The Men of Knowledge

Al Baaji (رحمه الله) reported that Imam Malik (رحمه الله) said:
Indeed the people are four types in terms of their knowledge

A man who learnt knowledge, so he acted by it and taught it. His similitude in the Book of Allaah, the Most High is: إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّـهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ –
“It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allaah.” 35:28

A man who learnt knowledge, so he acted by it but did not teach it. His similitude in the Book of Allaah, the Most High is:إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَىٰ مِن بَعْدِ مَا بَيَّنَّاهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الْكِتَابِ ۙ أُولَـٰئِكَ يَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّـهُ وَيَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّاعِنُونَ –
“Verily, those who conceal the clear proofs, evidences and the guidance, which We have sent down, after We have made it clear for the people in the Book, they are the ones cursed by Allaah and cursed by the cursers.

”A man who learnt knowledge, taught it and commanded it, but did not act by it. His similitude is the Book of Allaah, the Most High is: أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنسَوْنَ أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَنتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ ۚ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ –
“Enjoin you Al-Birr (piety and righteousness and each and every act of obedience to Allah) on the people and you forget (to practise it) yourselves, while you recite the Scripture [the Taurat (Torah)]! Have you then no sense?” 2:44

A man, who neither learnt knowledge, nor acted by it. His similitude in the Book of Allaah, the Most High is: إِنْ هُمْ إِلَّا كَالْأَنْعَامِ ۖبَلْ هُمْ أَضَلُّ سَبِيلًا -”They are only like cattle; nay, they are even farther astray from the Path. (i.e. even worst than cattle).” 25:44

Quoted in Sunan Al-Saliheen wa Sunan Al-’Abideen

O you who persists on mistakes and wrong doings

Al Imaam Ibnul Jawzee Said:

“O you who persists on mistakes and wrong doings; O you who has turned away from what the most Loving and Compassionate commands; O you who obeys the falsifier of the path and the creator of calamities . How long are you going to insist on your misbehaviour? How long are you going to keep yourself distant from your Lord? How long will you seek from this world what you cannot have, and keep away from the other world by that which you cannot possess? Neither are you sure of what Allah prepared of sustenance for you, nor are you satisfied with that which He has commanded for you. O my brother, by Allah! Admonition does not seem to benefit you! Afflictions do not seem to threaten you! Time does not leave you and the call of death does not reach your ears! As if, you poor man, would live forever and you weren’t meant to expire and be forgotten?”

Al Bahr ad-Dumoo’ -The sea of tears.

Fatwa: Being Shy from forbidding evil or asking a question to gain knowledge

Question:
My complaint is that a feeling of fear or dread overcomes me when I want to remove an evil or when I want to ask a question to gain knowledge. What is the cure to this condition?

Answer:
This fear and dread you speak of is from the Shaytan, so be wary of it. Be strong, and dont be shy, for Allaah Almighty is not shy of the truth. Therefore, you should be able to both ask a question to a scholar and prevent someone from doing evil without feeling the least bit of shyness. Shyness that prevents you from speaking the truth is not shyness at all, but only weakness. The shyness that is approved by the Shariah is shyness that prevents you from falsehood and evil. It is the shyness the Prophet (sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam) intended when he said: Al-Haya (shyness and modesty) is from faith. [1] Or, when he said: Al-Haya is good – (it is) all that is good. [2] Shyness therefore is legislated when it prevents you from perpetrating fornication, from drinking alcohol, from associating with the enemies of Islam, and from all that is evil. This is the prescribed type of shyness.
[1] Al-Bukhari no. 24 and Muslim 36
[2] Muslim no. 37
Shaykh `Abdul-`Azeez Bin Baz
Fatawa Islamiyah Vol. 8 Page 75

http://coveredpearlsuponassalafiyyah.wordpress.com/

True Insanity

Ibn Al-Jawzee states:

Some of the wise people said:Iblees entered upon Fir'awn who said: "Who are you?" He said: "I am Iblees." He said: "What brings you here?" To which he said: "I came to look at you, for I am amazed at your insanity." He replied: "How is that?" He (Iblees) said: "I had enmity for another being which was created like me; and I refused to prostrate to him; thus I was expelled and cursed. But you claim that you are The Ilah (God); this, by Allaah, is insanity."

(SOURCE: Ibn al Jawzee in Akhbaar Al-Hamqaa wal-Mughaffilee n [Narrations regarding the Foolish and Heedless])

Translated by Raha ibn Donald Batts

Incredible Sincerity from the Salaf

Salaam said, "Ayoob As-Sakhtiyanee used to pray the entire night and no one would know that he was praying. So when the morning time arrived, Ayoob would raise his voice in a way to make the people think that he had just woke up". [8]

Abû ‘l-`Âliyah said, “I learned writing and the Qur’ân without my family noticing, and not a drop of ink was ever seen on my garment.” [9]

Dâwûd bin Abû Hind fasted 40 years whilst his family was unaware. He would take his lunch with him and give it away in charity, and would then return home for dinner and break his fast with them.[10]

Hammâd bin Zayd said, “Ayyûb was such that a hadîth would be narrated to him, which would soften his heart and cause his eyes to shed tears. So when a tear would come to him, he would wipe his nose saying, ‘What a severe cold!’ He would show that he had a cold in order to hide his crying.[12]

Al-Hasan ‘l-Basrî said, “A man would be sitting in a gathering, and tears would come to his eyes. He would try to hold them in, but if he felt that he would be unable to, he would stand and leave.”[13]

Muhamamd bin Wâsi` said, “A man would cry for 20 years, while his wife would not know.”[14]

And he also said, “I came across men; one of them, his head would be on the same pillow as his wife’s head; and what is under his cheek would become soaked with his tears, whilst his wife would be unaware. And I came across men; one of them would stand in the first row (in prayer), his tears would be flowing down his cheeks, and the person standing next to him would be unaware.”[15]

[8] Siyaar 'Alaam By Imam Ath-Thahabee Vol.6, Pg.17
[9] Siyâr ‘l-A`lâm an-Nubalâ’ (6/17).
[10] Hilyat ‘l-Awliyâ’ (3/94).
[12] Musnad Ibn ‘l-Ja`d (1246), Siyâr ‘l-A`lâm an-Nubalâ’ (6/20).
[13] Al-Zuhd by Imâm Ahmad (262).
[14] Hilyat ‘l-Awliyâ’ (2/347).
[15] Ibid.