Kaafir. You cannot make Du’aa for him, may Allah have mercy on him. An-Nawawi said in al-Majmoo’ in the fifth volume, there is an Ijmaa’ on this, there is a consensus on this. Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah said there is an Ijmaa’ on this, that it is

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prohibited and that is in the twelfth volume of al-Fataawa. As for one who is alive, if one is alive, there is some comments on this, let me clear it up.

When a modernist or ignorant reads it in some of the old books, he will say look so and so said it is ok to make Du’aa with mercy to a Kaafir that is living, and then they might even tag on it a Kaafir who is dead too, at the rate they are going. That is a reason to show knowledge must be taught by Shuyookh, because sometimes you are going to see in a book, for example, the word Makrooh, disliked. Some Shuyookh, some Ulamaa’ consider what they say disliked Haraam, but they always use disliked. And how would you know that if someone didn’t tell you, as a principle of this Shaykh he said disliked. Imagine reading adultery or fornication is disliked or alcohol is disliked, what that Shaykh means has a root, disliked is Haraam. One thing is for sure, supplication is meant to be understood, if you are asking for a non Muslim, that Allah guides them, supplication of Rahmah. Al-Haafidh ibn Hajr mentioned this in his explanation in Fath al-Baari, the eleventh volume, he said in summary, this is the summary and I’m going to give it to you and this is the best summary. You can pray for a non believer in guidance and if you choose to pray for him in mercy, it must be with the intention that mercy means guidance. So basically, if your intention is to say Rahimahullah to a non Muslim who is living, your intention better be one hundred percent that Rahimahullah, meaning may Allah have mercy on him to guide him. It better be that and it can be no other than that.

It is better to say just make it clear, may Allah guide him, may Allah guide them, or if you do choose to say Rahmah and it is not the best of the two opinions, then you say it with the intention of Allah guide him. Badr ad-Deen al-‘Ayni in Umdat al-Qaari, which is an interpretation of Sahih Bukhari commented on a Hadith where the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam mentioned:

هم ال يعلمون هم اغفر لقومي فإن اللThe Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam made supplication that Allah forgive his people when they were non believers. He said, that is to forgive his people, he said it when they were harming him and oppressing him. Badr ad-Deen says that means to grant them guidance to Islam which will cause them to be forgiven, if they do become Muslim. So you have to understand what the Ulamaa’ are talking about.

C. WHY DID HE SAY RAHIMAK ALLAH?

This was a trend used by wise, knowledgeable Ulamaa’, they used these kind of sayings. He made Du’aa for one who is learning and listening to him, he is making Du’aa for one who might read his book in the future. This is a big lesson that one who conveys the message must be merciful and compassionate to those he conveys his message to, he must show those he is teaching, that he wants guidance for them. Sometimes they think you don’t want guidance for them, you got to show them you are trying to take them from darkness to a

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bright light. A Daa’iyah opens the hearts with a smile, it’s a key to a heart, with a nice compliment, could be a nice compliment or word, or putting your hand on his back. Today, some act as if it is Awrah to show your teeth, they think it’s awrah to show your teeth, that’s the reality don’t laugh, some people are like that. Da’wah is wisdom, being gentle and kind, you need the keys; you can’t enter without Rahmah to people. Allah tells his Prophet and he is the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, if you Muhammad were harsh and hard hearted, they would have dispersed and left you:

…ولو كنت فظا غليظ القلب النفضوا من حولك…That is the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, so imagine anyone other than him. A Daa’iyah must be like Allah said about the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam:

م ''ه م''ا عنت كم عزي''ز علي ول من أنفس'' لق''د ج''اءكم رس''(١٢٨حريص عليكم بالمؤمنين رءوف رحيم )

Who is merciful, who is merciful with you, who is compassionate with you, who is worried about you, who is concerned for you and who is eager to give you the best. Here, the author is speaking to people at a time when people were deep in their ignorance and their Bid’ah and their Shirk and the worshipping of the graves was widespread and common, and it is exceptional to be on the right path.

A knowledgeable is wise and knows the truth is somewhat tough, the truth is tough sometimes, it’s hard to absorb it, especially when their parents and great grand parents have been raised on it, its hard to absorb the truth. The truth is difficult in itself, as a Daa’iyah with wisdom, you don’t combine a tough attitude with a tough Da’wah, you want two toughnesses? At least work with the tough Da’wah itself, don’t add to it your attitude. Some learn a couple of Hadith and run around declaring people Kuffaar and Khawaarij and everything you can think of.

In Tareekh Baghdad, Husayn al-Karabeesi, was a philosophist Mubtadi’, or one who resorted to mental rationalisation. Ash-Shaafi’ee went to visit Baghdad and al-Karabeesi heard about him, people are going from all over to visit him. Al-Karabeesi, he told his friends let’s go visit ash-Shaafi’ee, he’s a philosophist, you know they are eloquent when they talk because they have no knowledge of Qur’an or Hadith, they use their talk. So he said let’s go visit Shaafi’ee and make fun of him. Everyone has gathered there so Karabeesi goes there and with his outspoken way of asking questions, they ask ash-Shaafi’ee. Ash-Shaafi’ee knows what they are doing, knows people are there, he could have kicked them out. He could have told a couple of his students take them out of here, he could have incited the people to take them out but he stood silent. He stood patiently and began to answer them with Qur’an after Qur’an after Hadith after sayings, until he mesmerised them with his knowledge and his

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manners. You know what they said the philosophers, these Mubtadi’, those who resorted to mental rationalisation? They said we left our Bid’ah and followed ash-Shaafi’ee. They went to make fun of him, he could have done anything he wanted but he was patient, Allah guided with him some big Imaams of his time.

You see what it does, he had the key to the heart, he had wisdom in conveying the message, that is why them are the verses I said:

…ولوطا آتيناه حكما وعلما…ولما بلغ أشده واستوى آتيناه حكما

Wisdom is just as essential as knowledge and that is what he says, Rahimak Allah is part of the wisdom of Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhaab. That is how you capture the hearts and the minds, Rahimak Allah, even if you disagree with them and they are Muslim, Rahimak Allah. Take this, humble yourself, lower your wing to them, you know who is saying Rahimak Allah? The man who for over two hundred years is still till today, being bad mouthed. The dust of the attacks from the storm of reviving the Qur’an and the Sunnah of his time, Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhaab, the dust it generated has not settled until today, people still accuse him and talk about him. Having said that, can you just imagine with me, what the attacks were like to him when he was in his peak, if it is still going on till today? Yet with all that going on, he uses Rahimak Allah, where his opponents are going to be reading his leaflets and letters that he is going to pass out. A Daa’iyah needs to have a smile on his face with the proper manners and he needs to be pleasant and a delight for people to approach and communicate with, that is the true Daa’iyah and that is a characteristic of a successful Daa’iyah.

I’lam Rahimak Allah, a smile might open many hearts to your message, Rahimak Allah. Rahimak Allah, I am concerned about you, I want you to learn this. In Sahih Muslim:

ال تحقرن من المعروف شيئا ولو أن تلقى أخاك بوجهطلق

Don’t minimise the reward of anything, even if it is merely to greet your brother with a smile, even if it is to smile in your brother’s face. Jareer ibn Abdillah said in Sahih Bukhari and Muslim, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam never seen me but smiled in my face:

م في وجهي تبس وال رآني إالThis was the Prophet who we were ordered to follow whether he smiles to us or frowns at us, whether he conveys this message soft toned or harsh toned. No one is ordered to follow

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me and you, so convey the message in wisdom and good manners, in a pleasant and a light way.

Abdullah ibn Haarith said in a Hadith in Sunan Tirmidhi:

ما من رسول الله صلى الله عليه ما رأيت أحدا أكثر تبسوسلم

A companion is saying, I never seen anyone smile more than the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. Can you imagine that, a brother greets a brother with a smile, a sister greets her sister with a smile, or a kind word, or a pat on the back, or embrace, a key to open the heart, a true smile, a quick smile, that slowly fades. Not those fake ones that come slowly and vanish real fast, those are the fake ones. A sign and a characteristic o f a Munaafiq is a sharp tongue with a frown to the believers, and the opposite to the non believers:

…سلقوكم بألسنة حداد أشحة على الخير…They sharpen their tongues and yield them on you:

…أشداء على الكفار رحماء بينهم…The opposite of that is a trait of the Munaafiqeen.

A Daa’iyah is a doctor, he deals with the hearts and souls, spiritually, not physically. You don’t open the heart and play around with it, the physical muscle itself, you deal with them spiritually so you have to know how to properly open them, you have to find the key to convey the message. Like I said it is a harsh Da’wah in itself, don’t combine to it your harshness. People are humans, sometimes you need to praise them to win their hearts. The Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam was teaching Abdullah something.

When he taught Mu’adh ibn Jabal:

ي على ذكرك وشكرك وحسن عبادتك هم أعن الل The one we say after Salah, do you think the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam just came to Mu’adh and said you say this after Salah? He took Mu’adh, he said:

ك يا معاذ ي ألحب إنI love you Mu’adh. Can you imagine how his heart is?

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ي على ذكرك : ا تدع أن تقول دبر كل صالةلف هم أعن الل وشكرك وحسن عبادتك

The Prophet commends ibn Umar then corrects him to pray the night prayer, the Prophet sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam praised and then encourages, that is the path of the wise and righteous and successful Du’aat.

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