Shadee Elmasry – Sh Amin Muhammad on Knowledge. At ConvertCon 2016.
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AI: Transcript ©
One of the first things we learn when we study with our teachers if
your beginning and your end and when you understand your beginning
and your end you understand the purpose of life
it appears that Philly is in the house though, Mashallah.
Mashallah.
So I want to take this opportunity to introduce our next speaker is
Sheikh Hamad Mohammed.
Champion is a native of Atlantic City, New Jersey who has studied
with scholars in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Lebanon,
covering the sciences of belief, ritual and interactional law,
Quranic explanation, the sayings of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam
presently, I mean is the Imam and teacher at Masjid Muhammad in
Atlantic City, New Jersey, as well as at the mega Center in
Manhattan. Today, Imam Amin will be speaking about the importance
of learning with humility from a qualified teacher. There is a big
difference between sacred knowledge and simply information.
We may memorize a lot of facts, but have we understood them? How
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa salam understood him and his
companions are the Allahu Anhu are we practicing the way our pious
predecessors did? This is the importance of the teacher. And
with that, she I mean, Inshallah, if you'll please join us.
So let her off Mary Rahim is the voice clear?
Salam aleikum. Warahmatullah wabarakatuh
hamdu Lillahi Rabbil Alameen
wa sallahu salatu wa ter Mata Salim? Ala Sayidina Wahhabi bin
Mohammed was early he was sabe edge mine
i Salalah. Tobacco Attallah and Yogen Nia Tina holy certain leeway
Jihad carry
Allahumma la alemana lemma Island Tana in Naka Antill Alamo Hakeem
Allahumma alumna Yun found one final Bhima ILM tena was in there
in
a cinema article Rahmatullah heeta Ana Weber
it's an honor, mashallah to be here with you.
And
please excuse the big cup of coffee, because I've been thinking
about you all night. I didn't sleep.
Really, because I think this gathering will be a very
beneficial gathering. And almost for the last year,
myself and city chef, yah, yah, insha Allah who will be coming
soon. We've been traveling all over the country, really trying to
revive the sacred sciences is in our traditional Islamic study and
knowledge, which to be honest with you is missing
not only in our country, but in the world.
So it needs that tidied, you know, it needs that revival that renew
Shah, Allahu taala.
So, as the subject is to talk about the importance of knowledge,
and how to acquire Islamic knowledge, so I want to touch on
several matters.
But before we do that, let us first
all clear our minds, right.
And I want us to think about two things as we go forward. Because
knowledge will never be beneficial to you. Until you understand
really, really understand to Mattis.
I'll be dire when you die.
The beginning and the end. If you don't understand these very well.
What is in between won't benefit you. So I want us to all for a
minute.
put our heads down,
lower eyes,
open our hearts.
And I want you
just for a second to think about
your beginning.
And Dr. Shad, he gave me a little light
Since to move so this can be quite interactive inshallah I think we
all will benefit but I want you to take a second put your head down
for
30 seconds and I want you to come up in your mind and try to reach
into your heart and figure out what is
your beginning
let's do that in sha Allah
Hi
So that was the beginning
now I want to take the same 30 seconds sha Allah with the same
concentration and I want to tell me or think about your end. So we
talked about lb Daya now I want any Hi sha Allah accepting this
your beginning okay I
thought about
coming towards a strong at the same exact.
I'm wanting to talk
meditated bombers. So
mentally went into the Pats game back to the present and projected
myself into the future. What it is when
I came into
my shell, I'll tell you,
okay, is the reason why I've mentioned this. Because when
there's one of the first things we learn when we study with our
teachers, is your beginning and your end. And when you understand
your beginning and your end, you understand the purpose of life.
But so then when you learn knowledge, when you practice
knowledge, when you taste knowledge, and write those things,
things, learning, practicing, tasting, there's a big difference
between the three, right?
You understand why you're doing
so I'll share the beginning and the end, that we all should strive
for in anything ever that is in between.
Right? The beginning? Is Allah
the end? Is Allah.
Yeah, follow that.
Because you always told,
do it for the sake of Allah right? You know why we always do it for
other than the sake of Allah sometimes, because we don't
understand how we can and then
you'll be good beginning. Everything it's beginning is with
Allah. And it's ending is with Allah.
So the ultimate goal of Paradise is not paradise itself.
So anyone who just does everything, just go to Paradise
has missed the mark.
That's not the purpose. The purpose is to be with Allah.
And then truly, when you're with Allah, there is no ending.
Right? And when you're with Allah, there is no beginning.
So, now we want to do what was in between?
And how do we benefit on everything in between. So
knowledge
is what the subject matter is about.
What is knowledge?
I don't want to just say knowledge in general.
Knowledge. I want you to say, Elman Nafion. Beneficiary
knowledge,
because we're not just seeking knowledge. We're seeking
beneficiary knowledge.
If you notice when I opened, I said, a little small dua for us.
I said, Allah who my Lemna Malyan falna when find that be my island
tena. I said, Oh Allah, teach us that which would benefit us not
only that, and cause us to benefit from that which you have taught
us.
So this whole
Session. Anytime you learn, you want something that is beneficial.
If it's not beneficial knowledge, then it's truly a waste of time.
So I'm trying to put it a direction. So what is the real
benefits of knowledge is that knowledge which is going to lead
you to Allah, from where you came.
That's beneficial knowledge. And all of the religious knowledge
started with Allah, and it should end with Allah, it should lead you
to my refer to realization of Allah. And that's where the
Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he said, one of the
pre Islamic poets, in the time of ignorance, he said about one of
them, he said, the most truthful thing that he ever said
was everything other than Allah is false.
And we have in the names of Allah.
Allah tells us in the Quran, when Allah he'll Esma will husana for
the room who behalf Allah has the most beautiful names, so call him
by them. And one of the names of Allah is Allah.
The reality, the truth, so everything other than Allah is
truly false. And when you understand that, then you'll never
get caught up, never get trapped, and other than Allah. And then
once you attach to Allah, you have real knowledge, real ma refer,
then all the practice, all the tasting becomes easy.
So whenever you have difficulty in practicing, and doing things and
being a good person, and being a good Muslim, and seeking knowledge
and being kind to others, no your connection with Allah is cut.
But when you get that connection with Allah, the knowledge Nanus we
can all benefit.
So we got we were tracking this course beginning and end. Now
we're going to talk about what is in the middle. Why knowledge.
Allah subhana wa Taala told us in the Quran, why we were created.
He said one Kolak tool gene naturally insert it allele will
do. I only created
humans and Jin to order them with my worship.
So there's the purpose, and an abbess of life and Ambassador the
Allahu Taala and Houma. He was the cousin of the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam. He said, What is meant by it Lelli Abu Dune, in
larly rueful Euro Lea retune, except to know
to know Allah. That's really why you're creating. That's your
purpose in life. And you should strive solely for that.
Now that's deep, right.
I want you to think of one of the great scholars his name was Ahmed
bin Hammond.
And there is another pious his name was dueling and mystery. May
Allah be pleased with both of them. They said something about
Allah
that I want you to think about because this wherever the screen
is gonna go blank. Whenever you think about Allah,
I want the screen to go blank.
What do I mean the screen to go blank, there is no images, there
is only realization.
The Luenell mystery He said not to say what a tabby Ballack for Allah
who be Philadephia Dalek, whatever you imagined in your mind, Allah
is completely different from that. So you're beginning with with
Allah, your end is with Allah and there is no room for your
imagination in that realm.
It is that is when you have to face the religion, not practice,
not learn by tasting.
It's a big difference.
And that tasting
when you ever get it, really
then you have received all you need in this religion.
When you're no longer in the realm of forms, and words, and images
and imaginations, but you're in the realm of reality.
There's a big difference. And I just want you to
put your direction towards that.
So now we know
Oh, what are beginning? What are ending is? What is the purpose?
We're here for right? Now? How do we fulfill that purpose?
Because we're not here for nothing, so we have something to
do.
So that is why we're going to learn this beneficiary knowledge,
so that we will fit fulfill the purpose of our existence here on
the earth.
Not only that, our existence in every other realm that the sacred
law told us about, that we may not perceive right now with our
senses, right? Because we want to journey someone mentioned the
beginning was in paradise, right?
So that's a journey to get back to a location. But getting back to a
location we said it's not just for the location itself, is a purpose
for getting back to that location.
So there's in between.
Let's take knowledge
to get there.
Allah subhanho wa Taala told us
in the Quran that he commanded the Prophet Muhammad sallallahu alayhi
wa sallam with one thing.
It shows you how important that thing is.
Of all the things to seek an increase of it. Get more
was one thing in the Quran. Allah said, What could Rubby zimny Elma.
And Alice is going to teach you what you to do to get the pure
heart.
And that's what Allah told us the job of the Prophet sallallahu
alayhi wa sallam is going to be he's going to teach us the book,
and he's going to purify us, we're going to learn and then we're
going to become purified.
So we think about this value of knowledge, to learn it, there's
going to be an increase.
Then,
Allah told us in another verse, that the way we're going to have
complete reverence and obedience, and a closeness to him, is through
being knowledgeable people.
Allah subhana wa Allah mentioned in the Quran innama Yaksha. Allah
humming a birdie Hill.
Verily, absolutely, only the ones who really have fear and reverence
really, which is piety, or those who are knowledgeable, learned
people.
So there is a value in the knowledge.
And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam he mentioned in his
statement, he said, tolerable, Elmi free that one could only
Muslim seeking the knowledge of the religion is an obligation on
every Muslim. Our teachers told us, the Hadith seems general,
seeking knowledge because that's how you're transit is an
obligation on every Muslim. Right? But he said, No,
there is a specific knowledge that's met.
And we know it by Allah saying, Allah Cooley Muslim, I mean by the
Prophet SAW, I said, I'm saying I couldn't be Muslim, by being an
obligation, every Muslim because every Muslim doesn't have the
ability to learn everything.
That means there is a certain portion of the knowledge that you
must know.
And they call that knowledge that you need to know immediately in
your current condition, and Monahan, what you need to know and
your current state.
So an important thing about knowledge is not to seek knowledge
that is not necessary for your existence. Now.
That's very important. What am I doing right now? What do I need to
do right now to maintain that connection with Allah?
And that is going to be a priority and knowledge. And let me give you
what you need to know right now. What do you need to know right
now? Especially converts? And even don't think because you convert
that your situation is so much different than a person who have
been Muslim all their life.
And I should tell you, this
is just my belief that the converts are gonna be the ones
that save this religion.
I believe it is the converts that are going to be the ones who save
our day
what do you need? You need three basic knowledge is
the first
First one.
You need the knowledge,
of tenets of faith that will help you know Allah.
You need the knowledge of what you're supposed to believe. That
knowledge will help you know Allah,
the beginning of all this matters. You need to know that what am I
supposed to believe as a Muslim?
Right? That's important.
Because the belief, if it is firm, and it is establish, then you will
make your connection with Allah.
If it is firm, and that's why when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa
sallam, he was asked
which knowledge is the best, the most superior?
And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam? He said an Eman
Shakhter Fie,
belief, faith that has no doubt in it.
And this is a very important aspect of our deen.
You need to have faith that is not shaky.
Faith that is firm.
You ever think of mountains, big mountains?
Do you notice those mountains don't crumble.
But when they run into something that is unshakable itself, has no
doubt in it, even the mountains will come.
That's what Allah told us about the Quran. And if it was revealed
on a mountain, we'll see the mountain
because the Quran barely can keep Taboola radar. It is the book that
has no doubt in it.
And had it been revealed on the mountain. The mountain will
crumble in Preston Sunday.
Your faith needs to be unshakable.
Your faith has to have no doubt and truly, that is the only
believer. And you must say that about yourself. That my belief is
not real belief. Until it is unshakable.
It has no doubt in it. When you say La Ilaha illa Allah.
No one deserves to be worshipped except Allah, everything else goes
away. Only Allah exists.
And everything else in existence as a result of Allah
is very important.
Now,
so you get the faith, that's your first thing you need to learn. The
second thing
you need to learn is how to serve Allah.
And that is going to be the practical application of your
faith.
So you got the knowledge, now you need the practice.
And that is going to be the rules, or the fundament or the rules of
Islamic jurisprudence, which we call him
that in way you're going to learn what is your personal
responsibility to Allah
will be called the bad that acts of worship, like fasting, like
prayer, like Hodge like charity, like purification, because that's
your personal relationship with Allah. And you must take care of
that. And remember, you yourself
must be
trying your best
to be
in the way Allah wants you to be. It means within yourself, you need
to be one.
So even though we want community, we want friends, we want sisters
and brothers and teachers. But the reality is, we have to have a
faith that if everything else was gone, it was just me, I will still
stand on ilaha illAllah.
Because the one who has that they've realized the Quran where
Allah said, Well, who am I? Am I come to him? He's with you,
wherever you may be. You're never alone. You always have Allah.
That's a reality. Imagine you pray, when you pray, everything
goes away except Allah.
Because that's that's the reality. You supposed to pray. You're
supposed to pray. And there is an intimate, intimate conversation
between you and God.
Where no one else intervenes in that.
But doesn't the creation always intervene in our life and every
matter
so every matter throughout the day
We've been disconnected, disconnected, disconnected, just
connected by my job. This isn't connected by my children just to
connected by my friends, just connected by the iPhone, the iPad,
this connection all the time, and the prayers, that connection all
the time. But that prayer needs to be a prayer that's between you and
Allah, not only the prayer, but you're fasting, your charity, your
pilgrimage, even when you purify yourself, that's the connection
between you and Allah.
Then, since we're not on the earth by ourselves, we have to deal with
the creation, right? So we need rules relating on how we deal with
each other muamalat
How we deal with others buying and selling, we marry, we divorce,
people have rights. So we must realize the rights of others, and
how we interact as others not as we'd like, but it's as Allah
commanded.
That's how we do it. So we need rules that relate to that.
And then sometimes, we as human beings, we forget.
So we need to be reminded.
And that's the aspect of the sacred law when it comes in Crimes
and Punishments. When you forget that sacred law is there to remind
you,
why is it reminding you, is it reminding to hurt you, it is
reminding you to remember, you're beginning to help you make it to
your end, which is with Allah.
So that's the jurisprudence. But not only that, because that's
dealing with your outward body, right? That's dealing with the
creatures everything outside. But the human being is not just a
body,
but rather the human being is a body,
a self, a spirit, a soul, and an ultimate secret. So there's other
components of the human being.
What about that inward state?
There's where you're going to need knowledge of how to purify
yourself, what do I mean purify yourself, not by washing with
water? I mean, to adorn yourself with praiseworthy characteristics
and remove from yourself blameworthy ones.
Because when we speak of someone is a bad person.
We're not talking about outward aspects of them. We're not talking
about they did physically to us. We're talking about states inside
usually,
that one is arrogant, that one is mean that one gets angry this one
is you know, stingy, these are qualities in the inside that needs
to be
exchanged for positive qualities. So you may hear the term attesa
wolf or Sufism. The reality of Sufism is that, purifying you so
that you can make it to your improperly removing every
blameworthy characteristic, and acquiring every praiseworthy
characteristic that's that's Sufism. Sufism not dancing,
singing, though you may have these aspects, but that's not the
reality of it. Actually, those are the results of being pure. And
then you're going to be so happy with your Lord.
There's you're going to come in to rejoicing in the favor. Doesn't it
feel good? When you inside you're really happy, but two happy people
do?
Happy people. They move. They rejoice, they that's what happy
people do. Ya saw the videos they were making happy Muslim.
darlin see those videos was all over the internet and happy
Muslims in Sudan, happy Muslims in UK happy Muslims.
Really what is happy
because everybody want to be happy.
Even when they was laying out the Constitution, you have the right
to the pursuit of happiness.
You know what happiness is in Arabic is called a sad as
happiness. But we don't want temporary happiness. We want to
either to
everlasting happiness. And that can only be with Allah because
he's the only one who's everlasting.
And everything it has everlasting. This is because Allah willed for
it to have it in and of itself. Since it has a beginning it can
intellectually have an end. But Allah says he's a necessary
existence, that happiness is always with Allah. And that's why
the reality in Paradise is to get the Ridwan of Allah to get the
pleasure of Allah, that Allah is pleased with you, and you are
pleased with him.
And that's how the Quran describes the soul when it is purified when
It is clean when they removed all those blameworthy attributes and
has praiseworthy attributes. Allah says yeah, I have yet to have
enough soon Multimap inna era de la Rebecca Roddy attend Meridia.
Oh, you tranquil soul.
Content.
You're happy, returned to your Lord
pleased and well pleased, pleasing and well pleased. You're happy
Allah is happy with you.
That's the end result.
That's what we want. So all the Islamic sciences that we learn, we
need to learn them with remembering our beginning now
because they're in between. So why am I learning nakida? Am I learned
Nikita to go argue with someone? No.
I'm learning Aikido I'm learning tenets of faith, so that I can
know my Lord.
What he wants me to have as an inward state. And why I pray? Do I
pray so I can get to Paradise? No, that's the result. And that's the
reward of the prayer. But the reason I pray because I want to
please my Lord. The reason I fast because I want to please my Lord.
Why do I marry?
Do I marry because Oh, he's so handsome. And she's so pretty.
Of course not.
Though that may be a reason, a secondary reason. But real, the
real reason because I want this person to help me to get as rich.
I want a relationship with Allah. And when I forget that, why I have
friends I have friends that's going to help me know Allah. I
want a friend that when I see them, I remember Allah.
I have a friend sitting in the front row. Every time I see him I
remember. I remember happy people every time I see him I look at him
I see happy people.
And you know who real happy people are? Then the idea of Allah? Is it
a righteous servant of Allah? Allah described them in the Quran.
Allah in Alia Allah He left hola como una let him while at home,
you know,
that these righteous people, they have no fear, nor no grief.
That's happiness when you have no fear and no grief. You're never
said and you don't have nothing to worry about.
Imagine being in that state.
No fear, no grief.
And not only that, when you're in that state, Allah fight your
battles for you.
Because you know we always lose our own battles, right in life we
lose all the time. Sometimes we can help and still lose.
But if we are pious people,
we become
righteous servants which we call an Arabic LDF a lot Lee or Walia
and we should be striving for that rank. Why? Because the Prophet
said Allah said notice it goes to Allah talks about many Allah men
addley well Ian for them to who will harm whoever has any enmity
any hostility, any bad feelings to someone as a righteous servant
amount I declare war on them. A lot of fight your dams.
That's why there's no worry about no fear, no grief, Allah is with
me. And we pray and we know Allah we say all the time, Allah hu
Akbar
Villy, Allah Akbar mean cliche and
everything in existence, Allah is greater than that. Why would this?
Now imagine, as a convert, you embrace Islam, and all of your
matters is based on that.
Imagine what you will be like as I believe.
I think it was last week. Time goes fast. For me. I think it was
last week or the week before.
I had a talk that I did in Rutgers Newark, with Malcolm X's tour.
And when we were before we went on the talk in front of the people,
we were in a room by ourselves for a few other people. And she says
something to me because her father was a convert. Right? She said, My
father, he wanted everybody in the world to become a Muslim.
That was his goal.
You know, the Convert uses the one who only experiences that feeling
initially, when you become a Muslim. That great feeling you all
fire
and that your faith is gonna say through the roof. Right.
And I know 37 years later from it's cheaper
It's hard to maintain it.
So you got to take advantage it right now you got it. And that's
why I said you can change the world you can save the religion
because as you get disconnected from that beginning your beginning
of Islam you start to lose sight of what you did it with you why
did you become a Muslim? Why did you do this? Because you get
engaged with so many other things. But I'm challenging you never
forget your beginning and you've never forget your beginning if you
don't forget your end as well. And at both ends of the scale you're
going to have Allah
and never lose that
finally, because I think I'm out of time
okay, let me
I have a lot of things in my mind I want to give to you, but
we don't have let's that will give them any questions. So we got what
we need. We got belief.
We got
practice, as they call right. And then we got
spirituality which is going to lead to Tasty Once you clean your
taste
right? That's the Prophet told us cut their Kahala tell Eman cut
their call, that person has tasted the sweetness. Faith has a Halawa.
It has a sweetness, sweeter than honey sweeter than sugar sweeter
than love.
You connect it to Allah
See,
as a sweetness
one of the great scholars he during Ramadan, he didn't recite
the Quran and the data.
You know, everyone in Ramadan want to do a 30 year for the Quran.
So x and y you don't recite the Quran in the daytimes month of
tilava tongue Quran. He said because when I recite the Quran, I
get a taste of honey in my mouth.
And I'm afraid to break my face.
He said I get the taste of honey in my mouth.
The sister mentioned something and I think we forget about it.
Do anyone remember what the sister right here said her beginning was
the Word of the souls. She said alamin Arwa. That's what I
thought. Right.
That's a real world.
I can tell you a story. I don't have a share. I'll give you an
indication. There was this woman. She was from Korea sang the words
of Iraq, Iran, those in the old days and her husband. And this was
related by Imam Al Hakim, a favorite scholar of Hadith.
He even ate her story. Her name was Rama bent Ebrahim. Women
should. Rama den Ibrahim My name is Rama, the daughter of Ibrahim.
You know, her husband died as a martyr.
So long story, several pages. But the point I want to mention this
story, she was depressed. She was sad. Eight, her husband is gone.
They bring in all these bodies back and no husband. So she went
and fell in sujood and salah.
She went to pray and she fell asleep in sujood.
She had a dream.
Now the dreams of pious people have reality.
And in that dream, she came through several circles and one
was the circles of the martyrs of that battle where her husband
died.
And she came to that circle. And he said this is my wife Rama. Can
I give her some from our food?
I said okay, he gave her some of their food.
And she ate that food in the dream. When she woke up from that
dream out of that prayer, she never was needing food or drink
ever again.
This is from the world of the souls.
Maybe one day you learn the story. And I when I mentioned who
mentioned it, this great Imam called Al Hakim.
He has a famous book called and mustard rock Allah Sufi Hein is a
book which he got the hadith of recording and Muslim that will
have the level of authentic that they didn't mention in their
books. He was a great, great scholar. He related the story, but
it's from Ireland. When she got that taste one
She takes from the Spiritual World, she didn't need the taste
in the physical world.
These are realities, that realities.
Don't disconnect the physical with the spiritual, because one of the
greatest miracles that we know in the physical realm from the
Prophet salallahu Salam is in Israel when they arrived, right.
And we celebrate that and we talk about it. But that ascension, that
Mirage should be in Salah for us every day
that the salah for the believers should be a mirage, up and down
the heavens.
When we taste the religion, that becomes a reality.
Because unfortunately,
the reality of the religion was taken out. So we just have a
shell, a body, a bunch of rules, haram police and no soul.
No so.
And when someone takes out spirituality and religion, they're
taking out the soul of the religion. And we need to put that
soul back in. Because the body without a soul was just a hollow
total object.
When that soul in there comes life, when soul is in your
religion, the Spirit is in you have a life.
And believe me,
that
is the real reality of all your practice of religion. Last thing,
I'm going to end my support.
Okay, we talked about
how we got our start, where's our direction where and what we need
to do to get there. Now, how do you obtain that, and this is very
important, because none of us are born knowledgeable.
Right?
That means we have to learn
the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, he said any number and
move it to alone. knowledge is acquired by an active process of
learning from teachers, student teacher, that that type of
relationship between a teacher and a student is a must.
And our religion, Islam, it is the only religion that is protected by
that relationship of teacher students.
One of the first things that we learn actually the first lesson I
learned with my teachers when I started studying, they put it in
this word. He said to me, tell him to learn Island Mr. De,
he said the word I don't know is half the religion.
So when you come into Islam, empty your cup, please.
The reasons why many times we learn we become Muslim, and we
still don't change. Because when we come our cup is full.
We come into the religion already saying I know something. And you
notice a thing I started when I started. One of the open things I
said
I made a dua
I said Oh Allah, we have no knowledge, except that which you
have told us. We have no knowledge. This was the angel
said.
We have no knowledge except what you have told us.
That's humility.
And that's an attribute of the heart that to say I don't know in
its proper place.
And there's a cure for that, which Allah subhanho wa Taala mentioned
the Quran does Allah and the vicar In Kuntum Letta animal acts the
people of knowledge, if you do not know.
So, this is an important aspect.
Knowledge in and of itself will produce nothing.
In other words, knowledge, without certain things connected to it is
just information that will not transform.
I Imam Al Ghazali, one of the famous scholars of Islam, they
call them Bucha to Islam, the proof of Islam. He always speaks
in his books, a lot of especially in the area about evil scholars,
evil learning people, they have knowledge, but it doesn't benefit.
He called them alumni or Sue bad scholars that they have knowledge
but for knowledge, to transform you need three matters. And we
need beneficial knowledge for that knowledge to be a transformative
knowledge you need three matters. Number one, you need sources and
evidence,
sources and evidences. That means
And from where do we learn knowledge?
Where do we get it from?
And we said beneficiary knowledge and our primary sources for
benefiting beneficiary knowledge in the whole world is Allah Quran
was Sunnah
the Quran as a primary source, the Quran and the Sunnah. Now
they said the one who is traveling away fair to God, to Allah is
never true wayfare until they can find in the Quran, everything they
need.
So if you have to go somewhere else,
and it's not connected to Quran, you know, you're not really
reaching your Lord. Even if you use other things,
even if you use other things, it's so should be in the Quran. My chef
told me one story, I laughed when he told me this. He said
he said,
he told me a story and I'll give this quick. He said,
one shift toward a man he said, Everything you need is in the
Quran, everything. There's nothing you need except that is in the
Quran.
So the man said to him, everything's in the Quran. He
said, Okay, show me how to bake a cake in the Quran.
It's an easy problem.
He grabbed him by the hand, he walked into the bakery.
He went to the bakery said tell me how do you make a cake? He said
you do this you do this? There is he said, I told you to show me in
the Quran. How to bake a cake. You went to the bakery and to the
Baker. He said because the Quran told us first Dicker input.
X the people have knowledge if you don't know, I learned how to bake
a cake from the Quran.
You follow? So you need to know your sources and your proofs. So
he gave him a source to Quran and then he gave him proof a verse of
the Quran how to bake a cake
so second thing
you need a min hatch of how to extract you need a methodology and
how to extract from the Quran and Sunnah. So just having the Quran
and Sunnah is not sufficient. You need to know how to extract
rulings and understandings from the Quran and the Sunnah. That's
very important. And there needs to be a methodology to do that. It's
not a haphazard practice. Right? Because the one who doesn't have a
methodology how to deduce rules from the Quran will come up with
amazing things
amazing things because he's going to use your opinion right? I think
isn't that I think I read the Quran however I think session
really the Quran I think what you think what you think what you
think right?
And look what Imam Ali
ibn Abi taught it. And I'm going to start getting to the end of
this. I'll even though he told us he said some how the Prophet
described it even I've been talking about it a long island. He
said Anna Medina to the end, where Ali Babu Ha, I am the City of
Knowledge. And Ali is his gate. I mean, you shouldn't go in the city
except you go to the gate, right? He said, if religion was by
opinion, I would wipe the bottom of the sock extended instead of
the top. But since religion eight by opinion, I liked the top.
So we just I think, I think I walk on the ground, so I should wipe
the bottom. But the religion said wipe the top.
So I think doesn't solve it. That's one aspect. So you needed a
way to extract. And lastly, very important. You need someone
with the ability and divine gifts from Allah to understand that
this is a reality. Not everyone has the same intellectual
capacity.
We've met among our teachers, some people with minds that will blow
you away.
Just amazing.
That's their capacity.
Everyone is not able to extract rulings. Everyone is not at the
level to be a scholar.
I'll give you an example. One of the things that we have and I'll
start with this,
we have people that say I want you to prove
to me the proof you give me the verse give me a proof.
Tell you
proof
and then once you ask this person, what type of proof do you want?
From where you get the proof? Why is it a proof?
And what is the status of that proof and it confused quickly
it's very important to understand that not everyone has the ability
to understand every level of knowledge and that's what the
Prophet sallallaahu Selim says speak to people according to the
level of their intelligence
and that's important those three things insha Allah will help you
inshallah in the question answers if we get a chance we'll go for
Salah I'd say that Muhammad Ali was Sofia, Germaine
so she I mean is not off the hook yet. He's going to stick around
for a few more minutes to take any questions that the audience might
have. So this is your opportunity raise your hand there's a mic that
will be passed around and inshallah you can ask your
questions and fulfill that that first of the last three points
which is Ask those who know when you don't know
so
anyone
got the microphone
she's where he
says said we begin with a lot and ends with a lot
of the rest of everything so I thought it is like a circle and
come full circle
if you mean by that we started from Allah then we'll return back
to Allah I understand that yes, if you mean by that that our matter
started with Allah and it just goes full circle right back to
Allah if you mean by that yes
if you meant that no need to go into the oven
there is other meanings but you may not intend that Sony to open a
door that you didn't intend
Oh
NBS
starts on Sunday at nine o'clock 10 o'clock
go have
no
have no reading
skills you want to seek knowledge you up and Jesse whether you're
listening to the class
that's all we talked about
or not
give me a packet of
questions
the last knowledge of the seat not did not wipe out everybody welcome
back
they want to
they want to be
lawyers and scholars
we all know
that
you don't
know
what
what?
And Yes
Can I share something with you just comment on what he said
one of my teachers he used to say and I like the tweet this he's no
he's
I know nothing.
He always say I know nothing.
He know more than most people don't always say, I don't know
anything. And I realized something from that. And we should all take
from that, that
I've learned enough enough to know that I don't know anything.
I've learned enough to know, I don't know anything.
You know, and I think
that, yeah, you start to realize that
knowledge is a journey that never stops,
never stops.
And they say, the student, and you should write this as a golden rule
for your forever for you, a student is not a student, until
they learn from those who know more than than those who know,
equal to them, and those who know less than them. So if you ever see
a student say, I don't learn from this one, because I know more.
That's not a real student.
That's not a real student.
I feel that I have a public eye and
I wonder for new corporate speaker, because I feel that it
has to do with every single person in my life, like the right people
have guided me to the right person. To the right, to the right
message to the right, Senator, what can you tell those who are
willing to learn or to study
that they can actually identify the right sources that Trump was
because you might find over 400 papers.
Right. And one of them is one is really good for.
Sorry, I got two ways. It was really in that second, when I
said, knowing how to extract rules, and then having the ability
by excuse me, Write this down. I think they say the way you tie
knowledge is by writing
to each other, we should get in the habit of writing, really, so
you don't lose your stuff. You know, all of us don't have good
memories. And I'm a chef he could sit down and memorize everything
in one session. I'm not a chef.
There's a science in our religion called El isnaad. I spell it al
dash capital is an ad.
This is one of the most important things you can take after all what
I've mentioned,
it's called Al snad.
Which is a chain of transmission.
Our we live our religion Islam is connected by an unbroken
succession of teacher, to teacher to teacher to teacher, back to the
Prophet sallallahu sallam, back to Jibreel back to Allah Who Tabata
Kobata Allah back to the beginning, unbroken, whenever you
want to learn your religion.
Seek from a person who is knowledgeable,
pious, and practicing by pious I mean practicing, that has a chain.
Any teacher of Islamic knowledge,
tradition, true classical knowledge must have a chain.
That means for myself, I can name as Chef yah, yah and every other
teacher, my teacher, to his teacher, to his teacher, to his
teacher, or to the Prophet to Gibreel to Allah.
If that teacher cannot produce that that person is not qualified
to teach, though they may have knowledge, there's a difference
from knowledge and information and trustworthy knowledge and
information.
Right. So, if you just use that scale, you're going to move out a
lot of cracks.
If you use that scale alone, because when you go to the doctor,
one of the first things you're going to look when you in there,
where's his certificate?
Who said that this doctor knows what he's doing? Well, the same
thing in religion.
One of the great scholars Mohamed ebct, he said in the end Dena
funboard, fan guru and mentor, Kaduna, Dena comb. Verily, this
knowledge you're learning is the religion. So look well from whom
you take your religion.
And the other statement, Abdullah bin robotic, he said, and it's now
doing a deen while Allah, it's not in the column and Sha Sha, that
this connection chain of transmission is a part of the
religion. And if it ain't for that, then anyone say about the
religion, whatever they want.
Anytime you find a person that's missing, that you will find more
of their mistakes will be their mistakes will be more than their
correct matters. So look for that. And don't be shy to say to the
teacher, I want to make sure my religion is in a trustworthy chain
transmission of teachers, please tell me your connection to the
Prophet, sal. And that is in every field of learning. So we said I
Qaeda right belief, they should have a chain in belief, they
should had a chain in jurisprudence, they should have a
chain in spirituality, a chain in Hadith, a chain in Quran, a chain
in Arabic language. And if they're missing that, then even if they're
knowledgeable, their knowledge is not trustworthy knowledge. So that
chain my there?
And why is it protection because at every level of the chain, when
you know that people have the chain, you get to see that they
had some consistency in their practice, consistency and
understanding. Because sometimes you will have a person without
that chain. How do you know he's not making something up?
Whereas the checks and balances. So if I make a mistake, right.
And since I'm not born knowledgeable, I had to learn from
someone, right? So maybe you can check with my teacher, or you can
check with his at that you're gonna find that mistake. But if
it's just me, who's to make sure I didn't make a mistake? Right?
That's our religion. Sharla. So that's one way.
got so many questions. Why?
But I'm very interested in
I didn't
want
to
go into social media.
Asking why?
When your MP professors say, have
asked questions
that really deal
with what you were traditionally
learn.
So I was born Catholic, but I don't have.
Questioning sometimes, but I want to make sure.
So a good way to do that. The best way to do that is to go to a
living teacher. Do not learn this stuff from the internet.
Do not learn Islam, from social media, Facebook,
or Twitter, go to a living teacher. Because you need to see
Islam practice.
Right.
One of the great scholars, he was traveling to
visit a teacher here, he was a great teacher. And he went and
when the teacher came out, he spat on the side of the mask on towards
the wall. And that teacher turned around and left. He said, How can
someone be trusted with the knowledge of the sacred law, who's
not careful to observe the courtesies of the law? So you need
a living teacher who practices what they preach. So in that way,
by sitting with a living teacher, many things would be open for you
that you will never get through the computer. So like you have at
mbyc we have Dr. Shetty. These are living teachers who sat with
living teachers, right? And usually the teacher is not even
half of his teacher.
Oh, and as it goes closer to the Prophet, you'll see there was much
more piety, but a living teacher, because you're going to see not
only knowledge, but you'll see practice and you'll see state how
to be a Muslim. That's very important. Right because the
media, unfortunately is not fair to Islam.
We have a question here from the livestream.
And also about those who are not Muslim to
De
Alex is going to talk about that before the break.
We do have a second session for those who are not Muslim, who are
many of us on the brink of becoming Muslim. So Alex will talk
about that before we break, but this question is from Jen, are
Bilal he says how can we learn about the property? Can you give,
give, for example, any recommended reading? How can you learn about
the length of the property?
There are many books that talk about the life of the prophet
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
One good book that I like, and it was a book that I spent years with
my teacher learning is
the Prophetic biography. According to Islamic jurisprudence by Sheikh
Mohammed, Ramadan, Ramadan, and booty is translated in English. It
not what is good about that book, it takes stories from the life of
the prophet, and then Salah Salem, and then gives you principles and
lessons, how to apply it
from a living, great scholar. And there are many other bigger works.
But I would suggest, if you grab anything from this, from what I'm
saying, is, even if you get that book, I studied that book, about
four years with my teacher
for years reading that book with him,
and that we get to really live and see how the Prophet was. And a lot
of times, we learned stuff from just being with the teacher that
we saw in the book. We didn't understand when we watched him, we
saw it come alive. That's very important.
The prophetic biography
according to Islamic jurisprudence, Vica see runnable
we're
jurisprudence of the prophetic primate, Nancy Roberts is the
translator
and see Roberts.
Translated you didn't see on the practice.
Yeah, sure. But I would suggest, can we revive this? Can we make it
get a hand commitment? Raise the pen? Please raise your hands, say
yes.
Don't worry, trust Beijing.
Just raise your hand, say I'm committed.
Right? You know, and you don't trust me now
that we're going to revive traditional learning. Raise your
hand.
Traditional line is no book without a teacher.
That means I'm not going to live off Amazon in the bookstore. If I
got a book, I'm going to read that book with a teacher.
Can we get a commitment?
Surely you got a lot of fans you can start reading some books have
you know, really,
really am making a habit
that I read on my own I read a lot. But even if I read on my own,
I don't start to I'm going to somebody and let's What about
this? What about this, read these books, and then you'll make
sessions of knowledge. All of our books that we learn, we learned
them with teachers.
And that's an effort so it's going to be a commitment from the
student and coming from a teacher, but you're going to be vibed
Islamic sciences.
You're going to revive your hands and you get a great reward in sha
Allah
Okay, the title is jurisprudence of the prophetic by biography.
And is this in UK
this one this new the new version, the new version, masha Allah my
teacher, and myself and another brother we spent two years
correcting the translation and fixing it. So the new version two
Yes.
You were talking about
any medicine.
It was written by a Imams called Al Hakim al Das Kapital H A bar
under the AKI M and his book on history.
I have a question. I'm apologize. This is a little touchy subject.
When you say about knowledge and getting it from the correct person
and having a live person help teach you. We know that there are
people who call themselves Muslims in the world that are not
practicing Islam. And they have scholars that are teaching them
scholars, how do we combat that? How do we
To
change this, because that's the problem that's going on. And
if you notice,
I'm I love open discussions. No, you know how you solve that by
reviving traditional Islamic Studies? Because if you have a
teacher who's a bad scholar, right? And they do exist, mmm,
because he mentioned them, he's going to be identified within that
circle. You follow? Like?
I know, that's why we got to play a role, Hamza Yusuf, he said
something at Yale. I loved that when he said,
the accent, where is God? Or is God dead? Right? And he said, I
reversed that question. I asked, Where are the people of God?
As serious? What are we doing?
If we revive the tradition of Islamic Studies, the pretender
will be wiped out. It's only because we're not doing enough
that the pretender is able to continue. I mean, evil is going to
exist in the world, but you have a role in forbidding evil. And part
of that is rising to tradition, because you know what they have a
saying, they said, fucking do Shangela you t, the one who
doesn't have a thing can't give it.
So whenever you see,
like ISIS, or al Qaeda, right? When you look at their teachers,
they don't have this chain of narration. They're cut off,
they're broke. But how are you going to know that except that you
have teachers with a connected chain that can identify them?
That's very important. So I think the revival of traditional Islamic
studies
with teachers with reliable books that have the books have changed
too. If you connect this whole system, you solve the problem, it
still work, but you can solve that problem. Because I tell you,
whenever you have a teacher who is not qualified, when they sit in
front of a teacher that's qualified, they will just like
this.
Seriously, it will stop but you need qualified teachers. The was
Thank you for watching. Follow us online at Safina society.org and
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A
knee all week