Faraz Rabbani – The Rawha #025 Striving Gods Majesty Manifest in the Hereafter Humility in Seeking Knowledge
AI: Summary ©
The importance of intentions in seeking knowledge and humility is emphasized in Islam. Personal knowledge is a person who hold themselves back from things that are not be seeking, and shin is uncovered. humility is linked to a "hasthless quality" of being a student of knowledge, and personal respect and dressing in a student of knowledge is also important. humility is between pride and arrogance, and it is linked to a "hasthless quality" of being a student of knowledge. The importance of humility is linked to a "hasthless quality" of being a student of knowledge, and individuals should be mindful of their behavior. The speaker provides a detailed example of a famous book on the principles of humility and the importance of not denying oneself. Humility is between pride and arrogance, and it is linked to a "hasthless quality" of being a student of knowledge. The speaker also provides a detailed example of a famous book on the principles
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.
In our sessions on
the
40 hadiths
on the praise of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala,
which is a second set of hadiths
in the 40 sets of 40 hadiths
come of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam
compiled
by the great Sheikh Yousafan Nabiha We
reached hadith number 6.
Allah
Subhanahu
Wa Salam
this narration
So Sayda
used to say used to say
because it's something she would repeat frequently.
Right? She used to repeat this frequently as
a reminder.
Right,
that the messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi
wa Salam said
said. Right? And he
one of the reasons she said it often
because the prophet said this on multiple occasions,
and we have several hadiths,
with similar wording related
to this.
And this is
from the encompassing words of our beloved messenger
who
said
I was granted encompassing speech. His words were
few, but they had tremendous
meanings.
Is from Sadad.
Is.
It's a command.
Right?
And is
shooting straight.
Right?
Is to
shoot straight. To to shoot
you you say Sadad or is
when you have
the capacity to shoot straight.
Meaning,
you could say
is
be purposeful.
Right?
Be purposeful.
Or
remain purposeful.
Always act with purpose.
Every action has an aim, has a purpose.
So your action should be
directed
towards its purpose.
But also it needs to
the action needs to be such that it
is going towards its purpose.
You don't say, oh, I'm trying to hit
the target,
but you're shooting
in the wrong direction.
Right? So
contains the meaning of
have a purpose.
Aim for the purpose.
Take the means that will cause you
that should cause you to hit the target.
Right. So same thing. Someone says, I want
to
be on the spiritual path.
But be purposeful. Why do you want to
be on the spiritual path?
What would you do that would get you
there?
And then are your actions
the actions that would get someone there?
You're saying I want to be a student
of knowledge.
Why? To what end?
So there's a sense of aim,
and then the right means
in the right way.
Right? All of that. So be purposeful.
Have a purpose.
Have the pursuit that would cause you to
reach that purpose in the way that would
cause you to reach that purpose. So,
k, is an amazing term.
And you can visualize it as, you know,
have a target,
but then shoot towards that target in a
way that would cause you to hit that
target.
You can also translate it. Is to be
steadfast.
Right? Steadfast.
Right?
So remain commit you could try be be
purposeful. You can also translate as
remain committed.
Right? Remain committed.
Now that's not easy.
Right?
Because sometimes we're not shooting that well.
Right? Sometimes the perp you know, you
you know, you may have foggy
life vision, like what's going on?
So and
do the best you can.
Do the best you can.
You know you could do better,
but right now
so you let's say you committed to pray
2 rakas every night before you go to
sleep.
Now you're exhausted.
And
you know you should pray standing up, and
you know you should put on
a jilbab before you pray, or you want
you want to put on something
loose that covers your outer loosely as a
man
because it's sunnah.
And where's the cap?
So,
you know, you we we won't be able
to do that.
Do the best you can.
So can't pray standing?
Pray sitting down. It's.
In voluntary prayers, you pray sit sit sitting
down.
You won't go and put something on top
of your pajamas, pray in your pajamas if
your covered.
Can't cover your head,
still yeah. For for brother,
just
do the best you can.
Why? Because at the heart of it, you
are praying to rakas for Allah Subhanahu Wa
Ta'ala. That's a big deal.
Right? That's a big deal.
If you can't do something completely, don't leave
it. Do the best that you can do.
But
that's a primary sense. Do the best you
can.
Is to come close to it, approximate.
But
some of the commentators on the hadith
also mentioned
also means
also means
seeking to draw close to Allah
from.
Right?
And make your actions purposeful
and
above just being purposeful like knowing why you're
doing it.
I always make your why connected to the
most high right.
Always connected to seeking the of Allah the
closeness of
Allah.
And if that's what you're doing
and you're trying
to
shoot straight,
and you're trying to shoot straight, you're trying
to
as best you can,
draw close to Allah.
And be of glad tidings.
Be of glad tidings. Why?
K? Be of glad tidings.
Because if you are
acting with purpose, you want
to seek the pleasure of Allah.
Right? Or you want to do that which
is pleasing to Allah,
seeking to draw closer to Allah.
You're doing the best that you can do.
So he said
I'd be purposeful.
You're acting with purpose.
Purpose that is pleasing to Allah.
In the way that
and
do the best that you can do, that
you're able to do. And Allah does not
make us responsible for more than we're able.
So
or
act with purpose,
seeking through that purpose that is pleasing to
Allah to draw close to him.
Be of glad tidings.
Right? Because Allah looks at your hearts,
and he deals with his creation on the
basis of mercy,
which is why then the prophet sallallahu alaihi
wa sallam said
because it can also seem overwhelming. Right? There's
an aspect. Be purposeful.
That's a high standard.
Who upholds that?
Do the best you can. Mercy.
Be of glad tidings because know whom you're
dealing with, the most merciful lord. Then the
prophet
continued and said,
For
no one will be entered into paradise
by their actions.
No one will will be entered into paradise
by their actions.
No one's actions will cause them to enter
paradise.
It is mercy. Right? So asked a logical
question.
Not even you, oh messenger of Allah,
because your actions are so amazing. If anyone
were to enter paradise
by
their actions
alone, it would be you, oh messenger. They
say,
not even you, oh messenger of Allah.
And, of course, as other
hadith indicate, the prophet referred to himself respectfully.
He did not include himself. Some of the
narrations, when the prophet used to mention it,
he said,
for none of you will enter paradise by
your works.
Attentive
and considerate.
None of you will enter paradise to to
your works. The prophet did not include himself.
So they noticed that.
Right?
Because they were seekers of knowledge. Right?
They were not slackers.
But also,
if no one will enter paradise to their
action, that's a general statement.
If there is an exception to the general
statement, it would be him.
So they noticed
that he did not include himself
when he did not include himself. But when
he included him what in the general statement,
but the general is not absolute.
There's a difference in saying no one will
enter paradise
and no one whatsoever will enter paradise
by their actions. So they a general statement
could have an exception.
So they asked because they noticed that, because
they paid attention.
Not even you, oh messenger of Allah? And
our beloved messenger
said,
not even I.
Unless
Allah
were to envelop me in his mercy.
Unless Allah were to envelope me in his
mercy.
And
should you use of a Nabahani and this
hadith is related by both Bukhari and Muslim.
Right?
And
usefully explains,
Right? He said
is uprightness
in matters
and having
is is
steadfastness,
if you try to say that way, is
be upright
and purposeful in your matters and be balanced
therein.
Right? And he said
is similar in meaning.
Is be balanced.
Without excess.
Is either,
right, be balanced without excess or do the
best you can.
Right? Don't overdo things.
Right? Do the best you can even if
the standard is higher.
Right? The prophet said in other similar
narrations
in the beginning,
strive for complete uprightness, but know that you
won't be able to be completely upright.
So remain steadfast.
Do the best you can. That applies in
seeking knowledge. Just we we took today
in our tutorial grammar tutorial before
that when you study something, there's many things
you could learn about it, but you have
to know, okay. There's this extra detail. I
won't do it right now.
Do the best that do what you can
right now, and the rest will come after.
You have to that's part of the internal
discipline
of the seeker.
That's hadith number 6.
The 7th hadith
Right?
Now for those of you attending, right, the
discipline of being a student would be if
you
you that you prepare for a class and
immediately you know
what like a an unusual word, for example,
would be.
But we won't expect that.
The
the messenger
relates that on the day of resurrection,
the entire earth will be 1 piece in
the grasp of
Al Jabbar.
Right?
The overpowering
Lord.
Right?
Al Jabbar.
And he'll be grasping it
in his
in his hand
as one of you holds
their,
you know, their bread on in in in
their journey, they hold on to it. Right?
They they grasp on to it. This is
this is your provision
on a journey,
and they hold on to it. Right? Like,
you
clasp on to it. It's you know, because
you're not gonna let go because if you're
on a journey, imagine your journey in the
desert it's not literally clasped onto it but
you're very protective of it. Why?
Because if you lose your your your bread
on on a journey
you're dead.
As an honoring
for the people of Jannah. So the whole
earth,
you know, all
all of material creation will be in the
grasp of the overwhelming lord
in the in the firm grasp like the
way one of you would grasp
their provision
in the journey as a What is
is what
you honor the guest with.
Right?
So because the
if a guest comes to you,
the is what you prepare to honor your
guest.
That's why Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells us
about their word.
This
is the feast that is prepared
from the
all forgiving and most merciful.
It's an amazing term. I'd encourage you to
look up this term. Right? To mention in
the Quran. Some people wrongfully imagine. Is
It's like from coming down.
Right? But is what you place down,
right, as a feast
to honor your guest. And you someone who's
come from a long journey.
Right? And this one of the bad that
or loss of that people have. If someone
in the house or someone in your family
or you have a guest,
right, then this is the time to honor
them. It may be at an awkward hour
or whatever,
but it's a
it's a divine sunnah. Right? Allah
prepare like, we are his guests in paradise,
and he and he'll honor the believers. And
this is you see this in the stories
of,
for example, of the prophet, Sayyidina Ibrahim. When
the guests came, he slaughtered for them even
though they they had very little.
The prophet salallahu alaihi wa sallam taught the
Sahaba by example and teaching to honor
the guests especially the guest who arrives.
The guest who arrives
from a journey for example,
you honor them. Right? Even if it's late,
sometimes people ask you, are you are you
sure you don't want dinner? They want to
say, no. I really do. I said, no.
I'm fine. Are you sure?
Right? That kind of negative question begs.
Right?
And those and there's certain meals that are
blessed even if the person does not partake
of them.
Someone comes, you prepare food for them
to honor them. If they don't eat it,
that is a sunnah meal. That meal is
a blessed meal. Other people in the household
eat it, whatever. But these sort of sunnah
occasions, we shouldn't sort of
it's not really about them, right, alone.
Right? And other things. Like, if a guest
comes, you you don't wanna ask them, should
I make you tea? Right? You prepare things
or you just give them an option, either
a or b.
It's not, do you want a or b?
And because
honoring
is
commanded.
So
so here,
this is telling us about,
1, how all of creation will be in
the grasp of Al Jabbar. Now Al Jabbar
is one of the
most beautiful names of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala
and Al Jabbar has two meanings.
Jabr,
okay.
Jabr has a meaning of overwhelming
power.
Overwhelming power.
Jabbar
is the majestically
overpowering.
But the meaning indicated by Jabbar is the
one who has complete control over something. Right?
So it's all
as is haditha in his grasp,
but Jabbar is also
Okay?
Jabr
has overwhelming power, but that power has a
sense of might, but also has a sense
of mercy.
What is a cast called in Arabic?
Called
Jabira. Why?
Because it envelops something
and it restores it.
Right?
Right? So he's Jabira
he is the one who puts together
the hearts of those who are brokenhearted.
Right? And that's it's come in that sense
in a number of the duas of our
beloved
messenger.
Sallallahu Alaihi
Wasallam.
Right? And
all the earth will meet his grasp because
on that day,
whom will all of this be granted to
will be granted to?
The people of paradise.
Right? As an honoring.
We'll read the 8th hadith as well.
Muslim. This is one of the Hadith.
One of the Hadith
that
is unclear in its meaning,
describing
the day of resurrection.
Right?
And Allah
refers to this incident
in the Quran.
And is
Right? Literally,
the
is the trunk of something.
The in the leg, what part of it
is it?
Right. Because the leg begins with a foot,
and then it has this gnarly thing called
your ankle,
and then it goes up. Right? The refers
to the vertical part of something
before it starts bubbling up
for your knee. Right?
So it refers to the
the shin.
Right? The the the purely vertical part of
the leg.
So Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala tells it in
the Quran,
and they will be called to prostrate.
When what happens?
Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala says, and they will
not be able to.
So some of our literally minded brethren,
may Allah grant them and us clarity. They
said, well, from Allah's names is that he
has a Allah's attributes is the And
and so ibn Abbas explained it. He said,
if you if you wish to understand the
Quran
and when something is unclear, then look to
the to the poetry of the Arabs.
Look to the poetry
of the Arabs.
Right?
So the day that the will be uncovered.
What is it referring to? The Arabs,
you you should talk about
the state of war
when it became active, when there's commotion
in war specifically.
But in general, when there's commotion,
something's going on. What would people do? Arabs
would wear sobs, would wear long garments
or an Isar,
right, which would pool around their legs so
they would raise their leg
they raise their lower garment or their
to be able to run better.
So the shin would be uncovered.
So the day the shin will be uncovered,
Ibn Abbas
himself explained that this is referring to the
usage of the Arabs. The day where there
is great commotion
such that,
you know, shins would have been a car,
people would have rushed
this way and that.
The day of great
commotion.
That's one interpretation.
The other
is that this is referred to
in this in hadith such as this.
Right?
So Allah
uncovers
his Saq is not Allah uncovers his Shin.
You read a translation like this, close that
book of Hadith because this is a literalist
innovation
that is not the understanding, not of the
Salaf, nor of the later scholars.
Anyone who believes that Allah has a shin
is an anthropomorphist.
Why? Because the imams of our deen, actually
the Sahaba
of made
it clear. What does this term mean?
Allah uncovers
this
when Allah manifest
this day of commotion,
Right? This day of consternation.
That's the
that's the principle meaning or he he shows
the he
shows the believers.
The
the the you know shows that you know
the the legs of his throne.
Right? Becomes the throne becomes manifest.
And the throne is more encompassing than anything
else in creation.
And so the hadith, when Allah uncovers
the when Allah manifest this day of
commotion,
right,
Said the prophet So
all
will prostrate to him.
Meaning, when they're called to prostrate as Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala mentions in the Quran. Every
all believers,
male and female,
will prostrate to him.
But
those who used to prostrate in this life
out of
arrogance
or conceit,
riya and sumah
to show off
or
to, you know,
or conceitedly
will remain
without prostrating.
So they
so they go to try to prostrate,
but their back would return completely straight.
And this is, of course, referring to what
will happen that Allah
tells us
in the Quran. When
you know, the the day when
the
tremendous commotion is manifest and they're called to
prostrate
which is of course
the means
of mercy and of closeness
to the merciful.
And they will not be able to.
Why?
Because how you are in the hereafter will
mirror how you are in this life.
So the believers who prostrated
sincerely for Allah, humbling themselves to Allah will
be able to. Whereas those who did it
out of showing off and conceit,
they hadn't truly prostrated to Allah in this
life, and they will not be able to
in the hereafter.
Right? So the critical thing here is what
is the meaning of
right? And it's not
referring to
the shin of Allah. Right? And also because
a description
is of many types in the Arabic language.
You know?
So his
does not necessarily mean the that is his
in that it is somehow a part of
him.
Can also be the
the
the
here
can convey the meaning of from him.
Right?
Or that belongs to him. Right? His
is
whose is the dominion on this day.
Right?
The the the day his day when when
his authority is now manifest.
That overwhelming day where his authority is manifest.
Right? So that's what it that's what it
means, and that's how the great imams have
explained this hadith. The hadith is in Sahih
Muslim, but it's
also telling us about the tour the the
awesome nature, the awe inspiring nature of the
day of resurrection
and who finds
the serenity
of
submission on that day? Those who submitted in
this life
with sincerity.
It's a call to leave these two destructive
qualities of riya,
of showing off, and of
and of conceit.
Riya is when you you show your actions
you do actions
to show others and
is when you talk about your actions to
others.
Is from showing.
Is when you talk about them.
And
then that can be direct or indirect.
So tired
last night was
yeah. So you didn't say directly
but you say indirectly.
When you're saying I'm tired but you're pointing
to and that's very dangerous.
And of course the the third that there's
3 related qualities, there's Ria which is
showing off,
which
is talking to others about it, and there's
or
which are which is,
you know,
so
is talking about one's good deeds.
Is when you are impressed by your own
good. So it's self talk. It's self praise.
That was so good.
Right?
And the key to it is
to ascribe
all good to Allah.
And we'll resume
from hadith number 9
Next
lesson inshallah.
We're going to look
just very briefly at
by
Sheikh, by Imam Azar Nogi on the adab
of
the seeker of knowledge.
And where did we stop?
Okay. Yeah.
I have a footnote. I was just wondering
if you guys knew.
Okay.
So we looked last time. We we're talking
about the importance of intention in seeking knowledge.
And this is
by.
The importance of intention
in seeking knowledge. And that one does not
seek
worldly position or rank through knowledge unless
that
that position
or
status is sought
as a facilitative
means of fulfilling a recognized religious purpose.
Right? So we
right? Because in itself,
worldly attainment
is worth nothing.
And and that's the the poem. Some lines
of poetry.
This
is worldliness
less than the least of things. And the
one who loves it is the most abased
of the abased.
Right?
And it deafens and blinds,
and those who seek, who pursue it are
bewildered
and abased.
So then he gives an advice for people
of knowledge.
And
refers both to those who've attained knowledge,
right, meaning the scholars, but also those who
aspire to attain knowledge, namely
seekers of knowledge. Right?
Right? So he says
It is incumbent upon the people of knowledge
not to abase
themselves
by being avid for that which one should
not be avid for.
And to hold oneself back from everything that
abases knowledge and its people. Because whether you're
a scholar or a student of knowledge, you
are
a
you are
an ambassador
of
or seeking
to be an ambassador of the messenger of
Allah
So
you should not do things that are not
become befitting.
You should not be avid for things that
are not be befitting a student knowledge. So
what are you doing?
Oh, I'm I'm going on vacations. Where are
you going for on vacations? I'm going
you know, on some
burst of heedlessness.
That's not becoming a student knowledge. The the
vacations of student knowledge or personal knowledge would
reflect that unless there's clear intentions.
The the purpose in it is clear, and
it's connected
with
that. Right?
The rest of the people of good isn't
good.
It's not
in
things that are contrary to that.
Someone who is seeking knowledge, someone who is
seeking Allah, they wouldn't just go
pursuing things purely for purposes.
Right?
Particularly, blameworthy things.
And to hold oneself back from the things
that
abase knowledge because you are representing
what is knowledge is
Is that what just come from the messenger
of Allah? So personal knowledge is someone
who
say I have
the guidance of the prophet.
Right?
So you are you are striving to be
a a container
for the water of profited,
for the life giving water, profited.
So be that way in the way you
conduct yourself, in the way you act, in
the way you dress.
Right,
and in your character.
So he says,
and one should be humble.
And what is humility
practically?
K. Said,
humility is a quality between
arrogance
on one side on one extreme and between
abasement on the other
and
restraint.
Right? So there's 2 extremes
and what revolves around
humility is dignified restraint.
So you neither affirm yourself in a manner
that causes you
to arrogate yourself
nor do you negate yourself in a manner
that puts yourself down.
And what is the governing quality of
is.
What's?
Is dignified restraint.
You hold back
from thinking highly for of yourself and you
hold back from
thinking lowly of yourself.
This is why he says,
humility is between the two extremes
of this, and what encircles it is
which is dignified
restraint.
And he says,
and that's known in books on prophetic character.
And he's referring to particular
book.
And then he praises
humility.
Then he praises
humility.
He he says,
He quotes from this
this great
scholar who who he meant, which is the
great imam,
etcetera, the teacher,
the literally the pillar of Islam, the known
as Al Adib al Mukhtar,
who said,
in some lines addressing
this poem this poet addressed himself
He says this great this poet who's a
great imam of Islam said, truly humility is
from the qualities
of
a person of piety, the.
By it, the pious
to all high matters
rise up.
They're mindful,
and they hold themselves
back which is the root of taqwa or
piety. Holding oneself back to the extent that
you hold yourself back,
you rise. It's a beautiful
connecting of
and
They restrain themselves and they rise.
And and from the most amazing things is
the conceit of
one who is ignorant of their own state.
Are they of the people of
felicity, the saeed,
or of the people of perdition, the shakti?
Or and they're ignorant too of how their
life will end.
And whether their soul on the day
when souls are exposed
will will be sinking
or rising.
And then he says, no.
That
that haughtiness,
the affirmation
of exaltedness,
haughtiness
belongs to our lord alone. It is his
quality
alone. So keep away from it
and
and and be mindful.
It's a beautiful
poet poem. Right? That you must these are
the qualities of the prophet, sallallahu alaihi wa
sallam. Right? Embody strive to embody
those qualities.
But then he said but then he balances
that. Right? He balances that and we'll see
in the in the next session,
right,
The advice of Imam
of the student of knowledge to dress as
a student of knowledge.
Right?
And this is important.
Right? It's it's important. If there's a self
respect
that is student knowledge should have
and a sense of respect
for the knowledge that they have. Right?
Which is why in many
religious cultures, it's known what does a student
knowledge wear.
Right? There's certain base expectations for a student
knowledge in different cultural
contexts. That is just known that this is
how they dress. Why? Because they're a student
knowledge.
And people would know who the student of
knowledge
is because you are directed to something important.
Right? And you have to have self
respect as well.
And there's a distinction between how a student
of knowledge would dress and how a scholar
dresses.
Right? But there are
expectations in this, and they differ
from context. But we'll be looking at how
does Imam Abu Hanifa's very wise advice about,
number 1, how the student knowledge addresses?
And number 2,
how they conduct themselves?
Right? And there's a beautiful story. We'll close
with this. Imam Abu Hanifa
was
once on a journey
as part of a caravan, and there was
a fool.
Right?
Like, he was clowning around.
And all journey, he was making fun of
Imam Hanifa. Imam Hanifa was just relaxed with
him. Didn't didn't just ignored him. Well, when
they were about to reach the city, and
I believe it was Baghdad,
he told them, listen. All journey, you've been
make you've been mocking me and making fun
of me, and I and I did not
mind. But now we're entering the city.
People know me here as Abu Hanifa,
and they respect
me for the knowledge that I bear.
If you say a single word about me,
I'm going to report you to the authorities.
But it wasn't about him.
It wasn't about him. Right? It's
about you you know, this is that's why
the people of Quran Quran.
The people
who bear the Quran.
A student of knowledge is someone who's taking
on
this Amana or prophetic guidance. So how
one dresses,
how one conducts oneself,
one's bearing amongst people, what one involves oneself
in. There's some things they may be in
of themselves permissible,
but they're unbecoming a student of knowledge.
Right?
Even if it were permissible in damask and
different social context, certain considerations may vary. But
in Damascus, for example, there was a documentary
that was put up in one of the
cinemas.
It was a documentary about I think about
it was about Damascus, whatever. It was just
like a pure documentary, but it was put
up at a cinema where normally
sinful things are put up.
And,
you know, the
the, you know, the and the French cultural
center, whatever it's called there,
the French you know, they have this institute
there. They invited the scholars to come for
viewing.
None of them went.
Why?
Because not becoming a personal knowledge to be
seen in such a place.
Even if it's for something in of itself,
not blameworthy, because that's not where I see
where personal knowledge belongs.
Right? And and these things are, you know,
these are important consideration. We'll be looking at
that in the next session.
Thank you for listening to the Roha, daily
guidance for seekers with Sheikh Harazrabani.
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