Faraz Rabbani – The Rawha #018 The Virtue of Knowledge
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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 Harazrabani will be covering
2 texts, imam Zarnunji's primer on the etiquette
of seeking knowledge,
and imam Youssef An Nabhani's beautiful collection of
40 sets of 40 prophetic hadith.
Hadith.
We've been looking at the 40 hadith Qudsi
of Sheikh Yousafir Nabhani
and Talim al Mutalim,
the instruction of the student
on the ways of learning.
And
Imam al Zarrnouji in
instruction of the student
covered
in the
first chapter,
what is knowledge
and the types of knowledge. But then he
tells us that
the as for the virtues of knowledge
and what has been related regarding this, it
is well known,
right? So he doesn't
go into it. So we'd mentioned that we're
going to look at some of the key
verses of the Quran
on the verse virtues of knowledge and some
of the key hadiths.
And this is taken from chapter
241
of Riyadh u Salihin.
So Allah sub imam Nawi mentions
Fadlilmi Taalimanwataaliman
lillahi
taala.
The chapter on the virtue of knowledge
in learning it and in
teaching it
for the sake of Allah,
for the sake of Allah,
pointing to
the virtues
being conditional upon
the the study
being for the sake of Allah and the
teaching being for the sake of Allah.
So Imam Nawawi quotes 3 key verses on
the virtues of knowledge. The first is
and say,
my lord,
increase me in knowledge.
My lord,
increase me in knowledge. And this
is a call
to ask for an increase
in knowledge, but why is it substantial?
The commentator,
Ibn Al An explains
that this is one of the greatest
proofs
for the tremendous virtue
of knowledge.
Why?
Because
and for the tremendousness of knowledge. Because the
prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
was not commanded
to ask Allah
for increase in anything except in knowledge.
So, of course, one of the obvious things
that this is a command to make this
dua,
and
it is in the indefinite
to con to convey
it for
tafhim.
Right.
The fakama, the the greatness,
the great consequence.
Right? It's like it come in the Quran.
Allah is indeed
bestowed his favors upon the believers.
For he sent to them
a
messenger.
Right? That is so great that it does
not require
specification.
It's already
so great that it is well known. Right?
Oh, lord, increase me in knowledge.
And no limit, of course, is mentioned to
the increase,
which
which is worthy of concern worthy of consideration
as well.
The commentator on Riyadu Salihin,
ibn A'laan Al Baqri,
Rahim Allah says, when knowledge is mentioned
in the religious tradition, in the Quran, in
the Sunnah,
Al ilm, the l is referential.
Because knowledge,
knowledge itself is is
to know
what is knowable.
So any knowing
is knowledge,
But when they talk about al ilm, the
al here is referential
and its referring to
the knowledge that is the subject of the
deen
directly
which is
which is knowledge of the religion.
Which does not disregard
the merit of other knowledge
in accordance with its intention
and he gives a useful thing that
the what is sharai knowledge
and
the essential,
the core
sharai knowledges
are he says hadith,
tafsir,
and fiqh
and their tools
and their tools because because everything else is
really
a tool to understand
these and of course this can be divided
in other
ways with more detail
but these are the,
you know, the the core signs everything else
is either
a means to this or derivative
from this.
And the prophet as we know had many
supplications
that he asked
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala for an increase in
knowledge.
But Allah increase me in knowledge. So firstly,
the fact that this is the only thing
the prophet asked for an increase of, the
increase is without limit.
Knowledge is mentioned here in the indefinite,
right, indicating the greatness says, Allah increase me
in
that great knowledge.
The knowledge that is a means of drawing
closer to you.
And
that's
and one should take it upon oneself to
find a number of prophetic supplications
related to asking Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala for
increase in knowledge.
And for example, it's related by Abu Hurairah
as recorded by Ibn Majah, the messenger of
Allah sallallahu alaihi wa sallam to
say,
Allah benefit me with what you have taught
me. And
teach me what will benefit me.
And increase me in knowledge.
And
all praise is due to Allah in every
state.
And there is similar narrations.
And the second
text
from the Quran, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says,
the same as those who do not
know? Meaning
that
there is no
there is no
comparison between them.
Right? So this is a negational
question.
So do they meaning they do not.
So of course, what does this entail? It
entails
striving to be from the people who know.
Right. Striving to be from the people who
know.
And recognizing the rank of those who do
know by the respect that Allah and his
messenger have commanded
to have towards
those who do have knowledge.
And this
second verse, kul kulhiasta wal ladinah
You Alamoon Aw Ladinah
Laya Alamoon, this is in Surat al Zumar
verse 9.
Surat al Zumar verse 9 and the first
one, I forgot to mention the reference.
Say, oh lord, increase me. In knowledge, this
is from Surat Taha
verse 114.
Surat Taha verse 100
and 14.
And we know in hadith from the prophet
Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
about
the degrees
of merit of the people of knowledge which
is why the prophet Allah,
you know, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala also mentions
in the Quran.
Allah raises
those who believe amongst you and
were granted knowledge
many degrees.
This is from
Surat al Mujad Allah verse number 11.
Allah raises those who have believed
and were given knowledge amongst you
many
degrees. Of course one of the many lessons
from this is that is to realize
if one has knowledge that knowledge is a
gift from Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
whose duty is gratitude
and not ascribing it to oneself
but seeing it as being
a gift from Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
not through one's effort nor one's striving
but that the effort and striving are required
as being the adab with Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala. And
The honoring
of those granted knowledge is because Allah has
honored them.
Yeah. Allah has raised those who have been
granted knowledge and
of those who believe and have been granted
knowledge, many degrees.
And the here, of course,
it's understood from the context
and from other
many texts that when the is prays, it's.
It is knowledge
that it that comes with acting upon it
because one is not considered to know something
unless one acts upon it.
And we saw some texts in Talib al
Mutalim from and others about that.
Knowledge is only for in order that it
be acted upon.
So
these are
3 of the text. We'll we'll mention one
more.
So this one was of course Surat Al
Mujadilah verse 11 and then from Surat Fathir
verse number 28
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala says
Allah is only
revered
amongst his servants
by those who have knowledge.
Allah is only revered from amongst his servants
by those who have knowledge.
So
the of Allah,
it truly is only possible for those who
have knowledge. Why? Because unless one knows
who Allah is
through acquiring knowledge of that,
how can one have the awe of
the awe of faith
to know your Lord. Who is your Lord?
What are his attributes?
Who is he himself?
What are his attributes?
What is the reality of the divine act
of the divine command?
So to the extent that you don't know
that,
then your awe
is perhaps shallow, perhaps brittle.
And of course, knowledge is not only through
study.
Devotion
is a means to the acquisition of knowledge
as well.
It was through turning to Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala
through
but then that's the question.
Because the kashia,
right,
the awe,
right,
the the reverent awe of Allah subhanahu wa
ta'ala
is
really,
right,
ma'anil imanfilqalb,
right, it is by the manifesting of the
meanings of faith
in the heart
that is nurtured by the second type of
which is.
The
reverence of action
that you act
in accordance what is with with what is
entailed
by
having that reverent awe of Allah. But if
you don't know how to act
as entailed by having reverent awe of Allah,
then you can pray a lot but if
you really had awe of Allah,
you would learn what is pleasing to Allah
and avoid what is displeasing to Allah with
respect to your worship, with respect to
your
actions,
your living.
So that is
the kashiya.
So the kashiya of iman requires to
be
complete.
The kashiya of Islam, the kashiya of submission
requires knowledge.
But how do you submit and how do
you submit in a manner pleasing to to
the one you're
have this reverent awe of
and how do you avoid
acting in ways that are displeasing to
him. And there's the
the reverent awe
of spiritual excellence
which is that your sense of awe causes
you to acquire the traits that are
pleasing to him and to avoid the traits
that are displeasing to him. But that
also requires knowledge.
Because how can you know what qualities you
need to have and which qualities you need
to strive against
unless you have knowledge.
Okay. So if Islam
has these three dimensions,
Iman, Islam, and Ihsan,
faith,
submission,
and spiritual excellence,
Having reverent awe of Allah
relates to all three dimensions and all of
them require knowledge
to come to fruition.
So
Allah is only
truly held
in reverent awe from amongst his servants by
those who have knowledge.
But there's a flip side to this as
well that this is also a test of
one's knowledge.
That for your knowledge
of
faith, of beliefs,
for your knowledge of the law
and submission,
for your knowledge of spirituality
and of spiritual excellence and virtue. For that
to be true,
it must increase you in awe of Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
Because otherwise,
if Khashiya of Allah is not found or
it's lacking,
then something is lacking in the. May Allah
grant us true Khashiya, which is why
secondary
radiAllahu ta'ala Anhu says
knowledge if it comes
with reverent awe of Allah, it is for
you. Otherwise,
it is
against you. So these are some of the
texts from the Quran
about
the virtues of knowledge.
The first
that
the prophet is commanded in the Quran.
Nothing else is he commanded for an increase
in second
are those who know
like those who do not know
they're they're incomparable
The third that Allah raises those who have
been those who have believed
amongst you
and those who have been granted knowledge
many
degrees, many stations
which tells that if and these are stations
of closeness to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala. So
that if one wants to be of those
who have closeness to Allah, one of the
quality one needs to strive to be realized
in one's
faith and to strive to gain the knowledge
that
is a means for
if acted upon is a means of
Allah raising 1. But then those who
those who are committed
to their faith and who have knowledge,
and whatever the knowledge it may be,
it is our duty to honor them because
they're honored by Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala.
That includes,
for example, people who are Hafiz
because they're they have memorized the book of
Allah.
It includes
the ulama,
particularly senior scholars, even if one disagrees with
them,
even if one disagrees with them, even if
some decisions of theirs are wrong because the
righteous person is the one whose good predominates
over their bad. So even if they made
several decisions that one
or done many things that one make hold
to be questionable.
But the believer must be just
and say, Okay, those are errors. Those are
wrong.
But
someone who believes
and anyone who believes has an invalidability,
but who believes and has been granted knowledge
is raised by Allah.
So one
one has to which is why they say
the flesh of the scholar is
poisonous.
They say
and that's tested.
And thirdly,
and fourthly
Allah is only
truly revered
from amongst his servants
by those who have knowledge.
So one should strive
in seeking to have reverent awe of
Allah
which is a reverent awe
of
love.
Right?
And the one who
fears the station of their Lord,
and forbids
their self from its capricious ways.
Such a person. Paradise is their resting place.
So these are
some of the
just a little on these
on the verses
on some of the verses, 4 of them
related to
the virtues of knowledge. And we look just
briefly at some of the many hadiths on
the virtues of
knowledge. This chapter in,
I believe, chapter 241,
the chapter on the virtues of knowledge
in
learning it and teaching it for the sake
of Allah. It's a chapter I'd encourage all
of us
to read in full.
And in the podcast, Inshallah, we'll include
the link to the full text
translated by Ayisha Buly,
Ayisha Buly
to these.
So the first hadith
here,
It's related
from
Muawiyah, may Allah be well pleased with him
that the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings
be upon him, said,
whomever
Allah wishes well for
which is good for,
he grants
deep understanding
of religion.
So this is
men
is one of the statements of generalization.
Right.
Whomever.
So there is a
an aspect of opportunity here.
Right?
Whomever Allah wishes good for,
he grants understanding of religion. So there's a
deeper,
is deep understanding.
So there is an opportunity
that
the
path
to
divine favor
is open
for anyone who would seek it, whoever.
Whoever
wants this, do this.
Right? So it's it's an open opportunity.
And this, of course, is manifest in Islamic
history, for example,
that in the age of the Tebireen,
after the age of the companions,
once a Muslim ruler
asked who is the the greatest scholar
of
Basra?
He was one of the freed slaves.
And
in each of the 7 major
Islamic cities at that time,
every single one
of
the main scholars in each of the cities
was not from the Arabs
and or
a freed slave
And that's part of the this
open door.
Right?
That whoever wishes that.
Many of the greatest narrators from
the companions of the prophet
were their servants
and
their freed slaves.
But their slaves had become Muslim and were
freed
but they didn't leave because they wanted to
learn.
So whoever Allah wishes good
for.
Whomever Allah wishes good for.
And again, this is one of the common
rhetorical devices in the
Arabic. You could say
whoever Allah wishes good for. But when you
say
again this is
it's to
make the thing great
as Ibn Al Lehn in his commentary in
and others explain.
So you could translate it, anyone
whom Allah
wishes great good for
he grants
deep understanding of religion.
And
what's deep understanding in the deen? He
of course, it has levels.
Ibn Allan explains beautifully
meaning that one has knowledge
of
the rules of
the religion.
With deep insight regarding them.
Such that they are able
to draw great meanings
of benefit and guidance
from few words.
And this hadith agreed upon related by both
Bukhari and Muslim and in many of the
other great collections of hadith
as well.
Whomever Allah wishes well for, he grants deep
understanding of religion.
And
is
to know
the path through Allah and to know how
to pursue that path given where you are
and where Allah has placed you.
The second hadith that we're going to look
at,
it's related by
Ibn Mas'ud, Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be
well pleased with him.
That the messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam said
There is no envy
except in 2 matters.
So the prophet salAllahu alayhi wa sallam said
there is no envy except
in
two matters.
And
n v of course, there's 2 types of
n v.
In the Sharia,
there is negative envy,
which is
which is
wishing for another
to lose their blessing.
And there's many types of envy, and one
should learn about it because it is it
eats good deeds like fire,
eats wood.
And the second
is positive envy,
which is when you see the good for
another and you want it yourself as well
without wishing that they
lose it or it be diminished or it
stop increasing.
Right?
So here,
there should be no envy.
Right? Referring to not even rippah
that you shouldn't really wish what others have
except for 2 things
or for for the like of 2 motives.
Right?
So here it's not negated that there should
not be envy in anything,
but even the positive envy, which is.
Right?
The
the one should not envy others except for
for two matters. Envy others,
meaning that one should not wish what others
have except for 2 things.
So, of course, negative envy is never permissible
for another to lose their blessings. It's never
permissible.
But the positive envy,
this is what the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam is talking about here. That
Hasad
there is
no envy, meaning one should do not wish
what others have
except for 2 matters.
And of course, except for
the like of 2 matters. So let's just
say
Amr got the new Macbook
Pro. It's not happening for another 5 months
or so.
So let's say he got the new Macbook
Pro. I wish I could have that too.
Now that's not negative envy because I don't
wish that, oh, why did he get it?
I wish he scratches it.
Nothing.
You know, I don't want him to lose
the blessing nor for it to diminish for
him.
So it's a you you want what another
has. But even that,
one should not
have
except
for the like of 2 things. What are
they? The first is
a person
whom Allah
has
granted
wealth.
And
he spent it
completely.
He spent it
completely
on
truth.
Right?
On truth, meaning in good ways of
spending.
Right?
Right.
Meaning in the ways that are worthy of
spending one's money
in the ways that are worthy of spending
one's money,
of the the ways that would draw one
closer to Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
So in this of course this is not
you don't want that person say how come
they get to do it? That's negative envy
but rather the positive envy.
That you don't want another to diminish in
their blessing but you wish you had the
like of it. That you wish you could
do that too.
But this is only positive
inwardly
if
one sees
that their blessing is from Allah
and that you wish that you could have
that
meaning that you seek the like of what
they had or more from Allah
The cure for envy is tawheed
to see that what they have is from
Allah
and whatever you wish for,
you don't
look down upon yourself that how come I
can't do this?
You don't complain about
circumstances because they're from Allah but
you ask Allah for that increase.
Right? So one
spends it fully upon
the truth.
And it says,
you know,
he so he directs it till
is what?
Till it is completely extinguished. Meaning,
that someone who amasses great wealth,
again, in the indefinite,
who Allah has granted great wealth
and they direct it fully
towards the truth.
1 by and they say
the most obvious so
meaning directed completely.
Such that people would say, you won't have
anything left.
One aspect of that of course is
that if one acquires wealth, the concern of
the intelligent person would be how can I
multiply the ways of doing good through it?
But the other aspect of the acquisition of
wealth and directing it to the good is
to make the actual earning of it in
a good way,
wholly or partially.
That one works in a way that that
is.
That is
serving and promoting good. An intelligent Muslim
would not work
to develop Pokemon Go.
It's a foolish thing.
Why? Because you're spending your time
in things that don't benefit other people, broadly
speaking.
And the second category, and that's the here.
And a person
whom Allah has granted
wisdom.
And what is wisdom?
Is knowledge that benefits.
And in that sense, there's a close relationship
between,
true,
deep understanding,
just know to know things and to know
their consequences
and wisdom.
Which is to know the consequences of things.
And the wise person typically
considered an older person. Why? Because they have
experience.
A person whom Allah has granted wisdom,
so they
judge
by it.
So they judge by it.
And they teach
with it.
And they teach it.
So they judge by it, meaning whether they're
the
so they resolve disputes between people.
That's what the role of the judge, the
is.
And it requires wisdom,
requires knowledge but also requires wisdom.
But also
at the social level
to be a person who resolves
disputes between people.
And that's part of the role of wisdom
is to use it to
benefit Allah's servants and to teach people.
So this is
tells us that this is something one should
wish for and that's
if you're going to envy somebody, envy
the people of wealth who are directing the
wealth towards the good not so that why
don't they have it
but ask Allah for that expensive wealth
but
with on condition of that intention that you
are you want to spend
it fully on the truth
and secondly
someone who's been granted wisdom,
Hikma,
a knowledge that benefits
And they use it
to judge
by it, meaning to resolve disputes
amongst people by it.
As the commentators
explained. Because the judging between people would be
as
a judge
or as an
adjudicator
or as an arbitrator
or as a mediator
or to give fatwa because a fatwa is
a legal judgment.
And it's not binding, the legal judgment.
Someone comes and said this is my situation,
you have to judge that this is the
ruling that applies in your case.
There's no binding because the person could be
not satisfied if you go ask somebody else.
Whereas the, they make a ruling, it's bound.
And who teaches it?
And who teaches it?
Alright.
And the last hadith
that we'll look at,
There's many, but just to get an idea
of of these virtues and to think about
the qualities of those who strive for for
those virtues.
And
it's related by Sahib bin Saad. May Allah
be all pleased with him.
And that the messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam said to
Ali Radiallahu Anhu,
That the prophet the messenger of Allah SAW
Alaihi Wasallam said to say Nali that
by Allah,
for Allah to guide through you one person
is better for you than for you to
have
red camels.
Meaning the most which were the most prized
of the possessions of the Arabs.
Right? Because camels but a deep
and red camel is like
deep
brown, reddish brown.
The
most prized of the possessions of the Arabs.
Therefore you have to have the best and
most prized of possessions for for Allah to
guide one person through you.
And this was and this very interesting when
this was said this hadith is agreed upon
in Bukhari Muslim.
This was the prophet gave the banner
to Saydna Ali
at the battle of Khaybar.
When he sent them
when he sent him into battle, but this
is the of course underlying it. This is
why lack of understanding
is destructive.
He sent him into battle.
But what was his instruction? For Allah to
guide one soul through you is better for
you than the most prized of possessions.
Don't fight for wealth. Don't fight to defeat
them. Fight them to guide them.
It's amazing
and this is why we know this is
the underlying
intent.
The battles are from dawahirullah.
Not that, not
so that people believe through fighting them,
but
it is from
the dawah. The concern is their guidance and
their good. And if they oppose 1,
the rules of calling to Allah and the
dua of the Muslims was a call to
Allah. Bedouins came at Khaybar
and Hunayn and elsewhere
and became Muslim just by observing what these
guys were up to.
For Allah to guide a single soul through
you is better for you than
for you to have
the most prized of possessions, literally red camels.
And of course, it also tells us that
if we are engaged
in
teaching
or in calling
or in serving
the teaching or the call.
We do not ascribe
the good,
the benefit,
the guidance to oneself.
For Allah to guide through you. You are
just
a
you are just a point of manifestation
of divine mercy
or
divine
wrath.
So this is
and of course, it also tells us of
what should be the concern
of seeking knowledge
because very often people get lost. Many students
of knowledge, they start seeking knowledge and they
say, Okay, well,
if
I
go into academia,
I can get a comfortable job as a
professor and then I can do other things
on the side.
But the concern isn't
how can I be of greatest benefit and
guidance to Allah's servants?
But one's thinking cushy career,
job security,
this, that, and the other. And the concern
isn't guidance.
And sometimes it's obvious
because they've put themselves in a situation where
they're no longer able to actively teach, actively
engage
in dawah
and service.
And in other cases,
it's returning to the intention.
I've been asked many times by students who
are knowledge, I'm thinking of memorizing the Quran.
Why? So because that way I can get
a secure job as an imam.
And the consideration is that should I want
to memorize the Quran so I can benefit
people by
inspiring them you
know, in
leading prayer,
by teaching people Quran,
by
and and if that was the concern with
the Quran, then you would understand that why
would you learn the Quran?
Like learn to recite the the recitation of
the Quran without learning at least something
of its meaning.
And I have a good friend, I won't
mention his name, who's a
Who's a young Hafiz.
And throughout from his youth, he got this
meaning.
So though he's not a scholar,
he was always consulting the and always reading
tafsir.
But always consult
always in consultation with teacher. What tafsir should
I read?
Asking them about things. So he has an
extremely successful and very beneficial
class of Quran
of tafsir
at his mosque. Why? Because he's concerned, okay,
I'm learning the Quran to benefit myself, to
be able to benefit other people, to benefit
people. Then he realized as a teenager
that I need to understand what it means.
So I can inspire people by the words,
but I can tell them something about it
That opens for them
a connection of
with Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
And that's why
intention is what the whole affair revolves around.
Nasr Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
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