Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali ( Heirs Of The Prophets)

[k.ibrahim]

Bismillah Ir-Rahman, Ir-Raheem. I begin with ALLAH's auspiciousness,whose Name is the Best among all the names. All Revences, All Sanctities and All Worships are due to ALLAH alone. Ashahadu An Laa illaaha illal llahu
Wa Ash Hadu Anna Muhammadan Abdu Hu Wa Rasooluhu
''I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah
who is without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) is the Rasool.'' "O Allah, Shower Your Peace come upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have brought peace to Ibrahim and his family.
Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, Shower your blessing upon Muhammad and thefamily of Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious". Iam Satisfied with Allâh as My Rabb and Cherisher,Iam Satisfied With Islam as My Din(religion) and I am satisfied with Muhammad as a Rasulallah (Messenger)sallallahu alaihi was salam) I seek Protection with ALLAH! With the Glorious and Noble Face of ALLAH! With the Complete and Perfect words of ALLAH! With the Exalted Attributes of ALLAH! From the Punishment of Hell; From chastisement in the Grave; From the Trial of Life and Death; From the Mischief of the dajjal. There is no power nor strength with (anyone) save Allah. ALLAH is Good and Only accept that which is Good. ALLAH is the Truth and only accept that which True. ALLAH is Pure and only accept that which is Pure. Ya ALLAH! ALL the praises are for You,You are the Holder of the Heavens and the Earth, And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All praises are for You; You are are the Substaner of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All the praises are for you;You have the Possession of the Heavens and the Earth and whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All the praises are for You; You are Light(Nur) of the Heavens and Earth And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All praises are for You; You are the King of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All praises are for You; You are the Truth and Your Promise is the Truth, And Your word is the Truth and the Meeting with You is true, And Paradise is True And Hell is true and All the Prophets(peace be upon them) are true; And Muhammad Rasulallah(sallallahu alayhi wa salam) is true,And the Day of Resurrection is True. Ya ALLAH! You have promise and Your promise is the truth,Ya ALLAH! You have promise and Your words is the truth, Ya ALLAH! You have promise and You are the Truth!. Ya ALLAH! You have created Rasulallah(sallallahu alayhi wa salam) to be the most truthful of men and what He(sallallahu alayhi wa salam) has said is the absolute truth! Ya ALLAH! You have promise that You would send one who would revive, restore, rejuvenate Your Din(religion).....---{Imam Ibn Rajab, may Allah have mercy on him}, achieves in this book two major triumphs that speak to the modem Muslim intellectual condition. First, The Heirs of the Prophets deeply inspires in the serious reader; like very few books of human origin; the love and desire to gain true knowledge. It enlightens a people as to what realm of knowledge holds firm sovereignty over all the rest and is most vital for a true Islamic renaissance and revival. In recent years, Muslims have come to easily proffer that the beneficial knowledge praised by Allah and His Messenger admits any expertise that people attain to, including commerce, medicine, engineering, economics, and the like (regardless of one's intentions). These sciences are important, and many righteous scholars have commended them. However, they do not compare to that learning which leads men and women to the pleasure of Allah and salvation in the Hereafter. What worldly expertise can possibly compensate for the loss of knowledge concerning divine guidance to and along the straight path? What possible intellectual success can cover up for an ignorance that lures people into darkness and moral morass in this life and Hellfire in the next? The answers to these questions are obvious, but apparently not to everyone. Muslim countries, for example, continue to have universities that harshly tax their societies by placing their brightest students in the physical sciences and by relegating its mediocre students in "lesser fields," like Islamic studies. The shame of this is manifest, and its subtle impact on the minds of young men and women in the Muslim east is not minor. The Heirs of the Prophets is an eloquent and persuasive advocate of restoring our sense of priority when it comes to the acquisition of knowledge and, as a consequence, the conduct of our lives.As for the second achievement, The Heirs of the Prophets unabashedly strips away any pretension as to what measures as true scholarship within the realm of Islamic learning itself. These pretensions have had uninterrupted breeding seasons over the years, to the point that it is difficult for most people today to distinguish between a preacher and a scholar, between technique and deep comprehension. For obvious reasons, this speaks especially to Muslims raised in English speaking milieus, men and women who are vulnerable to being overly impressionable, on one band, and vulnerable to overstating their own engagement with the Islamic sciences, on the other.
Ibn Rajab, in this very book, has fired a silver bullet that slays the superficiality that stubbornly persists. He says, "The uninformed person... cannot conceptualize the essence of knowledge nor its sublimity.... One who fails to conceptualize something, its significance will never become rooted in the heart." The Heirs of the Prophets is a push-start to conceptualizing the utter importance of gaining beneficial knowledge so that it can be rooted in the heart of the Muslim body.
By translating this work, Imam Zaid Shakir has done, by Allah's grace, an important service to English-speaking Muslims who now have another opportunity to peer into the world of fine Islamic scholarship and be inspired to take the long and difficult path to attaining it. Travelling for Sacred Knowledge

A man came to Abu Darda' while he was in Damascus. Abu Darda' asked him, "Whar has brought you here, my brother?" He replied, "A hadith which you relate from the Prophet·" Abu Darda' asked, "Have you come for some worldly need?" He replied, "No." "Have you come for business?" He replied, "No." "You have come only co seek this hadith?" He said, "Yes." Abu Darda' then said, "l heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'Whoever travels a path seeking sacred knowledge, Allah will place him on a path leading to Paradise. The angels lower their wings for the student of sacred knowledge, pleased with what he is doing. The creatures in the heavens and earth seek forgiveness for the student of sacred knowledge, even the fish in the water. The superiority of the religious scholar over the devout worshipper is like the superiority of the full moon over the other heavenly bodies. The religious scholars are the heirs of the prophets. The prophets leave no money as a bequest, rather they leave knowledge. Whoever seizes it has taken a bountiful share.'"

(Imam Ahmad, Abu Dawod, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah relate this hadith in their compilations.)
Travelling for Sacred Knowledge

The early generations of Muslims, owing to the strength of their desire for sacred knowledge, would journey to distant lands seeking a single prophetic hadith. Abu Ayyub Zayd ibn Khalid al-Ansari travelled from Madinah to Egypt for the purpose of meeting a Companion because he heard that this Companion related a particular hadith from the Prophet. Similarly, Jabir ibn Abdallah despite hearing much from the Prophet himself, travelled a month to Syria to hear a single hadith. Without hesitation, such men would travel to someone of lesser virtue and learning in order to seek out knowledge that they lacked themselves.
A striking example of this sort of journey is what Allah relates in the Quran about Moses' journey with his young companion. If there ever existed a person who had no need to travel to seek knowledge, it was Moses, for Allah had spoken to him and given him the Torah in which all divine principles had been revealed. Still, when Allah informed him of a man (named Khidir) who had been favoured with knowledge, Moses inquired about meeting him, and then set out with his young companion to find this Khidir, as Allah the Exalted says, And behold, Moses said to his young companion, "I will not cease until I reach where the two seas meet, or l shall spend an exceptionally long time travelling" (Quran 18:60).
Allah then informs us that upon meeting Khidir, Moses asked of him, "May I follow you in order that you may teach me of the knowl- edge you have been given?" (Quran, 18:66).
Details of their venture are related in the Book of Allah and in the well-known hadith of Ubayy ibn Kab which is related by Bukhari and Muslim.
Ibn Masud used to say:

I swear by Allah, besides whom there is no other deity, no chapter of the Quran has been revealed except that I know where it was revealed. No verse from the Book of Allah has been revealed except that I know why it was revealed. Yet if I knew of anyone more learned than me in the Book of Allah, I would make every effort to reach him.

Abu Darda said, "if I were unable to explain a verse in the Book of Allah and could not find anyone to explain it to me except a man in Bark al-Ghimad, I would journey to him." Bark al-Ghimad is the farthest corner of Yemen. Masruq went from Kufa to Basra to ask a man about a Quranic verse. He failed, however, to find in him knowledge [about the verse], but while there, he was informed of a knowledgeable man in Syria. He then returned to Kufa, from which point he set out for Syria seeking knowledge of the verse.
A man travelled from Kufa to Syria to ask Abu Darda about the validity of an oath he had taken. Also, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, travelled from Kufa to Makkah to ask Ibn Abbas about the explanation of a single verse of the Quran.
Hasan al-Basritravelled to Kufa to ask Kab ibn Ujra about the atonement for al-adha [during the Pilgrimage].
A thorough exposition of this issue, travelling to seek knowledge would be exceedingly lengthy indeed. But to further illustrate this practice, a man took an oath, the validity of which the jurists were unsure. When he was directed to a man in a distant land, it was said to him, "That land is near for anyone concerned about this religion."' This saying holds profound advice for one who concerns himself with his religion as much as he concerns himself with his worldly affairs. If something happens involving his religion and he finds no one to ask about it except a person in a far off land, he would not hesitate to travel to him in order to save his religion. Similarly, if an opportunity were presented to him for some worldly gain in a distant land, he would hasten to it.
In the hadith under discussion, Abu Darda gave glad tidings to the person who travelled to him seeking a hadith he heard from the Prophet regarding the virtue of knowledge. This is consistent with a statement of Allah, "When those believing in Our signs come to you, say, Peace be unto you. Your Lord has made mercy incumbent upon Himself!" (Quran, 6:54).
Similarly, once a group of students crowded around Hasan al-Basri, and his son then spoke harshly to them. Hasan said, "Go easy, my son." He then related this aforementioned verse.
Both Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah quote Abu Sa'id as saying,
"Indeed, the Prophet advised the scholars with good treatment of the students of knowledge."
Zirr ibn Hubaysh came to Safwan ibn Assal, seeking knowledge. Zirr said to him, "News has reached me that the angels lower their wings to the students of sacred knowledge." Abu Safwan also relates this directly from the Prophet.
One day people were crowded at the door of Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, who said, "The students of sacred knowledge deserve the friendship of Allah and eternal bliss." He envied their gathering for this purpose because it leads to eternal bliss. For this reason, Muadh ibn Jabal cried as his death drew near and said, "I weep at how I will miss feeling thirst from the midday heat [from Fasting], standing in Prayer during the long winter nights, and the crowds of students kneeling around the scholars in the circles of knowledge."
It is appropriate that the scholars welcome students and urge them to act on what they learn. Hasan al-Basri greeted his students:

Welcome, may Allah extend your life in peace, and may He enter us all into Paradise. Your seeking knowledge is a good act, if you persevere, are truthful, and are absolutely certain of the reward Allah has prepared for you. May Allah have mercy on you! Do not let your share of this good be such that it enters one ear and passes out the other. One who hasn't seen Muhammad should know that the Prophet has seen him moving to and fro. The Prophet did not erect tall buildings, rather, knowledge was given to him, and he dedicated himself to it. Do not procrastinate, salvation is at stake. What will make you heed? Are you hesitant? I swear by the Lord of the Ka 'ba, it is as if Judgment Day will come upon you this very moment.'
Chapter 2. Paths Leading to Sacred Knowledge

Let us now begin explaining the hadith of Abu Darda. "Whoever travels a path seeking sacred knowledge, Allah will place him on a path leading to Paradise..." In another version of the hadith, it states, "Allah will make easy for him a path leading to Paradise." Another version found in Muslim, related on the authority of Abu Hurayrah reads, "Whoever travels a path seeking sacred knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path leading to Paradise."
Travelling a path seeking sacred knowledge can be understood as literally walking to the gatherings of knowledge. It can also encompass a more general meaning, like travelling an intangible path leading to the attainment of knowledge. This includes memorizing, studying, reading, making notes, comprehending, contemplating, and other acts which facilitate learning.
The Prophet's statement, "Allah will make easy for him a path leading to Paradise," conveys many meanings. Among them is that Allah assists the student of sacred knowledge in his quest, placing him on its path, and facilitating his success. In these ways, the path of knowledge leads to Paradise. This facilitation is expressed in the statement of Allah the Exalted, We have made the Quran easy to memorize. Is there anyone who will then be reminded? (Quran,54:17). Regarding this verse, some commentators say, "Is there anyone sincere in his quest for sacred knowledge that he might be aided in its attainment?"'
Many paths lead to Allah; among them is Allah's making it easy for the student of sacred knowledge to act on its dictates, if he learns it solely for the sake of Allah. Thus Allah will make it the cause of his guidance, will lead him with it, and cause him to act on it. These are all paths that lead to Paradise.
Furthermore, any student who seeks knowledge for the sake of sincere implementation, Allah will make it easy for him to gain additional beneficial knowledge. This is a path leading to Paradise. It is said, "Whoever acts on what he knows, Allah will bequeath unto him knowledge of that which he does not know." It is also said, "The reward of good is the good it initiates."' This meaning is indicated by Allah's statement, Allah increases in guidance those who pursue the path of guidance (Quran, 19:76). And similarly, As for those who accept to be guided, [Allah] increases them in guidance and bestows upon them piety (Quran, 47:17).
Those who search for knowledge desiring to be rightly guided, Allah increases them in guidance and beneficial knowledge. This type of knowledge obligates righteous deeds. These are all paths that lead to Paradise. An additional path is Allah making it easy for the student of sacred knowledge to benefit from that knowledge in the Hereafter, to cross the Traverse [Sirat], and to deal with the overwhelming horrors and imposing obstacles which precede it.
Knowledge is the Essence of Guidance

The reason the path to Paradise is made easy for the student of sacred knowledge, if he desires Allah and His pleasure, is explained as follows. Knowledge directs one to Allah from the most accessi-ble paths. Therefore, one who travels its path, without deviating from it, reaches Allah and Paradise by means of the most direct route. The routes leading to Paradise have all been smoothed for him in this world and the next.
As for one who travels a path without knowledge, thinking it is a path to Paradise, he has chosen the most difficult and severe path. Such a person will never reach his destination despite tremendous exertion.
There is no path to experiential knowledge of Allah leading to His pleasure and His nearness in the Hereafter except through the beneficial knowledge which Allah sent down to His messengers and revealed in His scriptures. This [knowledge] guides to the right path. With it, clear guidance is sought out from the darkness of ignorance, ambiguity, and doubt. Allah has referred to His Book as a light with which one is guided through darkness: There has come to you from Allah a light and a clear book. With it, Allah guides those who pursue His pleasure to paths of peace and He brings them out of darkness into light (Quran, 5:15-16).
The Prophet put forth a parable between the possessors of knowledge and the stars that guide people through the darkness. Imam Ahmad relates (from Anas) that the Prophet said, "The similitude of the religious scholars on earth is that of the stars in the sky, by which [people] are guided through the darkness of the land and sea. If the stars are extinguished, even the guides might stray."
This metaphor is penetrating, for the path to understanding Allah's oneness, experiential knowledge of Allah, His divine rul-ings, and His rewards and punishments are not attained through empirical knowledge. Rather, they are known through divine reve-lation. He has made this clear in His Book and on the tongue of His Messenger.The scholars are the guides through the dark-ness of ignorance, ambiguity, and deviation. When these guides are lost, the travellers go astray.
The religious scholars have been likened to the stars, which pro-vide three benefits: they guide [people] through the darkness; they adorn the sky; and they are missiles that repel the satans who ascend the heavens [endeavouring to intercept Allah's commands to the angels]. The religious scholars possess these characteristics: they guide through the darkness [of ignorance]; they adorn the earth; and they are missiles that repel the satans, who mix truth with falsehood and introduce heretical innovation in religion. Such innovations are introduced by people following their own whims.
So, as long as knowledge remains, people will be guided. But sacred knowledge will remain as long as the scholars remain. When the scholars dwindle in number, people fall into error. The Prophetrelates this meaning in a sound hadith:
Allah does not withdraw knowledge by extracting it from the hearts of men, rather He takes away the religious scholars. When no religious scholar remains, people take the ignorant as their leaders; these ignorant ones are questioned and gave religious verdicts without knowledge. They are astray and lead others astray.
Tirmidhi relates from Jubayr ibn Nufayr, on the authority of Abu Darda:

We were with the Prophet and he said, "There [will be] a time when knowledge will be snatched from the people until they will be unable to benefit from it." Ziyad ibn Lubayd said, "O Messenger of Allah, how will Allah seize knowledge from us when we recite the Quran? I swear by Allah, we recite it and teach it to our women and children!" He said, "May your mother be bereaved of you, Ziyad. I used to consider you one of the learned people of Madinah! The Torah and the Gospel are with the Jews and the Christians, yet do they benefit from them in anyway?"

Jubayr ibn Nufayr said:

I met Ubada ibn al-Samit and said to him, "Will you not listen to what Abu Darda is saying?" I then informed him of what he said concerning the loss of knowledge. He said, "Abu Darda has spoken truthfully. If you wish I will inform you of the first knowledge to be removed from people. It is humility [khushu]. You will enter the central masjid and hardly find a single humble person!"

Nasa'i relates a similar hadith from Jubayr ibn Nufayr, on the authority of Awf ibn Malik from the Prophet. He says in this hadith, "The Prophet mentioned the straying of the Jews and the Christians despite their possessing scriptures."
Jubayr ibn Nufayr also related:

I met Shaddad ibn Aws and I informed him of the hadith of Awf ibn Malik, and he said, "He has spoken the truth. Shall I not inform you about the first occurrence of the lifting of knowledge? Humility will be lifted to the point you will not see a single humble person."

Imam Ahmad relates a hadith in which Ziyad ibn Lubayd men-tioned something, whereupon the Prophet said, "That will be in the time when knowledge is gone." Ziyad mentioned this hadith and said, "Do not the Jews and Christians read the Torah and the Gospel without acting on it in any way?" In this version of the hadith, Ziyad did not mention the ensuing events contained in longer versions.
All of these narrations relate that the departure of knowledge resides in the failure to act on it. The Companions explained that the reason for this is the passing of inner knowledge from the hearts withinner knowledge referring to humility. In this vein, Hudhayfa relates, "Surely, humility will be the first knowledge to be lifted."
Chapter 3. Knowledge of the Tongue and the Heart

Sacred knowledge, says Hasan al-Basri, is of two types: "Know-ledge of the tongue, which is the proof of Allah against the son of Adam, and knowledge of the heart, which is beneficial know-ledge." Hasan attributes this narration to the Prophet, as Ibn Masud relates inSahih Muslim, "People will recite the Quran, and it may fail even to go past their clavicles. Whereas, if it reaches their hearts and becomes rooted therein, it will be of tremendous bene-fit" In this manner does beneficial knowledge touch the heart and impress upon it experiential knowledge of Allah, awareness of His sublimity, and humility towards Him. It bestows upon the heart exaltation, glorification, and love for Allah. When these char-acteristics settle into the heart, it is humbled; and the limbs, similarly affected, then follow in humility.
As related in Sahih Muslim, the Prophet used to say, "I seek refuge in Allah from knowledge which is of no benefit and from a heart which is not humble." This indicates that knowledge which fosters no humility is of no benefit. It is related that the Prophet used to ask Allah for beneficial knowledge. In another hadith, he said, "Ask Allah for beneficial knowledge, and seek refuge in Him against knowledge Which is of no benefit.
As for knowledge on the tongue, it is a proof of Allah against people. The Prophet, said, "The Quran isthe proof of Allah for you or against you."
When inner knowledge departs, outer knowledge remains on people's tongues as a proof against them. This knowledge then leaves the possession of the scholars. Nothing then remains of religion except its name, and nothing of the Quran except its script. As for the Quran, it will remain in the books containing it, then at the end of time it will be raised from the books, and nothing will remain in the books nor in the hearts.
Inner and Outer Knowledge

Scholars who categorize knowledge divide it into inner and outer knowledge. Inner knowledge is that which touches the hearts and instils in them fear, humility, awareness of Allah's sublimity, exaltation, love, intimacy, and yearning. Outer knowledge is that which remains on the tongue as a means for establishing the proof of Allah against people.
Wahb ibn Munabbih wrote to Makhul, "Surely, you are a man who has attained the outer knowledge of Islam and thereby gained honour. So seek the inner knowledge of Islam and gain the love of Allah and nearness to Him." Another version relates that he wrote, "Because of your outer knowledge, you have gained sta-tus and honour with the people. So seek inner knowledge to seek status with Allah and nearness to Him. You should know that each of these are separate stations." Wahbindicates that outer knowledge is the knowledge of religious verdicts and legal rulings, the lawful and the unlawful, stories and admonitions, that which the tongue manifests. This knowledge gives its possessor love and veneration. In his letter, Wahb warns against stopping at what peo-ple give out and thus becoming spiritually stagnant and trapped into seeking people's love and glorification. One who stops at this has been cut off from Allah and deluded by people from pursuing Allah's pleasure. By inner knowledge, he means that knowledge which touches the hearts and instils fear, exaltation, and glorifica-tion. Wahb urged him to use that knowledge to seek the love of Allah and His nearness.

[k.ibrahim]

Bismillah Ir-Rahman, Ir-Raheem. I begin with ALLAH's auspiciousness,whose Name is the Best among all the names. All Revences, All Sanctities and All Worships are due to ALLAH alone. Ashahadu An Laa illaaha illal llahu
Wa Ash Hadu Anna Muhammadan Abdu Hu Wa Rasooluhu
''I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah
who is without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) is the Rasool.'' "O Allah, Shower Your Peace come upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad, as you have brought peace to Ibrahim and his family.
Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious. O Allah, Shower your blessing upon Muhammad and thefamily of Muhammad, as you have blessed Ibrahim and his family. Truly, You are Praiseworthy and Glorious". Iam Satisfied with Allâh as My Rabb and Cherisher,Iam Satisfied With Islam as My Din(religion) and I am satisfied with Muhammad as a Rasulallah (Messenger)sallallahu alaihi was salam) I seek Protection with ALLAH! With the Glorious and Noble Face of ALLAH! With the Complete and Perfect words of ALLAH! With the Exalted Attributes of ALLAH! From the Punishment of Hell; From chastisement in the Grave; From the Trial of Life and Death; From the Mischief of the dajjal. There is no power nor strength with (anyone) save Allah. ALLAH is Good and Only accept that which is Good. ALLAH is the Truth and only accept that which True. ALLAH is Pure and only accept that which is Pure. Ya ALLAH! ALL the praises are for You,You are the Holder of the Heavens and the Earth, And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All praises are for You; You are are the Substaner of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All the praises are for you;You have the Possession of the Heavens and the Earth and whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All the praises are for You; You are Light(Nur) of the Heavens and Earth And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All praises are for You; You are the King of the Heavens and the Earth And whatever is in them. Ya ALLAH! All praises are for You; You are the Truth and Your Promise is the Truth, And Your word is the Truth and the Meeting with You is true, And Paradise is True And Hell is true and All the Prophets(peace be upon them) are true; And Muhammad Rasulallah(sallallahu alayhi wa salam) is true,And the Day of Resurrection is True. Ya ALLAH! You have promise and Your promise is the truth,Ya ALLAH! You have promise and Your words is the truth, Ya ALLAH! You have promise and You are the Truth!. Ya ALLAH! You have created Rasulallah(sallallahu alayhi wa salam) to be the most truthful of men and what He(sallallahu alayhi wa salam) has said is the absolute truth! Ya ALLAH! You have promise that You would send one who would revive, restore, rejuvenate Your Din(religion).... Chapter 4. Categories of Scholars

Many of the righteous forbears [salaf], such as Sufyan al-Thawri and others, categorized scholars into various groups. The best of these groupings is epitomized by the scholar who knows both Allah and His commandments. By this expression, Sufyan refers to those who combine inner and outer knowledge. These are the most distinguished scholars. They are praised by Allah: Indeed, among His servants, it is but the learned who fear Allah (Quran, 35:28). He also says: Indeed, those who were given knowledge beforehand, when Our signs are recited to them, they fall down prostrate on their faces, saying, "Glorified is our Lord. Indeed, the promise of our Lord will be fulfilled. " They fall down prostrate on their faces, weeping, and it increases them in humility. (Quran, 17:107-9)
Many of the righteous forbears used to say, "Religious knowl-edge is not an abundance of memorized texts. Rather, knowledge is humility."' One of them said, "Fear of Allah is sufficient knowl-edge, and being deceived concerning Allah is sufficient ignorance." They further said, "One who knows Allah experien-tially does not necessarily know the commandments of Allah." Such are the possessors of inner knowledge who lack adequate comprehension of juridical matters. The righteous forbears simi-larly said, "One who knows the commandments of Allah does not necessarily know Allah experientially." Such are the possessors of outer knowledge who have no inkling of inner knowledge; they neither fear Allah nor possess humility. They were deemed blame- worthy by the righteous forbears. One of them said [concerning such a scholar], "This [type] is corrupt."'
They stop at outer knowledge, while beneficial knowledge fails to reach their hearts. They will never savour its fragrance. They have been overwhelmed by their negligence, their hardness of heart, and their aversion of the Hereafter. They vie for the world, seeking exaltation in it, and are vainglorious..
Chapter 4.1. The Harm and Enmity of Corrupt Scholars

Corrupt scholars think ill of those who have obtained beneficial knowledge. They do not love them, nor do they sit with them. They may even condemn them. They denounce them saying, "They are not real scholars!" This is from the treachery of Satan and his deception which prevents these corrupt scholars from attaining beneficial knowledge which Allah, His Messenger, the righteous Salaf of the ummah, and its imams have all praised.
For this reason, worldly scholars dislike righteous scholars, and they strive to their utmost to harm them, just as they endeavoured to harm Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, Hasan al-Basri, Sufyan al-Thawri, Imam Malik, Imam Ahmad, and other upright scholars (may Allah be pleased with them). This is because righteous scholars are the successors of the messengers, whereas worldly scholars resemble those who have earned the wrath of Allah those who were enemies of the messengers, the slayers of the prophets, and murderers of the righteous. They are most intense in their enmity and envy towards the believers. Because of their intense love of the world, these corrupt scholars appreciate neither religious knowledge nor true religion. Instead, they glorify wealth, status, and positions of advantage with the rulers.
One of the ministers said to Mufti Hajjaj ibn Arta, "You know well jurisprudence and theology." Hajjaj said, "Why don't you instead say, 'You have honour and esteem?'" The minister said, "I swear by Allah! You belittle what Allah has extolled, and you extol what Allah has belittled!" Chapter 4.2. The Deception of Satan

Many of those claiming inner knowledge speak about it, limit themselves to it, and condemn outer knowledge, namely, [the study of] the Sharia, legal rulings, and matters concerning the lawful and the unlawful. And they defame its people, saying that they are veiled and are people of superficialities. This irresponsible attitude engenders vilification of the pure Sharia and the righteous deeds that the prophets brought, encouraged, and fostered.
Some of them go so far as to absolve themselves of the need to perform acts of worship, claiming that worship is for the masses. They claim that one who has attained [nearness to] Allah has no need for worship; in fact, such rituals are considered a veil for him. Junayd and others have said concerning such people, ''What they have attained is only Hellfire." This claim [that adherence to Sharia is unnecessary] is from the greatest treachery and deception of Satan [Iblis] towards those people. He will continue to play with them until he causes them to apostatize from Islam.
Among this group of deceived scholars are those who imagine that inner knowledge is not received from the lamp of prophethood nor from the Quran and the Sunnah, but that it issues from person-al impulses and divine inspiration. They entertain malicious thoughts towards the perfect Sharia, thinking that it hasn't come with the sort of knowledge that rectifies hearts and draws people near to Allah, the Knower of the Unseen. This attitude ultimately produces in them a total rejection of what the Messenger of Allah brought in this regard and leads them to talk about spiritual matters on the basis of conjecture and fancy. They are astray, and they lead others astray..
Chapter 4.3. Examples of Virtuous Scholars

It is clear from this that the most complete and virtuous of schol-ars are those who are knowledgeable of Allah and His command-ments. They combine the two [kinds of] knowledge, [the outer and the inward], which they receive from the Quran and the Sunnah. They examine what people say on the basis of the Quran and the Sunnah. That which agrees with these sources, they accept. And that which contradicts them, they reject.
These scholars are the elite of mankind, the best of humanity after the prophets. They are the true successors of the prophets and messengers. They were many among the Companions [of the Prophet], including the four righteous caliphs, Muadh, Abu Darda, Salman, lbn Masud, lbn Amr, Ibn Abbas, and many oth-ers. Similarly, from the generation after them, there were the likes of Sa'id ibn al-Musayyib, Hasan al-Basri, Ata, Tawus, Mujahid, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, al-Nakba'i, and Yabya ibn AbiKathir. And among those who came after the latter, there were people like al-Thawri, al-Awza'i, Ahmad, and others from the righteous scholars.
Ali ibn Abi Talibhas dubbed them godly scholars [rabbaniyyun], indicating their praiseworthy status. Their kind is referred to in more than one place in the Quran. Ali says of them, "People are of three groups: righteous scholars, students of sacred knowledge, and the riffraff. " He then went on at length to describe both corrupt and righteous scholars. We expound on them elsewhere in this book...Chapter 5. Grazing the Gardens

In a well-known hadith, the Prophet relates, "If you pass by the Gardens of Paradise, graze therein." The Companions asked, "What are the Gardens of Paradise?" He said, "Circles of dhikr [remembrance of Allah]." Whenever he mentioned this hadith, lbn Masud would say, "I do not mean gatherings of sermonizers, but study circles." A similar hadith has been related by Anas ibn Malik.
Ata al-Khurasani said, "Gatherings of dhikr are gatherings to study the lawful and unlawful, how to buy and sell, how to perform well the Prayer [Salah] and the Fast [Sawm], [the laws of] marriage and divorce, how to perform the Pilgrimage [Hajj], and similar mat-ters.'Yabya ibn Abi Kathir said, "A lesson in jurisprudence is Prayer." Abu Suwar al-Adawi was sitting in a study circle, which included in attendance a young man who exhorted the assembly to say, "SubhanAllah [Glory be to Allah!]" and "al-hamdulillah [All Praise is for Allah!]." Abu Suwar became angry and said, "Woe unto you! What then is the purpose of our gathering?"
This indicates that the gatherings of dhikr are not merely utter-ing the words "Subhan Allah, Allahu Akbar, al-hamdulillah," and similar meritorious phrases. Rather, they include those gatherings in which the commands of Allah, His prohibitions, the lawful and unlawful, and that which He loves are discussed. Perhaps this lartter form of dhikr is more beneficial than the former, since knowledge of the lawful and unlawful is obligatory for every Muslim in proportion to his needs. As for mentioning Allah with the tongue, it is largely voluntary and only rarely obligatory, such as dhikr in the mandatory Prayers.
What Knowledge is Mandatory for the Muslim

As for the knowledge of Allah's commandments knowing what gains His love and pleasure and what incurs His anger, such knowledge is obligatory for everyone. For this reason it has been related, "Seeking knowledge is mandatory for every Muslim." Hence, it is obligatory for every Muslim to learn the requisites of purification, Prayer [Salah], and Fasting [Sawm]. Furthermore, it is mandatory for everyone who has wealth that he learn what is obligatory in terms of Charity [Zakat] due to the needy, doing what is voluntary and what is compulsory, Pilgrimage [Hajj], and Jihad.
Similarly, it is mandatory for everyone who buys and selis that he learn what transactions are Lawful and which are unlawful. As Umarsaid, "No one sells in our market except one who is knowledgeable of the religion." A similar hadith has been related on a weak chain by Ali who said, "Understanding of religion precedes commerce. One who engages in commerce without properly understanding the religion falls into usury with little chance of escaping from it."
Abdallah ibn al-Mubarak was asked, "What knowledge is obligatory?" He replied:

lf a man does not have any wealth, it is not required that he learn the rulings of Zakat. If his wealth reaches the nisab [minimum level of wealth that obliges one to pay Zakat], it is obligatory that he learn how much he should give in Zakat, when to give, and to whom. Other taxable possessions should be created in similar fashion.

Imam Ahmad was asked about a man, "What knowledge is incumbent for him to seek?" He said, "The requisites for establish-ing Prayer and the divine commandments relating to Fasting and Zakat." He then mentioned the basic laws of Islam and said, "It is appropriate that he learn these." He also said, "Obligatory knowl-edge is that which is indispensable for performing his Prayer and establishing his religion."You should know that knowledge of the lawful [Halal] and unlawful [Haram] is honourable. lt includes learning that which is individually and communally obligatory. Some scholars have written that learning the lawful and unlawful is better than voluntary worship, among them are Imam Ahmad and lshaq.
Reluctance in Giving Religious Verdicts

The early imams were cautious about speaking about [the lawful and unlawful], because one who speaks about such matters is relating information from Allah, enunciating His commandments and prohibitions, and passing on His sacred law. It was said about Ibn Sirin, "If he was asked about something regarding the lawful or the unlawful, his colour would change. He would be transformed until he no longer seemed the same person." Ata ibn al-Sa'ib said, "I met people who, when asked for a religious verdict, would tremble as they spoke." It is related that when Imam Malik was asked about a legal matter, it was as if he were suspended between Heaven and Hell.
Imam Ahmad was extremely hesitant to speak on the lawful and unlawful, to claim that something was abrogated, or related matters which others would too readily expound. He frequently prefaced his answers with phrases such as, "I hope that...," I fear ...," or "It is more beloved to me...."
Imam Malik and others used to frequently say, "I do not know." Imam Ahmad would often say on an issue about which the righteous predecessors had various opinions, "The most likely answer is, 'I do not know.'"
Dhikr, Iman, and Ihsan

Gatherings of dhikr also include gatherings of Quranic exegesis [tafseer] and gatherings in which the way of the Messenger of Allah is related. Discussions that include the narration of hadith along with its explanation are more complete and virtuous than those involving narration only. These gatherings also include the discus-sion of all the legitimate Islamic sciences, along with their evidences and proofs. These sciences deal with outer knowledge and the inner knowledge of beliefs, constant awareness of Allah's watch over us, and the heart's perception of Allah's presence. The latter two com-prise the constituent knowledge of Ihsan [excellence in worship].
These gatherings also include the knowledge of humility, love, hope, patience, contentment, and other states of the soul. In the hadith of Angel Gabriel, ihsan has been designated by the Prophet as constituting [part of the] religion. Hence, understand-ing ihsan properly is essential to properly understanding Islam.
The Two Circles

Such gatherings are better than gatherings whose sole purpose is to remember Allah [dhikr] by repeating the phrases, "Subhan Allah," "alhamdulillah," and "Allahu Akbar." This is because learning one's religion is obligatory on either every individual or the community at large. Whereas, dhikr by extolling Allah is optional [in most cases].
One of the righteous predecessors [Salaf] of Islam entered the mosque of Basra and saw that two circles were established. In one sat a ser-monizer, in the other a jurist. He prayed a special Prayer in which he asked Allah's guidance as to which of the two circles he should join. He fell asleep then saw in his dream someone saying to him, "Do you consider the two gatherings equal? If you wish, I will show you the seat of Gabriel in the circle of the jurist."
Zayd ibn Aslam was among the most distinguished scholars of Madinah. He had a circle in the mosque in which he would teach Quranic commentary, hadith, jurisprudence, and other religious sciences. A man came to him and said:

I saw in a dream an angel who said to the people of this gathering, "This host is secure in the Gardens of Paradise." Then he sent down to them a tender fish, which he placed in front of them. Thereupon, a man came to them and said, "Verily, I saw the Prophet, Abu Bakr, and Umar emerging through this door. The Prophet, was saying, come with us to Zayd. Let us sit with him and listen to his teaching.' Then the Prophet went, sat beside you, and grasped your hand."

lt wasn't long after this vision that Zayd died, may Allah have mercy on him.
Despite what we have mentioned regarding the preference of knowledge to admonitions, the scholar must occasionally admon-ish people by relating stories to them. This is necessary to remove hardness from their hearts by helping them to remember Allah and His awesome power. The Quran includes this approach.
Hence, the learned jurist, in reality, is one who thoroughly understands the Book of Allah and implements it. Ali said, "The truly learned scholar is one who does not cause people to despair of Allah's mercy; nor does he give them warrant to rebel against Allah; nor does he leave the Quran, giving preference to other books."The Prophet himself applied this orientation.
He used to encourage his Companions in his sermons, fearing that he would otherwise overburden them.
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