In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum
Dear Friends
I pray that you are well.
Today, so many things have changed with the creation of the internet. You can find Islamic knowledge at your fingertips. There is no excuse for anyone to not learn Islam.
They are also many Shaykhs out there who can teach you. They are local Shaykhs who give lessons and various Shaykhs and Imams from various parts of the world who speak at regular Islamic conventions and retreats. Some are vibrant and some are mellow. Some are down to earth and some would not even respond to your salaams (maybe they are too busy with fans that they could not hear your salaams or maybe they don't need your salaams or maybe you are just a little nobody).
You pick who you want to listen to and choose who you don't want to listen to. If you are confused about what they said, then you have to recognize something. Like all humans, all scholars have faults. Some have more faults than others. So we take what is good and ignore what is bad. But we have to be very careful of the so-called scholars. They can be huge distractions and time wasters, for all they are good at is riling up the audience. These people cause problems for the Muslim Ummah and they are more dangerous than anything else. Just because they have a title Shaykh or the like before their names or just because they have 10s of thousands fans, that doesn't mean you can take from them.
People are driven away because of fake scholars. Who are the fake scholars? These are people who think they have knowledge but when we compare it with their character, we get shocked.
Knowledge is what benefits you and what is manifested in your person. Knowledge leads you to better your character and increases your understanding.
Imam Ghazali said knowledge is not to narrate a lot but to have piety, righteousness and fear of Allah.
Knowledge is a vehicle that leads you to a destination. The destination is meeting with Allah. Very few people know the purpose of knowledge.
A person who teaches others and spreads knowledge and does not manifest it in himself, his character is like a doctor who prescribed medicine for others and he himself is sick.
Until the purpose of knowledge is clear to the person, he will harm himself with his knowledge. He becomes of those who are lost and his destiny may be hellfire. The scholar who doesn’t apply his knowledge will be punished before idol worshippers.
Allah Almighty says,
[Qur'an As-Saff 61:2-3]يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٢﴾ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّـهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٣﴾
O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? (2) Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do. (3)
Abu Hurairah (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that Rasul Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said:
"The first of men (whose case) will be decided on the Day of Judgement will be a man who died as a martyr. He shall be brought forth. Allah will make him recount His blessings (i. e. the blessings which He had bestowed upon him) and he will recount them (and admit having enjoyed them in his life). (Then) will Allah say: ‘What did you do (to requite these blessings)?’ He will say: ‘I fought for You until I died as a martyr.’ Allah will say: ‘You have told a lie. You fought so that you may be called a brave warrior. And you were called so.’ (Then) orders will be passed against him and he will be dragged with his face downward and cast into Hell.[Sahih Muslim]
Then a man will be brought forward who acquired knowledge and imparted it (to others) and recited the Qur’an. He will be brought forth and Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them (and admit having enjoyed them in his lifetime). Then Allah will ask: ‘What did you do (to requite these blessings)?’ He will say: ‘I acquired knowledge and disseminated it and recited the Qur’an seeking Your pleasure.’ Allah will say: ‘You have told a lie. You acquired knowledge so that you may be called a scholar, and you recited the Qur'an so that you may be called a Qari and such has been said.’ Then orders will be passed against him and he shall be dragged with his face downward and cast into the Fire.
Then a man will be brought whom Allah had made abundantly rich and had granted every kind of wealth. He will be brought forth and Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them and (admit having enjoyed them in his lifetime). Allah will (then) ask: ‘What have you done (to requite these blessings)?’ He will say: ‘I spent money in every cause in which You wished that it should be spent.’ Allah will say: ‘You are lying. You did so, so that you may be called a generous person, and so it was said.’ Then Allah will pass orders and he will be dragged with his face downward and thrown into Hell.”
A scholar of the Hereafter will receive salvation and gain nearness of Allah. There are many signs of the scholars of the Hereafter.
1. He does not seek the world by his learning. He considers the world as insignificant and the hereafter as great and ever lasting.
2. His words and actions are the same, rather he does not order an action to be done without first doing it himself.
3. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Don't accompany every learned man. Be with the learned man who calls towards five matters: towards faith from doubt, sincerity from show, modesty from pride, love from enmity, and asceticism from worldliness.
4. His mind would be directed towards such learning that will be useful for the next world and give encouragement to pious deeds. He will avoid those learning which will bring lesser benefit but much arguments.
5. He has no attraction for various kinds of foods and drinks, luxury in dresses, furniture and houses, but rather he adopts moderate course in all these things following the earlier sages and he is best satisfied with the least of everything.
6. He is a man who fears of Allah and to avoid all manner of risk.
7. He keeps himself distant from the ruling authorities and avoids their company, because this world is sweet, ever new and its bridle is in their hands. He who get closer to them is not free from their pleasures and harms. They are mostly unjust and do not obey the advice of the learned men.
8. He does not give fatwa in a hurry but tries to be relieved of it. When he is asked and if he knows he gives his opinion. When he has doubt, he says, "I don't know." He is careful not to commit himself but refer the matter to someone else who is more capable than him.
(The great Imam Malik, Allah be pleased with him, once was asked about 40 questions by someone who traveled from a far away land of Iraq to Madina to present these questions from his people, and he all he could say was "I don't know" for all of them except a few.")
9. His main object of anxiety is to learn sacred knowledge, observation of the heart, and knowledge of the paths of the hereafter, to travel thereon and to have abiding faith in finding self-mortification.
10. He is sincere and upright for making his faith firm and strong, as firm faith is the root of religion.
11. Another sign of the learned man of the next world is that he becomes humble and adopts silence. The effect of the fear of Allah appears on his body, dress, character movements, speech and silence. His sight reminds one of Allah and his nature and character are proofs of his actions. His eye is a mirror of his mind. The signs of the learned man of the hereafter are recognized in his face, tranquility, modesty and freedom from pride and vanity. A sage said, "Allah has not given a man with a garment better than the garment of the fear of Allah. It is the garment of the Prophets, Siddiqs (the truthful) and the learned men".
Allah Almighty says,
[Al-Araf 7:26]يَا بَنِي آدَمَ قَدْ أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكُمْ لِبَاسًا يُوَارِي سَوْآتِكُمْ وَرِيشًا ۖ وَلِبَاسُ التَّقْوَىٰ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ آيَاتِ اللَّـهِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَذَّكَّرُونَ ﴿٢٦﴾
O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness - that is best. That is from the signs of Allah that perhaps they will remember.
Once I asked one of my teachers..."Where do I find a good scholar?" He did not give me a direct answer but said, do lots of salawat upon the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.
May Allah guide us to the righteous scholars of this time and preserve them for the Ummah. Ameen.
Please don't forget us in your night prayers. JazakAllahu khairan.
And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam
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