Ramadan is the month of Quran. Many start the month off
with lofty Quran reading and memorization goals, and many
hit what they intended DURING Ramadan.

Maintaining consistency after Ramadan, however, is an
entirely different story.

The Shaytans are out and about, daily routines start
obstructing us once again.  And the Quran, “respectfully”
returns to our shelves. Sure we feel guilty, but guilt is
not the greatest of motivators.

You need tried and proven routes to capture your
post-Ramadan Quran reading and memorization and review
goals.

Here is my favorite:
Re-memorize Quran you have trouble remembering, and recite
it every Salah chance you get for the entire day.

Step 1: Lets say you have 1 Juz’ memorized (equivalent of
about 20 pages).
Step 2: Take 1/2 a page of those 20 pages
and RE-memorize it today.
Step 3: Recite that 1 page in your prayers all day long.

There are certain Surahs that you know like the back of
your hand, like Surat AlFatiha, Qul Huwal Allahu Ahad, for
instance. Why do you know them so well? Cause you read
them, like, ALL THE TIME in Salah.

If you use this technique I’m talking about here, these new
Quran pages can become just as strong, in sha Allah.

With best wishes to see you succeed at the highest level!
- Muhammad Alshareef

Translated and compiled by abouttajweed.com staff

Many Muslims know that seeking knowledge is encouraged in Islam, but few
know what is necessary as far as intention, deeds, and manners when
seeking knowledge.

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, said, ìI heard the Messenger of
Allah, , say, ìThe world is cursed, that which is in it is cursed, except thikr
Allah (remembering Allah) and what follows it, or a learned person, or a
student.  Related by Ibn Maajah.

1
In another saying related by Ad-Daarimi, Kaíb said, ìThe world is cursed and
that which is in it is cursed except a teacher of khair and a student of it.î

The Messenger of Allah also said, “Who takes the path hoping for knowledge,
Allah makes easy for him the path to Paradise. Verily, the angels lower their
wings for the seeker of knowledge out of pleasure of what he is doing.  Verily
all in the heavens and earth seek forgiveness for the knowledgeable, even the
fish in the water.  The excellence of the knowledgeable over the servant is like
the excellence of the moon on the night of the full moon over all the planets.
Verily, the learned are the heirs of the Prophets, the Prophets do not leave
dinar or dirham, but they are inherited in knowledge, and he who takes it takes
a great bounty.”  Abu Dawood, Ibn Maajah, and Ibn Habbaan. 2

1
Hadeeth hasan, Saheeh Ibn Maajah, Sheikh Albani 3320, and the hadeeth is:
“ملسو هيلع اللها ىلص اللها لوسر تعمس لوقي وه  امو اللها رآذ لاإ اهيف ام نوعلم ةنوعلم ايندلا املعتم وأ املاع وأ هلااو”
.
2
Hadeeth Saheeh, Saheeh Abee Dawood, Sheikh Albani 3096, and the hadeeth is:
“قرط نم ًاقيرط هب اللها كلس ،ًاملع هيف بلطي ًاقيرط كلس نم  رفغتسيل ملاعلا نإو ،ملعلا بلاطل اضر اهتحنجأ عضتل ةكئلاملا نإو ،ةنجلا
يف نم هل لضفآ دباعلا ىلع ملاعلا لضف نإو ،ءاملا فوج يف ناتيحلاو ،ضرلأا يف نمو تاوامسلا ىلع ردبلا ةليل رمقلا رئاس
مل ءايبنلأا نإو ،ءايبنلأا ةثرو ءاملعلا نإو ،بآاوكلا رفاو ظحب ذخأ هذخأ نمف ملعلا اوثرو ،ًامهرد لاو ًارانيد اوثروي”
2
Purity of Intention
The first thing needed by the seeker of knowledge is to realize that seeking
knowledge is worship (‘ibaadah).  Some scholars said, “Knowledge is secret
prayer and worship of the heart.” 3  The condition of worship is: Purity of
Intention for Allah, the Exalted as demonstrated in the aayah:

A translation of the explanation of the meaning is:
And they were not ordered but to worship Allah, keeping religion pure for Him.
Al-Bayyinah 5

The necessity of purity of intention is also demonstrated in the agreed upon
hadeeth related by Amir of the believers, ‘Umar bin Khattab, may Allah be
pleased with him, that the Prophet, , said “Verily, the deeds are by their
intentions and for every one is what they intended.  So he who made hijarah
[migration] for Allah and His Messenger, then his migration is for Allah and His
Messenger; but he who made hijarah for the worldly gain or to marry a
woman, then his migration is for that which he migrated to. “
If purity of intention in seeking knowledge is lost, it is changed from of the best
of ways of obeying to the worst of violations.  Nothing destroys knowledge like
showing off, shirk, or showing off purity of intention exemplified in the listener
saying, “I learned and memorized.”   The student therefore, needs to purify
himself from all that ruins good intentions such as: Showing off, wanting to
exceed over others, using the seeking of knowledge as a tool for another
intention such as position, money, greatness, or famousness, etc.
A well known saying of Sufyaan bin Sa’eed Ath-Thawree is, “Nothing was
harder for me to treat than my intention.”
There are many tools to help us achieve purity of intention.  Some are:
1. Striving within the self and patience with the self.
2. Compulsion in taqwaa of Allah.  In surah At-Talaaq, aayah 3-4

3
Al-Majmoo’ah Al-’Ilmiyyah, Bakr Abdillah Abu Zayd, Dar Al-’Aasimah, Riyadh, p. 141.
3
[a translation of the explanation of the meaning] Allah says: ((and he
who fears Allah, Allah will find a way out, and will provide for him from
where he did not expect)).  In an agreed upon hadeeth, the Prophet,
, was asked, “O Messenger of Allah, who is the most honored of
people?”  He said, “The one with the most taqwaa.”  He also said, ,
“The most that gets people in to Paradise: Taqwaa of Allah and good
manners.”  At-Tirmithi
3. Bringing to conscience the greatness of the Creator and that knowing
He is watching at all times.  This is one of the levels of ihsaan:
worshipping Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees
you.
4. Being vigilant in getting reward from Allah and increasing good deeds.
5. Increasing dua’ and beseeching Allah, requesting that He grant you
purity in intention.
6. Increasing worship that is not seen by anyone such as extra fasting,
praying at night.
7. Avoid seeking praise so that you do not start to trying please only
mankind.  In a long hadeeth related in Muslim, the Prophet, ,
informed us that the first to be used as fuel for the Hell fire on the Day
of Resurrection are the reciter of the Qur’an, the mujaahid, and the
giver of charity; those that did those deeds so that it would be said: “So
and so is a reciter; so and so is courageous, so and so is generous, so
and so gives charity.”  May Allah protect us all from the Hell-Fire and
give us all purity of intention.
8. Reading about the righteous scholars and learning about their affairs
so as to be informed about them, and use them as an example.  Our
righteous predecessors were very strong in their fear of Allah and in
obedience of Him, and studying their lives affects us and increases our
drive to good righteous deeds.
9. Taking the self to account and blaming it for shortcomings in obedience
and worship of Allah helps greatly in perfecting our intentions.  ‘Umar
bin Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “Account yourselves
4
before you are taken to account, measure before you are measured,
and beautify for the Greatest Presentation on the day nothing will be
hidden.”
10. Accomplishment is from Allah to His servant and His desire for him
khair (goodness).  Whom Allah desires goodness, He makes him
understand religion.4  Mu’amar bin Raashid said, “Verily a man seeks
knowledge, but knowledge is refused to him until it is for Allah.” 5
Signs of Purity of Intention
• Striving and firmness in obtaining knowledge with caution taken
to understand, memorize, and not be deficient in the chosen
curriculum.
• If a student enrolls in a course of knowledge, absences and
tardiness are not seen from him.
• His worry is not just to be shown in front of his friends and to
exceed them; instead he wishes for them what he wishes for
himself.

How to Learn and Master
A famous saying of scholars is ” “     لوُصُولا َمرُح لوُصُلأا نقْتُي مَل نَم which means,
“He who does not master the basics is forbidden from achieving.” 6
It is necessary then for establishment and foundation of every technique or
knowledge sought that there be perfection its basics and its summary at the
hands of a mastered sheikh, not by self study alone, and knowledge should
be taken in steps.  Just as Allah, the Exalted, said:

4
A reference to the hadeeth: نيّدلا”  “ا ديري نَميف ههقفي ريخ هب الله  Meaning: ìWho Allah desires for him good, he
makes him understand the religion.  Saheeh Bukhari and SaheehMuslim.
5
Aadaab Al-Muta’allimeen, Dr. Ahmed Abdullah Al-Baatilee, Dar Al-Qaasim, Riyadh
6
Quote from Tathkirah As-Saami’ wa al-Mutakallim, in the book: Al-Majmoo’ah Al-’Ilmiyyah, Bakr bin
Abdillah, Abu Zayd, Dar Al-’Aasimah, Riyadh, p. 154.
5
((And [it is] the Qur’an, We divided that you may recite it unto mankind at
intervals, and We revealed it by [successive] revelation.)) Al-Israa’ 106
Learning the Qur’an
The best of knowledge is the knowledge of the Qur’an.  The Messenger of
Allah, , said, “The best of you are the students of the Qur’an and the
teachers of it.” Bukhari
The recitation of the Qur’an should have an affect on the student as they
recite the words of their Creator.  The student of the Qur’an is affected by
knowing their Creator, increasing their taqwaa, increasing their memory
function, and in saying the best of words in the most fluent way.  This is, of
course for those that perfect the articulation points and know the proper stops
and starts.
Al-Imam Ash-Shafi’ee, may Allah be merciful to him, said, “Who learned the
Qur’an was magnified in value; who wrote al-hadeeth, his argument was
strengthened; who studied fiqh, his position was honored; who studied the
language improved his speech; and who studied [sharee'ah] accounting will
have a judicious opinion.
Teaching Qur’an from childhood was the way of our predecessors, may Allah
be merciful to them.  Abdulrahman bin Abee Haatim Ar-Raazee said, “My
father didn’t call me to work on hadeeths until I recited the Qur’an to Al-Fadhl
bin Shaathaan Ar-Raazee. 7
The learning of the Qur’an was not just for males.  The scholars of Islam
would teach their daughters Qur’an when young as well as giving them a
proper Islamic upbringing.  Imam Muhammed Al-Jazaree, the famous scholar
of recitation, wrote about his daughter Salma in the preface to his book,
“Ghaayatu-n-Nihaayah fee Tabaqaat al-Qurraa’”, and said “My daughter, may
Allah, the Exalted, make her useful and assist her in that which good for her
religion and other, memorized the Qur’an in the year 813 Al-Hijara, and she
memorized Al-Muqaddimah At-Tajweed [known as al-Jazariyyah] and the one

7
Aadaab Al-Muta’allimeen, Dr. Ahmed Abdullah Al-Baatilee, Dar Al-Qaasim, Riyadh, p. 27.
6
thousand of the ten qira’aat.  May Allah make her happy and make easy for
her goodness in this world and the Hereafter.”8
Manners with the Qurían
One: Seeking Refuge
Seeking refuge with Allah from the rejected Satan before reading the Qurían,
following Allahís saying:

The translation of the explanation of the meaning is:  ëAnd when you recite the
Qurían, seek refuge with Allah from the rejected Satan.í An-Nahl 98.
The way to seek refuge is by saying: “   ميِج َّرلا ِناَطْي َّشلا َنِم ِاللهاِب ُذوُعَأ”  ëAíoothu
billahi minash shaytaanir rajeem.
Some of the righteous predecessors would say:
“  ميِج َّرلا ِناَطْي َّشلا َنِم ِميِلَعْلا ِعيِم َّسلا ِاللهاِب ُذوُعَأ”
An-Nawawi said, ìThere is no harm in this, but the first one is the best choice.î

Two: The Basmalah
Saying the basmalah at the beginning of every surah, except surah At-
Tawbah, also known as Baraaíah.  The basmalah is not allowed before this
surah.

Three: Tahaarah
It is preferred that the Muslim be in the state of ìtahaarahî or purity, especially
when touching the Qurían with his hands directly, as shown in the generality
of the aayah:

The explanation of the translation of the meaning is: ëNone touch it except the
purified.í  Al-Waaqiíah 79.
Four: Pondering meaning
The Qurían should be read with devoutness and reverence while pondering
the meaning.  Allah, the Exalted, says:

8
Ibid, p. 29.
7

Which may be explained in meaning as: ëDo they not ponder [reflect upon] the
Qurían?í An-Nisaaí 82, Mohammed 24.

Five: Repeating aayaat
An assistance in pondering is repeating some aayaat and stopping on them to
pay close attention to its meaning, just as the Messenger of Allah, , when
he stood repeating one aayah until morning: and it was:

The interpretation of the translated meaning is: ëIf You punish them for they
are Your servants, and if You forgive them, for You are the All in Might, the All
Wiseí[Al-Maaíidah 118],. 9

Six: Reacting with Qurían
If an aayah praising Allah is read, one should stop and praise Him, Glorified
be He, by saying ìSubhaanalllahî, or ìTabaarak Allahî or other phrases of
praise.  The evidence for this is a hadeeth related by Muslim, that Huthayfah
bin Al-Yamaan, may Allah be please with him said, ìI prayed with the Prophet,
, that night and he started with Al-Baqarah and I said [to myself], ëHe will
make rukooí [bow] at 100 aayahí, but then he continued.  I said [to myself],
ëHe will pray with it [Al-Baqarah] for one rakaíhí, but he continuedí.  He then
started An-Nisaaí and read it [all], and I said, ëHe will make rukooí with ití
[when he finishes].  Then he started Aali ëImraan and he read it slowly ; and
when he passed an aayah that has glorification in it, he glorified, and if he
passed [one having] a question, he asked, and if he passed [one] seeking
refuge, he sought.î

Seven: Recite with Tarteel

9
Related by An-NisaaíI and Ibn Maajah, rated hasan by Sheikh Albani, Saheeh ibn Maajah 1110.
8
It is incumbent upon us that we recite the Qurían with tarteel, meaning reciting
slowly with tajweed, proper articulation points, and proper stops and starts.
Allah said:

The interpretation of the meaning is: ëAnd recite the Qurían with measured
recitation [tarteel].í Al-Muzzammil 4.
The scholars state that tarteel is preferred for pondering because it has the
strongest affect on the heart.  Ibn ëAbbaas, may Allah be pleased with him,
said, ìThat I read a surah with tarteel is more loved to me than reading the
complete Qurían.î
The reciter of the Qurían should take caution against reading too quickly or
making his goal completing a khatm [reading the complete Qurían from the
beginning to the end] quickly, or finishing a surah quickly without pondering
the meaning and without being affected by its lessons.

Eight: Respect Qurían
It is of the utmost importance that there is respect of the Qurían by all readers
of the Qurían.  Talk should be avoided while reciting the Qurían, as well as
laughter and playing around.  Allah, the Exalted, said:

This aayah can be explained in meaning as: ëSo when the Qurían is recited,
then listen to it and pay attention so that you may receive mercy. Al-Aíaraaf
204.
Ibn ëUmar, may Allah be pleased with him, would not talk until he finished
what he intended to read from the Quíran. 10

In conclusion:  All Muslim males and females should want Allahís reward in
reciting the Qurían.  We should feel the meaning of purity of intention, and
take care to get the great reward when we recite every glorious aayah.  With

10
Aadaab Al-Mutaíallimeen, p. 31
9
every letter we recite we get a good deed [recorded], and each good deed is
as ten times of it likeness, up to 700 times. 11
The effect of the Quíran should show itself on us in our speech, our actions,
and our manners, exemplified in what bin Masíood, may Allah be pleased with
him, said, ìIt is desired that the reciter of the Qurían know his nights  [getting
up for recitation at night] when people are sleeping; and his days when people
are awake, and by his crying when people laugh; and by his silence when
people are in vain discourse. ì

Manners with the teacher

It is incumbent on the student of the Qur’an to respect and honor their
teacher.  In a hadeeth related by At-Tirmithi, the Messenger of Allah, ,
said, “He is not of us who does not respect our elderly, is merciful to our
youth, and knows the rights of our those who teach us.”

Our righteous predecessors used to greatly emphasize respect and kindness
to their shuyookh (plural of sheikh).  A famous saying from many of the
righteous predecessors is: “I am a slave to he who taught me a letter.”
The student of knowledge should have awe for his/her teacher and should
respect him.  Rabee’ bin Sulaymaan was the companion and student of the
famous scholar, Ash-Shaafee’i and he [Sulaymaan] said, “By Allah, I was not
so bold as to drink water when Ash-Shaafee’i was looking at me, out of awe of
him.”  Ash-Shaafee’i himself showed great awe of scholars and he said of
himself, “I would turn the pages very gently in front of Imaam Maalik, out of
awe of him, so that he would not hear it.”  [Aadaab al-Muta'aalimeen, Dr.
Ahmed Abdullah Al-Baatilee, Dar Al-Qaasim, Riyadh, 1418].

11
Reference to the hadeeth:

افرح  أرق نم ملسو هيلع اللها ىلص اللها لوسر لاق نم فلأ نكلو فرح ملا  لوقأ لا اهلاثمأ رشعب ةنسحلاو ةنسح هب هلف اللها باتآ   فرح
فرح  ميمو  فرح ملاو
Sheikh Albani graded it as saheeh in Saheeh At-Tirmidhi, 2327.
10
The student of knowledge should not address his teacher or sheikh by their
first name, calling them, ya sheikh, or teacher, instead they should call them
by saying, my sheikh, my teacher, or our sheikh, our teacher.  The teachers
shouldn’t be called from a distance except in a compelled situation.  The
teachers should not be addressed with the ta’ al-khataab (you singular).
Allah, the Exalted in the Qur’an, pointed out the manners with those teaching
us khair when He said in surah An-Noor aayah 63:

((Do not make the calling of the messenger among you as your calling one of
another.))

It would not be proper to call your parents by their first names, and in the
same respect teachers of good should not be addressed by their first names.
The following is advice that Amir Al-Mu’mineen Ali bin Abee Taalib, may Allah
be pleased with him, gave: “From the rights of the learned over you is that you
do not ask too many questions, you do not divulge his secrets, you do not
backbite about him to anyone, you do not look for error in him, if he made a
mistake you accept his excuse.  It is incumbent upon you to respect and
magnify him as long as he keeps Allah’s orders; you should not sit in front of
him; if he has a need the people should race to serve him.” Related by Ibn
Abdulbarr, 12  with the addition that “ÖYou should not point to him [teacher]
with your hands; you should not say, ‘So and so said something different than
what you said’Ö..”

May Allah make us the best of students and the best of teachers.  May Allah
purify our intentions and make all we do for Him alone. May Allah grant that
we will be “ahlu-l-Qur’an” or the family of the Qur’an (those that read it, study
and apply it) those who are Allah’s people and special ones.  13

12
Aadaab Al-Muta’alimeen, Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Baatlee, Dar Al-Qaasim, Riyadh, p. 45
13
Reference to the hadeeth:
لوسر لاق اللهالوسر اي اولاق سانلا نم نيلهأ الله  نإ ملسو هيلع  اللها ىلص هتصاخو  اللها لهأ نآرقلا لهأ  مه لاق مه نم  اللها
Meaning:The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah upon him, said, ìVerily Allah has people from
mankind.î  They said, ìO Messenger of Allah, who are they?î  He said, ìThey are those of the Qurían [who read it
often], they are the people of Allah and His special onesî
Related by Ibn Maajah, and graded as Saheeh by Sheikh Albani in ìSaheeh Ibn Maajahî.
11
References:
1. Aadaab Al-Mutaíllimeen, Dr. Ahmed bin Abdullah Al-Baatilee, Dar Al-Qaasim, Riyadh,
1417 Al-Hijara.
2. Al-Majmoo’ah Al-’Ilmiyyah, Bakr bin Abdillah, Abu Zayd, Dar Al-’Aasimah, Riyadh,
1416, Al-Hijara.
3. http://www.albani.org/Arabic/hadeeth/hadeeth.htm ,
http://www.dorar.net/htmls/malbani.asp .
4. http://hadith.al-eman.com/

We do not think that the Muslims should be so sensitive with regard to issues that are the matter of scholarly differences or make them the cause of division and fitnah among the Muslims.

Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said, when speaking about the matter of one who prays ten rak’ahs with the imam, then sits down and waits for Witr and does not complete the Taraaweeh prayers with the imam:

It grieves us deeply that we find in the Muslim ummah a group which differs concerning matters in which differences of opinion are acceptable, and they take these differences as a means to cause division. Differences within the ummah existed at the time of the Sahaabah, yet they remained united. The youth in particular and to all those who are committed to Islam must remain united, because they have enemies who are laying in wait.

Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 4/225

Two groups have gone to extremes with regard to this matter. The first group denounced everyone who prays more than eleven rak’ahs and said that doing so was bid’ah. The second group denounced those who do only eleven rak’ahs and said that they are going against scholarly consensus (ijmaa’).

Let us listen to what Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Here we say that we should not go to extremes or be negligent. Some people go to extremes in adhering to the number mentioned in the Sunnah, and say that it is not permissible to do more than the number mentioned in the Sunnah, and they aggressively denounce those who do more than that, saying that they are sinners.

This is undoubtedly wrong. How can they be sinners, when the Prophet SAWS (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), upon being asked about night prayers, said that they are to be done two by two, and he did not specify any particular number? Of course  the one who asked him about the night prayer did not know the number, because if he did not know how to do it, it is even more likely that he did not know the number. And he was not one of those who served the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) so that we might say that he knew what happened inside his house. Since the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told him how to do it but did not say how many times, it may be understood that the matter is broad in scope, and that a person may pray one hundred rak’ahs then pray Witr with one rak’ah.

With regard to the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), “Pray as you have seen me praying”, this does not apply in absolute terms even for these people. Hence they do not say that a person should pray Witr with five rak’ahs sometimes and with seven rak’ahs sometimes and with nine rak’ahs sometimes. If we understand it in absolute terms, then we would have to pray Witr with five rak’ahs sometimes and with seven rak’ahs sometimes and with nine rak’ahs sometimes. But what is meant by the hadeeth is pray as you have seen me praying with regard to how to pray not how many rak’ahs, unless there is a text to state what the number is.

Whatever the case, a person should not be strict with people with regard to a matter that is broad in scope. We have even seen some brothers who are strict on this matter accusing the imams who pray more than eleven rak’ahs of following bid’ah, and they leave the mosque, thus missing out on the reward of which the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever stands with the imam until he finishes (the prayer), the reward of qiyaam al-layl will be recorded for him.” (Narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 806; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh al-Tirmidhi, 646). Some of them even sit down after completing ten rak’ahs, thus breaking up the rows of worshippers by sitting there, and sometimes they start talking and disturb the people who are praying.

We have no doubt that their intentions are good and they are doing their best to come to the right conclusion, but that does not mean that they are correct.

The other group does the opposite. They sternly denounce those who pray only eleven rak’ahs and say that they have gone against scholarly consensus. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammad) after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and follows other than the believers’ way, We shall keep him in the path he has chosen, and burn him in Hell — what an evil destination!”

[al-Nisa’ 4:115]

All the generations who came before you only knew the number as twenty-three rak’ahs, and they denounce anyone who says anything different.

Al-Sharh al-Mumti’, 4/73-75

With regard to the evidence quoted by those who say that it is not permissible to do more than eight rak’ahs in Taraaweeh, they quote the hadeeth of Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan, who asked ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her), “How did the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) pray during Ramadaan?” She said: “He did not pray more than eleven rak’ahs in Ramadaan or at other times. He would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful and long they were, then he would pray four, and do not ask how beautiful and long they were, then he would pray three. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allaah, will you sleep before you pray Witr?’ He said, ‘O ‘Aa’ishah, my eyes sleep but my heart does not.’”

Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 1909; Muslim, 738

They said: This hadeeth indicates that the Messenger of Allaah was consistent in his prayers at night in Ramadaan and at other times.

The scholars refuted this use of the hadeeth as evidence by saying that this is what the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) did, but the fact that he did something does not imply that it is obligatory.

The evidence that there is no set number for prayers at night – which include Taraaweeh – is the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Umar according to which a man asked the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) about prayer at night. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Prayers at night are to be offered two by two (two rak’ahs at a time). If any of you fears that the time of dawn is approaching then let him pray one rak’ah as Witr.”

(Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 846; Muslim, 749)

If we look at what the scholars of the prominent schools of thought said, you will clearly see that this matter is broad in scope and that there is nothing wrong with doing more than eleven rak’ahs.

Al-Sarkhasi, who is one of the imams of the Hanafi school, said:

It is twenty rak’ahs, apart from Witr, in our view.

Al-Mabsoot, 2/145

Ibn Qudaamah said:

The favoured view according to Abu ‘Abd-Allaah (i.e., Imam Ahmad, may Allaah have mercy on him), is that it is twenty rak’ahs. This was the view of al-Thawri, Abu Hanfeefah and al-Shaafa’i. Maalik said it is thirty-six.

Al-Mughni, 1/457

Al-Nawawi said:

Taraaweeh prayer is Sunnah according to scholarly consensus. Our view is that it is twenty rak’ahs with ten tasleems, and it is permissible to pray it individually or in congregation.

Al-Majmoo’, 4/31

These are the views of the four imams concerning the number of rak’ahs of Taraaweeh prayer. All of them said something more than eleven rak’ahs. Perhaps the reasons why they said something more than eleven rak’ahs include the following:

1-     They thought that the hadeeth of ‘Aa’ishah did not mean that this was the specific number.

2-     A greater number was narrated from many of the salaf.

See al-Mughni, 2/604; al-Majmoo’, 4/32

3-     The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to pray eleven rak’ahs and make them very lengthy, so much so that it used to take him most of the night. Indeed, one night in which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) led his companions in praying Taraaweeh, he did not end his prayer until just before dawn, and the Sahaabah feared that they would miss suhoor. The Sahaabah (may Allaah be pleased with them) loved to pray behind the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) and they did not feel that it was too long. The scholars thought that if the imam made the prayer so long, this would be too difficult for the members of the congregation and that might put them off. So they thought that the imam should make the recitation shorter and increase the number of rak’ahs.

The point is that the one who prays eleven rak’ahs in the manner narrated from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) is doing well and is following the Sunnah. Whoever makes the recitation shorter and increases the number of rak’ahs is also doing well. A person who does either of these two things is not to be denounced. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

If a person prays Taraaweeh according to the madhhabs of Abu Haneefah, al-Shaafa’i and Ahmad, with twenty rak’ahs, or according to the madhhab of Maalik, with thirty-six rak’ahs, or with thirteen or eleven rak’ahs, he has done well, as Imam Ahmad said, because there is nothing to specify the number. So the greater or lesser number of rak’ahs depends on how long or short the qiyaam (standing in the prayer) is.

Al-Ikhtiyaaraat, p. 64

Al-Suyooti said:

What is narrated in the saheeh and hasan ahaadeeth is the command to observe night prayers during Ramadaan, which is encouraged without specifying a particular number. It is not proven that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed twenty rak’ahs of Taraaweeh, rather that he prayed at night, with an unspecified number of rak’ahs. Then he delayed it on the fourth night lest it become obligatory for them and they might not be able to do it. Ibn Hajar al-Haythami said: There is no saheeh report that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) prayed twenty rak’ahs of Taraaweeh. The narration which suggests that he “used to pray twenty rak’ahs” is extremely weak (da’eef).

Al-Mawsoo’ah al-Fiqhiyyah, 27/142-145

So you should not be surprised that people pray Taraaweeh as twenty rak’ahs. There have been generation after generation of those imams (who used to pray twenty rak’ahs), and all of them are good.

And Allaah knows best.

http://islamqa.com/en/ref/9036/how%20many%20rakats

The words of Imam al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) – “Seeking Laylat al-Qadr among the odd numbered nights of the last ten nights (of Ramadaan)” – indicate that it is most likely that Laylat al-Qadar cannot be in any month other than Ramadaan, and is in the last ten nights thereof, and is one of the odd-numbered nights, but not on any particular night. This is what is indicated by a number of the reports that have been narrated concerning it.

Fath al-Baari, 4/260.

And he said:

The scholars said: The reason why Laylat al-Qadar has been concealed is so that people will strive to seek it, because if its timing was known, they would limit their efforts to that night only, as we have explained previously about the time on Friday (when du’aa’s are answered).

Fath al-Baari, 4/266.

“The reason why it (Layla tul Qadr) is hidden is to encourage the Muslim to strive hard in worship and du’aa’ and dhikr during all the last ten nights of Ramadaan. This is the same reason why the time when du’aa’ is answered on Friday has not been defined, and why the ninety-names of Allaah have not been defined, concerning which the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Whoever learns them by heart will enter Paradise.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 2736; Muslim, 2677.” Salih Al Munajjid

taken from – http://islamqa.com/en/ref/50693

Posted in Ibn Hajr ]]> http://ilmstudent.wordpress.com/2008/09/25/layla-tul-qadr-by-ibn-hajr-al-asqalani/feed/ 0 ayunas http://ilmstudent.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/the-5-categories-of-people-who-pray-by-ibn-al-qayyim/ http://ilmstudent.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/the-5-categories-of-people-who-pray-by-ibn-al-qayyim/#comments Fri, 05 Sep 2008 18:35:43 +0000 ayunas http://ilmstudent.wordpress.com/?p=56 ]]>

	Author: Al Imaam Ibn Qayyim al Jawzeeyah Reference: Al Waabil as Saayib: Vol. 1 P. 138
	The first: The category of the oppressor to himself, the negligent one, one who is deficient in performing ablution for it, negligent with its appointed time periods, its boundaries and its pillars. The second: One who preserves it appointed time periods, its boundaries, its outward pillars and ablution for it. However, he forsakes striving against his own self from whisperings and thinking to himself, and so is preoccupied with whisperings and thoughts.The third: One who preserves its appointed time periods, its pillars as well as strives against himself in repelling whisperings and distracting thoughts that overcome him, he is busy in striving against his enemy in order to prevent him from stealing his prayer, he is in prayer as well as Jihaad. The fourth: One whom when he stands for prayer perfects its rights, its pillars and its boundaries. His heart is occupied with preserving its boundaries and preventing anything of it being lost, rather all his attention is directed to performing it as it should be, in its most complete and perfect form, his heart is occupied with the prayer and worshiping his Lord the Elevated with it. The fifth: One who performs the prayer like the previous person, but in addition to this, he has taken his heart and presented it to his Lord. He looks at his Lord with his heart, fully concerned with Him, in utmost obedience out of love and reverence for Him, it is as if he sees and witnesses his Lord. All distracting thoughts and whisperings fade away and the veil between him and his Lord is removed. The difference between this person in his prayer and others, is greater and better than all that is between the heavens and earth, he is fully occupied and overjoyed with his Lord in his prayer. The first category is punished, the second is held accountable, the third is pardoned, the fourth is rewarded and the fifth is brought close to his Lord, because he gains a portion of what made the prayer a delight to him. For whoever is delighted with his prayer in the life of this world, will be delighted by being close to his Lord in the afterlife as well as being delighted with his Lord in this life, and whoever is delighted with Allaah, everything would be delighted with him, and whoever is not delighted with Allaah the Elevated, his soul will be torn apart for the life of this world in loss. It is narrated that when a servant stands for prayer, Allaah the Glorified says; “Remove the veil.”, and if the servant turns away He says: “Replace it.” This ‘turning away’ has been explained as the turning of the heart away from Allaah the Mighty to other than Him. So if he turns away, the veil is replaced between him and his Lord and Shaytaan enters and presents worldly affairs to him, he shows them to him in the image of a woman. But if he turns with his heart to Allaah and does not turn away, Shaytaan would not be able to come between Allaah and that heart, he only enters if the veil is replaced. If he returns to Allaah the Elevated with his heart, the Shaytaan would escape, and if he turns away, the Shaytaan would return, such is his state with his enemy in prayer.
http://www.subulassalaam.com/articles/article.cfm?article_id=16

]]> http://ilmstudent.wordpress.com/2008/09/05/the-5-categories-of-people-who-pray-by-ibn-al-qayyim/feed/ 0 ayunas http://ilmstudent.wordpress.com/2008/07/31/advice-to-students-of-knowledge-by-bin-baaz/ http://ilmstudent.wordpress.com/2008/07/31/advice-to-students-of-knowledge-by-bin-baaz/#comments Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:22:00 +0000 ayunas http://ilmstudent.wordpress.com/?p=53 ]]> Author: Imaam ‘Abdul-’Azeez Ibn ‘Abdillaah Baaz

Translator: Isma’eel alarcon

All praise be to Allaah and may the peace and blessings be on His Messenger, our Prophet Muhammad, his family and companions. There is no doubt that seeking knowledge is from the most virtuous acts of worship. And it is from the causes that bring about the success of Paradise and honor for those who act on it. From the most important of matters, is that one have sincerity in his search for knowledge, and this is by making his studying for the sake of Allaah and not for any other objective. This is because this is the way for one to derive benefit from it and a means for successfully attaining the highest of positions in this world and the next. It is reported in the Hadeeth that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Whoever learns some knowledge, by which Allaah’s Face is sought, but he doesn’t learn it except to achieve some worldly goal by it, he will not smell the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Judgement.” – Reported by Abu Dawood with a hasan (sound) chain of narration.

At-Timidhee reported a hadeeth with a chain in which there is some weakness, that the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“Whoever seeks knowledge to compete with the scholars or to debate with the ignorant ones or so that the people’s faces can turn towards him, then Allaah will enter him into the Hellfire.”

So I advise every student of knowledge and every Muslim to have sincerity with Allaah in all of their actions, acting on the words of Allaah:

“So whoever hopes for meeting his Lord, then let him do righteous deeds and not mix anyone (or thing) with the worship of His Lord.” [Quran Al-Kahf: 110]

In Saheeh Muslim, the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is reported to have said: Allaah said:

“I am the most free of all those who are mixed in worship with Me from shirk. Whoever does a deed in which he mixes someone else along with Me (in the worship), I abandon him and his shirk.’”

Likewise, I advise the student of knowledge and every Muslim to fear Allaah and to acknowledge that Allaah is watching Him in every matter, acting on Allaah’s statement:

“Verily those who fear their Lord with the unseen (i.e. they do not see Him), they will have forgiveness and a great reward.” [Quran Al-Mulk: 12]

And His saying:

“And whoever fears the position of His Lord will have two Gardens.” [Quran Ar-Rahmaan: 46]

Some of the Salaf said: “The pinnacle of knowledge is fear of Allaah.” And ‘Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ood (raa) said: “It is sufficient as knowledge that one fear Allaah. And it is sufficient as ignorance that one is deceived about this.” And some of the Salaf said: “Whoever is the most knowledgeable about Allaah, he is the most fearing of Him.” What indicates the correctness of this understanding is the saying of the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)

“As for me, by Allaah, I am the most fearing of Allaah amongst you and the most dutiful (having Taqwaa) to Him amongst you.” – Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim.

So every time the servant’s knowledge of Allaah becomes strengthened, this is a means for the perfection of his Taqwaa and Ikhlaas, and his stopping at the limits (set by Allaah), and his refraining from sinful acts. This is why Allaah said:

“Verily, only those who fear Allaah from His servants are the knowledgeable ones (i.e. the scholars)” [Quran Al-Faatir: 28]

So the ones who are knowledgeable of Allaah and His Religion, they are the ones who fear Him the most and who are the most dutiful to him from amongst the people. At the head of them are the messengers and prophets, ‘alayhim as-Salaam, and then those that follow them in goodness.

This is why the Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) informed us that from the signs of success is that the servant of Allaah acquires fiqh (or understanding) of the Religion, as He said:

“Whoever Allaah wants good for, He gives him understanding of the Religion.” - Reported by Al-Bukhaaree and Muslim from the hadeeth of Mu’awiyah (raa).

This is for no other reason except due to the fact that understanding of the Religion will prompt the servant to establish Allaah’s Commandments, to fear Him and to carry out His obligations and to stay away from those things that draw His displeasure. And it will call him towards good manners and righteous actions and in being sincere to Allaah and His servants. So I ask Allaah that He grant us and all the students of knowledge, as well as all the Muslims, understanding of His Religion and perseverance upon it. And I ask that He grant us refuge from the evils of our souls and the evils of our actions. Indeed He is in charge of that and able to carry it out.

taken from http://www.study-arabic.info

“And it is a Qur’an which We have separated by intervals that you might recite it to the people over a prolonged period. And We have sent it down progressively.” [Al-Isra’ 17:106]

The following is a methodology of seeking knowledge that I have personally benefited from my teachers. I hope that it helps to guide everyone who reads it on their path of seeking knowledge.

Knowledge of the Deen can be divided into two categories:

a) Knowledge that is Fard ‘Ain or an obligation upon every Muslim to acquire. This is the knowledge that a Muslim needs in order to perform acts of worship that are binding upon him. The Prophet (SAW) said: “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.” [Ibn Majah, the scholars have differed as to the authenticity of this Hadeeth, but due to the fact that it was narrated through over fifty different narrations, we can bring them all together and safely conclude that the Hadeeth can be lifted to the grade of Hasan]

Ishaq ibn Rahawaih said regarding this Hadeeth: “Seeking knowledge is obligatory, even though the report concerning it is inauthentic. However, what it means is that the seeker of knowledge is required to learn what he needs in order to properly implement his Wudu’, Salah, Zakah – if he has wealth – Hajj, and so on,” and Sufyan ath-Thawri said: “It is that knowledge which the servant is not excused for being ignorant of.”

b) Knowledge that is Fard Kifayah or a collective obligation upon the Muslims, meaning that if a group of Muslims from the community fulfill the obligation of acquiring this ‘extra’ knowledge then the obligation is lifted from the rest of the Muslims. Ibn Taimiyyah said: “Seeking religious knowledge is Fard Kifayah (a collective obligation) except for that which is incumbent upon each individual to know, such as every person seeking knowledge of what Allah has ordered him to do and what He has prohibited him from doing, since this is an individual obligation.”

So after the student of knowledge learns the basic fundamentals that every Muslim is required to know, he moves on to study the ‘extra’ knowledge that is not obligatory upon everyone, rather only upon the students of knowledge.

The first thing a student of knowledge must begin with is the Book of Allah, for memorizing the Qur’an is essential for the student of knowledge. There are many reports that show how the Salaf would not allow their students to study with them until they had first memorized the Qur’an. An-Nawawi said: “The first thing to begin with is the memorization of the Qur’an, for it is the most important of sciences, and the Salaf never used to teach Hadeeth and Fiqh except to the one who had memorized the Qur’an.”

It should be mentioned however, that memorizing the Qur’an is not obligatory upon the student of knowledge. But nevertheless, it still is important, as it is a key for the student of knowledge that opens up many doors for him. Al-Asma’i said: “The beginning of knowledge is the memorization of the Book of Allah and its understanding, and everything that assists in its understanding is obligatory to study along with it. And I do not say that: to memorize it all is obligatory, however I say that: that is obligatory and binding upon the one who wants to become a scholar.”

Then, the student moves onto studying the Arabic language. For someone who is a beginner with no background in the language and whose mother tongue is other than Arabic, the Madeenah book series by Dr. V Abdur Raheem is very useful. Once the student gains a good grasp of the language such that he can read and understand without having to rely upon translators, translations, or dictionaries, it is recommended that he moves onto studying the classical books of Arabic grammar, beginning with al-Ajrumiyyah, then Qatr-un-Nada by Ibn Hisham, then al-Alfiyyah of Ibn Malik. Each of these texts should be accompanied with a good commentary.

After the student has become proficient in the Arabic language and acquired a good command of its grammatical rules, he is ready to move onto studying the various branches of Islamic knowledge as follows:

1. Tafseer: For someone who has memorized the Qur’an there is nothing better to start with than the Tafseer of the Qur’an. Choose a concise summarized Tafseer to begin with, such as al-Jallalain by both al-Mahalli and as-Suyuti or Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahman by as-Sa’di. After that, you move onto a lengthier Tafseer, such as Al-Baghawi or Ibn Katheer.

Along with reading Tafseer one should read in Usool at-Tafseer (the principles of Tafseer), such as Muqaddamah fee Usool at-Tafseer by Ibn Taimiyyah or al-Qawa’id al-Hassan by As-Sa’di. Also, one should read in ‘Uloom al-Qur’an (the sciences of the Qur’an), such as al-Itqan by as-Suyuti or Manahil al-‘Irfan by az-Zarqani.

2. Tawheed: We can categorize Tawheed into two categories:

a) Tawheed of ‘Ibadah (worship). In this category you study the Tawheed of Allah with respect to His Rububiyyah (lordship) and His Uluhiyyah (divinity) from the books of Muhammad ibn ‘Abdul-Wahhab, starting with al-Usool ath-Thalathah, then Qawa’id al-Arb’ah, then Kash ash-Shubuhat, then Kitab at-Tawheed. There are many commentaries available for all four of these books.

b) General ‘Aqeedah (creed). In this category you study the remaining subjects pertaining to ‘Aqeedah. So you start with Lum’at-ul-I’tiqad by Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi, then al-Wasitiyyah, then al-Hamawiyyah, then at-Tadmuriyyah, all three of which are by Ibn Taimiyyah, then at-Tahawiyyah. Again, all these books have commentaries to them, the most important of which is the commentary of at-Tahawiyyah by Ibn Abil-‘Izz.

3. Mustalah al-Hadeeth (the classification of Hadeeth): By studying Mustalah al-Hadeeth one is able to understand the terminologies used by the scholars concerning the science of Hadeeth. One should begin with a small text, such as al-Baiquniyyah accompanied by a good commentary of it, then move onto Nukhbat-ul-Fikr along with its commentary Nuzhat-un-Nadhar which are both by Ibn Hajar, then al-Ba’ith al-Hatheeth by Ibn Katheer which comes with a commentary by Ahmad Shakir.

4. Hadeeth: After the Book of Allah the most important thing for a student of knowledge to focus on memorizing is the Hadeeth of the Prophet (SAW). So one should start with the memorization of al-Arba’een an-Nawawiyyah, then memorize ‘Umdat-ul-Ahkam by Abdul-Ghani al-Maqdisi, then Bulugh al-Maram by Ibn Hajar, then al-Muntaqa by al-Majd Ibn Taimiyyah. All four of these come with commentaries that one should study alongside his memorization.

As for the lengthier books of Hadeeth, then the most important of them are the two Saheehs: al-Bukhari and Muslim. Both should be studied with their respective commentaries: Fath-ul-Bari by Ibn Hajar (a commentary of Saheeh al-Bukhari) and al-Minhaj by an-Nawawi (a commentary of Saheeh Muslim). Then come the four Sunan: Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa’i, and Ibn Majah, all four of which come with good commentaries. Then one should move onto the remaining books of Hadeeth, such as Sunan ad-Darimi, al-Muwatta’ of Imam Malik, al-Musnad of Imam Ahmad, and so on.

5. Usool al-Fiqh (the principles of Fiqh): The rulings of the Sharee’ah that the scholars of Fiqh have laid out for us have been derived from certain fundamental rules and principles. These rules and principles are found in Usool al-Fiqh. One should begin with a small text, such as al-Waraqat by al-Juwaini, then move onto Qawa’id al-Usool wa Ma’aqid al-Fusool by Safiyyud-Deen al-Baghdadi, then Rawdhat-un-Nadhir by Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi. All these books have commentaries to them, the most important of which is the Mudhakkarah of ash-Shinqeeti for Rawdhat-un-Nadhir.

6. Fiqh: One of the most vital sciences for the student of knowledge to become proficient in is Fiqh, and that is due to the fact that the people are in tremendous need of it, for they need to know its rulings in order to fulfill their acts of worship and their day to day dealings correctly. Yet unfortunately, it is also one of the most neglected of sciences among the students of knowledge today, and perhaps that may be due to many of them finding it a difficult subject to study.

Much of the complexity of Fiqh results from the numerous amounts of opinions held by the different scholars throughout the ages, each one of them claiming their opinion to be the correct one, backing it up with various supporting evidences. So when the student is presented with all these various opinions of great scholars, he doesn’t know which one to choose. However, if the student was to study Fiqh based upon a correct methodology – just like we have mentioned with respect to all the other sciences – not only will he be able to grasp a good understanding of the various Fiqh related issues, but he will also be able to distinguish between the various opinions and their supporting evidences.

Now, when a student embarks on his path of seeking knowledge, he is generally confronted by two groups:

a) Those who believe that the only way to study Fiqh is through one of the four well known Madh-habs, because despite their differences they are divinely ordained, and therefore one must choose one of them and follow it without question.

b) Those who believe that the only way to study Fiqh is by exclusively relying upon the Qur’an and Sunnah, and that it is impermissible to study Fiqh through a Madh-hab, because the Qur’an and Sunnah are our two undistorted sources of knowledge, and as for the Madh-habs then they have become distorted over time and therefore cannot be relied upon.

So these are the two methods that a student is generally confronted with when seeking knowledge. However, there is a third method that seeks to combine the aforementioned methods, and it is the method that is strongly advised for the student of knowledge to follow.

To begin with, the student should choose the Madh-hab he wants to study – preferably the Madh-hab that is common among his people – and find a Shaikh to teach him that Madh-hab. The Shaikh should be one who is known to follow the evidences from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and not merely a blind follower of the Madh-hab. Then he should study a concise beginner’s text in that particular Madh-hab. Every Madh-hab has different texts for a beginner to start with, but the ones that are well known are:

- Mukhtasar al-Qadduri (Hanafi Madh-hab)
- Mukhtasar Khaleel (Maliki Madh-hab)
- Al-Ghayah wat-Taqreeb by Abu Shuja’ (Shafi’i Madh-hab)
- ‘Umdat-ul-Fiqh by Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi (Hanbali Madh-hab)

Now, these beginner texts of Fiqh are usually free of evidences, so it is the responsibility of the Shaikh to provide the student with the supporting evidences for every Fiqh issue that is mentioned in the text. In the case where the text mentions an opinion that is not backed up by evidence or the evidence is weak, then the Shaikh must point that out to the student while providing him with the stronger and more valid opinion in that particular issue along with its supporting evidence.

Once the student completes the text with the Shaikh, he should review all the issues that he has studied along with their supporting evidences, and make sure that he has mastered and understood each and every issue comprehensively. By now, the student has learnt the fundamental issues discussed in Fiqh according to the particular Madh-hab he chose to study, and at the same time he has learnt the evidences for those issues.

Then the student moves onto the next level, which is studying from a book that contains the various opinions of that particular Madh-hab, along with studying the evidences. This will train the student how to deal with various the opinions, how to compare them in the light of the evidence, and how to select the correct opinion based on the strength of its evidence.

Finally, the student will reach a level where he will be able to go beyond the Madh-hab, studying the opinions of the other Madh-habs, along with their evidences, and choosing the opinion which is the closest to the Qur’an and Sunnah.

By treading this path, the student of knowledge learns Fiqh by both studying it from the Madh-hab and studying its evidences from the Qur’an and Sunnah, and by doing so he makes the Madh-hab the means to achieving his goal of learning Fiqh and makes the evidences from the Qur’an and Sunnah the ultimate objective of reaching that goal.

These are the main branches of Islamic knowledge that the student of knowledge needs to be aware of. Last but not least, one should set aside time in which he reads the books of Tareekh (history), Seerah (the Prophetic biography), Siyar al-‘Ulama’ (scholarly biographies), general Adab (etiquettes), Adab of seeking knowledge, and Raqa’iq (piety and asceticism).

As a final point, one must remember that the path of knowledge is indeed a long one, therefore it requires perseverance and much diligence. It is said that: “seeking knowledge lasts from the cradle to the grave,” and it was said to Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak: “If you were resurrected after your death, what would you do?” He said: “I would seek knowledge until the Angel of Death comes to me a second time.” So put all your effort into seeking knowledge and use your time wisely in studying, researching, memorizing, and reviewing the various branches of Islamic knowledge. With such diligence and sincerity, perhaps Allah will one day cause you to be of great benefit to the Ummah.

Disclaimer: Everything that has been mentioned in this post is solely from the humble viewpoint of the author. This methodology of seeking knowledge is advised by many scholars, and it is understood that there are other scholars who would disagree with it. The one who wishes to seek knowledge should choose the methodology that he feels will benefit him the most in this Dunya and the Akhira.

Madeenah, Saudi Arabia
7th of December 2007

taken from: http://m-kamil-ahmad.blogspot.com/

-Ibn al Qayyim

taken from suhaibwebb.com

-Imam Shafi’i (rahimAllah)

Commenting on this Imam Malik said, “What he means is that their actions [were what impressed them]. For, indeed, they would only look towards ones action and not his/her words.”

Fiqh of the Hadith

Imam al-Baji wrote in al-Muntaqa: “A group of people means the Companions [may Allah be pleased with them]……what Malik meant by their actions was: statements that are not coupled with actions were not impressive to the virtuous people. On the contrary, what impressed them were the actions of the scholars. Allah says, “Oh you who profess faith. Why do you say what you do not do? Most despicable to Allah is that you say what you do not do.” (al-Muntaqa 4/462)

It is interesting to note that this important point of advice was placed, by Imam Malik, under the chapter heading “al-Taqwa.” This would indicate that balance between words and deeds is a sign of this important quality.

The callers to Islam are faced with the dubious task of being sincere, humble and self scrutinizing. The latter, in the face of a tidal wave of adulation and self intoxication, can flee like sand from one’s hands. Self introspection is the key to maintaining one’s sanity in a time when being a caller to Islam has many fringe benefits. For that reason, in the same chapter, we find the narration of Anas the son of Malik who states that he was walking and there was a wall between him and a person. Suddenly he heard that person say, “Oh Leader of the Faithful! Good job! Good Job! You must fear Allah ‘Umar or, for sure, He will punish you.” Ibn al-Qudamah mentioned that one should make a list at night of all of his/her deeds. Those done for Allah should bring about one’s praise of Allah and those done for something else, or sins, warrant seeking forgiveness and mercy.

www.suhaibwebb.com