Faraz Rabbani – The Rawha #014 Circles of Remembrance Family Ties Prioritizing Knowledge
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The speakers discuss the use of "has" in the context of the messenger of Allah's guidance, citing examples such as the belief in the star and the assignment of the word "has" to the creator. They stress the importance of gathering for rememb receipt and affirming the sacred nature of gathering for the rememb receipt of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. The speakers also discuss the negative impact of knowledge of the future and the importance of pursuing knowledge to fulfill operational obligations and protect one's health and preserve life. The segment ends with a call to contribute to a monthly donation for the Federal Republic of China.
AI: Summary ©
The messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be
upon him, encouraged us to strive for uprightness
by seeking assistance in the early mornings, late
afternoons at and something of the depths of
the night. From this tradition, the scholars made
it a habit to briefly read text of
religious guidance in the late afternoon and often
term such readings the daily.
The term refers to the late afternoon, but
also to a time of rest from worldly
toils and reinvigoration of one's spirit.
In this day,
Sheikh Horazrabani will be covering 2 texts. Imam
Zarrnouji's primer on the etiquette of seeking knowledge,
and Imam Youssef Anabahani's beautiful collection of 40
sets of 40 prophetic hadith.
We've
we're continuing to look at
the 40 Hadith
of
Sheikh Yusuf and Nabhani, 40 Hadith,
and
we looked
in the previous lesson at
the impermissibility
and Graves'
innovation
of ascribing
efficacy
to any cause, but Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
in general
and particularly
believing
in fortune telling or
believing
in the star
ascribing
any causality to the stars, etcetera,
That this
is akin to disbelief.
Has
a very simple
proof against those who have superstitious beliefs regarding
the stars. Said if you imagine a boat
that goes out to sea,
that's full of you know, has a 100
has a whole number of people.
And presumably,
these people will be born at different times
of the year and have different stars,
etcetera. Now the boat drowned, how could all
these stars have come together?
Because you can assume that, you know, you
have
12
different,
you know,
astrological
stars, etcetera,
for someone's horoscope.
Like, how could they all collude for this?
Right? It's a simple but these are all,
these are all superstitions, but they go against
a
purity of belief in Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
But though it's not actual
disbelief,
right, it is it negates what is entailed
by
belief itself.
And then we also saw,
the multiplication of the reward of good deeds
and
the leeway granted
for the one who resolves to do ill
and the encouragement thereby
to hasten to seek forgiveness. So we reached
hadith number 22 today.
There's a misprint
here. Truly
Allah has angels
that go around
pathways,
that go around
roads
seeking out with concern
the people of remembrance.
So and if they find people
who are remembering Allah,
they they call each other,
rush
to your need.
So they
surround them with their wings.
To
the
the highest sky of this world.
And then it details what they do therein.
But
we see here
that the people of remembrance,
right, a person of remembrance is a person
who is blessed.
The angels are created are
they are created by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
of light.
They
are attracted
to all that
is connected with Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. And
remembrance of Allah,
the is
directly connected to Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala.
So if they find
people gathered together remembering Allah,
they call each other.
Rush to your need because they've been granted
this duty by Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala to
seek out
the circles of of remembrance.
And of course, as we know from other
hadith, no people gather in a house of
the houses of Allah reciting the book of
Allah or
learning it in other narrations remembering Allah except
that serenity descends upon them and mercy
envelops them and the angels encircle them.
And they
the angels encircle them bringing thereby
serenity and mercy and divine favor
to this high sky.
And then the Prophet said, so their Lord
asks them and He knows better.
What are my servants saying?
So
the angels say,
They glorify You
and They affirm Your Sacredness
and they magnify you.
And they praise you.
And they magnify
They make
they say subhanAllah.
They affirm
your sacredness,
your transcendence.
Right? They say Allahu Akbar.
They praise you. They say, Alhamdulillah.
They affirm your majesty, your majd.
Because the various
convey these meanings.
Of course, this is in the plural. They
do this.
They have gathered and they do this.
So Allah most high asked them, have they
seen me?
So the angels say, no. By Allah, they
have not seen you,
oh Allah. So then the prophet said, Allah
most high asked, how would it be if
they were to see me?
So how would they be had they seen
me?
And
the Prophet said, so the angels
will say, had they seen you they would
have been even more
intense,
more fervent in their
worship of you and more
intense in their magnification of you and they
would glorify you even more.
So Allah most high asked, so what are
they asking me?
So the Prophet said,
the angels say, they ask you for paradise.
So Allah asked, have they seen
it?
So the angels say,
no. By Allah, they have not seen it.
So the angels say,
have they seen paradise? Allah asked and said,
no. So what if they were to to
have seen it?
So the angels
say
had they but seen it they would have
been even more intense
in keenness for it and more intense
in seeking of it
and
far greater
in their avidness.
Is keenness or avidness,
right?
Is to encourage.
So the one who is encouraged, so one
who is keen,
well is avidness.
So Allah most high asked, so what are
they seeking refuge from?
And the Prophet said,
they're seeking refuge say the angels from the
fire.
So Allah most high ask, have they seen
it?
So the angels say, no by Allah, oh
Lord, they have not seen it.
So Allah most high ask, how would they
be had they but seen
So the prophet said,
the angels
then say, had they seen the fire,
they would have been more intense
in fleeing from it
and more intense
in their fearful awe of it.
So Allah Most High says,
I bear witness
to you, I make you My witnesses
that I have indeed
forgiving forgiven
them.
So Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says bear witness
that I have forgiven them all.
So
then the prophet said, so an angel from
amongst the angels asks
that
amongst them is so and so who's not
from them.
They only came for a need.
They wanted to collect a debt, borrow
a book,
borrow someone's
camel,
whatever.
That they didn't come for the zikr. They
came because they serve food afterwards maybe or
whatever.
So Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala responds,
these are the people
who no one who sits with them loses
out.
Because when it rains, everyone who's under the
rain
benefits from it,
and likewise with divine mercy.
And yet another term, right, the
the people of the spiritual path use the
term,
the people,
to refer
to the people of the spiritual path.
And these are all terms that are directly
taken from the Quran and the sunnah.
These are all terms directly taken from the
Quran and Sunnah. Right here is another term.
So you see here the tremendousness of gathering
for the remembrance of Allah
And also what should be the attitude of
the one in their keenness
and, you know, what
are qualities of the person making vikr in
general.
Right? These are the qualities that vikr
emanates from these
qualities of tasbih, of glorification and taqdis and
affirming Allah's sacredness
and taqbir and magnification,
and tahmid
and praising and tamjid
and affirming of Allah's majesty.
You know, these are the meanings around which
zikr revolves, but also the tremendousness of of
group dhikr and this and there's numerous hadith
on the merit
of group dhikr
amongst them this hadith and that
and the encouragement
to make that regular because the angels are
looking out for such gatherings. So one should
make, you know, this is why,
Imam Sharani mentions that
the for both the and the the early
Muslims and the later Muslims were in agreement
on the recommendedness
were in agreement
on the
recommendedness
of gathering
in Masajid and elsewhere
to remember Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. Then the
differ that
do you gather together
and make zikr separately?
But if you gather together,
the the explicit is they say this.
Right?
Most of the said no. What's understood from
this is the praise worthiness of making dhikr
together.
Well, as I say, well,
and and there's
leeway
in both. And this is related by Imam
al Bukhari.
The 23rd hadith,
What do you have,
So this
is
this
sacred hadith is related by Abu Hurraya radiAllahu
ta'ala Anhu, the Messenger of Allah SAWHSAW said,
that
when Allah
created creation,
finished
creating
creation,
He fashioned them,
the Raheem, which literally is the womb but
refers to family ties.
Right. Because the family ties are ties
of,
you know, the, you know, the relations arise
through,
biological
relation.
You know, so family ties
came forth
and they held on to the,
you know, to the throne of the all
merciful
and said,
this is the station of 1 who is
seeking refuge in you
from being cut.
Right? Because it anticipated.
Right?
Family ties
took a form and they held held on
to throne of the Omar
imploring that,
you know,
seeking refuge. Is
from
like
the one who seeks refuge, one who is
seeking refuge in you from being cut off.
Why? Because
things are known by their qualities.
Things are known by their qualities.
And you see this lesson from the angels
when Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
mentions,
I will place
a vicegerent
on earth.
And the angels were shown the human being,
not just the form of the human being
but the nature of the human being.
And this is why
temperament
and character are so important.
So immediately, the angels understood
and this is intelligence
That if this is how they are, this
is what they're likely to do.
Will you place
upon it one who spreads corruption in it
and spills blood.
Right?
Because they have the potential to do so.
So it's likely to happen.
Right? It tells you and this is the
nature of,
you know,
of those who have concern. So here,
this the Rahem,
literally the womb,
which is the refers to the family ties
And the Rahem, why it's called the Rahem
is very interesting. And you can look it
up. But the Rahem refers to the womb,
right, because it is the place where the
infant is taken care of
and it's nurtured
till it comes out as a human being.
And the source of rahma in society
is
the
arham,
right
are the
family ties because it is through that,
that concern
and care and good are preserved in society.
So the the the the Rahim, you know,
family ties
realize
that
these guys are gonna cause trouble.
Alright. So it it holds on
and and says this is the station of
one who is seeking refuge in you, oh
lord, from being cut off.
From
is to be cut off.
So Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
acknowledges that says,
yes,
Are you are you not content
that I and
that I connect those
who
maintain you, and I cut off those who
cut you off.
So the family ties, the rahiim, say indeed.
So Allah most high tells the rahiim,
that is for you.
That connect
those, maintain,
connect,
that to connect
to
those
to maintain,
to protect those who
to
protect you and to cut off those who
cut you off.
So this is
this highlights something of the tremendousness
of
the maintaining of family ties
and,
the
absolute
duty
to take those
with extreme seriousness.
So those are the 22
hadiths that we are going to look at
today.
The
one of the greatest
the all the all the all the have
written a lot on
on the maintaining of family ties
and
it is such an important part of the
religion
that in some have written very very extensively
on it. Amongst them, ibn Hajar
Al Haytami, the great Shafa'i Jurist
wrote a work that's over
a 1000 pages
in the maintaining
of family ties because to maintain family ties
really requires all the qualities of religion. It
requires
faith because one has a higher
purpose.
It requires good character which is of the
best of faith. It requires adab.
It it requires
awareness of the sunnah.
Right?
It it requires
avoiding useless matters,
etcetera. So the the the work by,
ibn Hajar
It's called. For those who want, you know,
it's
I just opened it. It's in 1,081
pages. Right? But it's like an encyclopedia of
all you need to know
to to successfully maintain family ties. It's got
some amazing
discussions
on good character
and the proper manners of keeping company with
people
and how to live in good with people
etcetera.
The prophet salallahu alaihi wa sallam
detailed the guidance related to the good of
this life
in a manner that has
eternal consequence like like no one has and
no one can. We're
also going to look
today
as we as we do on
at the work Talim al Mutalim
by,
Imam
Zernooji,
and
this is
one of the greatest summaries of
the adab
of seeking knowledge
and
we began looking at what is
What are
the
collective
obligations?
And
that some matters are personally obligatory, others are
collectively
obligatory. And that there's
sin in the non fulfillment
of
the collective
obligations.
So one needs to ask oneself,
what is one doing
with respect to
the fulfillment of collective obligations and also
in one's work to strive
at the very least whatever one is working
at to look at
how is one's work contributing to the fulfillment
of the Farquifa'yah.
But to but to strive because we are
collectively responsible for the fulfillment of the Farquifa'yah,
to strive
to fulfill
the most important,
most urgent, most needed, most beneficial
of the communal obligations and this is from
sincerity of concern for Allah Subhanahu Ta'ala's
creation.
So,
the
then he uses
an analogy, so he says,
It has been said that knowledge of what
happens to oneself
at all times in all circumstances
such as the obligation to pray
for purification
that wherever you are,
you'll you'll need to fast Ramadan, you need
to stick to the halal, avoid the haram,
etcetera, the broad obligations.
This is
like this is like or akin to food.
Everyone needs it. Means
it's you know
there there's no way around
all people to have it.
And knowledge of what happens
in some circumstances
is akin to medicine.
And knowledge of what's required in particular occasions
is like
medicine.
It's only needed when there is sickness.
So this is the example
and then he he says, and there's some
sciences that have been prohibited.
And astrology,
which
is taking
meanings related
to
one's decisions in life and
regarding what
may befall in the future
from
the celestial bodies.
So astrology,
and is not referred to astronomy
as
as a science
of knowing, you know, of observing
the stars
and
seeking
worldly guidance by them in so far as
determining the seasons
and the, you know,
knowing the beginning and end of the the
lunar
calendar,
harvest, etcetera. It's many things and and a
lot of the
a lot of the celestial bodies are actually
named by the Muslims. The Muslims,
built on the knowledge of astronomy of
the
Greeks and the Indians and others and took
it to,
to amazing,
extents.
But astrology,
it is prohibited
because it is
it is astrology is like sickness.
Learning it
is not permitted because it harms and does
not benefit.
So learning it
for the purpose of acting upon it, right,
or believing in it. So it is it's
harm and it has potential harm so one
would keep away from it.
And idle curiosity is disliked.
And fleeing from Allah's decree
and his destiny is not possible.
So to try
to foretell the future using the stars etc.
It won't dispel, it won't ward off destiny.
So if one fears
the future, one fears what may be destined
for 1,
then he says rather than, you know,
relying on
fortune telling and things like that astrology.
Rather it befits every believer
to busy themselves in all their times with
remembering Allah Most High and supplication
and
abasing, humbling oneself to Allah and reciting the
Quran
and to give the charity
that wards off tribulations.
And to ask Allah
for well-being
and preservation from harm
in their worldly
life and in their next life.
So that Allah
shields them, So that Allah shields them from
tribulations
and harms.
For whoever
is granted
supplication
is never debarred
from
answer.
And then if tribulation was destined for them,
it will befall them
and without anything warding it off.
But Allah will facilitate it for 1
such that Allah enables one to have the
right
response
to it.
And that will be
only
a tribulation in form, but in reality it
will be a blessing.
And will
provide for them patience
by the
by the blessing
of supplication.
Allah
It's as if it's a except.
It's an expression just meaning except if one
learnt
from this literally the science of the stars
that which
one knows
the and the times of the prayer. So
that's permissible.
Right? So astronomy is permissible,
particularly if it's used for praiseworthy purposes.
And
and it's very important particularly for seafaring, for
example, etcetera, in the old days,
and that's
permitted.
And then he goes through other sciences. We'll
look at what he has to say about
medicine and then we'll stop.
As for learning,
medicine.
It is permitted
because it is a means from amongst the
means.
And it's permitted to learn like all other
means.
Rather, you know, it's it's from the preservation
of life and limb,
and therefore and it's from the of the
sharia, from the aims of the sharia to
pres to preserve life. And life is preserved
through
the preservation of health and the dispelling of
sickness and
and other ailment.
So learn, you know, the knowledge of medicine
is
and
having personal knowledge of that which preserves one's
own
physical well-being
is a sunnah.
And the messenger salallahu alayhi wa sallam,
used
medical treatment.
And it's related from a Shafi'i Rahimahullah
that he said,
knowledge meaning beneficial knowledge
is of 2 types. Knowledge of fiqh
for religion
and knowledge of medicine for for for for
the body.
And everything besides that
is simply provision
for gatherings.
Arabs amongst the things that, you know, they
spend a lot of time on
on poetry and other things, which are ultimately
their direct benefit is that you can
sound
sophisticated.
And then he gives a definition of what
is knowledge. So we look
in the next session at this definition
of knowledge.
Of course, he mentions knowledge later but that
so
one considers
the the benefit and consequence of any subject
that one is considering
directing oneself towards in life. And number 2,
that one,
seeks to learn. Right? So by by knowing
its benefit
and its potential harm, one assesses
how much to learn and how to learn
and
and when to learn it. So one prioritizes
what one most needs
to
prevent harm for oneself
and preserve benefit. Religious
first and then worldly.
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