BOOK- The Manners Of the Knowledge Seeker– Abu ‘Abdillah Muhammad Sa’id Raslan. Here are listed a few Hadeeth and Quotes mentioned under suitable category from the respective book. For more detailed version, the book can be referred to.
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- Purify Your Intention for Allah in Seeking Knowledge
- Purify Yourself Inwardly and Outwardly From That Which Contradicts the Shari’ah
- Completely Free Your Heart for Knowledge and Remove All Obstacles
- Eat Little, Be Cautious, and Constantly Remember Allah
- Eat, Sleep, and Speak as Seldom as Possible
- Reduce Socialization and Choose the Right Friends
- Choose What to Start With and Who to Teach You
- Have the Best Manners with Your Teacher
- Treat Your Books Well
- How to Act During a Lesson
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Purify Your Intention for Allah in Seeking Knowledge
‘Alqamah bin Waqqas al-Laythi (may Allah be Pleased with him) said: “I heard ‘Umar bin al- Khattab (may Allah be Pleased with him) on the pulpit, saying: “I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: “Indeed, actions are by intentions, and for every person is what he intended. So, whoever migrated to Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him), his migration is to Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him). And whoever migrated to obtain a portion of the world or to marry a woman, his migration is to what he migrated for.”” (1)
His (peace be upon him) saying, as well: “Give this nation the glad tidings of glory, establishment in the land, victory, and religious authority. And whoever of them performs an action of the Hereafter seeking with it this world, he will have no portion of the Hereafter from it.” (2)
And from Abu Umamah (may Allah be Pleased with him), who said: “A man came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said: “What if a man fights to seek reward and reputation? What will he have?” So, he replied: “He has nothing.” The man repeated the question three times, with the Prophet (peace be upon him) replying: “He has nothing.” He then said: “Indeed, Allah does not accept any action except that which
is sincere and seeking His Face.”” (3)
Sufyan ath-Thawri said: “I never attempted to remedy something as difficult as my intention.”
He should not seek with it any worldly gains, such as obtaining position, status, money, or making himself look great and knowledgeable in front of those closest to him, having a presence in the circles of knowledge, etc. thereby exchanging the good for the bad. Abu Yusuf (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “O people! Seek Allah with your knowledge, as I have never sat in a circle in which I sought to humble myself except that I got up from it better than everyone else, and I never sat in a circle in which I sought to be better than everyone else except that I was exposed.”
All of the above can be summarized in the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) that was reported by Muslim in his ‘Sahih,’ on the authority of Abu Hurayrah: “The first who will be consumed by the Fire on the Day of Resurrection will be three: a scholar, a Mujahid, and a generous donator. As for the scholar, Allah will bring him and ask him: ‘What did you do in the dunya?’ So, he will say: ‘I acquired knowledge for Your Sake, and I spread it seeking Your Pleasure.’ So, it will be said to him: ‘You lied. You learned so that you would be referred to as a scholar, and it was done, and you have obtained your reward in the dunya.’ Then, he will be ordered thrown into Hell. Then, the donator will be brought, and Allah will ask him: ‘What did you do in the dunya?’ He will say: ‘I acquired wealth from permissible means, and I donated it for Your Sake.’ It will be said to him: ‘You lied. You donated your money so that it would be said that you are generous, and it was done, and you have had your reward in the dunya.’ Then, he will be ordered thrown into Hell. Then, the fighter will be brought, and asked: ’What did you do?’ ‘I fought in Your Cause until I was killed.’ ‘You lied. You fought so that you would be referred to as a brave man, and it was done, and you took your reward in the dunya.’ Then, he will be ordered thrown into Hell.” (4)
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever seeks knowledge in order to compete with the scholars, to prove himself superior to the ignorant, or to make the people look up to him, he is in the Fire.”(5)
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Purify Yourself Inwardly and Outwardly From That Which Contradicts the Shari’ah
Ibn Abi Hatim reported that ‘Abd al-Malik al-Maymuni said: “I do not know that I have ever seen anyone who wore cleaner clothes, was more attentive to trimming his moustache and grooming the hair on his head and body, or wore purer and whiter garments than Ahmad bin Hambal.”(6) And this was because every single movement of Ahmad (may Allah have Mercy on him) was in accordance with the Sunnah, as he said: “I never wrote a single hadith except that I acted upon it, to the point that I came across a report that the Prophet (peace be upon him) got cupped and gave Abu Taybah (his cupper) a dinar. So, I got cupped and gave the cupper a dinar.”(7)
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al-Khatib (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “The student of knowledge must set aside amusement, useless talk, and low speech when meeting and gathering with others, such as immaturity, laughter, giggling, and excessive joking. It is allowed for him to laugh mildly and rarely in a way that does not exceed the limits of the manner and style of one who is dealing with knowledge. As for constantly doing this, speaking about inappropriate, immature, and childish matters, excessive laughter and joking – this all reduces one’s esteem and manhood.
Muhammad bin al-Husayn reported from Sa’id bin ‘Amir that he said: “We were with Hisham ad Dastawa’i, and one of us laughed. So, Hisham said to him: “You laugh while you are a student of Hadith?!””.
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Muslim reported that ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ud heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: “Nobody who has an atom’s weight of kibr will enter Paradise.” So, a man said: “A man likes that his clothing look nice, and that his shoes look nice.” The Messenger (peace be upon him) replied: “Indeed, Allah is Beautiful and Loves beauty. Kibr is to reject the truth and look down on the people.”(8)
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Jabir (may Allah be Pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “He who eats of these plants – garlic, leeks, and onions – should not approach our mosque, as the Angels are offended by the same things as the human being.”(9)
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And the Prophet (peace be upon him) forbade that the Muslim leave his moustache and fingernails without trimming them, his pubic hair without cutting it, or his armpit hair without plucking it for more than forty days, as Anas bin Malik said: “He (peace be upon him) gave us a forty day limit in trimming the moustache and fingernails, plucking the hair under the armpits, and shaving the pubic hair.” an-Nawawi said: “This means that they are not allowed to leave these things for more than forty days, not that they have to leave them for forty days.”(10)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) also encouraged the use of the toothbrush (siwak), saying: “If I did not fear making things too hard for my people, I would have commanded them to use the siwak at the time of each prayer,” as was narrated by Abu Hurayrah.(11)
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Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be Pleased with him) said: “Once, Jibril had promised to visit the Prophet (peace be upon him). But, he delayed, and this became difficult for the Prophet (peace be upon him) to handle. Finally, he came out to find Jibril, who complained to him: “We do not enter a home in which there is a picture or a dog.””(12)
Abu Hamid al-Ghazzali (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “And the heart is also a home. It is the home of the Angels, where they descend, where they reside. Despicable characteristics, such as anger, desires, belittlement, envy, arrogance, self-amazement, etc. are all barking dogs. So, how can the Angels enter such a place while it is crawling with dogs?”(13)
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And if you clean your heart out for knowledge, its blessing becomes clear and evident, just like the plot of land that is fertile for agriculture, and in the hadith: “Indeed, and in the body there is a piece of flesh. If it is sound, the rest of the body will be sound. If it is corrupt, the rest of the body will be corrupt. Indeed, it is the heart.”(14) And Sahl: “It is forbidden for any light to enter the heart while it contains anything that Allah – the Mighty and Majestic – hates.””(15)
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Ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be Pleased with him) said: “Knowledge is not constant narration. Rather, it is light that is placed in the heart.” Some said that knowledge is fear, as Allah Said:
{“Verily, those of Allah’s slaves who fear Him are those who have knowledge.”}- Fatir; 28
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Completely Free Your Heart for Knowledge and Remove All Obstacles
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “Getting what you want depends on cutting off habits and attachment to anything else.
As for these obstacles, they are the many types of outer and inner contradictions to the Shari’ah that injure the heart upon its journey to Allah and render it immobile, and they cut it off on its path. They are three things: shirk, innovation, and sin. So, the obstacle of shirk is overcome by grasping onto Tawhid, and the obstacle of innovation is overcome by implementing the Sunnah, and the obstacle of sin is overcome by true repentance. These obstacles do not become evident to the slave until he actually begins his journey to Allah and the Hereafter. Only then are these obstacles noticed, and he will notice their handicapping effect in accordance with how intensely and attentively he is traversing this path. Otherwise, he will simply remain still, not feeling their hidden effects.
al-Imam Ahmad (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “If one remembers death, everything from this world seems insignificant. It is just one type of food instead of another, one type of dress instead of another, and the remaining days are only few.” So, the student of knowledge is one who should have a great desire for the Hereafter and what is with Allah, and a strong attachment to the higher goal. Knowledge is enough of a preoccupation from the pleasures and glitter of this life, and the remaining days are only few.
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Ibn Jama’ah said: “The student of knowledge should utilize his youth and free time in his life to gain as much as he can, and he should not be deceived by the temptation to put things off for another day. Every hour that passes of his life is crucial and will not be replaced. He should cut off what he can of the distracting relationships and preventative obstacles that are in the way of the knowledge he seeks, and should instead exert his energy and power in gaining as much as he can, since these obstacles are like roadblocks in his way.
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“Knowledge is something that will not give you even a fraction of itself until you give it all of yourself.”
Abu Yusuf al-Qadi
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ash-Shafi’i (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “Nobody who seeks this knowledge while he is wealthy and high in status will succeed. Rather, those who seek it while they are humble, having a low standard of living, and are serving the scholars will succeed.”- that is to have all concentration to acquiring knowledge and not in worldy affairs, in the greed and concern for money.- This was all because he was sincere with this knowledge, threw off the shackles of this world, and freed his heart from all other distractions and concerns.
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Eat Little, Be Cautious, and Constantly Remember Allah
ash-Shafi’i said: “For the past sixteen years, I never ate my fill.” The reason for this is that eating excessively leads to excessive drinking and sleeping, dulling of the senses, and laziness of the body. This is all in addition to the fact that doing so is disliked in the Shari’ah, and exposes the body to all types of dangerous disease, as it was said: Indeed, most of the diseases you see are from eating and drinking…
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All of this revolves around being cautious in all affairs, and cautiousness (wara’) is from the stations of the journey to Allah, the Exalted, as Ibn al-Qayyim said: “And the Prophet (peace be upon him) combined everything related to cautiousness in one phrase: “From the perfection of a man’s Islam is that he leaves that which does not concern him.”(16) So, this includes not talking about, looking at, listening to, touching, walking towards, or thinking about that which doesn’t concern him, as well as involving any other outer or inner movements that are of no concern to one. Ibrahim bin Adham said: “Cautiousness is to abandon anything doubtful, and to leave what does not concern you is to leave anything you don’t need.””(17)
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Anas (may Allah be Pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) came across a date that had fallen from a tree, and said: “Were it not for the fact that it could be charity, I would’ve eaten it,”(18) and Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be Pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Verily, I turn to my family and find a date fallen on my bed. I raise it to my mouth to eat it, and then fear that it might be charity. So, I put it down.”(19) Ibn Hajar said: “Here, the Prophet (peace be upon him) specifically mentioned that he found it on his bed. With this, he refused to eat it out of caution,”(20) and an-Nawawi said: “This hadith contains an example of caution, as this date was not forbidden by mere suspicion that it was from the charity. Rather, it was left out of caution.”(21)
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Ibn al-Qayyim said: “Rushing towards Allah and depending on Him, being pleased with Him, filling the heart with love of Him, constantly remembering Him, feeling happiness and joy with knowing Him – all of these are instantaneous rewards, a paradise of this world, and a life that the lives of kings cannot even compare to. I heard Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have Mercy on him) say: “Indeed, there is a paradise in this world. Whoever doesn’t enter it will not enter the Paradise of the Hereafter.” And he once said to me: “What can my enemies do to me? My paradise and garden are in my chest, and they are with me wherever I go. My imprisonment is my privacy with Allah, my killing is martyrdom, and my expulsion from my homeland is tourism.”
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Ibn al-Qayyim continued: “And I was with Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah once when he prayed Fajr. He sat afterwards remembering Allah until midday, and turned to me, saying: “This is my nourishment. If I do not receive this nourishment, I will have no energy,” or something to this effect. And he said to me once: “I never leave off making dhikr except with the intention of saving up my energy to rest myself in order to prepare for more dhikr,” or something close to this in meaning.”
“And there is no doubt that the heart becomes rusted just like copper, silver, etc. do, and it is polished with dhikr, as dhikr will clean it until it is left as shiny as a mirror. If it is left, it once again becomes rusty, and if you remember Allah, it is once again polished.
And the heart becomes rusted because of two things: heedlessness and sin, and it becomes polished with two things: repentance and dhikr. So, whoever is heedless more often will have more rust on his heart, and the amount of rust will be in accordance with how heedless he is. If the heart becomes rusted, its owner will not be able to see things for what they are. So, he will see falsehood as truth and truth as falsehood, because when the rust builds up, it causes a fog that prevents him from seeing things as they are. So, if the rust builds up and blackens the heart, his understanding and comprehension become ruined, he will not accept the truth as truth, and will not reject falsehood as falsehood. This is the greatest form of punishment that can afflict the heart.
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And Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “Sometimes, I would come across a hundred different explanations for a single verse, and I would ask Allah to allow me to understand them. I would say: ‘O Teacher of Adam and Ibrahim, teach me!’ I would go to an abandoned mosque, rub my face in the dirt, and ask Allah, saying: ‘O Teacher of Ibrahim, teach me.’”(22)
Abu Musa al-Ash’ari (may Allah be Pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The likeness of the one who remembers his Lord and the one who doesn’t is like that of the living and the dead,”(23) and this is al-Bukhari’s version. Muslim’s wording is: “The likeness of the house in which Allah is remembered and that in which He is not remembered is like that of the living and the dead.”(24)
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And al-Bukhari titled one of his chapters ‘Chapter: the Virtue of Remembering Allah.’ In it, he included the aforementioned hadith of Abu Musa, as well as this hadith of Abu Hurayrah, in which the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Allah has Angels who roam the roads, seeking out those who remember Him. So, if they find those who remember Allah, they call out: ‘Come see what you’re looking for!’ and the Angels encircle them with their wings up to the sky. Then, their Lord asks them – though He Knows better than them – ‘What do My slaves say?’
The Angels reply: ‘They say: subhan Allah, Allahu Akbar, and al-hamdu lil-Lah.’
Allah then Says: ‘Did they see Me?’ ’
The Angels reply: ‘No! By Allah, they didn’t see You.’
Allah Says: ‘How it would have been if they saw Me?’
The Angels reply: ‘If they saw You, they would worship You more devoutly and
praise You more, and declare Your freedom from any resemblance to anything more often.’
Allah will Say: ‘What do they ask Me for?’
The Angels reply: ‘They ask You for Paradise.’
Allah Says: ‘Did they see it?’
The Angels say: ‘No! By Allah, O Lord! They did not see it.’
Allah Says: ‘How it would have been if they saw it?’
The Angels say: ‘If they saw it, they would have greater desire for it, and would seek it with greater zeal.’
Allah Says: ‘From what do they seek refuge?’
The Angels reply: ‘They seek refuge from the Fire.’
Allah Says: ‘Did they see it?’
The Angels say: ‘No, by Allah, O Lord! They did not see it.’
Allah Says: ‘How it would have been if they saw it?’
The Angels say: ‘If they saw it, they would flee from it swiftly, and would have extreme fear of it.’
Then, Allah says: ‘I make you witnesses that I have Forgiven them.’
One of the Angels would then say: ‘There was such and such a person amongst them, and he was not one of them. Rather, he had just come for some need of his.’
Allah would then Say: ‘These are people whose companions will not be saddened.’”(25)
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Eat, Sleep, and Speak as Seldom as Possible
So, the student of knowledge is too busy to think of food and drink, and the one who sees through the glitter of this life will not be fat. Rather, his passion makes him forget to eat a lot. Here is Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, who “was never heard asking for food – dinner or supper – no matter how long he remained busy with some matter related to knowledge and action. Rather, he would sometimes be given food that he would leave for a long time before even turning to it, and if he ate from it, would only eat small bits. He would never mention the delights of this world, and would never speak or ask about it. Rather, all of his concern and conversation was in seeking the Hereafter and what could bring him closer to Allah, the Exalted.”(26)
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Abu Hurayrah passed by a group of people who were eating a roasted sheep, and they invited him to sit and eat with them. He refused, saying: “The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) left this world without even satisfying his hunger with barley bread.” (27)
And Anas bin Malik (may Allah be Pleased with him) said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) never ate his meals at a dining table or in an individual plate, and he never ate thin, well-baked bread until he died.”(28)
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Sleeping
As for sleeping: “The student of knowledge should reduce it as much as he can without hurting his body and mind, and he should not sleep more then eight hours a night – one third of his time – and if he is able to sleep less than this, he should.” (29)
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And Abu Hurayrah narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “When any one of you goes to sleep, Satan ties three knots at the back of his neck, sealing each knot by saying: ‘You have a long night. So, sleep.’ So, if one wakes up and mentions Allah, a knot is loosened. If he performs ablution, two knots are loosened. And if he prays, all the knots will be loosened, and in the morning he will be active and in a good mood. Otherwise, he will be in a bad mood and sluggish in the morning.”(30)
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As for reducing your level of speech, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Hereafter, let him say what is good or remain silent.”(31)
Based on this hadith, al-Imam ash-Shafi’i (may Allah be Pleased with him) said that if you wish to say something, let him think. If you conclude that there is no harm, speak. If you conclude that your words will bring about harm, do not speak.”(32)
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Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “From the tests that the scholar is put through is that he likes to talk more than he likes to listen. Yazid bin Abi Habib said: “Listening is safe and increases one’s knowledge, and the listener is the partner of the speaker. Talking consists of confusion and deception, excess and deficiency. The one who talks awaits fitnah, and the one who listens awaits mercy.”
And Abu adh-Dhiyal said: “Learn to be quiet just as you learn to talk, because if talking guides you, being quiet protects you. By being quiet, you attain two characteristics: you are able to take knowledge from those more knowledgeable than you, and you are able to repel the ignorance of those more ignorant than you.”
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And a man came to Salman (may Allah be Pleased with him), saying: “O Aba ‘Abdillah! Advise me!”
So, he said: “Do not speak.”
The man replied: “It’s impossible for one who lives amongst the people not to speak.”
He said: “Then if you speak, say what is correct, or be quiet.”
The man said: “Tell me more.”
Salman said: “Do not become angry.”
The man said: “You tell me not to become angry, and I am sometimes overcome and unable to control myself.”
He said: “Then if you become angry, at least control your tongue and hands.”
The man said: “Tell me more.”
Salman said: “Do not mix with the people.”
The man said: “One who lives with the people must mix with them!”
He said: “Then if you mix with them, speak the truth and fulfill your promises.”(33)
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As for the sins of the tongue, they are:
- Speaking about what does not concern you: It was said to Luqman (peace be upon him): “How did you become so wise?” He replied: “I do not ask for what I don’t need, and I don’t speak about what doesn’t concern me.” And it was narrated that Luqman (peace be upon him) entered upon Dawud (peace be upon him) while he was putting together his armor. He was amazed at what he was seeing, and wanted to ask what he was doing. However, his wisdom prevented him from doing so. When Dawud (peace be upon him) was finished welding his armor, he got up, put it on, and said: “How excellent is this armor for warfare!” Luqman (peace be upon him) said: “Silence is from wisdom, and those who practice it are few.”’
- Talking about falsehood: This is when a conversation revolves around talk of sins, such as talking about bars and places where the sinners gather. Similar to this is when one argues and debates insistently with person in order to expose his shortcomings, and this is all done out of the desire to be noticed. So, the person should forbid what is evil with his tongue and clarify what is right. If this is not accepted from him, he should avoid arguing. This is if the issue has to do with religion. If it is a worldly matter, there is no reason to argue over it. The way to succeed in this is to swallow your pride, which is what drives you to make yourself look good
- Talking with excessive eloquence: This is when one speaks in too much rhetoric. This does not include the eloquence of a khatib, or that one gives a reminder without being too detailed or hard-to-understand in his speech, because the whole point of such speeches is to move and motivate the hearts with the simplest words possible.
- Indecent, inappropriate talk: Know that indecent talk is when one describes something inappropriate in a clear, direct manner, and this occurs often in songs.
- Joking: There is no harm in joking here and there, and it is not forbidden if it is in truth, as the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to joke and not say except what was true. His joking always abided by the following conditions: it was in what was true, it was with women, children, and weak men who needed to be cultured, and it was done rarely.
- Belittling and mocking: This is when you point out the faults and shortcomings in a person in order to laugh at him. This can occur either directly with a word or action, or indirectly by pointing, and both are forbidden in the Shari’ah.
- Revealing secrets, breaking promises, and lying in word and oath: All of this is forbidden, except the lying that is allowed to one’s wife and during warfare.
- Backbiting: Prophet (peace be upon him) was asked about backbiting, and he said: “It is when you mention something about your brother that he doesn’t like.” They asked: “What if he actually is as we say?” He (peace be upon him) replied: “If he is as you say, you have backbitten him. If he is not as you say, you have slandered him.”(34) And know that anything that can even be understood to be belittlement counts a backbiting, whether this is in the form of a word, a wink, a point of the finger, or a written word, as the pen is one of your two tongues.
- Tale-carrying: In the agreed upon hadith of Hudhayfah (may Allah be Pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “No tale-carrier will enter Paradise.”(35) Even if you see someone burying his own money and mention it to others, thiscounts as tale-carrying. Everyone to whom such a tale is relayed – such as by one saying to him ‘This person said that about you, or did this against you,’
- Having two tongues: This is when one speaks with two tongues between two enemies, transmitting the words of one to the other, tells one side what he wants to hear or promises to help him, or praises one in his face and belittles him in the presence of another. In the agreed upon hadith of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be Pleased with him), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The worst of people is the two-faced one who comes to this person with one face and that person with another.”(36)
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Reduce Socialization and Choose the Right Friends
Tawus said: “How excellent of a refuge is the home! In it, one can restrain his gaze and his tongue.” mixing and socialization should not be with one who has a dead heart, as he is like a highway robber. Rather, it should be with one who will increase you in faith and action.
Ibn al-Qayyim said: “The one with a dead heart will make you feel lonely. So, take advantage of his absence as much as possible, because you will not feel lonely except when he is with you. If you are put to trial with him, give him your outer attention, wander from him with your heart, separate your inner self from him, and do not let him distract you from what is more deserving of your attention.
Know that the greatest of losses is for you to be preoccupied with one who will bring you nothing but a loss in your time with Allah – the Mighty and Majestic – and being cut off from Him, wasting of your time on him, weakening of your energy, and dispersing of your attention. So, if you are tested with this – and you must be tested with this – deal with him according to how Allah would wish, and be patient with him as much as possible. Get closer to Allah and His Pleasure by way of this person, and make your getting together with him something to benefit from, not something to incur a loss from. Be with him as if you are a man who is on a road who was stopped by another man, who then asks you to take him on your journey. Make sure that you are the one who gives him a ride, and that he is not the one giving you the ride. If he refuses, and there is nothing to gain from traveling with him, do not stop for him, bid him farewell, and do not even turn back to look at him, as he is a highway robber regardless of who he really is. So, save your heart, be wary of how you spend your days and nights, and do not let the Sun set before you arrive at your destination.”(37)
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Ibn Qudamah (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “Know that not everyone is suitable to be your friend. You must verify that this potential friend has the necessary characteristics that make friendship with him something to be desired. The one you seek to befriend must have five characteristics:
- He must be intelligent. There is no good in befriending an idiot, as he will only harm you when he wants to benefit you. By intelligent, we mean one he understands things as they are on his own or if they are explained to him.
- He must have good manners, and this is a must. One who is simply intelligent might be overcome by anger or desire, and obey his desire. Thus, there would be no benefit in befriending him.
- He must not be a fasiq. Such a person would not fear Allah, and whoever does not fear Allah cannot be trusted.
- He must not be an innovator, as there is a fear of being overtaken by his innovation.
- He should not be eager for the dunya.
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Yahya bin Mu’adh said: “A friend is the one who you don’t have to remind to remember you in his supplication, and that you don’t have to flatter and impress, and that you don’t have to apologize to.”
And Abu Ja’far said to his companions: “Can any of you put his hand in the pocket of his brother and take what he wants?” They replied: “No.” He said: “Then you are not brothers as you claim.”
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Choose What to Start With and Who to Teach You
There is no doubt that complete knowledge of something created requires knowledge of the one who created it, just as knowledge of something that was brought about requires knowledge of what brought that thing about. Everything that exists besides Allah depends for its existence on Him – just like a product depends on its producer, and an action depends on the one carrying out the action. So, knowing Allah, His Attributes, and actions means that one will automatically come to know what exists besides Allah. This is because He is the Lord and Owner of everything, and knowledge of Him is the basis and source of all other knowledge. So, the one who knows Allah will know other than Allah, and whoever is ignorant of Allah will be ignorant of anything besides Him, as Allah Said:
{“And do not be like those who forgot Allah, and He then caused them to forget themselves…”} al-Hashr; 19
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Ibn al-Qayyim says:
O you who seeks to save himself , Listen to the words of a loving advisor;
In all of your affairs, hold tightly to Revelation, And not to desirable hallucinations;
And give victory to the Book of Allah and the traditions, That came from the one sent with the Criterion;
And strike every denier with the sword of Revelation , Just like the Mujahid would strike over the fingertips;
And carry on with truthful zeal , The way of the sincere and brave who are dedicated to Allah;
And remain firm with patience under the banner of guidanceAnd if you are harmed in the process, it is for the Pleasure of the Merciful;
And make the Book of Allah and authentic traditions your weaponsAnd strengthen your soul; Who will fight and present himself Or compete on the battlefields?
Openly preach what the Messenger came with, And do not fear the lack of helpers;
And avoid two garments whose wearers , Will be censured and destroyed;
The garment of ignorance that comes with, The garment of partisanship – what terrible clothes!
And decorate yourself with fairness and justice, The best garment to beautify the chest and shoulders;
And make your motto the fear of Allah and advice of the Messenger ,And champion these two matters;
And hold firmly to His rope and Revelation, And depend on Him as He deserves…
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And may Allah have Mercy on ash-Shafi’i, as he said: Every knowledge other than the Qur’an is a distraction * Except for Hadith and Fiqh; Knowledge is whatever begins with ‘It was narrated to us…’ And everything else is the whispering of Satan…
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Ibn al-Qayyim, as he said: Ignorance is a deadly disease And its cure is in two complimentary things; A text from the Qur’an or Sunnah And a nurturing scholar to sweeten them; And knowledge is of three types, with no fourth, And the truth is what clarifies; Knowledge of the Attributes and actions of the Deity And the Names of the Merciful; And the commands and prohibitions that are His religion, And the reward He gives at the Meeting Day; And this is all in the Qur’an and Sunnah, That came from the one sent with the Criterion; And by Allah, nobody speaks with other than them, Except that he is hallucinating… And how great is the saying: O you who wakes up to seek knowledge!, All knowledge is a slave to the knowledge of the Messenger; You seek the branch to correct a principle, How can you be heedless of the greatest of principles?
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Choosing a Teacher –
The student of knowledge should make an effort to choose a shaykh. And in the introduction to his ‘Sahih,’ Muslim reported that Muhammad bin Sirin said: “This knowledge is religion. So, look to who you take your knowledge from.”(39)
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ash-Shafi’i said: “The rulings will slip away from whoever gains knowledge from the depths of books.” And some of them said: “From the greatest of tests is that one gains knowledge just from books.””(40)
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And Malik bin Anas said: “Knowledge is not to be taken from four types of people, and is to be taken from anyone else: the fool who is known for his foolishness, even if he narrates more than anyone; the liar who lies on the people, even if he doesn’t lie upon the Prophet (peace be upon him); an innovator who calls people to his innovation; a shaykh who is known for his virtue and worship if he doesn’t understand what he talks about.””(41)
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Have the Best Manners with Your Teacher
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “If you want to benefit from the Qur’an, gather your heart when it is recited, focus your hearing, and act like you are being directly addressed by Allah, as it is an address from Him to you upon the tongue of this Messenger (peace be upon him), as the Exalted Said:
{“Verily, therein is indeed a reminder for he who has a heart or gives ear while he is heedful.”} Qaf; 37
{“Indeed, it is a reminder and a clear Qur’an to warn he who is alive…”}Ya Sin; 69-70
Meaning, has a heart that is alive.
Ibn Qutaybah said: “He listens to the Book of Allah while his heart and comprehension are there, and he is not distracted.” This is an indication of what is meant to be removed by the effect of the Qur’an, which is the distraction and absence of the heart, its inability to understand what is being relayed to it, and its lack of insight and reflection upon it.
And the Salaf used to look with the utmost reverence and respect to those they learned from, and this is evident when looking at their manners in attending circles of knowledge, specifically how they would honor their teachers. al-Khatib reported many such narrations: “al-Mughirah said: “We would honor Ibrahim an-Nakha’i just as one would honor the ruler.”
Ayyub said: “A man would sit with al-Hasan for three years and not ask him anything out of awe and respect for him.”
Ishaq ash-Shahidi said: “I would see Yahya al-Qattan praying ‘Asr. He would then lean on the base of the mosque’s minaret, and standing in front of him would be ‘Ali bin al-Madini, ash-Shadhakuni, ‘Amr bin ‘Ali, Ahmad bin Hambal, Yahya bin Ma’in, etc. – all asking him about Hadith while they were standing up. This would go on until the Maghrib prayer, and he would not offer any of them to sit, and none of them would sit out of awe and respect of him.”
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And ‘Abd ar-Rahman bin Harmalah al-Aslami said: “Nobody dared to ask Sa’id bin al- Musayyab about anything until he would seek his permission, just as the ruler’s permission is sought for something.””
“And it is said that ash-Shafi’i (may Allah be Pleased with him) was criticized for his humility to the scholars, and he said: I humble myself to them, and they honor me * And you will not be honored unless you humble yourself…
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Some of the Salaf would give some charity before going to visit their shaykh, saying: “O Allah! Hide the faults of my shaykh from me, and do not prevent me from the blessing of his knowledge.””(42)
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“And ash-Shafi’i (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “I would turn the pages of my books in front of Malik (may Allah have Mercy on him) in a very soft, quiet way so that he wouldn’t be bothered by its noise, out of respect for him.”
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And Hamdan al-Asfahani said: “I was with Sharik (may Allah have Mercy on him), and some of the children of the Khalifah al-Mahdi came to him. So, he leaned against the wall, and did not turn to them when they asked him about a hadith. They then came back and forth, asking the same question until they said: “Do you belittle the children of the rulers?” So, Sharik said: “No. However, knowledge is more valuable with Allah than that I give it in such a manner.” So, the men sat down, putting their knees on par with his knees, and he said: “This is how knowledge is to be sought.””(43)
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Some of the Salaf said: “Whoever is not patient upon the humiliation of learning will spend the rest of his life in the blindness of the ignorant, and whoever is patient upon it will spend this life and the next in a state of honor.” Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be Pleased with him): “I humbled myself as a student. So, I became honorable as a teacher.”
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ash-Shafi’i said: Be patient upon the sourness and dryness of knowledge, Because failure in knowledge is in turning away from it; And he who doesn’t taste the sourness of knowledge for an hour, Will swallow the humiliation of ignorance for his whole life; And he who allows knowledge to pass him by in his youth, Will awake to the funeral prayer being prayed for him…
And Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr (may Allah have Mercy on him) reported that Ibn Jurayj said: “I did not gain what I gained from ‘Ata’ except with my softness with him,” and Ibn Tawus from his father said: “From the Sunnah is that the scholar be honored.””(44)
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Ibn Jama’ah (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “He should enter upon his shaykh in the best appearance. He should have a clean body and clothing, trimmed nails and hair, and be perfumed – especially if he plans on attending a circle of knowledge, as it is a gathering of dhikr and worship.
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So, calmness and tranquility are two traits that must always be with the student in the circle of knowledge, and proper manifestation of good manners is essential. The Salaf would greatly respect and honor the circles of knowledge, and they would sit in them as if there were birds sitting on their heads.
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Treat Your Books Well
And al-Khatib (may Allah have Mercy on him) reported that Waki’ said: “The first blessing of Hadith is that you lend out your books.”
Sufyan ath-Thawri said: “Whoever is stingy with his knowledge will be tested with one of three things: he will forget and be unable to memorize, or he will not benefit from it, or he will find himself losing his books.”
One should pay special attention to how he organizes his books, and should do so in accordance with the virtue, importance, and significance of each book.
Whenever one writes the Name of Allah, the Exalted, he should follow it up with a description of exaltation, such as Ta’ala (the Exalted), Subhanah (Glorified is He), ‘Azza wa Jall (the Mighty and Majestic), Taqaddas (free from imperfection), etc.
Whenever he writes the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he should write after it ‘as-Salatu was-Salamu ‘alayh’ (prayers and peace be upon him), and he should also say this with his tongue. The habit of the Salaf and those who came after them was to write this out fully and unabbreviated – even if it was repeated many times on the same line – as opposed to what the backwards authors of our times do, writing ‘SAW,’ ‘PBUH,’ or ‘SAWS,’ and all of this detracts from the rights he has upon us (peace be upon him).
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How to Act During a Lesson
“As a student and seeker of knowledge, one should start early in the day when studying, and the Salaf were very constant and particular in this practice.
Mujahid (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “Nobody who is either too shy or too arrogant will learn this knowledge,” and ‘A’ishah (may Allah be Pleased with her) said: “How excellent are the women of the Ansar! They did not let their shyness prevent them from learning the Religion,”(45) and al-Khalil bin Ahmad (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “The station of ignorance is between shyness and arrogance.”(46)
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REFERENCE
- (1) (Reported by al-Bukhari (1, 54, 2529, 3898, 5070, 6689, and 6953), Muslim (1907), Ahmad (1/25 and 43), Abu Dawud (2201), at-Tirmidhi (1647), an-Nasa’i (1/58-60 and 6/158), Malik (983), Ibn Hibban (388 & 389), Ibn Jarud (64), at-Tahawi (3/96), ad-Daraqutni (10/50), al-Bayhaqi (1/41), Abu Nu’aym (8/42), al Khatib al- Baghdadi (4/244 and 9/346), and al-Baghawi (1 & 206)
- (2)— Reported by Ahmad and his son in the additions to the ‘Musnad’ (5/134), Ibn Hibban in his ‘Sahih’ (4/311 in the ‘Mawarid’ of al-Hakim), and he said: “Its chain is authentic,” and adh- Dhahabi agreed with him, as did al-Mundhiri (1/31). I (al-Albani) say that the chain of ‘Abdullah (the son of Ahmad bin Hambal) is authentic according to the conditions of al- Bukhari.
- (3)— Reported by an-Nasa’i (2/59), and its chain is good, as al-Mundhiri said (1/24).
- (4)— Reported, with various wordings by Muslim (1905), Ahmad (2/322), an-Nasa’i (6/23), at-Tirmidhi (2383), and Ibn Hibban (408)
- (5)— al-Albani graded it authentic in ‘Sahih Ibn Majah’ (205), ‘Mishkat al-Masabih’ (225 & 226), and ‘at Ta’liq ar- Raghib’ (1/68)
- (6)— ‘Sifat as-Safwah’ (1/480)
(7)–‘Siyar A’lam an-Nubala’’ (9/457) - (8)– ‘Sahih Muslim’ (91)
- (9)— ‘Sahih Muslim’ (564)
- (10)— ‘Sharh Sahih Muslim’ (3/149)
(11)— al-Bukhari (887) and Muslim (252) - (12)— ‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ (5960)
(13)— ‘Ihya’ ‘Ulum ad-Din’ (1/49) - (14)– Part of a longer hadith reported by al-Bukhari (52 & 2051), Muslim (1599), and Ibn Hibban (721)
- (15)— ‘Tadhkirat as-Sami’ wal-Mutakallim’ (p. 67)
- (16)–Reported by at-Tirmidhi (2317), Ibn Majah (3976), Ibn Hibban (229), Ahmad (1/201), and Malik (2/470). In ‘Sharh as-Sunnah’ (14/321), al-Baghawi said: “Its chain is authentic, but it is mursal,” and al Albani declared it authentic in his checking of ‘Mishkat al-Masabih’ (3/1361).
(17)– ‘Madarij as-Salikin’ (2/21) - (18)— al-Bukhari (2055) and Muslim (1071)
(19)— al-Bukhari (2432) and Muslim (1070) - (20)– ‘Fath al-Bari’ (4/344)
(21)– ‘Sharh Sahih Muslim’ (7/177) - (22)— ‘Tafsir Surat al-Ikhlas’ (p. 6)
(23)— ‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ (6407)
(24)— ‘Sahih Muslim’ (779) - (25)— ‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ (6408)
- (26)–Ghayat al-Amani’ (2/173)
- (27)— ‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ (5414)
- (28)-– ‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ (5415)
- (29)— ‘Tadhkirat as-Sami’ wal-Mutakallim’ (p. 77)
- (30)— al-Bukhari (1142) and Muslim (776)
- (31)— Reported by Ahmad (2/267, 433, and 463), al-Bukhari (6018, 6136, and 6475), Muslim (47), Abu Dawud (5154), at-Tirmidhi (2500), and Ibn Hibban (506 & 516)
(32)— ‘Sharh Sahih Muslim’ (2/18) - (33)— ‘Kitab as-Samt wa Adab al-Lisan’ (p. 558)
- (34) Reported by Muslim (2589), Abu Dawud (4874), and at-Tirmidhi (1934)
- (35)— ‘as-Silsilah as-Sahihah’ (1034) and ‘Sahih al-Jami’’ (7672)
- (36)— Reported by al-Bukhari (3493, 6058, and 7179), Muslim (2526), Abu Dawud (4872), at-Tirmidhi (2025), Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr in ‘at-Tamhid’ (18/261), and Ibn ‘Asakir in ‘Mu’jam ash-Shuyukh’ (2/1008)
- (37)— ‘al-Wabil as-Sayyib’ (p. 45)
- (38) ‘Miftah Dar as-Sa’adah’ (1/86)
- (39)— ‘Sharh Sahih Muslim’ (1/84)
- (40)— ‘Tadhkirat as-Sami’ wal-Mutakallim’ (p. 85)
- (41)-– ‘al-Jami’ li Akhlaq ar-Rawi wa Adab as-Sami’’ (1/139)
- (42)— ‘Tadhkirat as-Sami’ wal-Mutakallim’ (p. 88)
- (43)— ‘al-Majmu’’ (1/36)
- (44)– ‘Jami’ Bayan al-‘Ilm wa Fadlih’ (1/171)
- (45)-– ‘Fath al-Bari’ (1/276)
(46)— ‘Adab al-‘Alim wal-Muta’allim’ (p. 59)
