Karim Abuzaid – Know Your Lord Audio Book 01 01 – The Imperative to Know Your Lord
AI: Summary ©
The importance of knowing and practicing the Lord's attributes, including faith and actions, is emphasized in Islam. These factors are necessary to increase one's understanding of their Lord and ability to do things like learning. The return of the Kaaba during prayers caused confusion among Muslims, but the return of the Kaaba led to a return of the qiblah, which was a test for those who experienced the return of the qiblah. The return of the Kaaba was a test for those who had previously experienced the return of the qiblah.
AI: Summary ©
Chapter 1, the imperative,
To know your lord.
The title that I chose for this work
is know your lord.
There are two keywords in this title.
The commanding verb
know and the object lord.
The commanding verb know refers to acquiring knowledge
through reading and studying.
This means to apply the first command the
messenger of Allah Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam
received
from the archangel Gabriel
alaihi wasallam.
If one is unable to read, he can
still obtain knowledge through attentiveness
to one whose character exemplifies
nobility.
In the case of our Messenger
who was illiterate,
he learned
from the recitation
of the archangel
Gabriel
Alaihi Salam.
Allah
said,
'It is not but a revelation revealed,
taught to him
by one intense in strength,
that is Jibril
Gabriel.
Turat Anujum
verse 4 to 5.
The object,
'your lord' refers to Allah
The divine lord of prophet Ibrahim,
Abraham, Alaihi Salam,
who created us.
Allah
said, 'Allah created you and that which you
do.'
Surat Asafat
verse 96.
Allah
facilitates
all that we do and he began his
revelation in the Quran
with a command
for us to read
and to learn with his permission.
The first subject mentioned
after the command to learn is knowledge of
our Lord. Allah
the one who created
us and facilitates for us our ability
to do all things,
amongst them reading
and learning.
Allah
said,
'Recite
in the name of your Lord who created
created man from a clinging substance.
Recite
and your Lord is the most generous
who taught by the pen taught man that
which he knew not.
Alaaqq
verse 1-three.
Ibn Taymiyyah
said, since Allah is the lord and sovereign
of everything,
and he is the master
and giver of all knowledge,
just as he is in the origin of
everything that exists.
Likewise,
knowledge of him is the root of all
knowledge.
Ibn Al Qayyim
Rahimahullah,
the student
of Ibn Taymiyyah Rahimahullah
said,
'Whoever knows Allah knows everything other than him.
Whoever is ignorant of his Lord is even
more ignorant of everything
other than him.
Imam Muhammad ibn Ismail al Bukhari
Rahimahullah
depicted
the same understanding
and the arrangement of his book Sahih al
Jamia.
The most authentic book are to the book
of Allah Subhanahu wa ta'ala. Imam al Bukhari,
Rahimahullah,
began his book with a section titled
the beginning of revelation.
And then he followed it with chapters on
faith,
iman,
followed by the chapter on knowledge.
This arrangement suggests
that Al Bukhari
meant to emphasize
that the first obligation upon a human being
is faith
Iman,
and the way to attain it is through
knowledge. And the source of faith, Iman,
and knowledge
is the revelation.
The arrangement is not by accident.
Al Bukhari
made some important points
with such an arrangement.
In this chapter
we will briefly present 3 main reasons
why we must learn about our Lord.
We are aiming to inspire every Muslim to
embark on the journey
of acquiring knowledge of faith,
Iman,
particularly
the things which allows us to know Allah
Subhanahu wa ta'ala and the hereafter
Akhirah
including paradise
Jannah and hellfire
Jahannam.
The three reasons are as follows: 1
knowing our Lord precedes the Quran.
2,
knowing our Lord inspires
compliance.
3,
knowing our Lord
is a means of dua.
Call to Islam.
Knowledge of faith.
Iman
precedes the Quran.
The following statements
confirm that every Muslim must comprehend the basic
tenants of faith Iman
before embarking on learning the explanation of the
Quran.
Tafsir al Quran
There are 6 articles of faith Arcanal Iman
which include belief in 1 God Tawhid
of Allah
Angels
divinely revealed books,
the prophets,
the day of judgment
and
the divine predestination
Notice that the first article of faith Iman
is the belief in Allah
This belief begins with learning about him
and this was the practice of the companions
sahaba
of the prophet
Jundub
bin 'Abdulla
Abdullah said. We were with the prophet
and we were strong youths. So we learned
about faith, Iman
before we learned the Quran.
Then we learned the Quran
and our faith Iman increased thereby.
Similarly,
Abdullah ibn Amr
reported, a man came to the messenger of
Allah and he said, oh, messenger of Allah,
I recite the Quran,
but I do not find that my heart
understands it. The prophet said,
'Verily your heart is filled with faith, Iman.
In faith
Iman
is given to a servant before the Quran.'
Ibn Taymiyyah
commented
on this concept.
His position is that Allah
the Lord and sovereign of everything.
The master
and giver of all knowledge.
Remembrance of him and knowledge of him is
the root
of all knowledge.
After this recognition,
the Quran gives detailed knowledge and increases faith.
Iman
as jundub bin Abdullah
al bajali
and the other companions
Sahaba said
Ibn Taymiyyah
said, accordingly,
the more the heart knows,
believes in, and practices
what Allah
and his messenger sallallahu alaihi wasallam have ordered
the more a person's faith iman increases
even if that person
has a general adherence
and general verbal confession.
Similarly
if someone knows Allah's names
as well as their meanings and believes in
them,
his faith Iman is more perfect than that
of someone who does not know but believes
in them generally
or someone who knows only some of them.
Hence
the more one knows Allah's names, attributes, and
verses,
ayaat,
the more perfect his faith,
Iman.
Knowledge of faith
inspires a disciplined compliance.
As mentioned above
faith
increases the knowledge in the heart
and the practice on the tongue and the
lips.
The practice is performed
through the actions
of worship as learned from revelation.
Who do we worship?
Who do we bow to? Who do we
prostrate to?
The answer to all these questions
must be Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala alone.
But this certainty, Yaqeen of faith,
iman
is increased by what we know about Allah
Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
Just as our actions improve
from knowing
and responding to our Lord.
Now think if we know more about him,
how much we would enjoy our worship.
We wouldn't do
it just because it is mandatory
but because our hearts would desire to worship
our Lord.
The following are situations which confirm
the knowing the names of Allah
His attributes,
actions and sovereignty
over the day of judgment
and the hereafter
are
inspirations
and motivations for a believer
to comply with the commands of Allah subhanahu
wa ta'ala.
These are pieces of evidence
of the necessity to know our Lord.
Hijab,
Khimar, and intoxicants,
Khamer.
The mother of the believers,
Aisha
confirms
that knowledge of the articles of faith
Arkanal Iman
such as the knowledge of Allah Subhanahu wa
ta'ala,
Paradise
and * fire
inspires the Muslim to comply
with the commands of Allah The
result
is that the muslim will have the intention
to take the effort
to save
himself from the * fire Jahannam
and enter paradise
Jahannam.
A'isha
said:
be informed
that the first thing that was revealed thereof
was a chapter
Surah from Al Mufasal,
and in it was mentioned paradise,
Jannah and the * fire, Jahannam.
When the people embraced Islam,
the verses
ayaat
regarding legal and illegal things were revealed.
If the first thing to be revealed was
do not drink alcoholic drinks,
People would have said, we will never leave
alcoholic drinks. And if there had been revealed,
do not commit illegal sexual *.
They would have said, we will never give
up illegal sexual *.
Our mother
is hinting
that knowing
what a believer will receive
of Allah's
bliss
in paradise
can become positive enforcement
to comply with the commands of Allah
Likewise
the knowledge of the * fire becomes the
negative enforcement
to abandon
the disobedience of Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala.
In the years 1920-1933,
the United States underwent
a national campaign
to prohibit alcohol.
The caring politicians initiated
such a noble cause to decrease evil and
corruption,
solve social problems,
reduce the tax burden created by prisons
and poor houses,
and improve health
and hygiene in America.
Unfortunately
the results of that attempt indicate
that it was a miserable failure
on all counts. The failure was because the
prohibition
was not preceded by faith,
iman.
A similar campaign took place in Mecca
which was gradually implemented
over the same length of time.
This campaign successfully
motivated the Muslims
to spill alcohol drinks
and abstain because of faith, Iman.
Anas ibn Malik radiallahu anhu
I used to offer alcoholic drinks to the
people at the residence
of Abu Talha.
Then the order of prohibition of alcoholic drinks
was revealed and the prophet ordered somebody
to announce that. Abu Talha said to me,
'Go out
and see what this voice,
this announcement is. I went out and on
coming back said,
this is somebody announcing that alcoholic beverages
have been prohibited.'
Abu Tal has said to me, 'Go and
spill it.' That is the wine. Then it,
alcoholic drinks, was seen flowing
through the streets of Al Madinah.
The voice was announcing that a verse, Ayah,
was revealed
which completely prohibited alcohol.
Allah
said, oh you who have believed,
indeed intoxicants,
gambling, sacrificing
on stone altars
to other than Allah and divining arrows
are but defilement from the work of Satan,
so avoid it that you may be successful.
1 should ask
why the divine campaign
to prohibit alcohol worked
while the prohibition
in the US failed?
The human initiative failed, while the divine prohibition
succeeded.
As those who know Allah
believe in him, love him, fear him,
and know
that a manifestation
of their exaltation
of Allah
is to adhere
to his commands.
Another statement
by the mother of the believers
Aisha
confirms the decisive compliance of the early Muslims
from the immigrants
to a command such as wearing the proper
hijab,
Islamic veil for women. The compliance was absolute
since they were brought up in monotheism,
tawhid
and had learned that faith, iman and Allah
subhanahu wa ta'ala must be followed with action.
Aisha radiAllahu anha has said, may Allah have
mercy on the early immigrant,
Muhajir women when Allah revealed,
'O prophet,
tell your wives and your daughters
and the women
of the believers to draw their cloaks, veils
all over their bodies,
that is
screening themselves completely
except the eyes or one eye to see
the way, that will be better that they
should be known as free respectable women,
so as not to be annoyed.
And Allah is ever oft forgiving,
most merciful.
They tore their coarse wraps and cover themselves
with them.
The Qibla.
Another story to be told in this context
involves the change of the direction of the
Qibla. The Qibla is the direction towards the
Kaaba
in Mecca
that Muslims face when performing prayers
salah. In fact it is one of the
conditions that must be fulfilled
to validate the prayers
Salah. Al Aqsa Mosque Baytul Maqdis in Jerusalem
was the divinely decreed qibla
at the beginning of the prophet sallallahu alaihi
wasallam's mission. The Muslims
used to face Al Aqsa mosque.
Baytul Maqdis in Jerusalem
during their prayers,
salah, while they were in Makkah.
However,
they would stand south of the Kaaba
during
prayers, salah, so that they could face both
the Kaaba and Al Aqsa Mosque by in
Jerusalem
concurrently.
After the migration,
Hajjara to Madinah,
the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam and the
companions
Sahaba
continued praying while facing the Al Aqsa mosque
Baytul Maqdis in Jerusalem
and thus
they had to turn away from the Kaaba
since Madinah is located
on the north of Makkah and south of
Jerusalem.
Al Bara'ah ibn Azib
explained,
When the prophet
came to Al Madinah, he stayed first with
his grandfathers
or maternal uncles
from Ansar.
He offered his prayers
Salah facing Al Aqsa Mosque Baytul Maqdis in
Jerusalem
for 16 or 17 months
but he wished that he could pray facing
the Kaaba at Makkah. Though the prophet sallallahu
alaihi wasallam would have loved to have the
qiblah changed to the Kaaba, He did not
utter a word or request and continued obeying
the command of Allah
Allah
said:
we have certainly seen the turning of your
face, O
Muhammad, towards the heaven, and we will surely
turn you to a qiblah with which you
will be pleased.
So turn your face towards Al Masjid Al
Haram in Makkah. And wherever you believers are
turn your faces towards it. Indeed
those who have been given the scripture
well know that it is the truth from
their lord
and Allah is not unaware
of what they do. When the Qibla was
changed
to the direction of the Kaaba,
it became a test for the Muslims
and the people of the book Ahlul Kitab
in Madinah.
It was a test to see who truly
obeyed Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala
and his beloved prophet salallahu alaihi wasallam
and who disapproved.
Al Bara
explained
in the same narration
as above.
Jews and the people of the scriptures
used to be pleased to see the prophet
facing Jerusalem
in prayers
salah. But when he changed his direction
towards the Kaaba
during the salah
they disapproved of it.
Allah said:
We did not make the qiblah which you
used to face except
that we might make evident
who would follow the messenger.
From who from who would turn back on
his heels and indeed
it is difficult
except for those whom Allah has guided.
True enough, there are those who ridiculed the
prophet
when he changed his prayer direction
from Al Aqsa Mosque
Baytul Maqdis in Jerusalem
to the Kaaba in Mecca. However
those who truly believed in Allah and
the prophet
immediately obeyed
the command
and faced the direction
that pleased the prophet
'Al Barah bin Azib, radiallahu Anhu, said,
then one of those who had offered their
prayer, salah,
with him came out
and passed by some people in a mosque,
who were bowing during their prayer facing Jerusalem.
He said addressing them, by Allah
I testify
that I have offered prayer salah with Allah's
messenger
facing Makkah Kaaba.
Hearing that
the people changed their direction
towards the Kaaba immediately.
Notice
the discipline compliance of the prophet
and his companions
Sahaba
who immediately adhered to the commands without any
hesitation.
Knowing your lord is a means of dawah.
Ibn Abbas
reported
that when the messenger of Allah
sent Ma'ad
to Yemen.
He said to him. You are going
to some of the people of the book.
Uh-huhl Kitab.
Call them to bear witness
that none has the right to be worshipped
but Allah and that I am
the messenger of Allah.
If they accept that,
then teach them that Allah has enjoined on
them 5 prayers
to be offered each day and night. If
they accept that then teach them that Allah
has enjoined on them charity,
Zakah,
to be taken from their rich and given
to their poor.
If they accept that, then beware
of taking the best of their wealth
and protect yourself
from the supplication
of the one who has been wronged.
But there is no barrier between it and
Allah. It is very important
to learn the fundamentals
as the caller to Islam.
Da'i
who knows
Allah can invite with conviction
and with the most beautiful revealed words with
which Allah
described himself.
He calls to a lord
who is in possession
of the most perfect and majestic attributes.
Hence,
calling without knowledge
is an injustice
to the exalted status
of our Lord.
The value
of a subject
is known by the virtues of the associated
attributes.
We see that medical doctors
are highly paid because the subject
of human well-being is valuable
to ensure
the dignity
and honor of the creation
to whom the angels prostrated.
The attributes of the human
are exceptional
as an intelligent creation
who can choose to use its faculties for
worship. A medical doctor is competent with his
or her patient
if he knows the attributes of the human
subject.
Any subject
is described
with a specialized language
and the one who is proficient with this
language
is the individual who begins with knowledge
and invites others
to appreciate
its virtues.
In the following beautiful statement,
Sheikh ibn Udaymin
Rahimahullah
exemplifies
the concept
that is known by dawah that inviting to
Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta'ala begins with knowing him
by his attributes.
Far is he removed
from having anything comparable to him
or any equal,
free
from all kinds of defects
and imperfection,
qualified
with every beautiful name and every perfect attribute,
doer of what he intends,
wills
above everything
and with everything.
The one
who is able to do everything,
the one who manages the affairs of everything.
He commands
and forbids.
He speaks the legislative,
and universal
words.
He is greater than everything
and he is the most beautiful,
the most merciful,
the all able, the all wise.