Islamic Online University: Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies

Islamic Online University
Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies
ETH 101
Etiquettes of Seeking Knowledge 101
Module 13
© Islamic Online University ETH 101
Module 13 A
Alhamdullilaahi Rabbil A’alameen, Wassalatu Wassalamu A’laa Rasoolihil Kareem, Wa

alaa Aalihi washabi wa manistanna bisunnatihi ilaa Yawm id Deen.
All praise is due to Allaah and may Allaah’s peace and blessing be upon the last Prophet
Muhammad and all those who follow the path of righteousness until the Last Day.
In this session, we will be finishing point no. 7 which was begun in the previous session,
It is about beautifying ourselves with the elegance of knowledge. As a student of
knowledge, as a budding scholar or whatever, one should have the right priorities and should
have things in proper order, in order to truly understand what is most important. If seeking of
knowledge is most important, then our life style should reflect its' importance to us. It should
be evident to others; to whoever sees us. And it should be real, not that we are trying to
create a facade that people see us this way. Some brothers I know who were with me when I
went to the University of Madeenah didn’t used to iron their thawbs, their clothing. They
said, "there were no irons at the time of Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬. Ironing is just trying to
look tidy, so we’d just be simple." So they would wash their clothes and wear them no
matter how wrinkled they were. And they would walk around with the wrinkled thawbs, and
they would feel proud to wear it that way. But you know, these are extremes. We don’t need
‫عليه ّه‬
to go to that extreme. Yes, it is true that there were no irons at the time of Prophet ‫للا صلى‬
‫ وسلم‬, but basic groomed appearance demands that one’s clothing is ironed. So if wrinkled,
crumpled, creased type of clothing is associated with people who are of a lower status in the
society, with people who are thought of as a bum, then we as the people of seeking
knowledge shouldn’t have this kind of outward appearance. Because then the people will
judge the knowledge that we have to convey from that perspective. Like what kind of
knowledge can a bum give you, a bum's knowledge? That is how people will look at it. So
this is why you don’t want to give them this kind of impression. At the same time you don’t
want to go to the other extreme of being so stylish and up to the latest styles of this and that
and everything else, so that people see you as fancy and stylish. You don’t want to be there
either. Some people may like that, that so and so is stylish; he is with the styles and up with
the times. You don’t want to be on that end, nor do you want to be on the other end. You try
to find, as we stressed earlier, the middle path, a balanced path. The dunyaa is the means for
us to get to Al Aakhirah. Allaah has created us for the aakhirah. This knowledge that we seek
is the knowledge that will help us to get there. And since that is our priority, then it should be
reflected in our external character as well as in our internal character. This is what Shaykh
Bakr Abu Zayd has been stressing up until this point, that our beautification should be one
which is from within, as opposed to one purely from without or external or externally looking
good. No, we should be internally be good, because that’s what Allaah ultimately judges
everything by. So we need to be with Allaah. That’s what’s most important. So in closing
this discussion on adornment of oneself with the elegance of knowledge, Shaykh Bakr Abu
Zayd said: “And in the judicial book of the inspired speaker, the Commander of the
Believers, Umar ibn ul Khattaab said: “Whoever adorns himself with other than what he
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possesses then Allaah will disfigure him,” referring back to Ibn ul Qayyim’s explanation.
This point which Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd quotes in Arabic is “Man tazayyana bimaa laysa
feehi shanahu Allaah”. “Whoever decorates himself with that which he does not possess will
be disfigured by Allaah”. Now in referring to this statement from Umar Ibn ul Khattaab,
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd used the term "Al Muhaddath" to describe Umar; he gave him that
title. "Al Muhaddath" literally means the one spoken to. Spoken to means one spoken to by
Allaah. This title is based on a statement in which Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬has
said: “In yakun feekum Muhaddathoona fa Umar”. “If among you were those who have been
spoken to by Allaah, it would have been Umar”. Actually this statement which Shaykh Al
Uthaymeen mentioned is a part of a longer hadeeth, and it is found in Saheeh ul Bukhaaree
and Muslim and major books of the Sunan. In one of the narrations mentioned in Saheeh ul
Bukhaaree, narrated from Aboo Hurayrah, he said: “Qaala Rasoolullaah ‫للا صلى‬ ‫وسلم عليه ّه‬
laqad kaana fe man kaana qablakum min Bani Israaeel rijaalun yukallamoona min ghayri an
yakoonu anbiyaa' fa in yakkun fee ummatee minhum ahadun fa Umar”. “Aboo Hurayrah
quoted the Messenger of Allaah ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬as saying: “There was among the people
before you from Bani Israaeel, men to whom Allaah spoke, but who were not Prophets. If
there were to be among my ummah any one among them, it would have been Umar”. So he
gave him this title of "Al Muhaddath." Then he went on to describe it also. We said it was
the inspired one to whom Allaah spoke. Inspired one is "Mulham". And again he is the one
whom Allaah Great and Glorious has inspired and he spoke as if he was speaking in
accordance with revelation. This expression was considered problematic by some scholars.
It lead them to say: “This necessitates that Umar was the best of the sahaabah, because the
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬has said: “If there were among you those who have been spoken to,
Prophet ‫للا صلى‬
it would have been Umar”. This is the implication from the statement. Whereas we all know
that Aboo Bakr was the best of the Ummah after Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬.
Shaykh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allaah have Mercy on him) responded to this
question which was raised by saying that Aboo Bakr was better than Umar. Anyone who saw
how Aboo Bakr handled a crisis knows that Aboo Bakr was more correct than Umar. In the
treaty between the Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬and the Quraysh (the Treaty of
Hudaybiyyah) Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬came to an agreement with Quraysh, but
in the process he consulted Umar and he consulted Aboo Bakr. And after hearing the opinion
of Umar he heard the opinion of Aboo Bakr, and the opinion of Aboo Bakr was the same as
his, word for word. And during the fighting against the apostates, it was Aboo bakr who held
his ground. Umar ibn ul Khattaab was willing to negotiate with the apostates, those who
refused to pay zakaat. After Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬died, they took the position
that zakaat paid to Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ّ
‫ وسلم عليه ه‬was like tribute which you pay to the
rulers because that was what was common in the world at that time. When a ruler conquered
an area, the people of that area had to pay tribute to him. So he would take for himself an
amount of wealth, as they were conquered peoples. This was what they observed in the
world when they came into Islaam at the time of Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬, in the
later years of the Madeenan period. It was after the conquest of Makkah when people from
all over Arabia were coming into Islaam. Some of them came in at the last stage. So when
the word spread that the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬had died, they thought that there was no
more need to pay zakaat because zakaat was a tribute that they were paying to the ruler. So
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as the ruler was dead, no more need. They said they would remain Muslims. They said,
"We’re not leaving Islaam, we just don’t want to pay zakaat anymore." And when they were
told that as Muslims you have to pay zakaat, they brought their forces to Madeenah and
threatened to attack Madeenah if they were not excused from paying zakaat. So at this point,
Umar ibn ul Khattaab took the position that since they were praying, fasting, and doing the
other things that they shouldn’t fight with them at that point of time as they did not have the
strength. He thought it was better to just let them go. But Aboo Bakr took that strong
position. He said that if they paid a hobbling cord's worth of zakaat at the time of Prophet
Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬, they have to pay it now. They paid it then, they will pay it now.
And he called for his horse and basically said, "If nobody is going to come with me, I am
going to go on my own and I will fight them myself." Of course once he started walking
people came in line behind him and overcame those apostates who had excused themselves
from paying zaakat. And that was critical because Arabia was falling apart. What had become
one unit in the time of Prophet, ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬once he died, it started to crumble, and Aboo
Bakr was the one who saved it. Similarly, in terms of the army which was prepared by the
time Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬had died (before his death), he assigned Usaamah
bin Zayd who was fifteen years old to lead it. After the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬died, people
started grumbling, asking, "Why, he is just a kid?" But Aboo Bakr stood firm. This was the
decision of Rasoolullaah, ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬and he would not change it. And this was also the
time when forces all over Arabia started to array themselves against the Muslims. They were
in Madeenah and Makdah. The false Prophets Musaylimah and the others were already
gathering and making their armies. So Umar ibn ul Khattaab didn’t want to send Usaamah
bin Zayd at the head of the army. And he also did not want to send the army out at that time.
But Aboo Bakr stood his ground and executed the command of Rasoolullaah ‫للا صلى‬ ‫وسلم عليه ّه‬
and it turned out in the end to be the best decision.
And also we know that at the time when Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬died,
when Umar ibn ul Khattaab went in to Aaishah’s house, he went and raised the cloth which
was on the Prophet’s ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬head. He saw Rasoolullaah ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬, and he
put the cloth back and went out. Unable to handle the concept the he had died, he went out
with his sword threatening anybody who said that the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬had died, that
he would kill them. He said that he was not dead. And it was Aboo Bakr who came in to see
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬and he kissed him, and put the cloth back and went out and
the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬
pushed Umar aside. He told the people, "Whoever was worshiping Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫عليه ّه‬
‫ وسلم‬know that Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬is dead, but whoever was worshipping the Lord
of Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬know that he is Ever Living. So these are all circumstances
which show, as Shaykh al Uthaymeen went on to say, (he is quoting ibn Taymiyyah
actually): that Aboo Bakr’s opinions were more correct than those of Umar. However, what
caused Umar ibn ul Khattaab to be more prominent was the length of his Caliphate. Aboo
Bakr’s caliphate was how long? Two years. Umar ibn ul Khattaab’s Caliphate was how long?
Ten years. So naturally what could be done in his time was five times that which could be
done in the time of Aboo Bakr. And as he pointed out, his freedom to deal with the general
and specific Muslims also added to his prominence. He wasn’t tied up just to deal with those
who were trying to break up the Ummah, and breaking off from Islaam. He dealt with a
4
situation which had been settled. So Umar ibn ul Khattaab became most famous for these
matters. However at the same time, during Aboo Bakr’s time, there were huge things that he
did; for example, the preservation of the Quraan, in spite of the shortness of the time. That
was the critical move that he made at that time. Of course Umar ibn ul Khattaab had his
strong hand in it and he was the one who actually suggested it to Aboo Bakr. But Aboo Bakr
saw the importance of it and had it done.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to say: “If we asked who narrated the most hadeeths, Aboo
Bakr or Aboo Hurayrah," the answer would be Aboo Hurayrah. However, that doesn’t mean
that Aboo Hurayrah heard more hadeeths than Aboo Bakr”. Aboo Hurayrah was only with
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬for three years before the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬
the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬died. He
came to Madeenah from Yaman, with the Daws tribe, three years before the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ّه‬
‫ وسلم عليه‬died. Yet in those three years’ time he became the most prolific narrator of hadeeth.
The Shia' attack him by saying that he was fabricating hadeeth. And the Modernists also
say the same thing; that how could he have learned so many hadeeths? Of course, a lot of
times the numbers are exaggerated, because when you read in those books of the Science of
Hadeeth where scholars are speaking about the narrations of Aboo Hurayrah, they talk about
more than five thousand narrations. Actually, the actual number that he narrated was only
over one thousand and three hundred hadeeths. That’s the actual number of hadeeths. When
the scholars count the narrations, they count all of the chains. So he had ten students and each
student was narrating each of the hadeeths. An identical hadeeth may be narrated by four of
his students. So those four narrations were all considered his narrations. So this is where the
number became bloated to five thousand plus. So it seemed like a huge number, even with
the fact that the people had huge memories. But this was exaggerated. The actual number
was about one thousand and three hundred hadeeths. And if you think about it this way,
students who study in Madeenah University in the College of Hadeeth, are required in the
four years that they study to memorize one thousand hadeeth. Two hundred and fifty are
required every year, making one thousand in total. And they memorize all those hadeeths
with their chains of narrations. If you’re mentioning the hadeeth, you have got to deal with
who narrated it from whom. And you have to give the full names of the narrators. The
average hadeeth is going to have at least five or six names in it. So that increases the numbers
of the hadeeth. The average student has to memorize one thousand hadeeths. So at that time
Aboo Hurayrah's having memorized one thousand and three hundred is not so big anymore.
It brings it down to a level where you can say it’s attainable.
Module 13 B
And Aboo Hurayrah was the most frequent narrator of hadeeth and he explained why. He
said it was "because I didn’t used to work, I wasn’t married, I didn’t used to go out to plough
the field and look after the goats or whatever, I just dedicated myself to knowledge." And
one time when he came and complained to Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬about his
memory. He put his cloak on him, and made dua for him. He said, "from then on I never
forgot anything." So these are additional factors which made him outstanding. But the reality
5
is that, as Shaykh Al Uthaymeen went on to say: “Though Aboo Hurayrah narrated most of
the hadeeth, it doesn’t mean that Aboo Bakr heard less. No, it is just that Aboo Bakr didn’t
narrate all that he heard from the Messenger of Allaah ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ ( وسلم عليه ّه‬though there are
hadeeth narrated by Aboo Bakr also). But he really didn’t narrate all that he heard; he lived
it. In his decisions, he lived by what he received from Rasoolullaah ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬.
Because if he had narrated what he heard, what he gained from Rasoolullaah, ‫للا صلى‬ ‫وسلم عليه ّه‬
it would have been thousands of times more than what Aboo Hurayrah narrated. This is
because Aboo Bakr was the constant companion of Rasoolullaah ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬. Before
the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬received revelation, Aboo Bakr was his good friend. They were
good friends from a much earlier time. So he knew Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫وسلم عليه ّه‬
more intimately than anybody. So Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to say: “Because Aboo
Bakr was the companion of the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬, his companion in winter and
summer, in the day and in the night, travelling and residing, he received more hadeeths from
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬than anyone else. And he knew best his various states, but he
the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬
was not free to sit and narrate all that he had received from the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫” وسلم عليه ّه‬.
The position that he was entrusted with was one that required him to lead the Ummah after
the death of Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬. Even when the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫وسلم عليه ّه‬
was sick in the last years of his life, it was Aboo Bakr whom he chose to lead the Salaah. So
Aboo Bakr was engaged in maintaining the leadership as the Prophet’s ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬life
came to an end.
In conclusion, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to say: “That which was mentioned, makes
the answer clear concering the hadeeth "if there were among you those who were spoken to.”
The other issue is in regards to those who are spoken to, "Al Muhaddathoon," in the
narration that we mentioned earlier, ‘Qad kaana fil ummam qablakum muhaddathoon fa in
yakun min ummati ahadun fa Umar ibn ul Khattaab minhum”. This is another narration
found in Saheeh ul Bukhaaree: "That there were in the nations before you those who were
spoken to." In this narration which is from Aaishah, there is no mention of the phrase
"other than the prophets." "And if there was to be from my Ummah, (from them it would
have been) Umar ibn ul Khattaab, he would have been among them." It does not mean that
he would have been alone, but he would have been among them. This is another narration
where another aspect of what the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬said comes out. So we know there
were people to whom Allaah spoke to, but He spoke to them by the way of Angels. Angel
Jibreel came and spoke to the mother of Prophet Eessaa. And there were others to whom
Allaah spoke by the way of Angels. So that basically ended with the coming of Prophet
Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬. And "if there were to be any;" that’s what Prophet Muhammad
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬said. You have people who claim today that they are muhaddithoon, that
‫للا صلى‬
Allaah is still speaking to them, mainly amongst the Sufis. But there are others who make
that kind of claim. That was Mirza Ghulam Ahmad's claim; that Allah was speaking to him.
Of course he wasn’t even saying that it was through Jibreel. He was saying that Allaah was
speaking to him directly. But the point is, as the Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬said, ‘If
there were to be.’ By using this format, he is saying basically that there won’t be any more.
But if there were, it would have been Umar. So he closed that door.
6
Then the last statement which was made by Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd was that he quoted the
statement of Umar: “Whoever decorates himself with that which he doesn’t possess will be
disfigured by Allaah.” This was in a letter which was sent by Umar ibn ul Khattaab to Aboo
Moosaa Al Ash'aree in Yaman. He had been sent earlier by the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬along
with Mu'aath ibn Jabal, as governors of Yaman. So this advice was sent by Umar Ibn ul
Khattaab to him. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen describes this statement saying: “This is reality. If a
person beautifies himself as a student of religious knowledge, then every time a case comes
he rolls up his sleeves and says, 'I can handle it. This is halal and this is haram. This is wajib
and this is fardh. This is fardh kifaayah and this is fardh 'ayn. This has such and such
conditions, that has no conditions." He gives specific pronouncements and generalizes.
When a young or minor student asks him about something, Allaah exposes and shows that he
is not a scholar although he was pretending to be. He had this facade. Similar is one who
beautifies himself with acts of worship, so that it appears to people that he is a devout
worshipper, Allaah must expose him. Allaah must expose him for what he is.” This is
because otherwise such people would mislead the Ummah. Nobody would know. So one
way or another, Allaah exposes him for what he really is. So then he quotes a line of poetry.
“No matter what characteristics a man may have, even if he hides it from people, it will
become known.” And then he went on to say “No matter how much people hide it, Allaah
knows it and will expose those who do not work for His pleasure.” So he gave advice, saying:
“Use this phrase of Umar ibn ul Khattaab to weigh all of your deeds. Whoever decorates
himself with that which he does not possess will be disfigured by Allaah”. This was the
advice of Shaykh Al Uthaymeen, that we weigh ourselves, weigh our activities in that scale.
Who are we? Are we really seeking knowledge for the sake of Allaah? Or are we seeking it to
promote ourselves, thereby claiming for ourselves things which we don’t have a right to? If
that is the case then Allaah will expose us at some point in time.
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd (may Allaah have Mercy on him) said: “See the commentary of
Ibn ul Qayyim (may Allaah have Mercy on him)”. Now Ibn ul Qayyim, was one of the main
students of Ibn Taymiyyah. And he was called Ibn ul Qayyim il Jawziyyah because his father
was the Principle of Al Jawzee School in Damascus. Ibn ul Qayyim il Jawziyyah means the
son of the one in charge of Al Jawziyyah. It was a title with which he was called based on
what his father used to do. He is from the end of the thirteenth century, an early fourteenth
century scholar. His actual name was Muhammad Ibn Abee Bakr Ibn Ayyoob Az Zura’a,
which is an ascription to the place Ezra in the south of Syria. And he was a Hanbali scholar.
But if you would ask people today about who Muhammad Ibn Abee Bakr is, they wouldn’t
know. Also, it is like if you were asked something about Abdur Rahmaan ibn Sakhr. He
was one of the most famous companions of the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬. His name was
originally Abd us shams. The Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬changed his name from 'Slave
Worshipper of the Sun' to Abdur Rahmaan, but kept the name of his father ‘Ibn Sakhr’.
Sakhr means rock, son of a rock. So who was Abdur Rahmaan ibn Sakhr? Aboo Hurayrah.
So there are a lot of people like that. Like Aboo Haneefah was not the person, but that was
his name, becauses his daughter's name was Haneefah. So he is called Aboo Haneefah, but
his name was other than that. It was Nu'maan Ibn Thaabit.
7
Ibn ul Qayyim has students, and among them were Ibn Katheer, Ibn Rajab, and some of
the major scholars of the fifteenth century. And he spent a good portion of his life also in jail
along with Ibn Taymiyyah. They were put in the same jail. And he wasn’t released until after
Ibn Taymiyyah died in that jail. Anyway, he wrote a book. And when one reads it, it seems as
if he is describing this particular statement of Umar in that book. The book is called ‘Ilaam
ul Muwaqqi’een.’ Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said that this book, which is in three large
volumes, is like a commentary so long that it could almost be said that the entire book was
just a commentary of this hadeeth. Ok that’s the statement of Umar ibn ul Khattaab. And
actually the original meaning of it is is also found in a hadeeth narrated by Asmaa' bint Abee
Bakr that the Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬said: “He who describes himself with that
which he has not been given, he’s like one who wears two garments of falsehood”. This is
found in Saheeh ul Bukhaaree and Muslim and Aboo Dawood and An Nasaai'; all the major
Sunan. So, ‘Ilaam ul Muwaqqi’een’ is a commentary on this concept. It was a commentary on
its words from one perspective and a commentary on its meanings and lessons from another.
Because of that Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd indicated that this commentary should be looked at
for greater understanding of this note sent by Umar ibn ul Khattaab to Aboo Moosaa Al
Ash'ari.
So that completes the seventh point of beautifying ourselves with the elegance of knowledge;
putting it in proper perspective, and prioritizing our lives as students of knowledge.
‫ّه‬
Is this life about the dunyaa and its pleasures and its benefits? Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬
‫ وسلم عليه‬has said: “Ad dunyaa sijnul mu’umin”. “This world is a prison for the believers.”
“Wa Jannatun Kaafir.” “And Paradise for the disbelievers”. So if we are seeking this
knowedge for the sake of Allaah to please Him and to worship Him, then we worship Him
by learning, practicing, and teaching this knowledge. So then this world can’t be our goal.
We can’t be selling this knowledge for a cheap price; the price of this world. We have to be
trying to make this knowledge as accessible as possible, as freely as possible, to as many as
possible. Of course one has to live, so one has to also work. This is why many of the earlier
scholars, worked in fields other than the fields of knowledge. Shaykh Al Albaanee, used to
be a watch maker or a watch repair man. That’s how he earned his living as he studied. And
others, they were not known to teach and earn money from it. That’s why there were
questions about it. And that’s why if someone is paid to teach the Quraan, that’s really an
objectionable thought. So how scholars explain it is that they say that what you’re being paid
for is your time. It’s not that you should be paid to teach the Quraan because it was from
Allaah and that it should be given. You can’t charge people to give that which Allaah gave.
So instead they explain that you’re receiving a stipend, in order to look after your time to
free you up, because otherwise you will be out working to provide for yourself. So since we
are depriving you of this time to go to work, then we are giving you an alternative or a
substitute, by paying for your time and not for your teaching of the Quraan. This is how it is
explained and it is justified.
So these are the characteristics which we spoke about in earlier points, points four, five
and six, which talk about removing the various elements of pride, and about being humble,
adhering to the Quraan and the Sunnah, and so on and so forth. All of these characteristics
8
become what we seek to glorify or to beautify ourselves with. That should be our goal. We
feel that at that point when we achieve these things, we are beautiful to Allaah even though
we may not be beautiful to people around us. At the same time we don’t sink to the point of
being in a state which is rejected by people. It should not be that people are turned off from
the way we look, in terms of how we dress and how we keep our families. We said that we
have to find a point of moderation in this regard.
So in the coming session, Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd then focuses on point number eight
which is that of beautifying ourselves or adorning ourselves with honor, to be honorable, to
be known as an honorable person.
This session is closed. Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika nastaghfiruka wa natoobu

ilayk.
9
ETH 101
Module 14
Point 8
An Honorable Personality
A student of knowledge should have certain characteristics within himself. The student
of knowledge should have set of characteristics, as well as the scholar from whom they are
taking knowledge, and the books from where they are taking knowledge; all should have
particular characteristics. To be successful, one must follow proper etiquettes. Adorn
yourselves with honor and that which leads to it, such as good manners, a cheerful face and
spreading the greeting of Salaam. With regards to honor as mentioned by Shaykh Bakr Aboo
Zayd, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen commented, saying, "Muroo'ah" does not does not mean
manliness, but having a sense of humanity or consciousness about humanity, and those
around them, to act in honorable way and with humbleness.
Humanitarianism
The student of knowledge should do such deeds that beautify and decorate oneself, and
avoid what disgraces, degrades, and disfigures. So what any given society considers to be
honorable behaviour, this is what the student of knowledge should embrace. The student of
knowledge should be known as an honorable individual. If he does not have this
characteristic, then how will people respond to his call effectively, and to his work of
conveying the knowledge if he is not honorable? How would people respect him? A student
of knowledge should be known as an honorable individual. He should develop this
characteristic and have consciousness of all this. This is because people are attracted to those
who are honorable. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to say that this is a general term.
Everything which beautifies a person in the eyes of people which is a cause for them to
praise him/her is Muroo'ah. It is also sometimes translated as chivalry. It includes things
which are not considered an act of worship, but they are customary and traditional practices
which are considered respectable in the eyes of society. Although those who are not
practicing it are not commiting sin. But to be honorable is considered as proper manners in
the eyes of a given society. Technically speaking, there may be no wrong in a certain act
for a person in a certain area, but it shows the signs of disrespect, or discomfort for other
people in society. For a person in an area within a given society, what is considered as good
manners and honorable makes the society feel comfortable, then it is good to have this
characteristic. If people see as you as dishonorable person, they don’t want to listen to you
and they will reject your statements. In conveying knowledge one should take it into
account.
High Moral Traits
Among the high moral traits is to be forgiving, patient, and tolerant when it is
appropriate, and firm when the situation demands it. People with good moral character
should be sensitive to others' symbols of honor, or their traditional customary practices. One
has to be sensitive to the different customs of people, otherwise it interferes in their dawah
program. The Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬said: "I have been sent to perfect higher moral
character traits." (Imaam Maalik's Al Muwatta, 1614) Islaam teaches the middle path
2
between forgiveness and firmness. Islaamic principle distinguished between the two routes:
forgiveness as long as it does not lead to destroying people's rights, and firmness as long a s
it does not lead to injustice. Firmness is a good thing as long as it does not involve injustice.
And forgiveness is a good characteristic as long as it does not lose people’s rights. For
example, there is Qisaas, which is taking a life for a life. The Israelites were divided into
two extreme groups with regard to retaliation. One group required execution of a murderer,
with no choice for the relatives of the murdered person. That is the law of the Tawrah,
which is inclined to harshness and firmness.
Leviticus 24:20 says: "Fracture for fracture, eye for an eye, and tooth for tooth as he injured
another, he is to be injured."
Deuteronomy 19:21 "Show no pity, life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand,
foot for foot; there is no room for forgiveness in this matter."
The other group made forgiveness obligatory. "If one is injured intentionally, his family
members must forgive the killer." This is not actually present in the gospels. However,
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen quoted it , otherwise it is a basic rule to be applied, as the Tawrah
instructed. When Jesus saw the people who brought a woman accused of adultery; "Let he
who is without sin throw the first stone." That forms the Christians' position against capital
punishment. These are two extremes . The killer is to be executed, or he is to excused
because Jesus forgave. But Paul cancelled the Law of Moses. This shows how Islaam took
the middle position by giving relatives of killed people two choices, either to have the
murderer killed, or forgiving him with or without compensation. It is known that the
intelligent person will choose what is better for the general welfare and give precedence to
social welfare over anything else. The relatives of the murdered person take blood money
from the killer for killing that person if they are in need of money. But if for some amount
of money, they forgive that evil person, he could create more evil if he becomes free from
execution. Thus, it is not wise to look at personal affairs over general welfare, but to take
steps to that which is better. And if for the sake of Allaah, they will go to execution, Allaah
will replace it with something better.
In the Western society, the punishment of execution for murderers is referred to a jury.
Actually what they do is, they judge the criminal easily to let him go depending on their
whims. But Islaamic law puts the decision on the relatives of the killed person who actually
suffered the loss. The severity of punishment will vary due to the jury’s different mood at
the time. Fluctuation in terms of judgement in the Western world always happens, but it
doesn’t take place in Islaam according to people's mood. Based on the law in Islaam, a jury
used to qualify judgements by looking into the situation. Islaam gives choices to the
relatives of the killed person to let the murder go or to punish the murderer, according to the
situation.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen commented that, "When people are given choices like these it is
not good for them to look at harm or profit involved here." If someone’s relative is killed and
he was not a good person, then they should really let the murderer go. The benefit from it
3
they can demand is compensation for that in such circumstances. If the relative was good
and the person who is murderer is evil, but here the relatives of the murdered person need
money, they can proceed to the option of taking diyah, (blood money) the payment for the
killed person. It’s not wise because on doing that, the killer who is very bad can kill more
people if he has been freed. But we should look at the general welfare and social welfare.
Allaah says, "If you give up something for Allaah, Allaah will replace it with something
better." Ibn Taymiyyah follows Imaam Maalik‘s view on this issue. He made it obligatory
in the case of premeditated murder or assassination, that the killer should be executed even if
the relatives forgive him and he has small children in need of his maintenance. The killer
should be executed here. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen commented on this, explaining, "Because
the person who was assassinated has no means to defend himself in this matter."
"Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allaah and His Messenger and strive
upon the earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their
hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for
them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment. Sooratul
Maa'idah: 33
In the case of non premeditated murder meaning spontaneous killing , where a murderer
is not so excited in murder, it was an unplotted murder like suddenly killing, if this happens
then he may be let go, paying diyah (blood money). In the system of western society,
people remove capital punishment from their policy. In maintaining security and peace,
Islaam has the best of all laws.
In Arabic, good characteristics is called "Makaarim ul Akhlaaq." Having a cheerful

face is a part of that. The Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬said that having a cheerful face is a
form of sadaqah, charity. And the Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬said, "Do not
abuse anyone, do not look down upon any good work, and when you speak to your brother,
show him a cheerful face." [Sunan of AbuDawood, Hadeeth 1889] And while teaching
younger people, we need such characteristics. And we should avoid complexity in Islaamic
fields while teaching. However, we should not be cheerful to criminals or bad people.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said, "Be cheerful two-thirds of the time and leave one-third for
special circumstances where it is appropriate." Let a cheerful face be among your good
characteristics that attracts people, so that they can love you and confide in you. But If you
are harsh, stern, and bitting your lower lips, people will fear you and will not be able to
speak to you. But if the circumstances do not allow you to be cheerful, then don’t be
cheerful. Consequently, a person should not be scolded for having a stern attitude always,
nor should one not be praised for leaving it always. A general principle is that maintaining a
smiling face is best for fulfilling our goal of sadaqah.
Greeting People
Abdullaah bin Umar narrated that "A man asked the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬, "What
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬replied, 'To feed (the poor)
sort of deeds in Islaam are good?" The Prophet ‫للا صلى‬
and greet those whom you know and those whom you do not know." And more reward may
4
be for greeting those we don’t know over those whom we know. Greetings to those who
deserve it means the Muslims. If people are invoved in corruptions, then it is better to avoid
greeting greeting them. Aboo Ayoob Al Ansaaree narrated that the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫وسلم عليه ّه‬
said, "It is prohibited to boycott your Muslim brother for more than three days, and the
better of the two is the one who is the first to give a greeting." (Bukhaaree and Muslim)
If a Muslim does something wrong which will split up the Muslim community like major
sins, then boycotting is better. In this case, the separation is good for that evil person. In
the society where good is established and we boycott the evil person, then it makes him feel
separate and he would try to avoid sin. Here, it benefits the society. Where the society itself
is corrupt and a corrupt person is boycotted, in fact boycotting such a person may make him
more corrupt by intermingling with corrupt people of the society, then it doesn’t benefit at
all.
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬was the boycott of Ka'ab

One of the events during the time of Prophet ‫للا صلى‬
ibn Maalik. People's justification for boycotting is based on this story of Kaab’s boycott.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said, " The Messenger of Allaah ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬ordered the people
not to speak to Ka’ab, based on the command of Allaah. Even the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫وسلم عليه ّه‬
loved him and so he used to glance upon him when he was in the masjid for prayer. Did
the boycotting among the companions really affect the companions, or not? Yes, it did. It
turned him back to great repentance and turned him back to Allaah and His Messenger ‫صلى‬
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬, and Allaah released him.
‫للا‬
Say salaam to all, except those who are disobeying Allaah and His Messenger ‫للا صلى‬ ‫عليه ّه‬
‫ وسلم‬. As for greeting non Muslims, it is forbidden for us to begin with peace towards Jews
and Christians and it is worse in the case of other non Muslims. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen
commented, "If they greet us, then return the greeting in a good way that is commanded by
Allaah in the Quraan. By just by saying 'wa alaykum', and 'upon you', if they greet by
saying salaam with ill feelings in their heart. Then the greeting is in manner that they greet
us . The importance of spreading the greeting of Salaam has been stressed, because it
spreads love, friendship, and brotherhood with one another and even between teacher and
student. Some would feel friendliness and love in their hearts for their friends, so they
would not give the greeting of salaam, considering it not so important. This is wrong
because the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬‫وسلم عليه ّه‬ commanded us to say Salaam, because we should
express our feelings in the way that is more superior than the feelings in the hearts, by
greeting with Salaam. This should be a standard characteristic and practice of Muslims, as
the Companions practiced saying of Salaam to each other. In spite of different mathhabs, but
with the same goal, we should keep this habit of Salaam.
In regards to enmities in the hearts among groups, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said, "Today
there is handful or some of the people identified with one Jamaa'ah or movement, if they
would only greet each other instead of attacking each other with words. And if they were
given the chance to attack each other with swords, I don’t know whether they would do so or
5
not. And they curse each other, or drive people away from each other, even while their the
goal is the same, and that is to come closer to Allaah by worshipping only Him. But they
avoid saying Salaam.
Conclusion
There should be no hatred in such beautiful works of dawa’h for making good
brotherhood. Abandoning even giving Salaam is evil. This is the way of those people who
are deviated; who are opposed to Islaam fundamentally and are denying the correct
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬and his companions.
interpretation of the Quraan given by the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬
6
ETH 101
Module 15
This is session 15 of the course on The Etiquette of Seeking Religious Knowledge based on a
book by Shaykh Dr. Bakr Abu Zayd. The book is known as “Hilyatu Taalib-il-Ilm” or the
Adornment of the Student of Knowledge, and translated as the “Etiquette of Seeking
Knowledge. This Book has been commented on by Shaykh Al Uthaymeen under the title
“Sharh Hilyatu Taalib-al-Ilm” or “The Commentary on the Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge.”
And this course is based on the translation of that commentary along with the translation of
the usual text and some comments from myself. This session 15 is continuing on from session
14 in which we looked at Point number 8: “Adorning Oneself with Honor” and from that
section Shaykh Al Uthaymeen discussed the first three characteristics of honor, wherein
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd had said to adorn yourself with honor and that which leads to it, such
as good manners, a cheerful face, spreading salaams, showing forbiddance, hating
haughtiness, having self concern, self esteem which is free from tyrrany and being gallant.
This section in Shhaykh Al Uthaymeen's sharh (commentary) actually only covers the first
three characteristics.
In the whole of our previous session, Session 14, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen elaborated on
the concept of spreading Salaam and focused on the illegitimacy of boycotting our Muslim
brothers. So he spent the whole section of about 3 pages of his book talking about the
harms of it. We spoke about it in our last session that, mentioning that it was inappropriate.
He mentioned the time when it was done was at the time of Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫عليه ّه‬
‫ وسلم‬where it had an effect, had benefit. Otherwise he spoke against it, when it went against
the clear principle stated by the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬in which he had said: “It is not
permissible for a Muslim to boycott his brother (or her sister) Muslim for more than 3 days,
each one going on a separate way." And the one who gives the Salaam first gets the greater
record for having made the attempt to renew the relationship first. So that being a
fundamental hadeeth, boycotting is considered as an exception, not a norm . The norm is that
the relationship should be constructive among the Muslims. Because once you open that
door and you make it allowable, and then now everyone judges everyone else and then
certain people are not talking to certain people as it happened in the ranks of Muslims in our
own times. So Shaykh Al Uthaymeen spent a lot of time on it. Shaykh Naasir ud Deen
AlAlbaanee openly said that it is not permissible at this point in time because the harm from
it is far greater than the benefit. What his argument was, was that where the majority of
Muslim people, the majority of the ummah is in a state of bida'h (innovations), then to
boycott a fellow Muslim because of an issue of minor bida'h, in case of boycotting them, that
results in pushing them into the group or the main body. Boycotting them is not going to
change them, because that’s the state of the ummah as a whole. So the state in which it
worked for Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬was that the Ummah was a believing
ummah. So when one member of that ummah or a couple of members of that ummah did
something wrong, boycotting them brought them back in line. It made them realize their
error and caused them to repent to Allaah and it brought them back. So as I have said, Shaykh
Al Uthaymeen has spent the whole of the previous section in his book just dealing with the
first 3 points. So there remains about 5 points which Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd had mentioned.
2
He mentioned showing forbearance, that is being patient with people as prophet

Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬had said: “The believer who mixes with people and bears their
harm is better than a believer who does not mix with the people and does not bear their harm,
but there is good in both”. So the student of knowledge, one who is seeking and gaining that
knowledge, he or she has to mix with the people. That is either as a student to mix with the
teacher, or in order to be the best student, the best student is the one who learns, and who
teaches what he has learned. Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬said: “The best among you
are those who learn the Quraan and teach it to others.” So obviously, learning and teaching
is superior to just learning. So for a student to be an effective student, he or she must be
engaged in passing all that knowledge to others. And once we enter into that realm, we enter
the realm of harm because people will falsely accuse you. If you have gained the correct
knowledge and you are dealing with the community who are in ignorance, that correct
knowledge will be false for them. And they will accuse you of teaching false knowledge, or
of innovating when you are actually trying to bring them to the actual path of what Islaam
really is. But from their perspective, you are trying to change Islaam. So they will speak ill
of you and call you with different names like "Wahaabis", "Ahlul Hadeeth", a variety of
different names which means you are somehow an evil deviant. They might even call you a
kaafir. Or you will find people who may just be disrespectful based on to what you say, just
because it’s their culture. Their knowledge of Islaam consists of cultural teachings and what
you are saying appears to them to be a challenge to their culture. And the culture fights back.
It doesn’t like the change. Culture likes the ability to go with the flow. "Don’t rock the
boat." These are the words of culture, and custom, which are fundamentally opposed to
change. So once you are calling for a change, then you would be looked at as a deviant, the
one who is trying to rock that boat. Or they will be disrespectful because they will feel that
you are being disrespectful. You are not respecting their culture that was for their
grandparents and their grandparents and their grandparents. Who are you? You are just a
young person. You have just come out of the nappies and now you have come to tell us what
the religion is? This is a kind of attitude that one has to bear when one takes up the
responsibility of conveying the message. And one is going to bear the harm.
The second point which was not covered by Al Uthaymeen was hating haughtiness.
Actually that was a used translation; the original statement was really about having self
respect and pride. It was not just about hating others. It was that one should have the sense of
self respect and pride which is based upon the knowledge one has, feeling proud of that
knowledge. This is from the legacy of the Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬which should
be respected. And the person carrying it should also be respected. So all of you are in the
position of respect. However, not such that you desire a special place or treatment because
of that knowledge. People commonly have certain places for the Maulana. There is a special
place for the Maulana in the masjid that he is given, and a reserved spot for the Maulanas,
and these kinds of things. And if one is expecting this, then this is a kind of haughtiness. It's
not first come, first served; it is my spot. It is like in Christianity, and Judaism. In Judaism
you have to buy your spot. The more money you have, the better your spot. Christianity also
has similar cases. There is special place for special guests, and for the biggest contributor in
the church. In Islaam, we do not have such a place. And Muslims don’t do this. This is all
3
done by Christians and Jews. But people will do this. They will put up special places, put
special rugs near where the Imaam is. And everyone there knows that they are not going to
pray there; it is there for special people. And this is not Islaam, not at all.
And the student of knowledge should be humble. Wherever he finds himself, he climbs
up, regardless. People will be saying of course, "Do you want to step back?" No, actually
nobody should step back from the front line. The front line is the best line. The right side of
the front line is the best place. For you to step back and let somebody else come forward is
like your saying: “I don’t need extra blessings “. You can’t afford that, it’s blessings. You
should never give up that place, regardless. Unless he is an old man, Ok, he came, he is going
to get his reward there. We feel these kinds of obligations. In Islaam we have these
obligations. We compete with each other in righteousness, which is going to be righteous in
the front line. Now what people do is that they have young kids in the front line. They will
take away their places in the front line. Again this is not right, because what are you telling
that child? Because what you are telling the child is a wrong message. You are setting up
messages that there are special places before Allaah, which have been prepared?
The third is having self esteem, free from tyrrany. The student has self esteem or a sense
of worth without being dictatorial or authoritative. What I should mention in terms of the
haughtiness was where that student of knowledge would have an " I know more than you
attitude," this attitude of I know more than you, so then you don’t even have the right to ask
the question or proofs of what I am telling you about. If I am saying that this is wrong, this is
haughtiness, because why can’t you? Why can’t you bring the proof? The scholars of the past
brought the proof. You don’t tell the people where to find that, but one has to take this point
as a student of knowledge. This is haughtiness wherein one feels that he is above
questioning. And some people asked me before about when they are going to seek
knowledge, who should one seek knowledge from? There a number of teachers in that area.
Well, one of the signs of the persons from whom you shouldn’t seek knowledge is from the
one who tells you "How dare you ask. " The one who doesn’t want to give the proofs says,
"When I told you so and so, that should had been enough for you; what can you understand,
who are you? You haven’t even studied? Even if I tell you the proofs, you would not
understand." These are all types of statements that they will say and this is just a kind of
haughtiness. Where you find a scholar who talks in that way with this haughtiness , this kind
of attitude, then you know that this person is not the person you are seeking. You will find
some other guy who would be willing to help you find the evidences.
So the third point is about self esteem free from tyrrany, being self esteem or sense of
worth, without being dictatorial or authoritative, that is, exploiting the respect of others.
Because the person seeking knowledge will be respected by the people, by a group of people
anyway. They will respect him or. And they will often times want to carry a bag, or books
or shoes or whatever for him. And of course they insist and you don’t need to fight them
over it. You don’t need to discourage them. If people insist on it, saying "no, no brother"
then it is okay. But if one expects people to come carry a bag or shoes, then that’s a whole
different realm. So again, you may see scholars who have this kind of attitude who will be
upset with you if you don’t run and come and carry their shoes. And then he will look down
4
at you, as if you are disrespctful. And this has happened in some countries. For example,
like Nigeria where the students show respect to their teacher by prostrating to them at their
feet. They prostate at their feet. This is from Hindu culture. Hindus prostrate at the feet of
their teachers while in the class rooms. Even in Malaysia they still do that. They kiss their
parents' shins, below the shin, so they are prostrating on their shins. It is their custom,
coming from their Hindu heritage.
So when a student of knowledge seeks respect, they will be commanding the younger
people, saying, "Take my bag, my shoes," because people are respecting them now, then they
will lose that respect and it becomes evil. It becomes tyrrany of the scholar. Also at the
same time he mentioned that one should have self esteem. And that one should be confident
about the knowledge that one has, and that one has properly researched topics and they
have good knowledge about it, then they should be confident about it. They should present it
in a confident manner. But at the same time, in presenting it when one is certain about it,
then it shouldn’t be done in a way that you are beating people by this knowledge. Some
people when they gain knowledge are just looking for people they can beat up with their
knowledge, catch them and drop a bomb at them. This kind of attitude goes beyond self
esteem and going into the realm of arrogance, and tyrrany.
The fourth point concerns being gallant but not for the sake of zealous partisanship, being
gallant or gentle without fanaticism or tribalism. This means that one may proudly represent
one's country or one's school. For example, you are In a class and a discussion comes up
and your country is mentioned. You should not feel shy about your country if you are proud
of your country. It is your people, good people. You have a sense of gallantry with regard
to representing your people or your school that you studied in, or your university. There is
no harm in dealing that way, but you feel that way by not putting people down. The problem
comes if you feel good about your country and now you have to put down other peoples'
country. You feel special about your school, so now you have to put down other people’s
school so that your school becomes even higher. You feel that the more you put down the
other school, the more you feel higher than those schools. This is considered a sort of
fanaticism or tribalism where one has this attitude towards his tribe and his country. And
feeling fanatical about it, they do more wrong.
The fifth principle was that of what the translator of the book in English said was that of
being fanatic without being patriotic. Actually this is, as I said last time, a mistranslation
because being fanatic is not something commendable. Fanatic is a negative expression. So
its better to translate it as being loyal without being blindly or fanatically loyal. So your are
loyal but not it is not a blind loyalty. So defending one's country when wrongly depicted;
that is being loyal. You will defend your country or school. But you will defend them
where they wrongly depicted. But now if somebody is telling the truth, you don’t defend or
hide the truth to prove your country or your people as being perfect. That is deviation. One
is deviated with that. Being loyal to one’s teachers or scholars, again it is reasonable to be
loyal in the general sense that one will defend one’s teachers and scholars which one respects,
when they come under attack. That is perfectly okay, perfectly reasonable. But it shouldn’t
be blind loyalty, meaning that you accept all their opinions, it doesn’t matter what their
5
evidences are, or whether it is right or wrong. It doesn’t matter, whatever they have said is
correct; that’s enough for you. That is blind loyalty. When people have such a kind of
opinion, then they don’t accept any kind of criticism made of their teachers or scholars. It is
a problem. You have seen them in places where you have certain leading leaders, for
example, if you talk about the era of the people of Syed Qutub, the people of Ikhwaan ul
Muslimeen. If you mentioned any error of Hassan Al Banna, this is a blasphemy, they think,
because these are the leading figures. They don’t tolerate anyone saying say anything about
them. Or Jamaat-e-Islaami, if you speak about Maulana Mawdoodi, again people would be
very upset if you try to point out any errors he made. You have to clarify that he is a human
being, he made an error. And of course, like all of the scholars of the past it is expected that
there should be an error here. So we should not be deifying them regardless of whatever.
Even Shaykh Al Uthaymeen and the Salafees of this century, there are certain big figues like
Shaykh Bin Baaz, Shaykh Naasir ud Deen AlAlbaanee, and others, if somebody points out a
mistake, some will say that it can't be." No it's not a mistake. The mistake is in your
understanding. They have brought you the proof, but no it's your mistake, I cannot accept
that these people have made a mistake." This is now blind loyality; loyality which has gone
beyond the bounds of what is acceptable Islaamically. So Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd is calling
us to avoid that kind of fanatical loyality.
Then he went on to complete the section on adorning oneself with honor. He went on to
say therefore avoid the affairs that tarnish your honor, whether it be in your nature or actions.
Or may be it be in indulging in actions. Or it could be evil habits such as showing off,
arrogance, boastfulness, and looking down upon others and to be seen in doubtful places. So
he warned against all of these.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen commented on this last section about Point Number 8 saying:
“And the student seeking knowledge shall adorn himself or herself, with humanitarism and
honor that he has learned. This indicates that the student should avoid and distance herself or
himself from any natural characteristics which are dishonorable, or non humanitarian. Try to
make your nature consistent with whatever is available. Although, for example, it is known
that using eye liners is not the same as using kohl. With kohl, you dip into container, then
take out a bit and put it in your eye. Eye liner is like a stick like lipstick. So one is not like
the other, meaning the actual grain of kohl or the chemical goes in the eye and the other is
just like a stick to put on your eye. So he said that using the eye liner is not the same as using
the kohl. Similarly, imitating manners is not the same as the natural manners. However,
someone who practices the same thing may turn acquired manners into natural manners and
imitations into the real thing. If a person tries to display good character, even though it is not
from his or her nature or it is difficult to repeat the practice, their condition will improve as
has been shown by human experience. And this is what the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬had
said. He said: “Whoever feigns patience, who tries to outwardly show patience even though
inwardly it must be an explosion but outwardly maintain a sense of patience, eventually they
will become patient." Obviously you are not doing this as a fake to trick people. Rather, we
are doing this because this is a better quality. It is better to be patient. So knowing that it is
better to be patient, one strives to be patient externally until it becomes an internal reality.
6
And when you do it several times, eventually it becomes your habit. And it is the same for
various characteristics which are not inborn, but they are learned by some people. Now some
people are born patient meaning they have a patient nature. But most people are not. So
most people have to learn it. Some people are patient; that’s just their nature. They don’t get
angry. But for most people, they have to learn it. So how do your learn it? We will learn it
with regards to what Prophet Muhammad ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬had taught us. And this is in
general with regards to the principles which we want to achieve. If we practice them
outwardly on a consistent basis then eventually they will become a part of our inner nature.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen went on to say that he had heard of some people who were far from
seeking knowledge, and of students with bad characteristics, that when Allaah granted them
knowledge, they became very good because they trained themselves to take the characteristic
until they become natural.
A person may gain knowledge and has a good intention. But his character may not be
good. But this knowledge is to be carried by those who represent that knowledge. So the
knowledge may be about a person's nature: kindness, patience, etc. So if a person is kind
but has no patience and is not good, then they have to gain these characteristics to be good
carriers of that knowledge. There is a particular example of self conceit and pride. Shaykh Al
Uthaymeen mentioned that to feel good about having deduced a new principle is not bad.
One should feel happy, but one should at the same time realize that this knowledge is from
Allaah. Yet this thought comes over him that is it his own idea. Where did this idea come
from? Did he actually create that idea or is this Allaah revealing it to him ? So, he should
thank Allaah for having granted him that knowledge.
7
ETH 101
Module 16
All Praise is due to Allah and may Allah’s peace and blessing be on the last Prophet
Mohammed ‫ص لى‬ ‫ و س لم ع ل يه‬and on all those who follow the path of righteousness until
the last day.
This is the 16th session of the study on the etiquette of seeking religious knowledge, based on
the book ‘The Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge’ (Hilyatut Talibul Ilm) by Dr. Sheikh Bakr
Abu Zaid. This book is beneficial because there are many people who study but don’t benefit
from that study. They will get bits and pieces of paper but that paper will not benefit them in
the life to come because their process of study was not one of worship.
It was merely the acquisition of information which could have been done in any other subject,
mathematics, as their approach to study is the same as the non-Muslims approach to studying
math, science or any other subject. So, if that is their approach then of course there is no
benefit in the life to come. One may benefit in this life because having a degree, which says
you are a graduate of Islamic studies, it opens certain doors for you to be able to do certain
things. But in order for one to gain from this course of study, scholars traditionally, they
practice that before starting a series of courses in whatever field, whether it is tafseer, Fiqh or
whatever, they teach student a series of lectures on the etiquette of being the religious
student, Etiquette for Seeking Religious Knowledge. This book, Hilyatut Talibal Ilm, is also
taken from many other earlier books, the books which have been around for centuries. Sheikh
Bakr Abu Zaid has extracted from the earlier works, added many points to it, points that he
saw relevant and Shaikh Al Uthaymeen did a commentary on that work called ‘Sharul
Hilyatut Talibul Ilm’ (A Commentary on Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge). So this is what
we are working with. In terms of the text we are on page 29 of the text.
Etiquette Nine: Masculine Qualities
We were looking at point number nine with regards to the manners of the student relative to
himself. Because there are manners of the students relative to his teacher, books, his/her
classmates, these are variety of different elements that the student of knowledge would be
interacting with, so there is an etiquette that should be followed with regards to all these areas
of knowledge as Islam is a complete way of life and addresses all of the various human
interactions.
So, carrying on to point number nine where Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid says “enjoin masculine
qualities (this is what is translated as “Ar-Rijaala”) which include bravery, forthrightness,
noble manners and giving to good causes until the ambition of men die before reaching your
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level, equally beware of the qualities that oppose them, such as being doubtful, impatient,
weaken nobility, for indeed they destroy knowledge and cut of the tongue from speaking the
truth and they lead him head long into his enemies in such a state where they rush the faces of
the pious among the slaves with their poisons.”
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid began speaking about the masculine qualities including bravery etc.
Shaikh Al Uthaymeen comments saying this point is a completion of the previous point, point
eight which had to do with honor, it was adorning oneself with honor, doing the things which
people generally categorize as honorable, the student of knowledge should be known as an
honorable individual, he/she is carrying the word of Allah, the Quran, directly from the
Sunnah of Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬, he/she is carrying that knowledge and it
should be carried in an honorable way, because the people will respect the knowledge if they
respect the person, but if they don’t respect the person then the likelihood is that they won’t
respect the knowledge that the person is carrying also.
In point eight we spoke about manners which varied from general appearance like a cheerful
face; that the student of knowledge should be cheerful, pleasant in dealing with the people,
he/she should give Salams to everybody whether it be the other students that are with them,
or the people in general, they should be free in giving the Salams, being the first giving it to
them, and they should be patient because the course of seeking knowledge acquires patience
dealing in the negative elements, the satanic elements that will undermine the process of
gaining knowledge and that one should be free of haughtiness, having self esteem without
being tyrannical, so and so forth, and being also not being patriotic.
So, the masculine qualities, as Shaikh Al Uthaymeen points out is an extension of point eight
which has to do with honor, bravery etc, these can be added among the honorable
characteristic for which people will hold the student of knowledge with highest esteem.
So this point is an extension of the previous point as enjoining the qualities of masculinity is
a part of honor in being a gentlemen, for if a man puts himself in the ranks of men who are
really men in full sense, he will have the qualities of bravery, forthrightness, noble manner,
charitable nature in the cause of Allah until the hopes of others will be lost for attaining their
stature, they will give up trying to compete with you in these characteristics.
Bravery is courage, boldness is daring when it is wanted, meaning that it must be preceded by
reason, reflection and experience. So Shaikh Al Uthaymeen speaking about this quality of
masculinity, talks about basically the male student that he must have the qualities of men, that
3
he is not effeminate, squeamish, etc. If the issues arise, he will be in the fore front to do the
right thing, that he has courage etc.
He adds to it charitableness etc and they are this boldness and daring as he pointed out is
boldness and daring where it is wanted, where it is needed, where it should be because not
every circumstance requires or benefit from boldness but where it is required then it should
be, then he quotes from Al-Mutanabbi saying, “Opinion before bravery of the brave, it comes
first and bravery should be in the second place, if the two of them come together in a free
soul, bravery would reach the heights of all possible hopes”.
So bravery and opinion, having opinion here means reason, there is a time and place for
bravery and there is time and place when you should retreat, wisdom comes in here, so where
one has that sense of reason and wisdom then bravery can be applied in the best way and
carries that individual to the heights that human beings can achieve with regards to this
quality.
So, there must be reason first, because bravery without reason will collapse and will have the
opposite result of what was intended with the courageous act. When a person becomes brave
in the circumstance which is not reasonable then it becomes reckless, because the people may
call it brave, but actually it is reckless, destroying himself in a circumstance which is totally
unnecessary. There was no need for him to do it.
Similarly, firmness regarded the truth by being strong in the position and patience with the
harms that it brings, but it should also be preceded by reason, it shouldn’t be without reason,
meaning one is fanatic about a position, and this you find among many, they have different
degrees of knowledge but they are fanatical about their position in an unreasoned way, it is
simply because they are Hanafi or Shafii or Maliki, that they hold firm to their position. They
feel that to go against their position when evidence comes to them is wrong.
When Rasool Allah ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬did not do this, or he did it in a different way,
whenever that evidence comes to them they will reject that evidence, they will not accept it,
because they feel that in doing so they are going to dishonor the founder of the math'hab Abu
Haneefa, Imam Shafii or Imam Malik or whoever it is.
But in reality, Abu haneefa wasn’t a Hanafii, as we have said on numerous occasions and
neither was Imam Malik a Maliki but the people who by associating those names then
become rigid and fossilized in their opinions and positions believing ignorantly that to uphold
the math'hab was to uphold the imam. We might do that with Rasool Allah ‫صلى‬ ‫سلم و ع ل يه‬
4
. Rasool Allah ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬has said something which is authentically reported to us, and
our reason might tell us otherwise, but because it has come to us authentically we hold on
firmly to it, and put our reason aside. That has to do with our faith. That has a place, but
that’s the only place, either it is from the Sunna or it is something from the Quran, where if
we think, we imagine, it seems to us, where our reason tells us otherwise, in this case we put
our reason aside and we go with revelation.
This goes back to the concept of reason and revelation, which comes first? Revelation has to
come first. You apply revelation utilizing your reason but you don’t cancel revelation based
on your reason, and that was clearly demonstrated by the well known Hadeeth narrated by Ali
Ibn Abi Talib ‫ر ضي‬ ‫ ع نه‬in which he said, “if the religion were based purely on the reason
then we should wipe the bottom of our socks and not the top but I saw messenger of Allah
‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬wipe the top and not the bottom.”
This was based on the explanation how to wipe your socks but he is bringing out another
point in it, the point of reason versus revelation, reason says wipe the bottom of the sock and
revelation says wipe the top of the sock, then what do we do.
Do we argue that may be he made a mistake? That he didn’t understand that the bottom was
better to be wiped? No, we wipe the top and we don’t wipe the bottom and that is due only to
Rasool Allah ‫صلى‬ ‫سلم و ع ل يه‬. Why? Because Allah stated with regards to him, “He does
not speak from his own desires, what he speaks is only revelation that has been revealed to
him,” (Surah Najm 53:3-4)
Can we say that about any other human being? No, since we are unable to say that about any
other human beings, then no other human beings deserves to be followed that way, only
Rasool Allah ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬deserves to be followed in that way. Now, in everything else
we can use reason. If they have presented an argument, we use reason, we listen to their
argument: does it sound reasonable, did they bring enough evidence, so and so forth. We
determine whether to follow them or not based on reason, based on our reasoning, this is the
reasoning aspect. That the evidence that they have brought supports the argument that they
have presented and is better than the argument brought by somebody else in another school of
thought.
So, when this comes to us, we cannot say, it is not permissible for us to say I am Hanafi, or I
am Hambalai, and that’s why I do it that way, this is not permissible. People say it, but it is
not correct because they are required to think. Allah gave us reasoning abilities for a purpose,
5
not to shut it off and just blindly follow things through our life. So with everything, reason,
knowledge, understanding, wisdom should preceded otherwise, it goes over and goes in a
direction other than that which was originally planned.
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid mentions in his text that we should give to good causes until the
ambitions of men die before reaching your level. Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen explains that it meant
that we should be so charitable that we are competing in charity. We should be so charitable
that we reach the forefront, people cannot compete till they give up trying to compete with us,
that’s the kind of position that as a student of knowledge we should be in. As Abu Bakr ‫ر ضي‬
‫ ع نه‬was to everybody else, nobody could compete with him, so we should strive to have
that kind of a status.
Feminine Qualities:
When this book was written, it was written for male students (of Madinah University). So
point nine was called enjoin masculine qualities. Today we have many female students, so are
the female students to enjoin masculine qualities? Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬had
said, that the woman who imitates men is cursed by Allah as the man who imitates the
women is cursed by Allah. This is not something good.
Assuming that at least half of the students of Islamic Online University are women, for this to
be relevant, we will have to add another section that is for female students, they would be
expected to enjoin feminine qualities. Femininity is also called womanliness or womanhood,
while the defining characteristic qualities of femininity are not universally identical.
Some general patterns do exist: gentleness, empathy, sensitivity, caring, sweetness,

compassion, tolerance, nurturance, such behavior is generally considered feminine. So the
female student should have these qualities. She should not appear masculine.
However in the case of bravery for example, actually when Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid labeled
this point enjoin masculine qualities, we said that Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen said it is an
extension of the point number 8, it’s really about honor because when you look at the various
topics that are spoken about under the heading of masculinity there are honorable
characteristics which are not unique to men.
Perhaps bravery tends to be associated with men, men are in the front line, they will be
attacking the enemy, we think it in terms of bravery, courageous and so and so. If a rat comes
in the Masjid and women all run and we don’t say anything, they are all scattering, running
6
almost in every direction, screaming, we don’t say anything, but the man he goes running we
don’t expect him to do that, but for women we accept it.
But in other circumstances in life, you may find a woman prepared to sacrifice her life for the
life of a child, maybe when a man won’t do it. A man may be in a situation and he sees that
he is going to put his own life in danger, he will think twice, where as the woman she does
not think, she just automatically response to save the life of the child. And we find this with
most of the women because of the fact that the child came out of her, it was with her for 9
months, she breastfed it, so she has the closeness to the child that the man does not have, so
you might find her more brave than man in certain circumstances.
But in general, all of the other qualities that the author spoke about: forthrightness, noble
manners, giving to good causes etc, this is something both and men and women would be
expected to do. As for women with finances, she may not have the access to finances to the
extent that men have, but still the desire to want to give is as much. So this is something
significant and important to the women as it is to the man.
So as we said point number nine is, as suggested by Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen, an extension of

point number eight: noble manners. Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen goes on to say when Sheikh Bakr
Abu Zaid mentioned noble manners, noble manners was explained earlier to include every
noble character for which people are praised. This is general statement, we are not going to
go back over it again, and this idea of noble manners in Arabic is called Makaarim Al
Akhlaaq.
This terminology we find in the Hadeeth of Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫“ سلم و ع ل يه‬I was
only sent to perfect for you the highest of the moral character traits or the most noble of
manners”. So Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬summarized all of Islam and its
teachings from the perspective of noble manners, or highest of moral character traits, so that
comes under the general heading of masculine qualities, let us call them noble qualities.
So, both males and females should be beautified or adorned by these qualities, giving to good
causes, this is among the characteristics that Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid mentions and it’s worth
noting that as he said it includes sacrificing ones wealth, possession and knowledge and all
that can be given to others but only in the path of good. As for giving in the path of evil, it is
evil and giving to what is neither good or evil may be waste of wealth, time and energy. So
this quality of sacrificing ones wealth, this we know as charity is such an important quality in
a student of knowledge.
7
Which is why among the various noble characteristics which may acquire it was elevated to a
pillar of Islam. Think about it. There are many other qualities, high qualities, but this one of
being charitable, generous, giving to others, this quality in Islam elevated to actually a pillar
of Islam. Why?
Because this quality is one of the basis of our faith, why is it that we worship Allah, why is it
that the very first statements that we make when we worship him in our daily prayers is
Alhamdulillah, this is all about the generosity, and it causes gratitude, and gratitude is the
essence of our worship. To be grateful for what He has given us in our lives, so the causes
play such an important role.
This idea of generosity, charity, grace, these qualities are qualities of Allah ‫وت عال ى س بحان ه‬
in an infinite sense and we as human beings are expected to express them on a human level.
So all those who can’t focus on surplus wealth, the spirit of Zakah, is about sharing of those
in need on all levels of human existence, that’s the spirit of Zakah, its about sharing, you
have, others don’t have, you share with others, so that could be money, or as Shaikh Al-
Uthaymeen quoted, it could be possessions.
If you are in a higher position, a person is in need of help, you should be prepared even if it
means to sacrifice that position to help him. Sharing knowledge, of course, becomes
particularly important for the student of religious knowledge because sharing his/her
knowledge elevates the student in terms of their reward for the quest for knowledge. We
already said that Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬had said that “Allah makes the path
to paradise easy for those who seek knowledge”. This is the statement of the Prophet
Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬that whoever takes the path to seeking knowledge Allah will
make the path to paradise easy for them, that’s one level, and the reward is paradise, or what
helps us to get to paradise.
However, when one shares that knowledge, when one is charitable, giving that knowledge to
others, than that takes that path to a higher level, it elevates his/her reward for the quest for
knowledge to the highest of levels and that is why Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬had
said, “the best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it to others”.
He did not stop at saying, the best of you are those who learn the Quran, the acquiring of
knowledge but he said the best are not just those who do that. The best are those who do it
and teach it to others and this process of teaching is related back to this concept to generosity,
there is a link here, if you are generous person who is sharing and caring, worrying about
8
others, caring about others, sharing with others then you will also be a student who shares his
knowledge with others.
This goes without saying, because there is a spirit, we said there is a spirit of giving. That is
why the scholars of the past use to refer to teaching as Zakatul ilm, it is the Zakah you pay on
your knowledge. The Zakah you pay is teaching it, that’s how they use to refer to it, and we
should compete with each other in it, without hesitating and allowing others to beat us, we
should try to stay in the forefront in terms of sharing that knowledge with others.
Then Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid went on to say that at the same time we should beware of the
nullifiers of these qualities what will cancel the qualities, among them he mentioned
restlessness, dissatisfaction and anxiety, which is translated as being un-confident.
Actually if you look into the Arabic its talking about this other characteristic, the one is
restless, he doesn’t have a sense or she doesn’t have a sense of calm, they are dissatisfied.
They are always not satisfied with what they have, they are always complaining and in a state
of anxiety, they are always worrying to be in that kind of state.
This means that one has not acquired the knowledge properly. There are errors, problems on
the personal level which has to do with their own character which needs to be fixed, because
this type of characteristic, it weakens the individual’s ability to speak the truth. As Sheikh
Bakr Abu Zaid said, especially when combined with having having no nobility, having no
sense of honor, that the value of the knowledge one is gaining becomes lost.
Because one is restless and dissatisfied, they don’t like this teacher, they don’t like that
teacher, they don’t like the books, they don’t like the classroom, the seats are too hard, they
want softer seats, all kinds of things, they are just never satisfied, always complaining, this
kind of attitude where you have this state of instability, this is going to affect that person in
terms of seeking the truth.
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid said it will also lead the student headlong into his enemies, in such a
state, where he would then cause harm to the pious slaves of Allah. They are people who
when pressure comes on them they will do whatever is necessary to escape it, even if it
means harming the noble people.
They will agree to spy on their teachers, someone put a bit of pressure on them, so they agree
to say things, and then the more pressure put on them, the more things they say. They end up
lying just to please people. He/she may say these things and cause the harm to come to those
who are righteously trying to convey the message of Islam and righteously defending the
9
Deen and whatever. They will suffer because of lack of nobility and honor, in the students
themselves and where they are caught up so much with the Dunia that they are uncomfortable
with the difficulties that had come with seeking knowledge.
Etiquette Ten: Forsaking Luxury
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid describes point ten as forsaking luxury. This is actually a huge topic.
If we just look at the first part of it,:do not become carried away in comfort and luxury; for
asceticism is from Iman and take the advice of the commander of believers Umar Ibn Al
Khattab ‫ر ضي‬ ‫ ع نه‬in his famous letter in which he said: “so beware of the excessive
comfort and imitating Ajam (the non-arabs) and toughen yourselves and roughen
yourselves.” In the book this is page 30.
The Arabic said kitaab, here it means a letter which he sent to instruct the various
commanders of certain things to look out for. It’s a general advice, this statement “asceticism
is from Iman” actually this is a Hadeeth, and it is an authentic narration from Prophet
Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬.
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen begins the commentary saying that the statement “do not become
accustomed to comforts and luxuries” is advice to be said to both students of knowledge and
as well as others, because comfort in that is contrary to the guidance of the Prophet
Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬.
He used to prohibit a lot of luxury and command going without shoes sometimes. He used to
instruct his companions to go without shoes sometimes, to toughen themselves up, not to be
accustomed to just a comfortable soft life. A person who becomes accustomed to riches and
abundant possessions, it becomes difficult for him to meet the challenges of life, because
things might come to him from a direction in which there is no ease.
I will give an example that I mentioned of going shoeless, some people never walk around
without shoes, they either wear socks or slippers, if such a circumstances occurred in which
such a person is told to walk for 500 meters without having anything to protect his foot, he
would find it very difficult, it may even leave his food bleeding, just walking 500 meters on
the ground. If he had toughened himself and avoided luxury on occasions he would have
gained a great benefit.
Furthermore if the body is not used to these things it will not have any resistance to these
things, and it would suffer from the simplest of the things. If he had the resistance he would
not be bothered by these things, consequently we find the worker’s hand stronger than that of
10
student’s of knowledge, it is to be expected because they have become used to that kind of
lifestyle. Their hands are used for writing and typing and not for lifting and pulling things, so
much so that the worker in earlier times who built with cement and bricks, if you touch his
hands it would be like you are touching a rock, due to the roughness and toughness of their
hands, and if they gripped your hand, shook your hand it would be painful. T
The author’s statement “asceticism is from faith” is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence

from various worldly pleasures, living a simple life. Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫سلم و ع ل يه‬
said “be in the life like a stranger, like a traveler,” So you are only taking from this life what
is needed, don’t get comfortable in it.
Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬also said “The world is the prison for the believer and
paradise for the disbeliever,” because in it he/she can take whatever they want of pleasure,
enjoy, no restriction as long as they can get away with it, they are free. So for the believer,
he/she has a different perspective on life: simplicity. Taking what is needed, living without
excessive luxury, this is what is preferable.
The statement “beware of the style of the foreigners,” in this sentence of warning, the style
refers to their appearance. In this book, it is translated as “imitate the appearance of the
Ajam,”. Ajam generally means foreigners, it literally means Non-Arabs, but it means
ultimately non-Muslims.
So to explain in this sentence of warning which means style, appearance whether in

decoration or in jewelry, or hair styles or clothing for we are forbidden for adopting the styles
of the non-Muslims. The people intended by the word Ajam are Non-Arabs, and not Iranians.
Because in those days when they talk about Ajam they refers to Iranians, the Persians, they
are called the Ajam, so some people may argue that it just refers to Iranians. No, that was just
relative, because they were the largest group of Non-Arabs that they were dealing with.
So when it was used in those days it meant Iranians but now Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen goes on
to mention, it includes Europeans, Asian etc. However, Muslim non-Arabs are added to the
Arabs according to the implications of this ruling, as they follow the messenger sent amongst
the Arabs.
However, this is one of the characteristics that Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid and Shaikh Al
Uthaymeen both point to. As students of of religious knowledge, avoiding the blind imitation
of non-Muslims: their style of dress, the style they cut their hair, wearing of ties, and these
type of things are thing which many of the scholars they spoke very strongly against.
11
As a person who is seeking religious knowledge then he/she should be careful about avoiding
those styles which are specifically associated with them. And of course, where these styles
may involve breaking Islamic rules, the one which Shaik Albani used to stress especially for
men is the wearing of western pants.
Because western pants break Islamic rules for covering the aura, because Islamic rule for men
is that what is between the naval and the knee should be covered by loose garments, garments
which are so loose that the shape of the private part is covered, because Rasool Allah ‫صلى‬
‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬said that the shape of the private part should not be visible.
But western pants are designed to expose to awrah (the private parts). If you look at the
history of trousers, go on Google and look for the history of trousers, you will see stuff that
make you laugh, were it is so evident that they were just exposing their awrah, and the pants
that are around today are the descendents of the same earlier types of dress.
There are some break away fashions which actually, though we look at them with some
scorn, where people had a style here of wearing their pants where they are falling from their
behinds and where the bottom of the pants goes down almost to their knees. Though on one
hand it was bit gross because it was exposing body parts, upper parts of the body, between
the naval and the knee, but from the respect to covering the lower part of the awrah, it was
better, it was actually better.
It’s clear because though they are covering their lower awrah, they are exposing their upper
awrah. So, these styles of dress we have to be conscious, especially when we expect the
female Muslims to cover their awrah. We ridicule the women who wear the head scarf and
then its spandex. She has got a spandex outfit and she has got a head scarf on, we ridicule her,
say what kind of hijab is this, it’s a joke, but what are we doing? The bottom line is that
Islamically there is no double standard, what applies to the woman applies to the man with
regards to hijab but of course the area of awrah for the woman is greater than that of the man.
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen goes on to say the authors quotation of Caliph Umar’s ‫ر ضي‬ ‫ع نه‬
statement to roughen yourself in contrast to softness and luxury, ease and comfort, all of it is
advice of Umar Ibn Al Khattab ‫ر ضي‬ ‫ ع نه‬. If people acted upon it, were they the students
or non- students they would gain great good.
But today in the lands which Allah has blessed with security and a good life, abundance of
wealth, it has become the opposite. Luxury is present, and the people only want to ride
comfortable vehicle, build tall palaces, in which there is no suffering to be experienced, no
12
cold and winter, no heat and summer, nothing should touch them, complete ease and comfort,
as a result the sicknesses which result from the lack of activity is plentiful among them, like
obesity, high Blood pressure, respiratory diseases etc.
You will find among the youth, who if you try to climb a mountain with them, he can hardly
reach halfway up without struggling with exhaustion, and you are comfortable, and you don’t
really feel tired, why? because you are used to it and he is not, even though he is a youth and
he is just not used to it.
So, as a student of knowledge, student seeking religious knowledge should not be only at the
computer or in the books, having nothing to do with the world around them. They should lead
a healthy life style. They should be engaged in some hiking, some things which will strength
their bodies, because the body has a right, that it be properly strengthen so that when the time
of that strength is needed, when the circumstance called for him/her to make great efforts,
physical effort, to exert themselves physically, they are capable of doing it.
They haven’t become so soft and weak that they are unable to handle themselves in
physically difficult circumstances. So it is good for the student of knowledge to be involved
in some forms of sports, the good ones which are physically beneficial as well as the physical
body being healthy, it means the mind also is active.
When they are caught up in excessive sleep, and in too much food, because when the body
isn’t being used, then you get effected by obesity. This is one of the things that they speak
about today that obesity for the first time in history in the year 2005 there were more obese
people in the world, than they were people starving.
Obesity had outnumbered starvation, and when you look at the issues that the people are
faced with, what leads to obesity now, is not really what people eat. People may be eating the
same food as they were eating before, but before they lived an active life style so the body
would burn off these things and pass it out etc.
Where as once their lifestyle become sitting in front of the television 24/7 then of course
these foods and things which were normally handled by the body now become harmful and
people had to go on all sorts of diets etc, to try to keep themselves reasonably healthy.
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen goes on to point out: foreign styles are presen and the people follow
the latest fashion so closely, going to extremes in this issue. A woman comes in the morning
with the most fashionable dress: clean, covering, white, she goes back to the market in the
evening and discovers the new fashion or model on screen, and say that I want this dress,
13
even though it is tighter in the middle, not that good, less attractive, but still she think that its
new so she must have it, especially in the case of those whom Allah has granted wealth.
Like some female teachers, (and other living a western lifestyle in Saudi Arabia) you will
find their husbands unconcerned, allowing them to buy whatever they wish, this is a mistake.
Because of that, there is in the hands of women today many fashion magazines, which
women spend their time looking through wanting to buy whatever appeals to them even if
their clothes go against the Shariah but because they are new. I ask Allah for security and
guidance.
So this, being fashion cautious, running behind the latest models, styles and things, this is not
the way of Muslims, Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬said, “The Muslim is not an
imitator”, it is not the nature of the Muslim that he imitates whatever people do. This is not
their way.
So the fashion now is to wear your pants hanging below your ankles and this is a big issue for
the brothers but if tomorrow the fashion changes to the pants above the ankles like it was in
the 60s, when the hippy movement came. Hippy movement is the one who brought it down,
dragging down, prior to that it was above the ankle. In the military, it’s still above the ankles.
So when the fashion changes, so when Michael Jackson wears his pants above his ankles,
people want to imitate Mickle Jackson, would like to wear pants above their ankles.
This is not the nature of the Muslims, whether a male or a female, whether a student or not,
this should not be our way. We shouldn’t be driven by fashion, slaves to fashion. So pile up
clothes in our cup board, we don’t wear it anymore because it is out of style, this is nonsense.
The least we should do is give away to the needy rather than pile up because that itself is a
sin.
But running after the latest styles when we have clothes which are still good, shoe which is
still fine etc, this is a actually a kind of extravagance. we spoke about it earlier that this
should not be one of the characteristics of the student of Islamic knowledge. He/she should
not be extravagant in their life style. With that we are going to close this session, this is the
beginning of point number ten, there is a lot of other discussion which Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid
went into and we will be following that with the commentary of Shaikh Al Uthaymeen in our
next session, session number 17.
Subhana kallah humma wa bi hamdika , as haduan la ilaaha illah ant, nastaghfiruka, wa

natoobu ilaik.
14
ETH 101
Module 17
Muhammed ‫ص لى‬ ‫ و س لم ع ل يه‬and on all those who follow the path of righteousness until
the last day.
In our previous session, session 16 we began point no. 10 which focuses forsaking luxury and
this was one of the key characteristics that Dr. Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid identified as necessary
for a student of religious knowledge that he/she should not be submerged in the material life.
Students who want to gain Islamic knowledge, if the first question they ask is that what I am
going able to do with it after I graduate then this says basically there are in the wrong field,
they don’t have the right intention. It is not about what you are going to do with it after in
terms of making a livelihood. The point is of course one does have to look at one’s future but
that it does not become, “should I seek Islamic knowledge or should I not seek Islamic
knowledge depending on whether I will be able to make a good financial future for myself”,
that should not be the consideration.
Of course, one can look into different areas in which one may end up working because, of
course Islamic knowledge is vast and it can be used in so many different areas so one may,
for example seek to add additional courses while doing Islamic courses so that when one
graduates one has an area that they would focus on in terms of working in the future but as a
general characteristics one should forsake luxury, they should not be trying to live a luxurious
life, the life of a student should be a very basic life in which he or she focuses on seeking
knowledge of the religion in order to please Allah ‫ وت عال ى س بحان ه‬to practice it and to
convey it to others.
So in this session, session 17 we are going to complete the rest of the point no. 10 in which
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid continues to look at the issue of forsaking luxury and said “therefore
do not become inclined to this false civilization”. Civilization, he is referring to here because
in the previous session he had said beware of excessive comfort and imitating the appearance
of the Ajam or the non Arabs, really it meant non Muslim culture or non Muslim society.
One should toughen oneself and roughens oneself to be able to handle difficult circumstance
that may arise in the future. So this way of life which tends to be focused on comfort, wanting
life to be so comfortable, this is a product of a particular civilization, that civilization which is
we know as Western Civilization today. So due to that, he said do not become inclined
towards this false civilization and of course this is following in the footsteps of Rasool Allah
‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬who himself right up until he left this world slept on a bed on the ground
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made from the branches of palm trees covered with a thin sheet of leather which left the
imprint of the palm fronts on his body when he would get up from sleep that was the life style
that he choose to keep for himself till he left this world.
He could have very comfortable beds and a luxurious life because he had by that time
become the ruler of Arabia. So Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid goes on to say for this false civilization
will make one’s nature effeminate, this is of course in terms of men because women should
be effeminate and that this culture weakens resolve and ties you up with the ropes of false
hopes. So, while the serious people reach their destiny you remain stuck in the same place
over-concerned about the elegance of your dress. These are the external aspects, although
many of these things are not considered haram, they are not considered a part of good
conduct.
So a student of knowledge, in general, may have to avoid even what would be normally
considered to be makru even though there is no sin in it if one does it because it will be
considered a bad example and would be considered not appropriate. Then as a student of
religious knowledge we should avoid such practices, previously it was mentioned that even
things which may be considered mustahab (recommend) that if you don’t do these
recommended things again you are not in sins but for one who is seeking religious knowledge
that these recommended things almost become obligation on himself or herself.
Jewelry and accessories are also an indication of a person’s affiliation, rather it defines
himself or herself. After all, his dress is one of the ways of expressing himself, so be careful
about what you wear because it expresses to others what you are affiliated to, your
upbringing and your taste. Consequently, it is said that outside appearance or outside
decoration indicates one’s inner inclination.
Also people initially categorize you according to your dress. The way in which you wears
your clothes indicates to the on lookers how to categorize you in terms of dignity and
sensibility. It will show you to be a Sheikh, devote person, childish person or person who
loves to be noticed. Although, we always say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Reality
is that people do judge people according to how they dress themselves. So there will be
association from dress that’s not appropriate for one who is seeking religious knowledge and
association which are appropriate.
So when choosing one’s dress a student of knowledge has to be careful as he or she isn’t free
to just wear anything they want to wear, how they feel. They just want to express themselves,
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wherever it is just not appropriate that one has to have these other considerations. Wear what
makes you look nice and decent and wear not what makes you look indecent, don’t give any
excuse to anyone to talk about you or criticize you if what you wear and how you wear it
matches the nobility of religious knowledge which you have, then it is more likely that you
will be respected and that your knowledge will be benefited from, because people just from
the way you dress, may be turned off and not to take knowledge from you simply because of
the way you dress and how you carry yourself.
In addition to this, it will become a means of coming closer to Allah and a means of guiding
people to the truth. It was narrated that the commander of the believers Omar Ibn Al-Khattab
‫ر ضي‬ ‫ ع نه‬had said “It is more beloved to me to see the learned person in a white garment,”
that is in order that he be held in the highest esteem in the hearts of the people and in turn
they will respect the truth which he carries. People are as sheikh ul Islam ibn Taymiyya had
said like flocks of birds, naturally disposed to imitating one another.
Beware of childish dress, as for foreign dress its ruling is not hidden from you. However this
does not mean that you should dress in an unattractive manner, you should be moderate in
your dress according to the Shariah and adorn it with pious conduct and good manner. The
proofs for this can be found in the Jamia by al Khatib al Baghdadi.
These fine points should not be dismissed as insignificant because even now people of
knowledge still point out such things in books pertaining to softening the heart, books of
etiquette and books on dress and Allah knows best. Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen commented on this
section when the author mention forsaking luxury, he spent lot of times on external dress
because it indicates the internal state of mind. Thus you may find two people wearing
garments, resembling each other, one you look down upon while the other does not even
catch your attention, you feel contempt for the one whose dress looks different either in its
color or its design etc.
As such the second you would not raise your head to look at nor would you see anything
wrong in his dress because “every container should have in it what suits it,”. This is an
Arabic statement and what he is talking about here is that though two people would be
wearing the same dress, one wears it in a way which people normally expect you to wear it
and another one wears it in an another way which is unusual or strange and people when they
see somebody wearing clothes in an unusual and weird way, they tend to look down at him.
4
So he is basically saying to avoid this kind of behavior. The student of Islamic knowledge
isn’t free to just do whatever one desires. Shaikh Al Uthaymeen goes on to give an example
of the Eqaal, the hobbling cord. It is fundamentally okay to wear Eqaal, is what you
commonly see Arabs wearing on top of their ghutra, the scarf they wear. They have two
bands which is actually one big hoop which they twist and they put on top of their head so he
said that fundamentally it is okay to wear.
In fact, some Arabs call it a modern turban, they look at it as the modern day version of the
turban. The turban at the time of messenger ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬was a strip of cloth around the
head and use to be difficult to tie and to remove, this eqaal is a ready made wrap which only
required you to put on top of your head. So it is a turban made easy.
Consequently, some people in the past made the eqaal white, now they are black. So they
used to look more like a turban. All people who do not wear the Eqaals or two people don’t
wear their Eqaals in the same way. Two people wearing Eqaal may pass by you, one of them
you may scorn and other one you may not pay attention to because the first wears it unusually
while the second wears what others like him normally wear.
There are many others things similar to this, so he is just giving you now an example,
common example because of course he is speaking to an audience of Arabs from Arabia,
most of his students were Saudis. So the Eqaals is the most common part of the dress, so he
gave this example and its known though we don’t live in that society, it may not look any
different to us the way people wear but they do have different ways of wearing it, young
people wear it one way and older people wear it another way and something associate to it to
wear it a tidy way and untidy way to wear and these kinds of things, and in that society this
slight difference make big difference in terms of how people interact with those wearing their
Eqaal.
Just as a point of note regarding the Eqaal, actually most Arabs don’t know where it comes
from, they just know the people of Arabia all wear this but actually the origin of it is that it is
used to tie a camel because when one is on the desert, there are not many trees around to tie
up the camel, so they won’t run way so they has this hoop of made from camels hair which
was woven into a cord, hoop which they were put over bend the knee, one knee of the camel
bend his foot, put over the knee, that would just hold one foot up, he would be standing on
then three feet, so he won’t not be able to run away. Then later of course then they put it on
5
the top of their head to keep the eqaal on the heads over so it blown away when they are
riding off on the camel.
Shaikh Al Uthaymeen goes on to say, so be careful about what you wear because it expresses
to others what you are affiliate to: your upbringing your taste. Its true because people judge
whoever they meet according to their dress, this same way that they judge according to their
actions, conversations words, solemnity, frivolity, seriousness and carelessness, this is the
same as is in the case of dress. The author then warned against childish dress worn by an old
man, a sheikh wears what youth commonly wears, like robes of thin material etc. These are
some of the things which a person should not do, it is considered inappropriate and will then
affect how people would treat the knowledge that is being given.
Shaikh Al Uthaymeen goes on to say and the author’s statement on for European dress, its
ruling is not hidden from you meaning its ruling is that it is haram. Wearing European dress
and what you know as western dress is haram based on Prophet ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬statement
“Whoever imitates a people is one of them”. But, what is European dress and what is foreign
dress? It is a dress which is particular to them, they alone wear it. It doesn’t mean like any
dress worn in the West but that which is particular to them, only they wear it and example of
that in terms of men’s dress is the tie. The tie is particular to Western Civilization; it is a
symbol of proper dress. It was originally a string which was used to hold close the upper part
of the garment because they didn’t have buttons. When they did not have buttons they use to
tie a string to knot here to hold the upper part, this became longer and longer till today it
became a tie. People say it actually came from the cross and is a symbol of the cross but it is
not correct, there is no evidence to support that claim but the tie is not a jacket for example
and a shirt these are things which people wear all over the world, we don’t say it specifically
western but the tie is specific to Western culture. The tie in particular and it’s not a necessary
part of dress, if you go outside without a jacket you freeze, a shirt, this is a part of covering
your body so, that’s a necessary part of dress where as the tie isn’t, it is an accessory. So
these types of accessories which are particular to different culture which is not a Islamic
cultures, they are the ones which falls under the heading that if we adopt them we may be,
pick them a part of our normal dress pattern then we fall under the hadeeth of Prophet
Muhammed ‫صلى‬ ‫“ سلم و ع ل يه‬Whoever imitates a people is one of them”.
In fact Omar Bin al Khattab ‫ر ضي‬ ‫ ع نه‬used to prevent the non Muslims in the Muslims
state from wearing certain dress which was known to be the dress of Muslims. He didn’t
allow them to do it so there wouldn’t be a confusion.The Muslim should be distinct and
6
different in how they look from the non Muslims So Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen pointed this
point, while going on to say as for what is widespread among Europeans and others it would
not involve imitation however some of the things that they wear even though its widespread it
may be prohibited because of the other perspective for example a man‘s dress made from silk
because silk is forbidden for men soa shirt or pants would not be permissible from the
perspective that silk is forbidden for men and in terms of dress for women though what may
be considered to be a dress in general may be okay, western dress, westerns dress are okay
for Muslim women to wear but if it is a short dress a dress which exposes her aura or a tight
dress that she is going to wear in public then it becomes prohibited from that perspective.
Shaikh Al Uthaymeen goes on to say that fearing readers might stray from what he intended
he added this does not mean you should dress in unattractive manner as some do to display
asceticism. Some people may wear basic clothes which is not particularly attractive in order
to give the impression of being an aesthetic person what they called in Arabic ’Zahid’ who is
very simple in his life etc. but he is wearing specifically to give that impression. This is not
something good, this is wrong intentions andit destroys the value of what he or she may be
doing.
I remember when I was studying in Madina, some students stopped ironing their clothes on
the basis that this was not from the Sunnah. They would wears thawbs all wrinkled up from
top to bottom, straight out from washing machines, wrinkles upon wrinkles, they will say this
is Sunnah. Again it is going to extremes. It is true that there were no irons at the time of
Prophet ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬so for sure his garments were not ironed the way we have now, but
you know this is where the society changed, standards have changed in this regards where a
person in the wrinkle garment is looked at as being shabby, a person who is not taking care
of himself and this person is going to come and teach you Islamic knowledge you think so
how can you expect from somebody like that person, he cannot take care of himself, how will
he take care of the Sunnah. so something might seem very simple in a matter like this but at
the same time it may actually be something big which can prevent that a student of Islamic
knowledge from being able to effectively convey that knowledge to others and cause people
to look down upon and disrespect the knowledge that he or she is carrying.
Shaikh Al Uthaymeen goes on to say you may find some of the them giving examples of
wearing torn garments, they will have tears in the garment and when you suggest to them to
sow it, they will say leave it, it is not important or they wear dirty clothes and they would say
what does it matter we will become dirt in the end anyway and we are going to die and go
7
back to dirt so what’s the problem. He said it is good that a person that knows himself and
does not debase himself because he is commanded to remove what may cause doubt about
himself. May Allah have mercy on the person who prevents doubts from being raised about
himself.
So this was the practice of Prophet ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬when he was in Itikaaf, one of his wives
came to visit him and he is walking with her home, so some of the sahaba walking by, they
see him and starts walking quickly so he runs after them and catches up with them and said
this is my wife to remove the doubt. They said, “Oh Rasool Allah,” He said, “Satan runs in
the body of this son of Adam like the way the blood runs in the veins,”
So as a person who is seeking Islamic knowledge it is very important to avoid any such
practices which would debase that knowledge because of how people look at the one who
carries the knowledge. In terms of the white garment which was mentioned by Omar Ibn al
Khattab he said which is more beloved to me to see a learned person in white garment and
this was in order that he would be held in high esteem, this is specifically because of the fact
that Prophet ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬said the best garments are white garments so these were the
best so, this is the best for us to wear white. Of course on one hand white reflects heat so
definitely, you living in the desert is better to wear white, keep you cooler but also because of
the fact that white garments get dirty easily so keep it clean you have to wash regularly and
that is also a part of person presenting himself in a clean and respectable way.
Etiquette 11: Avoid Worthless Gatherings
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zaid mentioned “do not join the company of those who engaged in
detestable acts in their sitting rooms and immorality while pretending to be unaware of what
is going on, if you do so then you are comtting a crime against knowledge and its people
which is grave,” and of course this is general recommendation for people.
We should not sit in the company of those who are engaged in corruption but for those who
are students of religious knowledge it becomes especially important to not sit in such
gathering. People seeing them sitting in such gathering would make judgments about the
knowledge that they have which could block them from having access to their knowledge.
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen commenting on Point 11, among the etiquettes that should be followed
by the students of religious knowledge is avoiding worthless gathering. The author said that
worthless gatherings could be the divided into two types. The first type neither benefits nor
harms, while the second type contains harms.
8
As as far the first type is concerned, it is inappropriate for an intelligent person to waste his or
her time in it because it is a clear loss, we have to guard our time, time is something which
we will be asked about on the day of judgment when we are resurrected. One of the
questions that will be asked is about is the time Allah gave us in this world whether in youth
or in our adulthood and how we spent that time.
The second type Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen goes on to say is forbidden for a student of religious
knowledge to spent their time engaged in it because it is evil and prohibited. Shaikh Al-
Uthaymeen goes on to say it appears that the author has taken the second meaning of
worthlessness which is useless and forbidden. There is no doubt that people are not allowed
to sit in gatherings comprising of forbidden words and deeds because Allah ‫وت عال ى س بحان ه‬
said “It has been revealed to you in this scripture that if you hear Allah’s signs or verses
disbelieved or made fun of, do not sit with them until they engaged in other talk. Otherwise
you will be just like them” (Surah Nisa 4:140).
So whoever sits in an evil gathering is obliged to prohibit the evil. So first and foremost
sitting in such gathering here is worse as Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen mentioned here as proof that
it is haram to sit in gatherings in which Allah signs, verses etc, are made fun of or where you
know other haram may take place until such time as they change what they are doing and
shift to what is permissible but if one looks at it from the perspective that these people who
have invited you to their gathering, you didn’t know that gathering contains what it contains,
so whilst you are sitting there you start to see haram being done or being said so what did
you do then?
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen said that whoever sits in an evil gathering is obliged to prohibit the
evil. If the situation is corrected then that is best. You are obliged to prohibit the evil because
Prophet ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬said “Whoever among you sees evil then he should change it with
his own hands”, this is where you are in a position of authority, you are the one who is owner
of the majlis, you have invited people over and they started to talk haram, you are the head of
the gathering and you have the right to close it, stop it, ask the people to leave, so that
becomes your responsibility. At this point if they refuse, tell them either stop or leave, shut it
down, you are in a position of authority, so you can stop it with your hands.
Now if you are a guest, you have been invited, you are not in a position of authority to do that
so “If you are not able to do so, you should change it with your tongue,” i.e. he should speak
out against it. So this is what Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen is saying here. Whoever sits in such a
9
gathering then it is his or her duty to correct what is going on, speak out against it or stop it,
words for verbal effect because you are not in a position of authority to just shut it down or
prevent it from taking place all together. If it does not become corrected, if after trying to
speak you cannot stop it then and the people there insist on carry on with their evil, it is
obligatory to leave as Allah said “Don’t sit with them until they start speaking about
something else,”
You have to get up and leave that situation and it is not as some common people think that
there was a third level of the Hadeeth, “and if he is not able to correct it then he should do so
with his heart,” So the person says, yes they talking trash, I tried to talk to them, they don’t
want to stop so I just want to hate it in my heart. This is not acceptable.
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen said the saying “I dislike evil in my heart,” one who says that, he
should be told that if he truly despised it then he will not sit with them, because a human
being cannot sit still with what he or she despises unless they are forced. As for remaining
sitting by one’s own choice while something you claim to dislike is going on, then you are
not truthful, this is just a claim that you are making.
At that point, the author makes the statement “your crime against knowledge and its people is
grave, as for his crime against himself it is obvious” meaning if he saw student of religions
knowledge sitting in a gathering of rubbish and nonsense and evil, his crime against himself
is clear and great but how would be a crime against knowledge and its people, because people
would say things like that is the result of religious knowledge.
How could this student of religious knowledge and scholars participate in such gathering in
that way. He would have committed a crime against himself and others because people will
judge knowledge as a whole by whatever they see some students of knowledge engaged in.
Of course this is not right, we always say this that don’t judge by individuals, judge by the
general situation, but it is the nature of people when they see one or two people doing things
which they know to be haram then they judge all the people on the basis of those individuals.
So in that way when the person does this he not only commits a crime against himself but a
crime against the very knowledge that he is carrying, all those who are carriers of that
knowledge, it is not against him alone.
Etiquette 12: Avoid Commotion
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid said, “avoid commotion, protect yourself from indulging in riotous
and clamorous behavior for indeed mistakes lie behind clamor and such behavior opposes
10
the etiquette of seeking knowledge. Among the interesting anecdotes on the subject that
comes to mind is the following incident that the author of Al Waseet Fi Udabaa Shinkeeth
quoted.”
He relates an incident which took place but before looking at that incident the first part that
he mentioned here is that “a riotous and clamorous behavior” this type of behavior opposes
the etiquette of seeking knowledge.
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen commented on that saying the author refers to clamor of the
marketplaces as mentioned in Hadeeths which warns against it because it contains yelling,
shouting, disorderly conducts, cursing etc.
Some students says they sit in the market places in order to see what people are doing and
what is happening among them in order to include whatever they have experienced there in
their lectures. My response is that there is a difference between research and participation
meaning that if what mentioned to you that in a particular market place certain things took
place in this case there is no harm in going to find out for oneself but if your presence in the
market place becomes continuous by you going there every afternoon, that would be a
mistake because it degrades you.
Degrading not only to you but to other students and those seeking knowledge of the Shariah
in general. Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid then goes on to relate a particular incident found in his
book that he had read.. Anyway the author quotes an incident:
“A conflict took place between two tribes, so a third tribe came to arbitrate between them,
they finally agreed to follow the religious ruling on the matter and they choose the scholars as
judge who then pass the judgment that four people should be killed from the tribe which had
killed four people from the other tribe so sheikh Bab ibn Ahmed in situation the law
retaliation that is Qisas is not applicable, when he said that the scholars who made the ruling,
was not himself a judge but he was just ask to judge, he try to show this scholar Shaikh Bab
ibn Ahmed up by saying such a decision to cancel. Retaliation cannot be found in any book
because when he said, it cannot be found in any book it meant really any book of Fiqh where
these things are discussed, the application of retaliation, penalties called Qisas. So the sheikh
said rather it can be found in every book meaning every book of Fiqh could be found in every
book in other words something unanimously agreed upon by the scholars of Fiqh that this
scholar then realizing that he has stepped in over his head, he tried to turn it around and try to
make a fool of scholar sheikh Bab ibn Ahmed so he said to him show it to me in this book
11
and he handed him a text called Alkhamoos which is a famous Arabic dictionary, Arabic
dictionary written by Persian scholars Imam Majid uddin Mohammed ibn Yakub Feroz Abadi
who was from the 14th early 15th century. He had written this classical dictionary called
Alkhaomoos, there was later abridged and published and known as Al Khamoos Al Muhit.
Anyway this scholar, in order to try to make a fool of shaykh Bab ibn Ahmed, he hands him
the Khamoos and said okay show it to me in the khamoos, it’s a book. Show it to me in this
book, you said it is written in every book. Of course when they were talking books earlier, it
is clear that they were talking about books of Fiqh but he just used the term book, kitab so he
is now trying to make a fool of sheikh Bab Ibn Ahmed, so the sheikh took the Khamoos and
first thing that he opened it up to was the word Al-Haisha and that’s the same thing which
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid in point number 12 is saying to avoid. Al-Haisha which is translated
as riotous behavior or uproar clamor and the first meaning which is mentioned in the
dictionary is that it refers to fitna (civil strife) or it could be refer to Umm Hobain. Umm
Hobain is the name of a small beetle which is similar to the dung beetle which is commonly
mentioned in hadeeth and statements of the Sahaba and that entry in the text of Al Khamoos
immediately after it the author Feroz Abadi mentioned there is no retaliatory punishment in
riotous approval when a person is killed in civil strife and the killer is unknown.
You cannot apply qisas which is what that scholar had decided to do because that tribes were
responsible for the death of four member of the other tribes, he was making a ruling of qisas
but it is not applicable in this circumstances. Anyway the bottom line is that he brought the
proof even from the dictionary and the people were astonish at the sheikh speed recalling the
necessary information in such a crucial situation.
Of course, the dictionary of those days are not the dictionary of our times which tend to be
just focus on language. When you read the Lisan Al Arabi dictionary and other classical
religious dictionary Tajul Aroos and so and so, you will find they will bring statements from
number of different places, they bring statement from Tasfeer, Fiqh and Hadith, these types
of things added up in the dictionary itself.
Anyway Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen commenting on this had said that the tribe had among
themselves civil strife and they had killed the 4 men from one of the clans so they went to the
judge by the name of Bab ibn Ahmed who ruled in that circumstance such as these there
would be no retaliatory punishment.
12
The ruling judge had made the ruling there should be retaliation qisas, he had said this does
not exist in any text ,meaning that where is the evidences. He replied in fact it is not missing
from any text so the judge handed him the Arabic dictionary Al Khamoos since it comes
under the general heading of text or kitaab.
So that was just an anecdote that Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid added but the main point that he is
raising here is one of avoiding situations like the market place where there is lot of clamor i.e.
a lot of loud talk, yelling, cursing, all sort of things. A student of religious knowledge should
avoid such places. If you go there, you go there out of necessity otherwise one should not
spent time there.
You may have classmates who you grew up with, neighbors, and others who now work there
now but still one should not spend any more time there than is absolutely necessary because
if you become known as a person of that area then knowledge you carry will be looked at
from that perspective again.
Always stressing that the outer indicates the inner, that’s what people know and that’s how
people judge, they read from your external actions meanings you didn’t say but they could
see it from how you carried yourself, how you acted, how you spoke, your mannerism etc.
So it’s very important for a student of Islamic knowledge not to display mannerism which are
normally considered by the society to be indecent and inappropriate. This concept of
avoiding riotous behavior may also include the recent uprising for example in Egypt, Syria
other parts of the Arab world known as the Arab spring.
So such behavior may in fact contradict the appropriate behavior which a student of Islamic
knowledge should display because on one hand you have issues of revolting against rulers
then on the other hands you have the rulers who are themselves oppressive. Some of them
actually are falling into disbelieve, some of them actually have attacked the people. Well for
the student of knowledge where the situation are not clear, he has to step back to get clarity,
and then try to guide those that may have engage in these activities.
So when we look at this what is happening in Libya, Tunisia etc what we do is we don’t focus
at this point in time on whether it is right or wrong to revolt. The people have already
revolted as they could not take it any longer. As a student of knowledge, if you were in that
movement then you have to guide it in a particular direction but it is very important that as a
student of knowledge engages with those people involved who are now have succeeded in
over throwing some of these tyrannical rulers to guide that revolt and turn it into something
13
which is progressive Islamically, which would benefit to ummah and Inshallah benefit people
of those lands.
So as Muslims we do in general avoid riotous type gatherings, demonstrations, marching

down the street and creating uproar and havoc, Muslims try to avoid that type of behavior
because as Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid mentioned behind it there will be mistakes coming in,
happening because it is something uncontrolled and unplanned. It just happened
spontaneously and a such there will be a lot of mistakes in it.
People will lose their lives unnecessary. These are the types of things, so those who are
seeking Islamic knowledge have to be careful not to get caught up in it because mostly it is
driven by emotions but we have to stand back and be prepared to guide it. If it succeeds and
direct it if they are given the opportunity to help.
So with that we going to close our session which is session 17 and we have covered in it
completing on one hand the forsaking of luxury that was session point no 10 and also now the
avoidance of worthless gathering as was point no. 11 and point 12 which is avoiding riotous
and clamorous behavior.

natoobu ilaik.
14
ETH 101
Module 18
‫الحمد هلل ربّ العالمينوالصالة والسالم على رسول هللا وعلى الكريم وعلى‬
ّ‫لهوصحبهوستين سنة إلى يَوْ مّ الدِّين‬
All praise is due to Allaah, and May Allaah’s Peace and Blessings be upon the Last
Messenger Muhammad and all those who follow the path of righteousness until the Last
Day.
Overview of the session 18:
This is the 18th session on the course “Etiquette Of Seeking The Religious Knowledge”
based on the book ‫آداب العلم طلب‬, “The Etiquette Of Seeking Knowledge” by the Shaykh and
Dr. Bakr Abu Zayd. And, we are relying on the 300 page commentary by Shaykh Al
Uthaymeen.
In the previous session, session 17, we completed the points 11 and 12 as well as the
remainder of point 10. And, we closed off with the general advice to avoid riotous or
clamorous behavior, whether it is in terms of demonstration or things like these. It is better to
stand back and get to understand what is involved and then try to guide people, rather than
falling into civil strife which lead ultimately to the loss of life and limb for Muslims.
Point 13-Adorn Yourself with Gentleness:
Point 13, is to adorn yourself with gentleness. He said adhere to being gentle in speech,
avoiding harsh words, as gentle speech wins over the hostile personalities. The proofs in the
Quraan and Sunnah on this topic are abundant. Of course, among them is the well-known
verse where Allaah tells Prophet Muhammad to remain gentle in his approach saying,
َّ ‫َو َلوّْ ُك ْنتَّ َف ًّظا غَلي‬
َّ ‫ظ ا ْل َق ْلبّ ََل ْن َفضُّ وا م ّْن َحوْ ل‬
(3:159)‫ك‬
"If you were harsh and rough with them, they would have scattered from around you."(3:159)
ّۖ ‫ك‬ َّ ‫هللا ل ْنتَّ َلهُ ّْم ّۖ َو َلوّْ ُك ْنتَّ َف ًّظا غَلي‬
َّ ‫ظ ا ْل َق ْلبّ ََل ْن َفضُّ وا م ّْن َحوْ ل‬ ّ َ َّ‫َفب َما َرحْ َمةّ من‬
ّۖ ‫هللا‬ َ ْ ‫اعفُّ َع ْنهُ ّْم َوا ْست َْغفرّْ َلهُ ّْم َوشَاورْ هُ ّْم في‬
ّ َ ‫اْل ْمرّ ّۖ َفإ َذا َعزَ ْمتَّ َفتَ َو َكلّْ َع َلى‬ ْ ‫َف‬
ّ َ ‫إ َّن‬
(3:159)ُّّ‫هللا َ يُحب‬
So by mercy from Allaah, [O Muhammad ], you were lenient with them. And if you had
been rude [in speech] and harsh in heart, they would have disbanded from about you. So
pardon them and ask forgiveness for them and consult them in the matter. And when you have
decided, then rely upon Allaah. Indeed, Allaah loves those who rely [upon Him]. (3:159)
So this is the standard piece of guidance from the Quraan in terms of Dawah and the use of
gentle terms in the course of giving Dawah. Also, we know that Allaah sent Prophet Moosaa
ّ‫ال َسالَ ُّم َعلَيْه‬, and his brother Haaroon ّ‫ ال َسالَ ُّم َعلَيْه‬to Pharaoh in spite of Pharaoh's state. He
(Pharaoh) was a man who was calling himself a god, telling people that they should worship
2
none beside him. Yet, Allaah told Prophet Moosaa ّ‫ ال َسالَ ُّم َعلَيْه‬and Haaroon ّ‫ ال َسالَ ُّم َعلَيْه‬to speak
to him a gentle way in order that he might listen and be guided. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen
commented saying that this is one of the most important manners of students of Islamic
knowledge, whether he is a student or a teacher.
(13) Adorn Yourself with Gentleness-Evidences from the Hadeeth:
Gentleness, is as Prophet Muhammad has said, “Allaah is gentle and he loves

gentleness in all affairs”. On another occasion he said, “As long there is gentleness in
anything, it beautifies it; and whenever it is removed from anything, it defaces it “. – It makes
it ugly. This is the general principle, about gentlenesss. It is even shown to children.
Prophet Muhammad used to kiss the heads of the children when they came to him. And,
even one Sahaabi in particular, Al-Aqra' bin Habis turned and showed to other Sahaabah
what he thought was manliness saying “ I have 10 children and I have never kissed any of
them”. He was very proud. But he was not soft and gentle, and this is not gentlemanly
behavior. So, when Prophet Muhammad heard him, he turned to him and said, “One who
doesn’t show mercy, will not have mercy shown to him by Allaah”. The one who does not
show mercy to Allaah’s creation will not be shown mercy by Allaah. So, we know that this is
one of the characteristics that Prophet Muhammad displayed whenever he went out with
his Dawah, whether it was to Taa’if ‫الطائف‬, and stones were thrown at him, or meeting the
chiefs of the Quraysh. Whoever he dealt with, he maintained a gentle approach.
(13) Adorn Yourself with Gentleness-Exceptions:
Now Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to qualify that by saying, “A person should be gentle
without weakness”. That gentleness shouldn’t be sign of weakness. The meaning of this is
that because you are not able to do anything, you are gentle or you are gentle for fear what is
going to happen. As for being gentle and being a humiliated person, no one will listen to him
or give him consideration. And that is the opposite of being resolute, firm or determined.
Because Muslims, and the person who has knowledge, especially, should be firm,
determined, and resolute in decisions or rulings that he/she has to make. Instead, he should be
gentle in appropriate circumstances, and be harsh in places which demand harshness.
Of course, while clarifying this point, the statements of Prophet Muhammad are rather
general. So, what we can deduce from that is that gentleness is best for most circumstances.
The circumstances that it will not be the best in are few. But still, one has to be conscious of
the circumstances to be sure that one doesn’t go overboard with it and be gentle in
circumstances that are not appropriate.
(13) Adorn Yourself with Gentleness-Exceptions, Evidences from the Quraan:

Shaykh Al Uthaymeen quotes, when for example in spite of the fact that Allaah is Most
Kind and Most Gentle to His creation, there are some rulings which He made that appear
harsh. For example, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said, “For there is no one who is more Merciful
to the creation other than Allaah, Most Great and Glorious. But, in spite of that He said:
3
‫َل ت َْأ ُخ ْذ ُك ّْم به َما َر ْأ َفةّ في‬

ّ َ ‫الزاني َفاجْ لدُوا ُك َّل َواحدّ م ْنهُ َما مائَ َّة َج ْلدَةّ ّۖ َو‬
َ ‫الزاني َ ُّة َو‬
َ
ّ َ ّ‫دين‬
[24:2]‫هللا‬
"Lash both the unmarried woman and the man who are found guilty of fornication."[24:2]
‫َل تَأْ ُخ ْذ ُك ّْم به َما َر ْأفَةّ في‬
ّ َ ‫ل َواحدّ م ْنهُ َما مائَ ّةَ َج ْلدَةّ ّۖ َو‬
َّ ‫ال َزانيَ ّة ُ َوال َزاني فَاجْ لدُوا ُك‬
َّ‫اهلل َو ْاليَوْ مّ ْاْلخرّ ّۖ َو ْليَ ْشهَ ّْد َع َذابَهُ َما طَائفَةّ من‬
َّ ‫ن ُك ْنتُ ّْم تُ ْؤمنُونَّ ب‬ َّ ّ‫دين‬
ّْ ‫هللا إ‬
[24:2]َّ‫ْال ُم ْؤمنين‬
The [unmarried] woman or [unmarried] man found guilty of sexual intercourse, lash each
one of them with a hundred lashes, and do not be taken by pity for them in the religion of
Allaah , if you should believe in Allaah and the Last Day. And let a group of the believers
witness their punishment. [24:2]
“Lash both the unmarried man and woman found guilty of fornication, 100 times. Do not be
overcome by gentleness in a matter that is prescribed by the Religion of Allaah.”
So, one may say that Prophet Muhammad said, “Allaah is indeed Gentle”. But, He
commanded something that He said don’t be gentle in. Don’t be gently in applying this law
of Allaah. So, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen went on to say, “Every situation has appropriate
statements”.
(13) Adorn Yourself with Gentleness-Exceptions, Evidences from Hadeeth:

If a man treats his son gently for every circumstances in even circumstances that need
firmness, he will not able to raise him properly. The son will be a spoiled child. He will feel
like he gets his way in anything. So, there should be some firmness in dealing. A certain
amount of harshness becomes necessary. Even Prophet Muhammad has said “Teach the
child Salaah by the age of 7 and smack them for it by the time they reached 10.” So, here
Prophet Muhammad is commanding us that there will be times with young children who
don’t fall in line that you have to resort to smacking. And of course Muslims have to follow
the judicial system because there are countries where the law doesn’t allow it, then they
have to comply with the law of the country.
(13) Adorn Yourself with Gentleness-Practical Point of View
So, in our situation sometimes people attack Islaam. For example they come and say
“Why are you Muslims so violent? You are always bombing and killing”. They are coming
with this strong and harsh attack. Now, you can respond to them in a harsh way also, and you
would just end up fighting, shouting, and winning no one. Or, you could take a gentle
approach by which saying “I appreciate your interest. Would you really like to know?” If he
has any kind of sincerity, it would cool him down. Or, you could say “I understand how you
feel, I feel the same way also”. He is expecting you to have an argument and this helps to
calm him down. So, these types of responses are useful to disarm the questioner and open the
door for real exchange.
4
(13) Adorn Yourself with Gentleness-Reasons for Harsh Penalties
As to the harsh penalties which Shaykh Al Uthaymeen mentioned regarding

adultery/fornication, “From a Kind and Gentle God, one has to look at the context that is
necessary as well as the deterrent goals; the importance of the family unit and the purifying
quality of those who bear it patiently and understand that in spite of this seemingly harsh
punishment, there is gentleness”. First and foremost, understanding the context of the
evidences is necessary. When do we apply this? When four credible and reliable, adult male
witnesses have seen these people in the act. So, what are the chances of this happening? It is
very small and rare. So what does this mean then? Allaah just didn’t say as long there is
accusation or somebody says this. He puts stringent laws, so that is gentleness. Otherwise,
in accordance with the Western Law, there is no gentleness there. As long as there are some
forensic evidences and somebody made an accusation, they will take that person's opinion
and you might end up suffering seriously, and you are not guilty.
Secondly, one has to look at the punishment as a deterrent. It is to deter or discourage
people from doing the crime. The very fact that you need so many witnesses is telling you
that it is mainly geared at discouraging the people. So, they will think twice before they do
such acts.
And, thirdly one has to understand the punishment in the context of the family unit.
Because, the fact is that human societies are built on the family unit. The husband, wife, and
children are the basic family unit. Now whatever threatens the family unit and causes it to
crumble, then the whole society crumbles. So Islaam seeks to protect the family unit at all
costs. What may seem to be a harsh punishment, it is in fact gentleness to the family to
ensure that the family unit survives in the society in any way, shape, or form.
And then we have to consider the Mercy of Allaah, ‫تعالى و سبحانه‬‎‎ ,toward‎those‎who‎‎are‎
actually‎ ‎ punished‎ .Because‎ ,normally‎ a‎ person‎ who‎ commited‎ fornicaton‎ or‎ adultery‎ is‎
lashed‎ ‎ 011times‎or‎stoned to death, so when we think of this person , we would think of the
person as a wretched person. However, Prophet Muhammad on an occasion, when one
of the female companions had to be punished because of adultery, he gave her multiple
options to escape from the punishment. She refused and insisted on the punishment to be
applied to her. When it was applied and blood splattered due to stoning, the blood splattered
on the clothes of one the Companions of Prophet Muhammad . The companion was Umar
Ibn Al Khattaab and he cursed it because as we said the person (the one who committed
fornication/adultery) was considered a wretched person. She was stoned to death by Prophet
Muhammad's command. We would think that the person is the most wretched person and
for sure she is going to hell. However, the Prophet Muhammad told Umar Ibn Al Khattaab
“Don’t curse the blood of this woman, because the repentance she made, if it is divided
and distributed over the people of Madeenah, it will be enough to carry them to the
Paradise.”
So, the application of punishment on her, and her accepting it patiently, and in fact she
asked for the punishment to be applied to her; that became a source of purification and a
guaranteed ticket to the Paradise. This is the statement of Prophet Muhammad . So,
Allaah in His Gentleness, Kindness, and Mercy to His creatures, has made the punishments
as a means of purification. The person who is punished in this life for a sin will not have to
meet the sin on the Day of Judgment. He/she has borne it with patience. Of course, if there
5
is screaming, shouting, and cursing, and carrying on when the punishment is applied to them,
this is not going to be purification, but only punishment. However, for those who are patient
with this punishment, it becomes a source of purification for them. So, the Gentleness and
Mercy of Allaah remains even in the harshest punishments of Allaah.
Point 14 Contemplation:
Moving on to point number 14, Shaykh Dr. Bakr Abu Zayd calls the basic term or basic
heading,"Contemplation". He said to contemplate, for whoever does so, he will reach the
goal. And it was said contemplate and you will reach the goal. Therefore, think ahead before
you speak. Like, what I am going to say? And think about the results of what you are going
to say also. And be careful about how you phrase it. And convey it without going to any
extremes of fanciness. Carefully consider what words are going to be used when you are
thinking of whatever you are intending to say. And also think carefully when you are asked a
question so that you can understand the question in the correct context, in a way that it does
not carry two meanings,.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said, “By contemplation and reflection, the author means or
intends deliberation “. It means that one should deliberate prior to acting , whether speaking
or doing such acts. “ He said one should not speak before he or she knows what they are
speaking about, and what the consequences of what are they speaking about will be.
Consequently, it is said, “Don’t put your foot down until you are certain that you are safe.”
This is an Arab saying. He explained further that when human beings begin to walk, they
step into holes, on thorns, sharp rocks, etc., until they learn where to put their feet safely.
Thus, the “deliberation is very important.” “Do not be hasty, unless the situation requires
quick action” as the poet said, “The deliberate may only attain some of his needs, and with
the hasty, will be stumbling and committing blunders.” If one's affair is with deliberation
and patience and the other choice is being hasty and going ahead, which one should be given
precedence? “
The first point, the idea of contemplation of course. This is the basic principle in Islaam
because with contemplation and deliberation, you will have wisdom. You will have
knowledge that would be applied in a wise way And when one acts without deliberation,
contemplation, and acts hastily, then the Prophet Muhammad has said, “Haste is from
Shaytaan”. And, there is a place and situations where we should be hasty but in most places
we should not be hasty. However, there are rare and special circumstances where quick action
is necessary. But in most places and circumstances, we have enough time to stop and think.
So, in such cases, we should choose our words well. And this is the way of Prophet
Muhammad . He chose his words well. And, this is the way of his Companions, the
leading companions Abu Bakr as-Șiddeeq, Uthmaan ibn Affaan, Alee ibn Abee Ṭaalib .
When you read their speeches, you can see how clearly they word it for their statements and
how much they thought before they conveyed it.
(14) Contemplation versus Hastiness:
But if one is caught up in a situation that needs deliberation, patience and at the same time,
there is the need to be hasty, in this case which one should be given precedence? He said the
first. The first one which is deliberation and patience, because the words and deeds, once
done, cannot be undone. Once you have said something or done something, then it is done.
6
You can’t reverse it. One may have to deal with the consequences, but you cannot reverse
it. So, as long as you have not said or done anything, then you are free and you have time to
choose what is most appropriate. But, once you have said it, it has been said. Once you have
done it, it has been done. So, all you can do now is to apologize or whatever. So reflect on
what you are saying and on its benefits. It is not only in choosing your words well, but also
consider the benefits of what you are really going to say.
(14) Useless Talk:
If it just useless talk, then it is better not to be engaged in it. This is for students of
knowledge in particular. And for the common people, is it still okay and they need time for
useless talk because they do not have useful things to do? They are finding difficulties in
finding useful things/talks. So, of course, this is harmful because you are talking about
useless things here. As a student of knowledge, you are contemplating what you have to say.
If it beneficial, then it is good to say. If what you have to say is harmful, then it is better not
to say it. However, if what you are going to say it is neither beneficial nor harmful, then it is
better not to say it also. For those students who are seeking knowledge, it is better not to say l
things things which are neither beneficial nor harmful. Why, because, you are wasting your
time. It is better for you to read or contemplate, rather than engage in conversation in which
there is no benefit. Maybe there might no harm, but certainly there is no benefit.
The Messenger of Allaah, said “Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day should
either speak good or be silent.“ Either speak about something that is good, or be silent.
These are the options which he gave. He didn’t say if it is not harmful, you can still talk
about it. If it is not beneficial, then it is better to be silent. As, they say in the West, “Silence
is golden”. This is the time to be golden.
(14) General Statements:
Another statement is “Be careful about your expressions and how you deliver them”. And
among these are the most important points that should be considered. Do not make general
statements that later you can be criticized for. Instead, be careful and add conditions or
special circumstances to the statements which may be removed from the general ruling or by
making it conditional by saying, “If it is like this” or “If the situation is similar to this, then,
my ruling and my position or decision, would be that”. But, this should be done by not being
too rigid, you have to strike a balance here. The point is that the general statements are
easily misunderstood which can result in changes of the general statements being exploited.
And actually with the Western Media, even if you say the conditions, they will still take your
general statements and not mention the conditions which you made.
So, this is especially true in these times, where the media is just gunning for any of the
Muslim scholars, teachers, speakers, etc., which they could exploit, by taking statements out
of the context and by giving other meanings. This means that those who are working or
engaged in media, the scholars, teachers etc., have to be careful about what they say and how
they say it. They have to be very careful and shouldn’t think like “I am trusting Allaah and I
am going say the truth. Whatever is going to happen is going to happen.” Well, you can get
7
into a lot of trouble by just saying the truth. The point is that by just not telling as much
truth, you do not become a liar. No, it doesn’t mean that you are hiding the knowledge from
the people, because as the Shaykh Al Uthaymeen has said before, “For every circumstance,
there is an appropriate statement”. Though they may be true statements, it may not be
appropriate for that particular circumstance. So, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen mentions the
importance here, of being careful about making generalizations.
(14) Learn the Way to Give Reasonings:
Secondly, the issue is on how one makes a point. Because, in the course of presenting
Islaam and the Dawah of Islaam, if one uses expressions, which can be misunderstood as
aggressive, then the message that has to be given is lost. So one has to be careful about how
he wants to deliver the message. The terms and the expression that he uses; all of these have
effects on the message itself.
(14) Ponder the Question When the Questioner Asks:
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to complete point 14 by saying “Ponder the question

when the questioner asks”. This refers to how to answer the question such that it is not falsely
understood in any other way. People ask questions but they are not clear on the point they are
getting at. The student of knowledge, when he/she is involved in teaching people, they have
to be careful about what people are saying. Before one replies to the question, one has to be
clear on what the questioner is asking so that you will not give attention to things which are
not relevant. Or it may be that the question which has been asked can be looked at from
more than one perspective. You are spreaking about one perspective and the one who asked
the question is asking from another perspective. Then, you will not convey the correct
knowledge to the person
So, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said “Ponder the question, when the questioner asks.” So,
we have to determine how to understand the question in a way that it could not have any
other meaning. This is very important in giving answers. On one hand, one has to narrow
down the actual question that is being asked. Because, sometimes people ask questions and
they put in 3 or 4 questions in that question. Unless you are able to follow exactly what they
are saying, then you will be lost in what they are saying. So, it is good to even the stop those
people and ask them "What exactly is your question? ” or “What is it exactly that you want
to ask about.” Sometimes, the question could be lost in the long discussion and you may also
wonder what they are getting at, so you try to bring them back to the clarity of what are they
asking about.
(14) How to Give Answers:
In terms of answers, it becomes more important than being certain about the question.
One must be certain about the stating the answer, so that the answer could only be understood
8
in one way. You remove anything from your answer which gives a meaning to the listener or
questioner other than what you intend. So Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said that it is even more
important than the answers. Because, one may easily ask the questioner what he meant.
And, he has to explain it so that the issue can be clear. You have to ask them the question
until they are are clear on their point for what they are asking. You can clarify what is
exactly the main point. However, when you are giving an answer in a general form, people
can interpret it in many ways. Each understanding may be different and according to what
suits them. This is the nature of people. So, when one is giving responses to the questions,
in terms of students of religious knowledge, where people are asking in order to gain further
understanding, they should be careful in not giving general rulings which can be interpreted
in many ways. It is important to add conditions. When you have to say things as it is, people
will say “they/he/she said.” Then the reply should be "If it was really said as you were told,
then the ruling will be this way," so you have covered yourself. I am not saying that the
ruling is this way, because you don’t really if this is how it is.
So, all of this comes under deliberation; that one who is about to give answers should
deliberate first. Then understand what they are going to imply by how they understood the
question, and what people may have misunderstood from them. This it to make sure that
what is being conveyed is what is being intended. So, we can conclude the general
importance of clarifying what is being said when people ask questions concerning various
issues. This is the general advice to the students of knowledge. But, this is also general
advice in life. When people are speaking, they may be saying other things. And if you are
not really conscious of it yourself, as it is being said, you may read between the lines. For
example, what they say does not necessarily mean what they intend. So get that clarity so that
your answers will be appropriate answers. And the answers, as Shaykh Al Uthaymeen
pointed out, should be specific and to the point. And they should be properly coached in the
conditions and context so that people do not take general statements and read into it whatever
they want to be interpreted.
(14) How to Answer the Point, Fatwa Shopping:
We have a general practice in Muslim societies, where people will do what is called
‘Fatwa Shopping.’ They are shopping for a fatwa, meaning that they want to do something,
so they will find a Shaykh who says it is okay to do. They will ask the question and the
Shaykh will say no. Another Shaykh will come to town and give a series of lectures and
they will ask the same question to the Shaykh and the Shaykh will say no. And, they will not
stop asking the same question, and you find them in circles asking the same thing again and
again. However, there will be a point where the Shaykh will say that under some
circumstances, it may be permissible, and that is what they want. After hearing that, they will
leave, not giving the Shaykh a chance to elaborate on what the circumstances are where it is
permissible. So, they have received what they wanted to hear. And then they will give the
explanation that the Shaykh has said this, and give explanation for their acts. This is the
reason not to provide general statements without proper qualification, conditions, and
context so that misinterpretation can be avoided.
9
Point 15 Firmness and Confirmation:
The last point which is from Chapter 1, regarding the student’s etiquettes of
himself/herself, has been translated, as " firmness and confirmation." Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd
has said, “Adorn yourself with firmness and confirmation”. This is especially important
during calamities and difficulties. And from it comes patience and firmness upon passing
long hours seeking knowledge from the scholars, for whosoever is firm will grow. Shaykh
Al Uthaymeen elaborated on it by saying, " Confirmation is most important in conveying the
information and certainty is most important in what rules are being given." Before relaying
the information, certainty is to be established and before issuing the ruling, confirmation of
its correctness should be made. Perhaps the information you heard is based on a principle
which you are ignorant of so that you rule it is as incorrect, but in fact it is correct.
(15) Firmness and Confirmation, The Shaykh’s Experience:
So, this is the idea of confirmation and being certain about the information that is being
conveyed. Many times, actually, if I am in Q &A sessions, people will say, “I have read this
in a book and I think Prophet Muhammad said this. “ Then, they will say something. If it
is something that is well known then I will agree to their point. But sometimes they come up
with things which I have never heard before. So, rather than trying to deal with what they are
saying, I will tell them to go back , look it up again and come back again so that we can see
how we should understand the statement. So, this is a way of how you can confirm the
information which you are getting at.
(15) Firmness and Confirmation, Evidences from the Quraan:
In Sooratul Hujuraat ‫الحجرات سورة‬, Allaah says,

ّ‫يَا َأ ُّيهَا ا َلذينَّ آ َم ُنوا إ ّْن َجا َء ُك ّْم َفاسقّ بنَبَإّ َفتَبَيَ ُنوا َأ ّْن ُتصيبُوا َقوْ ًّما ب َجهَا َلة‬
َّ‫َف ُتصْ بحُوا َع َلىّ َما َف َع ْل ُت ّْم نَادمين‬
O you who have believed, if there comes to you a disobedient one with information,
investigate, lest you harm a people out of ignorance and become, over what you have done,
regretful.[49:6]
This is specific in a case for a person who is sinner, a bad person, who comes with
information, and then definitely, you have to check the source of the information to avoid the
possibility of misjudging others. But, whether the person is a sinner or not, in any case, when
a student of religious knowledge is being asked a question or opinion, then it is very
important that the information that is coming is in fact correct and accurate.
(15) Firmness and Confirmation, Solutions & The Shaykh’s Experiences:
10
What is the solution for such a situation?

The solution is for you to contact the person to whom the mistake has been attributed.
Somebody comes to you with the information, then they mistake or attribute it to an
individual and then, they ask what your opinion is. This is actually very rampant on the
internet. You will find Shaykh so and so in Yaman, whereby my statements are translated to
him and the Shaykh said, " this guy is a misguided soul. He is an innovator." But, he has not
heard it from me. He has heard the translation of what I may have said or heard and in the
translation itself, there will be misinformation. So there are plenty of cases like this that I
have run into. And you will find it on the internet whereby people have misquoted,
mistranslated what I have said and given it to a Shaykh who does not follow this principle.
They are just issuing fatwas. This is a dangerous thing and it does not mean that they are
incapable of issuing fatwas, yes, they are capable. However, it only becomes useful if the
information that is being conveyed is accurate and correct. The reason this happens is simply
because that they are somebody that they know or trust. Like there will be people around
this particular Shaykh and they have established a relationship with this Shaykh. And the
Shaykh sees them as someone who is eager to learn and sit in his study circle. And so he
trusts them. It is trust that whatever they are bringing in is correct information. But, this is
very dangerous.
The reason is that the people have agendas. Now it has become a matter of just ruling
about people, whether the people should listen to them or not listen to them, benefit from
them or not benefit from them. This is a very serious matter. Because, for example a
particular Shaykh from Saudi Arabia, people will tell him "Bilal Philips said this and that."
Now if the Shaykh makes a ruling that this guy (Dr.Bilal Philips) is deviant, it means you
should burn his books and tapes and don’t listen to him. Otherwise, you will be misguided.
Now, the numbers of people in the world who understand Arabic and who can sit with the
Shaykh and learn from him are very few. The majority of the people will come and listen to
me, because I am speaking in English, and that is the language that they understand. So, when
he makes a ruling like that, he is cutting people off from gaining the knowledge. So, this is a
very serious ruling which those individuals are involved in. Very much of giving rulings on
people should be taken into serious account. It is because they have blocked the access to the
knowledge to the masses of people through reckless rulings. When you prevent the people
from gaining knowledge and they don’t have an alternative, you will have a vacuum. And
that vacuum will be filled up with extreme views. Others may be close to people upon whom
the Shaykh hasn’t made the ruling yet. Maybe they are farther than what I have said. But
because no ruling has made on them and the people think it is okay as they have knowledge,
then they trust them, and so they get misguided with all kinds of corruption.
So, this is a very important principle regarding the knowledge. The solution as the Shaykh
Al Uthaymeen has said is for you to contact the one who made the mistake or it has been
attributed to, and inform him that such and such has been narrated from him. And ask if in
fact it is true. No, you don’t go to the person and say, "Why do you say such and such?"
Again, this is a bad etiquette. This is improper etiquette because you assumed that what is
related to you is true. Instead, the proper way is to say that it has been narrated and attributed
to you that this was said by you. Is it in fact the truth?
If the person holds it as the true, then you discuss it with that person. Then, you can
engage with the person to get the clarity. Perhaps, your rejection and objection when you first
heard it, was because you do not know the reason why the person has said it. You do not
11
know the context, circumstances, and how it is being said. You do not have that detail. So
you are making a ruling according to ignorance. As you do not know the reason, then the
reason for the issuance as if you do know the reason, then the hasty judgment will be
cancelled. Mostly people make hasty judgments when they do not know the reason. They do
not know what the real reason is. So, it is easy to make a hasty decision when all of the
information is not there. But, what is required here is patience.
(15) Patience and Perseverance:
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on saying, " Have patience and perseverance." Do not get
bored or dissatisfied easily. Do not take drops of every book, or bits and pieces of every
discipline then abandon it. For that approach is harmful to the students, causing them to
waste their time, if he does not persevere with anything. The Shaykh is advising people
who are engaged is some area of study or learning, they should stick with and complete
whatever that they are studying.
(15) Patience and Perseverance, Examples:
For example, you see people joining Arabic classes. Most of the non-Arabs want to learn
Arabic and everyone want to learns Arabic. So, they go for couple of months and then they
drop out. Then, so many months later an Arabic class starts and they join that Arabic class.
They like this teacher now. They go for few months, and they get bored again and then they
drop out. So, they just go on from class to class, taking them and dropping them. At the end
of 5 years or even 10 years, they are still in the fundamentals of learning Arabic. Because
they did not have the patience and the perseverance to just stick it out. If they had stuck with
the first one and the second one, then of course their knowledge would be far greater after 5
years of gaining the knowledge. I have met people who did not leave their countries. They
just learned Arabic from attending classes, by listening to tapes, radio, television shows of
Arabic Islaamic programs and they built up the comprehension. You know there is this
approach where people will get books, and read a little bit from here and little bit from there,
and they don’t really stick it out so they don’t really get that knowledge.
So, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen says that this approach is harmful to the student. It is causing
him to waste his time, if he does not persevere with anything. Sometimes he will be in Al
Ajrumiyah; this is one Arabic textbook. And other times he will be in another Arabic
textbook. If not, he will be in Imdad-ul-Arabiyya by Ibn Maalik, which is a thousand lines of
poetry. It teaches about all Arabic grammar.
In the fields of hadeeth, he will sometimes be in Nukba and other times he will be in
Alfiyya Al Iraaqi, and he will flip and flop in the all the Fiqh books. Generally, he will not
gain the knowledge. And if he does, it will be on certain issues, and not the fundamental
principles governing the issues. It will be on Tashahhud (‫)تشهد‬, about where you put your
finger, and other things concerning Salaah. Yet he will be unsure of whether to make the
prostration of forgetfulness after or before the tasleem. The reason is that in one book it is
said as before and in another as after. And another one says both before and after. It is
before if you left out something in prayer, and it is after if one added something to the prayer.
So, what is it? It is unclear because he took bits and pieces in different areas, and in certain
12
classes or areas. But he never completely understood by studying the evidences, and hearing
both sides of arguments.
Generally, he will not gain knowledge. Even if he gained knowledge, it will be on certain
issues and not on the fundaments principles governing the issues. Like gathering locusts, one
at a time. For example, you have infestation and you will gather one at a time. There will big
problems to stick it out. Instead, solid firmness is what is important. It is better to stick with
the books which you read and research, and the scholar that you study under. Do not be a
taster. Each week or the month, there will be with a different Shaykh, for example, “The
Shaykh of the Month” or “The Shaykh of the Week. “
(15) Patience and Perseverance, Recommendations:
First, choose who you are going to study under, and then be consistent. "The one who is
being consistent will grow." And, the one who does not, he will not. He will not gain
anything. So, this is the general recommendation for being patient in studying.
(15) Patience and Perseverance, Reasoning for the Recommendation:
Of course when one gets into studying, there are cycles that people will go through.
Initially, there is enthusiasm. People will get enthusiastic with the particular teacher or
subject, so they are hyped up and ready in class. They will be in the circle regularly. And
then after sometime, they will start to slow down. This becomes a period which you could say
is a period of boredom. As the boredom starts to come in, there are other things which you
want to do and it comes to your mind. Or, you hear about another class, and then you think
that you have not heard from that Shaykh. So, you end up dropping that class and joining the
next class. So, that is the approach by which Shaykh Al Uthaymeen has said that the student
will not earn or gain the knowledge. The person will not really gain the knowledge. They will
gain little bits and pieces, but not solid knowledge so that they will teach that knowledge to
others, because that occurs is when it is solid. When you are solid, you know your subject
well enough to be able to convey it to others. When it is not solid, you will not be able to
convey it and you will ask for classes in Arabic grammar which you had been studying all
these years. The reason is that you did not complete anything. So, the knowledge you gained
is confused. So, this is point 15, about being patient and perseverant, then confirming the
knowledge that is coming to you and the information that is going out.
Final Advice from Dr. Bilal Philips:
So, on one hand, one has to be firm in their studies, stick with one teacher, and follow the
course through. It does not mean that when you learn one subject completely from one
teacher, then you should have to stay with that teacher when you are learning other subjects.
You can stay with that teacher for your whole life. It does not have to be many teachers as
this is not the principle. The main point is that you complete the subject with that teacher. If
you find another subject where another teacher is teaching, then you can leave the subject and
13
move on to that teacher. That is fine. But, most important, it is also the information which
you are learning and gaining from the various sources. Let it be from Shuyookh, books,
tapes, and videos or whatever that you are certain about its authenticy. And when you are
conveying the information, that you also are doing so in a such way that you are not giving
out the generality which people can misunderstand, but you give them the clarity of the
various subjects that you are conveying.
Ending of Live Session:

So, that closes the session 18,
َ ‫َل أَ ْنتَّ أَ ْستَ ْغفرُكَّ َوأَتُوبُّ إلَ ْي‬

ّ‫ك‬ ّ َ ‫َل إلَ ّهَ إ‬ ّْ َ‫ُسب َْحانَكَّ اللَهُ َّم َوب َح ْمدكَّ أَ ْشهَ ُّد أ‬
َّ ‫ن‬
Purity belongs to You, Oh Allaah, with Your praises, I bear witness that there is none
worthy of worship except You. I seek forgiveness from You and I repent to You.
14
ETH 101
Module 19
BASED ON THE BOOK "HILYATU TAALIBIL ILM" BY SHAYKH DR. BAKR ABU
ZAYD
We are relying on the 300 page Commentary written by Shaykh Al Uthaymeen. In our
previous module we completed Chapter 1 which focused on etiquettes of the student that one
has to develop. We mentioned what one has to avoid, and to adorn themselves with. The
points which Shaykh Al Uthaymeen stressed are firmness, confirmation, and to have
perseverance while engaged in seeking knowledge and not to allow Shaytaan to sabotage
one's efforts with things like laziness, etc.
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬said that: “Yawning is from Shaytaan.” For example,

As the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬
most people experience that when they pick up the Quraan even though they didn’t feel
sleepy before, soon after they read a page or so they begin to yawn. That is why we are
advised to seek refuge in Allaah from Shaytaan before beginning our recitation. With that,
the concluding thought was that, on one hand, one should have perseverance in seeking
knowledge and on the other hand one also has to confirm the authenticity of the knowledge
that one is gaining.
Chapter 2
Methodology of Seeking Knowledge:
It covers only 2 points and Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd has elaborated on them, firstly, point
number 16 which is on page 35.
The Methodology of Seeking Knowledge and its Levels:
Whoever doesn’t perfect the foundation is prevented from reaching their aim in
knowledge and whoever wants to attain knowledge in one go will lose it in one go. It was
also said that over crowding the knowledge one hears leads to misunderstanding. Therefore
it is essential to ground oneself and specialize in every field that he wishes to study, by
perfecting its basics/fundamentals and by going through a summarized work on the subject
with an expert Shaykh and not relying upon personal efforts alone. Seeking knowledge
should be taken step by step.
Allaah, Most High said: “And it is the Quraan which I have divided into parts in order
that you may recite it to humans at intervals and I have revealed it in stages”. Allaah The
Most High also said: “And those who disbelieve say, 'Why is not the Quraan revealed to him
all at once?' Thus I have sent it down in parts that I may strengthen your heart with it and I
have revealed it to you gradually.”(Quraan 25:32) And Allaah Most High also said: “And
those to whom I gave the book recite it as it should be recited; they are those who truly
believe in it.” (Sooratul Baqarah 2: 121)
Those were the evidences brought by Shaykh Bakr from the Quraan for his statement that
the knowledge should be taken gradually and not try to be done hastily. Don't learn and grab
everything all at once. A student of knowledge should show preservance and patience in the
course of his study. Shaykh al Uthaymeen commented on this statement: “The methodology
2
of seeking religious knowledge is also very important in order for a person to build his/her
quest on principles and foundations and not flip chaotically from here and there. The author
said, “Whoever doesn’t perfect the fundamentals will be denied the goals because the
fundamentals are the knowledge and the issues are the branches like the roots of the trees and
its branches. If the trunks and branches are not on a solid foundation, it will be destroyed.”
So whoever doesn’t understand the fundamental principals which are behind the laws, then
they will not be able to grasp the overall guidelines for any given topic.
‫ّه‬
For example, a person who studies Seerah learns all of the events of the Prophet's ‫للا صلى‬
‫ وسلم عليه‬life, but they haven’t understood the principles behind his life, whether it is the
principle of Dawah or principles of Judgments, etc. That is why some scholars in recent
times wrote books called "Fiqh-ul-Seerah", to help us understand the principles that were
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬and how he dealt with
behind the various events of the life of the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬
them, instead of just calling it "Seerat un Nabawiyyah" as earlier books of biography were
called by this name.
If one hasn't understood the underlying principles, then he has been prevented from
arriving at the goals and the intent of that knowledge. For example, when teaching kids to
pray, if we just tell them, "Do this and don’t do that" (just telling them the end ruling) and if
they haven’t understood the principles behind salaah, then it doesn’t become guidance for
them through their lives. And they may eventually abandon it when they grow up. Or they
might perform it just to show off (Salaatu riyaa'). And it won’t be a salaah which will
prevent evil speech and evil deeds. Nor will it be a salaah that brings peace to the heart of a
believer. The salaah will not have an impact upon such a person. The goal of the salaah is not
just the act, but it is to change one's character into the character which a human being should
possess and display. That’s why Allaah has commanded us to pray in order to remember
Him, and so that one can become a righteous person. Salaah prevents evil speech and evil
deeds. Hence, in salaah one isn’t supposed to say anything except what is pleasing to Allaah.
And it trains us to carry on that behavior of avoiding evil speech and evil deeds even outside
of salaah.
Similarly Allaah said: “It is only by the remembrance of Allaah that hearts find rest.”
Allaah also said: “Establish the prayers for My remembrance.” And it is only in the
remembrance of Allaah that one finds peace. Therefore, the main goal of salaah for human
beings is to find peace. By establishing that contact with Allaah, human beings achieve
peace. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to speak about the fundamentals since this is the first
principle in seeking and receiving knowledge that we have to identify and understand the
importance of. And our focus must be on it.
What are the fundamentals? Are they the authentic evidences or are they the rules and
conditions? What are the fundamentals? Fundamentals are the Usool. For example when
you study Usool ul Fiqh, then they clarify in that study that Usool focuses on the governing
principals, not the evidences themselves, but the governing principles which the end
evidences indicate that are derived from the evidences. So, he said the second group. You
build on the foundation of the Quraan and Sunnah and on the rules and conditions which are
3
derived from the Quraan and Sunnah. These are the most important things that a student
should know. For example, "Whenever difficulty arises, ease is found." This is a rule. This
is one of the fundamental principles deduced from the Quraan and Sunnah. From the Quraan,
we have Allaah' statement: “I have not put in the Religion any difficulty.” From the Sunnah,
the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬said to Imraan Ibn Husayn: “Pray standing, if you can’t, then
pray sitting, if you can’t, then pray lying on your side.” In another narration he said: “Prayer
sitting is worth half of the prayer standing, and the prayer lying is half of the worth of prayer
sitting”. This is obviously referring to when one is able. So, as long as one is able to stand
and pray then he should pray standing.
You will find Hanafis who will pray sitting. It is part of their body of Sunnah or Nawaafil
prayers. If you ask them, "Why are you praying sitting?," they would reply that the Prophet
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬did so. But the point is why the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬
‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬prayed sitting. Did
he pray sitting when he could stand? The answer is no. He prayed sitting when he was sick,
in the end times of his life when he could no longer stand, then he prayed sitting. And the
people who pray sitting even though they could stand and pray claim to be following the
Sunnah. No they are not following the Sunnah because they are not sick. If you are sick and
pray sitting, then you’re following the Sunnah. If you’re healthy and you pray sitting then
you’re not following the Sunnah. There are others who claim that the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫عليه ّه‬
‫ وسلم‬prayed sitting while he rode his donkey. Yes he did so because he couldn’t stand. Hence
if you haven’t understood the principle behind the rule then you end up with such
conclusions.
And the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬also said: “If I command you to do something, then do
as much as you can.” So this principle of difficulty and ease arises. Since our situations
differ, as long as something is feasible to be done, then do it. When you have difficulty, then
you are excused. The remaining part of the above statement of the Prophet is ‫للا صلى‬ ‫عليه ّه‬
‫ وسلم‬: “If I forbid you from something, then give it up, all of it.” He didn’t say give up what
you are able to. He said give it all up. Why did he make such a statement? It is because doing
something involves effort on your part, so ease or difficulty comes into play. Whereas giving
up something involves just stopping doing it. To avoid doing something is much easier than
doing something that you weren’t doing. If a thousand issues arose in various different
forms, this basic principle would enable you to rule on them based on this foundational
principal. But if you didn’t know this principal and only two issues arose, you would have
difficulty with them. Hence, where this principal is understood, then it is easy to judge the
various circumstances of life and how one should deal with them.
Another example is when a person says that his work schedule is so tight that he can’t
offer prayer on time. So the point is that once the difficulty comes, there is a basis for ease.
And we know that the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬combined Thuhr and Asr prayers. So there is
the ease. Always in the Deen where ever you find a difficulty, there will be a principal which
allows for ease.
Likewise it is said, "Whoever desires knowledge all at once will miss it all at once." It
isn’t possible to gain knowledge all at once. If a person wishes to immediately acquire
4
knowledge, he will miss the immediate acquisition of knowledge because it is impossible.

One must acquire knowledge bit by bit. Like a ladder, you must climb step by step from the
ground to the roof. Knowledge is not like a dish in which the Sciences are written and you
eat it and then say, "It's finished, I have digested the knowledge". No, knowledge needs
flexibility, patience, consistency and gradation, doing it gradually. Of course when people
first start seeking knowledge, there is a tendency to get as much as one can all at once.
Although it is good to have enthusiasm to seek knowledge, one has to follow the principle as
they say that: "Rome wasn’t built in a day." Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd quoted a verse from the
Quraan where Allaah mentions that He revealed it in stages. And also another verse which
states that it was revealed in order to be recited slowly. Hence in the quest for knowledge, it
is Islamically correct to focus on the Usool that one learns, the foundational principles of
governing from the Quraan and Sunnah. Rules have been derived from the Quraan and
Sunnah, and these rules are applicable under a variety of circumstances. When we understand
the principle, then we can apply the text to other circumstances which don’t fit exactly. So
this is the importance of the Usool.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen also said: “Crowding knowledge in listening misguides

understanding”. This is what we call 'information overload.' That is, you obtain so much
information that it becomes confused in your head. You won’t be able to properly understand
what has been observed because it’s just too much. Therefore it is better to take things
gradually. When Abdullaah bin Mas'ood used to teach the taabieen, the taabieen used to
ask him to give them classes every day. He would not do so because this was the way of the
‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬. The reasons for doing so are:
Prophet ‫للا صلى‬
• So that people don’t get bored of classes, and end up skipping it and missing
information which would then lead to gaps in their knowledge. So it is better to do it
occasionally rather than continuously.
The author's statement was that too much listening to knowledge will necessitate
causing you to misunderstand. That may be true sometimes. A person becomes bored
listening, or his eyes become tired by reading. If knowledge has become crowded and
scattered, then you will be unable to get out of that state and everything become confused in
one's mind. Therefore it is essential to specialize and ground yourself in every field that you
wish to study by confirming its fundamentals and summarized works with an expert Shaykh.
This indicates what must be done even if it is with a scholar slightly more knowledgeable
than you. If one studies on his own, then there are more chances that he would commit
mistakes. If some people see a distinguished student of knowledge, they take him as a
Shaykh, even though he has a Shaykh much more knowledgeable than himself. The people
take that minor student as their Shaykh because he surpasses them in some areas of
knowledge and that is incorrect. Instead, people should choose scholars who are experts. I
also add trustworthiness to the description of expertise, because expertise is power and
power must have trustworthiness.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen stressed the importance of studying from reliable and well
established scholars. He quoted Allaah Subhaanahu wa Ta'laa saying: “Indeed the best one
5
to be hired is the one who is strong and trustworthy.” (Sooratul Qasas 28:26) Hence,
trustworthiness is important along with strength because perhaps the scholar would have
expertise, vast knowledge, and ability to work out secondary issues and categorize them, but
he is not trustworthy and he misguides you without even realizing it.
How you are going to know that the Shaykh is untrustworthy?
• If you are studying with a Shaykh consistently, you will get an idea of his way of
thinking, how he carries himself, etc. And if you see behavior from him that is unbecoming
of a scholar or you see how he behaves differently with different people, dealing roughly,
etc., then these are the signs that tell you that you need to find a another Shaykh who is
reliable.
Not Relying upon Personal Efforts Alone :
That is, while seeking knowledge one shouldn’t just rely on one’s own efforts, the books
one has compiled, or books bought from stores, or those created in one’s own library. This is
not sufficient without a scholar's guidance, because without a scholar's guidance, the chances
of one committing mistakes will be higher. The author's statement means don’t gain
knowledge relying upon personal efforts alone by only reading books without having a
reliable Shaykh, due to that which he said “Whoever's guide is his book, his mistakes will be
more than his correct judgments." On the other hand, one who takes his knowledge from a
scholar will have three great benefits:
• Shortness of Time:
If you take a book and read a topic, the amount of time you spent will be more compared
to the same topic being taught by a Shaykh. So you will be able to save a lot of time and you
will be able to grasp the information more easily and quickly.
• The Least Amount of Effort:
The person who studies on their own goes here and there collecting books, reading
through them, double checking, etc. It involves a lot more effort on their part. So studying
under a Shaykh makes life easier as you don’t have to exert as much to gain knowledge.
• Greater Likelihood of Accuracy:
The likelihood of you gaining and passing on correct information will be higher when you
study under a reputable, known Shaykh. You will be also able to clarify your doubts from the
Shaykh.
Sheikh al Uthaymeen said: “The Shaykh is an Aalim, knowledgeable, and a reference that
you can turn back to when you need further clarification. And he is providing you with
something which is developed, (ripe) and a mature understanding. And if he is trustworthy,
he will teach you and train you in dealing with resources, reference work, and how to
research them.” If he doesn’t have Amaana (trustworthiness) then he will just teach you.
But he doesn’t take you back to the sources, to train you, to gain yourself from the sources.
6
So you will always be dependent on the Shaykh. If the scholar doesn’t train the student to go
back to the sources themselves, this mode of scholarship must be avoided. As for one who
relies on books only, he had to spend great efforts day and night. Then if he reads a book
which has comparisons in it and different opinions from the scholars and he reads their
evidences, it will be difficult for him to determine which evidences are correct. Hence, a
Shaykh helps his student to find out the correct evidence.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen further says: “And it is because of that we see Ibn ul Qayyim
(May Allaah have mercy on him), when he discusses two opinions of the people of
knowledge, whether it is in his book "Zad Al Ma'aad" or in his book "Alaam ul
Muwaqe'een", whenever he brings the evidences for a particular position, he also points out
its weaknesses. And he brings all of the particular views. And after you read what he said,
you say 'That's the correct opinion.' And you feel it is impermissible to go with other than
that; he presented it; he discussed its weakness; he brought the evidences and the evidences
are over whelming. So a person who is following his opinion will think that this is the
correct opinion and the other side must be wrong. However, after that, then he discusses the
other opinion after critizing the first opinion. Furthermore, he goes on to show the other side
that was arguing against it. He brings their evidences and looks at the different weaknesses
in their own argument, but in the end you will say that’s the correct opinion.
Imaam Aboo Haneefah also did something similar with his students. After telling them
not to write down his rulings because of the fact that he said, "I will make a ruling today and
may change it tomorrow. I will make another ruling tomorrow and change it the day after. So
don’t write them down, instead go to the sources that I took them from and get from there.”
So what he would do with his students, when they looked at an issue is that he would take
one side of the issue and he would argue for it, until his students were all convinced that this
was the correct opinion. And after they were all convinced, then he would turn around and
argue against it and bring all of the opinions and evidences to show that the opposite opinion
was correct.
This was the way followed by both Ibn ul Qayyim and Aboo Haneefah, so that they could
train the students in looking at the evidences, and how to critique them. This was so that the
students, themselves, would eventually understand how to go back to those fundamentals.
And they would know how to apply them to the evidences that are available, in order to come
up with solutions and rulings to deal with a multiplicity of circumstances that one may face
in life. So the importance of the Usool is the main point in point 16. With them, we are able
to apply the knowledge in a variety of circumstances. Without them we are stuck with the
knowledge that we have learned.
7
ETH 101
Module 20
ِ‫َح ِيم‬
ِ ‫نِالر‬ َِ ِ‫بِس ِِْم‬
ِِ ‫ّللاِِالرَحْ َٰم‬
ETIQUETTES OF SEEKING RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE
BASED ON THE BOOK-HILYATU TAALIBIL ILM BY SHAYKH DR. BAKR ABU

ZAYD.
We are relying on the 300 page commentary written by Shaykh Al Uthaymeen.
In this session we are continuing looking at the Second chapter of the book. We are
focusing on the Methodology of Seeking Knowledge and its Levels, point 16, page 36-text
Dr. Bakr states: “In front of you there are a number of things that you have to take into
consideration in every subject that you study”.
He has outlined 6 main points:
• To memorize a concise book on the topic/field:
Concise means a summary which has been done in a poetic form. In most fields of study,
scholars at one point summarized the subject in a form of poetry. So all of the various
information, the key principles, and guidelines from that particular subject would be
expressed in lines of poetry. Actually when one who isn’t in the field reads the lines of
poetry, he would have difficulty interpreting it. So people used to memorize these poems.
Then a Shaykh would interpret the poem for people and give the commentary on it. So by
memorizing the basic lines of the poetry, one would have the whole subject covered.
Whenever a issue would come up, you would recall one phrase from your memory. And
then you would have the answer for that issue that has already been explained to you. So the
student would be able to explain automatically on that basis. This was a tradition. One of the
common formats is the 1000 lines format. For example, "Alfiyatu Ibn Maalik" which is
1000 lines of poetry in which all of the grammar rules are covered. So people who are
specializing in all of the various field of knowledge would memorize this. If you were to go
to Al Azhar University and ask a professor of any field, whether Hadeeth, or Fiqh, or Tafseer,
they would have memorized this, even if they weren’t specialized in grammar. This has been
the standard procedure or pattern.
Sometimes it can also be a subject without being in poetic form. It could just be the
headlines of a basic text were the author has given only the basic information, (the skeleton
of the subject) like a Power Point Presentation.
• Then Dr. Bakr recommends becoming proficient in that text by studying its
commentary with a qualified Shaykhh until it becomes well understood and you are capable
of teaching it.
• Do not delve into extensive texts and compilations on many different subjects before
becoming proficient in the basics. Take things step by step and don’t jump around.
2
• Don’t switch from one concise text to another without any necessity, for this is due to
impatience. You may find in any given place of learning a variety of teachers teaching a
variety of different texts, so you may start with one teacher. And then you may hear other
friends saying that another teacher is excellent. So you learn from that new teacher and you
go with his class and then you drop what you were doing with your previous teacher. If you
keep on moving from teacher to teacher, you won’t grasp the subject properly.
• Retain the benefits and principles of knowledge by writing them down.
• Mentally prepare yourself to seek knowledge and progress in it. And also be
concerned with eagerness to attain it, and to reach higher levels until you progress to the long
compilations with ease.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said:
• First, memorize a concise work in the field. For example, if you were seeking
knowledge of Arabic grammar, memorize the summary on the subject. If you are a beginner,
the best text would be "Al Ajroomiyyah" because it is clear and comprehensive and it is
blessed. Then the text "Alfiyatu ibn Maalik" because it is the cream of the field of grammar,
as the author himself said. It is more comprehensive than "Al Kaafia", as the field requires a
specialist. In Fiqh, memorize "Zaad ul Mustaqni'" because it has many commentaries and
foot notes and it is widely taught. Even though some other texts are better from other
perspectives, it is better from certain other perspectives. It has many examples and many
commentaries. In hadeeth, memorize "Ummdatul Ahkaam." If you progress, memorize
"Buloogh ul Maraam" by Haafith ibn Hajr. If one has to choose between the two books, then
choose "Buloogh ul Maraam" as it is superior as it has more evidences. Ibn Hajr clarified the
status of hadeeth, which is missing in "Umdatul Ahkaam" even though the level of hadeeth is
known, because the author didn’t include any hadeeths besides those agreed upon by al
Bukhaaree and Muslim. So "Umdatul Ahkaam" is taken from Bukhaaree and Muslim. Both
of these books, "Umdatul Ahkaam" and "Buloogh ul Maraam" focus on the evidences used
by scholars in Fiqh. In "Buloogh ul Maraam," Min Adilatil Ahkaam, is from the evidence
used for the ahkaam, which are the various rulings of Fiqh. So "Umdatul Ahkaam" being
taken from Bukhaaree and Muslim for all of the hadeeth which are used for Fiqh, naturally is
smaller than "Buloogh ul Maraam." "Buloogh ul Maraam" brings all of the texts from
Bukhaaree and Muslim, as well as from all of the other books. So it is a more comprehensive
text and hence it is a better choice if one has to choose between the two. Shaykh Al
Uthaymeen is only recommending particular books that are small for beginners, and not
going through all the books that Dr. Bakr suggested.
In Tawheed, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to say: “Among the best books that I
have read is " Kitaab ut Tawheed" by Shaykh ul Islaam Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhaab.
Allaah made it easy recently for its hadeeth to be rated, and its weak hadeeth to be identified.
And the truth has more right to be followed.” He made this comment that the truth has more
right to be followed because in the compilation of Kitaab ut Tawheed by Shaykh Muhammad
ibn Abdil Wahhaab, he did include some hadeeths which are weak. When Shaykh Naasir ud
3
Deen Al Albaanee taught it at Madeenah University and he criticized some of the hadeeth in
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhaab's book, it made people upset. Some claim that this is
one of the reasons why his contract to teach at Madeenah University was cancelled. It is a
tendency of people that when you have a leading figure amongst you who has led the people,
they can’t take criticism of that leading figure. Similarly, today for the Jammat Al Islaami
people, if you criticize Maulana Mawdudi, people will get upset. For the Ikhwaan, if you
criticize Sayyid Qutub people get upset. This a danger of groupisim which leads to
factionalism where people get tied up to a certain group and they no longer have tolerance of
any kind of criticism for the leading figures of that group.
In Asmaa wa Sifaat, The Names and Attributes of Allaah, among the best I have read
is" Aqeedatul Waasitiyyah" by Shaykh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah. It is comprehensive,
blessed, and a beneficial book. Choose a concise textbook from every field that you wish to
study and memorize it.”
• Secondly, the Author's statement: “Go through it with an expert Shaykh”. “ It would
have been better, if he had said to go through it and its commentary with an expert Shaykh in
order to confirm its text. And be aware of what is added and deleted from the original. As I
have previously mentioned, trustworthiness should be added to expertise”
In other words, the Shaykh that you choose should not only be an expert in the field, but
he should also be trustworthy, because though a person may be an expert in a subject but if he
isn’t trustworthy, he may not give you the correct ruling or the correct understanding. In other
words, he may teach from outside of what he knows to be correct on a particular subject in
defense of his mathhab, his institution, etc.
As he mentioned, not only to go through the book with a Shaykh, who will just give his
explanation of the meaning of the poetry or the meaning of the basic text, but it should be
along with a commentary. All of these concise, major texts have commentaries written by
scholars. When you go back and look into the history of Fiqh, you see that it passes through
different phases. And one of the phases included the practice of making summaries of
various subjects. This was because of the fact that the number of students who were studying
became less, and less interested in the subject. So in order to make it easier for their students,
they made them shorter and shorter. But making it poetic made the concise text appear as
puzzles. Even if one was well versed in Arabic, they weren’t able to understand. And they
would need a Shaykh to give commentary on it. So they wrote commentaries. Then they
wrote commentaries on commentaries. This cycle occurred in most of the fields of study.
Today one has to memorize the basic text in order to teach and give rulings.
• Quoting from Dr. Bakr: ”Avoid studying extensively from commentaries.”
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen says, " it is very important for the student of religious knowledge,
that he first perfects the concise works until it is firmly implanted in his mind, then move on
to the extended works." However, some students sometimes divert and begin reading the
extensive works in order to be able to sit in gatherings and say, "The author of "Al Mughni,"
or the author of "Al Majmoo'" said such and such. They do this in order to show that they
4
have read widely, which is a big mistake. They may achieve popularity but they are
damaging their own learning process.
• I always advise students to begin with a concise work until their knowledge is firmly
implanted in their minds. Then Allaah gives and blesses you, so that you may go on to the
next extended works. Firstly, don’t switch from one concise work to another without a
necessity for it as that is a sign of confusion. Travelling from one concise work to another is a
sign of impatience. Or going from one text book to another which is more advanced, is a
major failure which could cut the student's search for knowledge and waste his time. Every
hour he has a different book. This is a mistake. If you decided that your choice is a particular
book, stick with it and don’t tell others to read a chapter from it and then tell them to transfer
to another, for it is a waste of time”.
You may have a good text that you are working with and there are different chapters in
it. To invite others to just read a portion of it, becomes confusing. Hence, it is better to work
your way gradually through the text unless there is a need. For example, if you don’t find
anyone to teach you from a concise work and you found another reliable Shaykh who has
mastered another concise work and he’s teaching it, then there’s no harm in switching from
your work to another, or for example, if your teacher gets sick.
Part b
• Retain the benefits and the precepts of the knowledge. This is also very important;
that benefits of a text which are rarely taught of or mentioned should be recorded. While you
are reading you may come across key ideas, new ideas or deep thoughts. Make a note of it.
Keep recording it in a notebook. This helps you to review and to remember those important
points. It is very important that the benefits of a text which are rarely taught from, or rarely
mentioned should be recorded. One shouldn’t think that it is known, so therefore it does not
need to be recorded as one will not forget, for one will soon forget. Be careful to give
importance to conditions specified by the scholars as the reasons for the laws. For all the
reasons for the laws are the conditions on which the laws are built. Save them because every
reason has many issues built on it. Every reason has a condition under which lies many
details. For example, if a person is in doubt about the purity of water or its impurity, he
should build on what he is certain of. This is considered a ruling and a precept, or a condition
at the same time, which can be used as a reason. For the original principle is that things are
considered to remain in their state that they were originally. So if he is in doubt about its
purity or impurity, it should be considered pure. Or if he is in doubt about the purity of
something impure, it should be considered as impure because that was its original state. This
is a basic principle that things are considered to remain in their original state until you have
evidence to indicate otherwise.
For another example, you leave home with wudhu. You remember making wudhu at home.
Then you get to the masjid and try to remember if your wudhu was broken on the way over
or not. You have a doubt. So what you do? You assume that you have wudhu and carry on.
ِّ ِ‫ صلى‬said:
The Prophet ‫ّللاِعليهِوسلم‬
5
“Wudhu when you already have wudhu is like light upon light.”
Hence it isn’t a bad thing to repeat one's wudhu. But just as a principle and this is to push
away waswasa, whisperings of Shaytaan. Because Shaytaan puts doubts into our minds. So
to remove the opportunity for Shaytaan to create doubts, you work on what you’re certain of.
That’s the basic principle. Similarly, when you left the house, you didn’t make wudhu. After
a while on the journey, a doubt arises in your mind if you made wudhu, and you aren’t sure.
In this case, what do you do? You assume that you don’t have wudhu because that’s the state
you left your house in. That’s what you are sure of.
In salaah, you are in what you thought to be your third rak'ah; you are not sure. Are you
in the third or in the second? What do you do? You assume that you are in the second
because that is what you are sure about. And it is the third rak'ah that you are in doubt about.
Hence, you build on "Binal al Yaqeen, that which is certain, This is a basic principle in
Usool ul Fiqh. Hence, you build on what you are certain about.
Once you are studying, different examples are given of this. So rather than focusing on
different examples were this is applied, it is better for you to memorize or to have recorded
the principle, because once you have understood the principle, then that principle can be
applied in a variety of different circumstances. You don’t have to remember the circumstance
anymore. Once you have the principle then you just have to apply it. When anybody brings a
circumstance where this principle is in play, you just have to apply it. So that’s why Shaykh
Al Uthaymeen said: “Be careful to give importance to conditions specified by the scholars as
the reasons for the laws”. This is the principle behind the laws.” All the reasons for the laws
are the conditions on which the laws are built. Consequently if a person identified the reason
and recorded them every time he comes across them, he would benefit greatly both himself
and others in the future when he tries to derive secondary legal issues based on them.”
• Preparing oneself to seek knowledge and to grow are also to be concerned with.
One is zealous about attaining higher levels until one progresses to the long works with ease.
It is also important that a person focuses himself on seeking knowledge, and not to be
scattered to the right and left. One day one is seeking knowledge and on another day thinking
about opening a Stationery Store. Yet another day thinking about opening a Vegetable Store.
This is not correct. One should decide what he’s going to do and stay focused and work on it,
focusing oneself on seeking knowledge, as long as you are convinced that this is your
direction. And that’s the point; if you aren’t convinced, then that’s a different thing. But
what you need to do is to get convinced about which way you really want to go.
Many times people would have been in a course of study, then suddenly they decide to go
to Madeenah and study. One has to know what is it that they plan to end up in, and should
know their end goal. When you are already engaged in a field of Education, it’s better for you
to continue in it, while attending regular courses which will build your Islaamic Education.
Hence, you take it parallel to your main goal. And focus in the area that you ultimately plan
to end up in. A proverb of Steven Cove: “Begin with the end in mind.” Set off on a path
which will lead you to the end that you have desired. Focus yourself on that
6
direction which you are certain of and in reaching the uppermost levels of it. Don’t focus on
just getting through, completing the basics of that particular area. Always try to look for the
highest levels. For example, in Academics, don’t just go for a BA, do a PhD.
Don’t remain silent. Think about where your knowledge of issues and evidences
have reached, and work to improve it, bit by bit. Seek help from whomever among your
classmates and brothers that you trust. Don’t feel shy to say to others, "help me research this
issue by checking these books." No one will gain knowledge with shyness. The Prophet ِ‫صلى‬
ِّ said: “Shyness is a part of Eemaan.” and in another narration: “Shyness is half
‫ّللا ِعليه ِوسلم‬
of Eemaan”. These hadeeth put great stress on Hayaa'. Hayaa' in Islaam has great importance
ِّ ِ‫ صلى‬has said: “There
but there are places where it isn’t appropriate. The Prophet ‫ّللاِعليهِوسلم‬
is no Hayaa' in Deen, in seeking knowledge of religion.” Bbecause if you are shy to ask,
then knowledge will pass you by. So you have to be open if you’re going to gain knowledge
and you have to overcome shyness and ask questions.
The Author's statement: “And zealous in attaining,” Meaning that the person should have
a great love and burning desire to attain the levels above which one currently is. This is so
that he can flow to the major works and long works with ease. On page 37, Shaykh Bakr
went on to say: "It was the opinion of Ibn Arabi al Maaliki that the seeker of knowledge
shouldn’t study two subjects simultaneously. And that priority should be given to learning
Arabic, poetry and mathematics, and then go on to the Quraan. But he was rebuked by Ibn
Khaldoon, who said that then the present day customs didn’t encourage this method. And the
first priority should be given to studying the Quraan and memorizing it. Because as long as a
child remains in the lap, he can be easily controlled. But once he passes the age of
adolescence, it becomes difficult to force him to do things. As for studying two subjects or
more subjects simultaneously, this differs from one student to another depending upon their
capacity of understanding and their enthusiasm.
There were among the people of knowledge, those who taught Hanbali Fiqh from "Zaad
ul Mustaqni'" for the beginners. And they taught "Al Muqni'" for differences of opinion
within the mathhab, and and "Al Mughni" for differences of opinion at an advanced level.
And they did not permit the seekers in the first level to sit in the lessons of the students in the
second level, and so on, so as to eliminate any confusion. Here, Dr. Bakr is looking at the
issue of The Methodology of Studying; what is the starting point of study and the concept of
studying more than one subject at one time.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to explain the Author’s quote of Ibn Arabi's statement,
"Priority should be given to learning Arabic." {It should be noted here that Ibn Arabi al
Maaliki is different from Ibn al Arabi. Ibn al Arabi was a Sufi who claimed that everything
was Allaah and Allaah was everything. Whereas Ibn Arabi al Maaliki was a Faqih, a Qhaadi
from the Maaliki School in Andalus- Spain.}
Hence, it is based on the fact that it is impossible to understand the Quraan without
learning Arabic. That’s why he stressed the importance of learning Arabic. However, for one
7
who isn’t an Arab, it isn’t acceptable for us to tell him to go and learn Arabic meaning to
specialize in it. As for poetry and mathematics, how can we give them priority over the
Quraan. This is not acceptable. Ibn Arabi's statement, "Do not simultaneously study two
sciences" ignores the fact that there are people of different levels of understanding and
preparedness. Thus, it could be easy for some people to combine two fields of learning, or it
could be difficult. Each person is his own Doctor. If he finds himself capable and strong, then
there is no harm in combining Sciences or fields of learning. However he should be aware of
beginner’s enthusiasm, as it is like a journey. When some people begin, they are very
enthusiastic and desire to acquire all the fields of knowledge only to be found later retreating
because he/she bit off more than they could chew. Whoever does so will choke. Until you see
yourself capable; don’t burden yourself beyond your capacity. Moderate your effort in order
to continue. In the beginning there will be many classes available, and some students try to
gain knowledge of everything. They will ultimately not be able to cope, due to other
personal commitments. So one has to be aware of beginner’s enthusiasm. Be moderate, and
take whatever you are able to handle. Think it out and plan it.
Part c
The Author's statement, “And he is from the people of knowledge." It is correct that some
of the people of knowledge do that. If he is teaching from Hanbali Fiqh, he will teach " Zaad
ul Mustaqni'" because it is a summary of "Al Muqni'" and then go on teach Al "Muqni'"
because it has the mention of dual narrations, positions and views from the mathhab without
explanation of the reason and evidences. Some transfer on to "Al Muqni'" to "Al Kaafi"
before going to "Al Mughni" because it mentions the mathhab differences along with their
evidences, making it superior to "Al Muqni'." It mentions the differences and the evidences,
whether they are from the reveled texts of Quraan and Sunnah, or from Ijmaa', or all correct
Qiyaas, or from reasoning. After that, on to "Al Mughni" because the differences in "Al
Mughni" are not from among the followers of Imaam Ahmad but among the followers of all
the schools. So move upwards level by level.
This is the recommended system. Dr. Bakr says that the scholars of the past would
encourage studying these particular books from the mathhab of Ahmad ibn Hanbal. So
obviously in other schools, there will be similar books that would be on the same status. You
start off with simpler books which give the basic information. Then you move on to one
which gives you some differences of opinion within that school that one is studying. Then
you look to move on to those which explain differences within all of the schools. So you
move up stage by stage. One of the basic advantages of using Hanbali text is that Imaam
Ahmad has two opinions on virtually everything. He mentions the other opinion also even if
one opinion is stronger. So you will find when you look in that school, that there are two
sides with the evidences for both. Where as in other schools, it comes down to one opinion.
So they don’t consider the other opinion in their basic text. Al Muwaffaq (May Allaah have
mercy on him), Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to say, follows this gradual path. But he had
a book preceding "Al Muqni'." It was a bridge to "Al Muqni'" called "Umdatul Fiqh," which
8
is a concise book, much smaller than "Zaad ul Mustaqni'" with regard to its legal cases. But
it contains some evidences, so it isn’t as dry as "Al Mustaqni'".
In conclusion, it is necessary that the teacher raise the level of the students step by step,
so that they perfect what they have learned. The author also said it isn’t proper for first level
students to sit in the lesson of second level students and so on, to eliminate any confusion.
But in this last point, if I am unable consequently, I gather the young and old in my classes
on classical text. The young ones currently crawl then they will begin to walk bit by bit until
their legs become strong. The reason for that is that the students in our areas join us bit by bit.
And if you were to take into account new arrivals, we would neglect the rights of the
students. If we say, if new students come then we will return to "Zaad ul Mustaqni'" to the
Chapter on Cleanliness after reaching the Chapter on Salaah, then in the next year a new
group joins us, what would we do? Should we return to the Chapter on Tahaara? That would
be a pressure to the earlier students. It would mean that we would always remain in the
beginning of the book. That isn’t correct.
The teacher has to take into account the circumstances in which he’s teaching. This is
generally good advice in a University setting where all the students come in and they are on
one level. So when you go to the next class, you will build from where you left. When you
are holding a study circle in a Masjid, then you have to go according to the need of the
circumstances. So in those types of circles where people are joining all the time, you have
just continue to teach any way, and the people have to pick up on their own. If you use notes,
they can be passed on to the new comers.
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd went on to say,” And know that the list of concise books and
long compilations upon which seeking knowledge is based from scholars generally differed
from one region to another depending upon the mathhab and that which the scholars of that
region were upon. They tend to be proficient in one particular concise book rather than
another. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen commented that the meaning of this paragraph is correct.
For example, a person may find himself in a country which follows the Shaafi Mathhab,
where the local scholars base their principles of teaching on the books of the Shaafi Mathhab.
While his family may be in another country following the Hanbali Mathhab, where the
scholars teach the books of the Hanbali Mathhab and so on and so forth.
Of course what this means is in terms of the person who is studying. His approaching
study in accordance with the Prophetic way is that he would just study under the scholars of
the school that is available to him in that particular region or country. And some people
might say this is going to be confusing; it’s better for him not to study under these scholars.
Because he studied one thing when he was back home, now he has come to another area and
is being taught something else. So this would be confusing for him; it is better for him not to
study. But this is foolish. This is not the way of the earlier generation and Scholars. And the
Salaf studied under whoever was available, if there were a group of scholars in a particular
region, regardless of the school that they followed. They would study under them. And
Imaam Ash Shaafi is a classical example of one who travelled to different regions and
studied under scholars of those different regions that they reached. So it isn’t a problem. If
9
one goes to a new country, for example, Canada, the scholar who is available for teaching is
teaching from a particular disciple of a particular mathhab. They learn something else in
their home, then they also study under this teacher. He gives them the explanation and
evidences for why he has taken this position or why his school has taken a certain position.
Then the student can look back at what he learned before and what the evidences that he had
were. And if he finds that which has been presented to him seems to be more authentic,
then he goes with that. And if he goes back home, he's holding another position now. The
scholars over there would tell him, 'Well it is not as you thought." And they would bring him
other evidences. So the new evidences come to him which he didn’t hear before, which now
convince him that the original position he held, when he was back home was in fact the
stronger position. What should he do? He should leave that second position and go back. But
he was only home for vacation, then he back again. And he sits under his teacher and when
he shows his new position with new evidences, then the teacher again brings him more
evidences. Now what do you do? Is there a point where you say, " I have to stop? I can’t keep
changing my opinions." In this kind of scenario, some people advise you to stick with wha
you learned from one school. "Don’t listen to the other school." But this is a very rare
circumstance that you might find developing like that. But even if you find one developing
like that, then you as a person who is seriously seeking knowledge, have to be prepared to
change regardless of how many times the circumstances may demand that you change. Even
ِّ ِ ‫ صلى‬he told the people things in Makkah, which in
in the time of the Prophet ‫ّللا ِعليه ِوسلم‬
Madeenah he changed and told them to do another way. For example, he had previously told
the people to pray towards Jerusalem. And then they were told to pray towards the Ka'bah.
So they had to make changes. So this issue of making changes is not a problem for the
student of knowledge. And he should go along with what the evidence indicates. Shaykh
Bakr concluded this paragraph on page 37.
“The situation also differed from one student to another, depending upon their talents or
levels of understandings, and the strength or weakness of their will, and the rigidity or the
enthusiasm of their minds.” Yes. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen says: ”And there are other
reasons, like their strength and weakness and their preparedness to acquire knowledge and
also the amount of distraction that the student faces. In any case, there will be differences in
everything. However the author mentions those that are the most common.”
In terms of the student's ability to acquire knowledge, this will vary from student to
student, and from place to place. It will vary according to their desire to learn. We can’t set
particular rules with regards to this. One has to be open minded in one's study. The general
principle of study is to go from simple to difficult. These are general guidelines which are
beneficial in any field of study so that you don’t jump into the most complex from the
beginning; but you start with simple principles. For example, when you learn Mathematics,
you don’t go and start learning Calculus in your first classes. But you start with
multiplication tables, and how to add, and subtraction, etc. That’s how you build on.
Similarly, while seeking Islaamic knowledge; we have to go stage by stage, so that one can
do it effectively and to have a body of knowledge not only to practice but also to convey to
others.
10
ETH 101
Module 21
ِ‫س ِم‬ َِ ‫ن‬

ْ ِ‫ّللاِ ب‬ ِِ ‫يم ال َر ْح َٰم‬
ِِ ‫ال َر ِح‬
ETIQUETTES OF SEEKING RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE
BASED ON THE BOOK-HILYATU TAALIBIL ILM BY SHAYKH DR. BAKR ABU

ZAYD.
We are relying on the 300 page commentary written by Shaykh Al Uthaymeen.
The text is one of the introductory texts that has been used by many scholars of today to
introduce students to the methodology and approaches of seeking knowledge. After talking
about the modes of study, then Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd has given general advice to students
of his area (Saudi Arabia). And he recommends some of the general texts that are useful no
matter where ever you are. And some of the texts are unique to that region, as they wouldn’t
be easily accessible in other regions because the books are published in that region and not
available outside that region. Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd says, ” As for seeking knowledge in
our region (Saudi Arabia), after the stage of the Quraanic schools and the completion of the
memorization of the noble Quraan, it passed through three stages with scholars, with regards
to the lessons held in the masaajid. There was the beginning stage , the intermediate stage,
and the advanced stage. As for Tawheed, students would be taught " Al Usool uth
Thalaahtah" ("The Three Principles") and " Al Qawaa'id ul Arba'ah" ("The Four Rules")
and then "Kashf u Shubuhaat," ("Removing the Doubts") and Kitaab ut Tawheed, (The Book
of the Oneness of Allaah ) and all of these are by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhaab.
And this was for Tawheed ul Ibaadah. Regarding "Tawheed ul Asmaa' was Sifaat," Unity of
Allaah’s Names and Attributes, then "Al Aqeedatul Wasitiyyah" and Al Aqeedatul
Hamawiyyah" and "At Tadmuriyyah" were taught, then "Al Aqeedatu Tahaawiyah" and "Al
Aqeedatu Tahaawiyyah" along with its commentary. As for Arabic grammar, "Al
Ajroomiyyah", then "Mulhat ul 'Iraab" by Al Hareeri, then "Qatrun Nadaa" by Ibn Hisham,
then "Alfiyyatu ibn Maalik" along with its explanation by Ibn Aqeel. As for hadeeth, "Al
Arba'een un Nawawiyyah," then "Umdatul Ahkaam" by Al Maqdisi then "Buloogh ul
Maraam" by Ibn Hajr and "Al Muntaqa" by Ibn Taymiyyah then they would delve into the
Six Compilations of Hadeeth.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen states: "The author, may Allaah have mercy upon him and
lengthen his obedience, said that in Tawheed, "Taratul Usool wa Adillatuhaa" and in
Tawheed ul Ibaadah, he should begin with smaller works. "Taratul Usool" focuses on the
questions: "Who is your Lord, what is your Religion and who is your Prophet?" These are
the recommended early texts in Aqeedah on specifying Tawheed ul Ibaadah. Al Usool uth
Thalathah has been translated into English and it was published by "Al Hidaayah" in the UK .
So the text remains a good explanation of these three fundamental principles. It was
developed by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhaab. It is a good beginning point for
anyone who is embarking on the study of Tawheed or Aqeedah. Then "Al Qawaa'id ul
Arba'ah" by Shaykh ul Islaam Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhaab, which focuses on the
statement of Allaah The Most High, ”By time, indeed humankind is in a state of loss”. Then
"Kashfu Shubuhaat" deals with the doubts which some people of shirk raise in defense of
2
their acts of shirk and the responses to them. The Three Fundamentals of Tawheed ul
Ibaadah is available in English. "Kitaab ut Tawheed" which Shaykh Bakr also recommends,
is available in English but it was designed for teachers. So it contains just basic hadeeths with
brief statements concerning them. And for the beginning student, it is just not that effective.
Instead, a number of commentaries are written on the book "Kitaab ut Tawheed," like
"Tayseer ul Azeez il Hameed," but this text has not been translated. However, Dr Bilal
Philips has done a commentary on it named "Fundamentals of Tawheed" in which the
essence of "Tayseer ul Azeez il Hameed can be found. And this is the most comprehensive
book available in English, from the English perspective, for Aqeedah and Tawheed. There is
also a book by Shaykh Saalih ul Fawzaan called "The Book of Tawheed: Oneness of Allaah"
which is also a summary. But it is presented from an Arabic perspective using Arabic
examples. So it tends not to be that international. But as a basic and small text it is also good
for one who is studying Aqeedah. And Dr. Umar Sulaymaan Al Ashqar did a series called
"The Islaamic Creed." It has eight volumes and it basically deals with the Pillars of Eemaan.
His book which is entitled “Belief in Allaah” deals with Tawheed ull Ibaadah, as well as
Asmaa' wa Sifaat, Ruboobiyyah and Uloohiyyah. It deals with all of them. And it is also a
good text, and a modern presentation of the Fundamental Elements of Tawheed.
In terms of Tawheed ul Asmaa' wa Sifaat, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to say, “One of

the best books written on the topic is Al Aqeedatul Waasitiyyah" by Shaykh ul Islaam Ibn
Taymiyyah. And it is among one of the rich books in Aqeedah. It’s named "Al Waasitiyyah"
after the city Waasit in Iraq, from which some judges came to Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah and
requested that he write a summarized presentation of "Aqeedatu Salaf" (The Creed of the
Pious Predecessors). So he wrote this blessed text on Aqeedah. And it focuses on Tawheed
ul Asmaa' wa Sifaat. There is another book called “ The Radiance of Faith,” or "Lum'aat ul
I'tiqaad," originally written by Ibn Qudaamah Al Maqdisi. And it is translated into English by
Dr. Bilal Philips, along with a commentary. "Al Aqeedatul Waasitiyyah" has been translated
and published by Dar us Salaam and "Kashfu Shubuhaat has been translated by Shaykh
Muhammad bin Saalih Al Uthaymeen. He has a text called "The Beautiful Names and
Attributes of Allaah." It is quite an extensive book with around 200 pages. And in it you
will also find the authentic listing of the ninety nine names of Allaah and more.
Uthaymeen also went on to comment on that which was mentioned by Shaykh Bakr,
about "Al Hamawiyyah" and "At Tadmuriyyah." They are two treatises which are more in
depth than "Al Aqeedatul Waasitiyyah," which is more comprehensive than both of them
because it spoke on Allaah’s Names and Attributes and about faith and the Last Day. And it
is about the the people of the Sunnah and the Jamaa'ah's methodology in commanding the
good and prohibiting the evil. So it is a more comprehensive text than these two treatises,
which are noted for their depth of discussion on the Divine Attributes. "Al Aqeedatu
Tahaawiyyah" along with its commentary, is also translated. An extensive translation was
done by Imaam Saud University, by Dr. Abd ul Haqq Al Anasari. He did a translation of
the full text of Ibn Abil Izz. Shaykh Al Albaanee also edited this work, and he identified and
referenced the hadeeth mentioned. "Al Hamaawiyyah" in Aqeedah was also translated and
3
published by Tarbiyyah Bookstore Publishing, in 2005. It has 208 pages. And "At
Tadmuriyyah" by Shaykh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah hasn’t been translated.
In terms of grammar, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen quotes Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd as saying
that "Al Ajroomiyah" hasn’t been translated in English but it is a small, comprehensive, easy,
and a blessed book in Arabic grammar. So he advises all the students of Arabic grammar to
read it. And also Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd recommends "Mulhat ul 'Iraab" by Al Hareeree ,
"Qatrun Nadaa" by Hisham and Alfiyyat ibn Maalik and its commentary by Ibn Aqeel.
However, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to say that, 'In my opinion "Al Ajroomiyyah",
then "Alfiyyah" is sufficient. There is no need to fill our minds with repetitive books, as
they don’t add another dimension between "Ajroomiya" and "Alfiyyah." In the book "Mulhat
ul 'Iraab", which mentions rules in poetry form, there is a verse which is famous among
people. "If you find a fault, then correct the error, The Glorious and High is the One without
fault. This phrase which is found in "Mulhat ul 'Iraab" was commonly mentioned by authors
of that period of time and after it, those who write books in Arabic. They will mention it at
the end indicating that if you find mistakes, correct them.
Al Uthaymeen goes on to say, “My choice is that the student memorizes "Al
Ajroomiyyah" and "Alfiyyah." "Alfiyyah" is a thousand lines of poetry in which all the rules
of Arabic grammar are included and in "Al Ajroomiyah" there is less than that. Then one
should find an Arabic scholar to study its commentary under. In hadeeth, "Al Arbaeen un
Nawawi" by Imaam An Nawawi is a great book. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said, "It has in it
etiquettes, a good methodology, and very valuable rules in each hadeeth for a person to build
his life on.
For example, the hadeeth, "Leaving what is not of one's concern is from the goodness of a
person’s Islaam.” If you made this rule a path on which you tread, it will be sufficient. If a
person made this as a general rule of their lives, as to how to conduct themselves, this would
be sufficient. In speech, "Whoever believes in Allaah and the Last Day should either speak
good or remain silent.” Again, a basic rule that if one were to follow, it would save them
from many sins and errors. The Forty Hadeeth of Imaam Nawawi is among the best
compilations that has been written, then "Umdatul Ahkaam" by Al Maqdisi, followed by
"Boolugh ul Maraam." This is what Dr. Bakr Abu Zayd recommended.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen says, " in my opinion it is sufficient to suffice with "Boolugh ul

Maraam", as most of the hadeeth of "Umdatul Ahkaam" are included in it." " Boolugh ul
Maraam" is more comprehensive and better organized, but he quotes a line of poetry, “If you
aren’t able to do something, leave it and go past it to what you are able to do". If someone
says that he's unable to memorize "Boolugh ul Maraam" due to it being difficult, then I would
advise him to leave it and memorize "Umdatul Ahkaam instead. "Buloogh ul Maraam"
mentions the gradings of hadeeths, saying, "so and so authenticated it and so and so declared
it inauthentic. So this is confusing for beginning student. And "Umdatul Ahkaam" contains
hadeeth from Bukhari and Muslim which were used as evidences for fiqh. So it is a
4
compilation which you don’t have to question about its authenticity; whatever is in it is
virtually 100% authentic.
Part B:
Anytime that the student needs to provide proof, then he can take hadeeths from it
without having to search for their degree of authenticity, because all of them are selected
from Bukhari and Muslim. "Al Muntaqa" by ibn Taymiyyah is larger than "Boolugh ul
Maraam" but it isn’t as good in clarifying the levels of hadeeth authenticity. So one doesn’t
need to use it. Staying with "Boolugh ul Maraam" would be sufficient. The author then said,
“Then delving into the six original compilations, which are Al Bukhari, Muslim, Aboo
Dawood, At Tirmithee, An Nasaa'i, and Ibn Maajah, they are called the "Ummahaat" or the
original compilations, because they were the main source of hadeeth referencing of their time
and the time which came after that. Some scholars held that if one sees a hadeeth from other
than the original compilations, judgment shouldn’t be made on basis of it, until its level of
authenticity has been researched. This is because these original compilations had become
famous among Muslims who had recognized and accepted them, even though inauthentic and
fabricated narrations are found in them. That is, in those remaining four, you may find
fabricated hadeeths in Ibn Maajah and An Nasaa'i. And it is less likely that you would find
fabricated hadeeths in Aboo Dawood and At Tirmithee. And there are no fabricated hadeeth
in Bukhari and Muslim. However, they became famous and were considered reliable by the
masses of Muslims. In terms of the availability, these six books have been recently translated
into English by 'Darussalam'. You can find the compilation also done by 'Al Ashraf
Publications' in Pakistan. Some of them are incomplete. Al Bukhari, Muslim, Aboo
Dawood, and An Nasaa'i translations have been completed. But they didn’t have Tirmithee
completed. Most of the translation is completed of Ibn Maajah. So it is partly done. If you
want the complete work very nicely published and bound, then the translation work done by
Darussalam Publishers is the best.
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd goes on to say, "As for the Sciences of Hadeeth, "Nuqbatul Fikr"
by Ibn Hajr, then " Al Alfiyyatul Iraaqiyyah". Those were his recommendations for the
sciences of hadeeth and Usool ul Hadeeth. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen says, "Nuqbatul Fikr"
consists of about three pages but they are the cream, if a person understood them well and
perfected his understanding and became proficient in the commentary on it, it would suffice
for many books in Usool ul Hadeeth. This is because they are completely accurate and they
have an amazing way of being composed, making them fast and organized. The texts of most
of the writings are loose and vague. However, Ibn Hajr invented this excellent way. Either
the information is in numbered sections or unnumbered, and he mentions them accordingly.
One who reads it finds energy because it is built on stimulation of the mind. I advise students
to memorize it because it is the summary and the cream of Usool ul Hadeeth. Then " Al
Alfiyyatul Iraqiyyah" is lengthy, so I see that it is sufficient to understand it without
memorizing it, as there are many other main texts which may be more important than it.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen recommends "Nuqbatul Fikr", as it is sufficient as a basic text to be
memorized for those who are interested in the field of Usool ul Hadeeth.
5
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd then goes on to Fiqh. He says, ”As for Fiqh, The Etiquettes of
Walking to Salaat" by Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhaab, then "Zaad ul Mustaqni' by Al
Hajjaawi and "Umdatul Fiqh" and "Al Muqni'" for differences within the mathhab and "Al
Mughni" for differences at an advanced level. All these three are written by Ibn Qudaamah al
Maqdisi.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen comments, "others mentioned four, "Al Umdah", "Al Muqni", "Al
Kaafi" and "Al Mughni." Then he quotes a line of poetry, " The Kaafi (one of the books in
the series) is sufficient for people and the student is convinced with "Al Muqni'" for Fiqh
instead of a long book.”Whoever is researching, I will make satisfied with "Al Mughni" for
Fiqh and whoever considers his Umdah will obtain what he seeks.” This is how they put the
major books that are recommended for research in Fiqh in two lines of poetry. In terms of
what is available in Fiqh book in English, we would recommend "Fiqh us Sunnah" by Sayyid
Sabiq, which is the compilation of various evidences according to no specific mathhab.
Although Sayyid Sabiq was from the Shafi mathhab, and he was among the scholars who
were part of the "Ikhwaan," one can’t say that any kind of favoritism towards a group is
present in the book. It is a classic book. Even Shaykh Al Albaanee recommended it. Some
people today might say that they wouldn’t read the book because it is from a scholar of the
Ikhwaan group and the Ikhwaan are more into politics, so they might discourage the people
from studying it. But Shaykh Al Albaanee himself has recommended it. In terms of English
Fiqh books, the book called "A Summary of Islaamic Jurisprudence" by Shaykh Saalih Al
Fawzaan of the Hanbali mathhab is recommended. It is a concise book in two volumes,
published in Jeddah. This is a complete, comprehensive compilation. "Al Hidaayah" of the
Hanafi mathhab has also been translated into English. It is quite a large work without
commentary. And for the Shafi mathhab, the book “Reliance of the Traveler” is a good
translation of the main text. However, of course there is a mulhaq (appendix) in which the
author promotes intersession through Saints, Awliyaa, etc. So just leave the appendix and
stick only with the main text. And it is a good work, in terms of Hanbali Fiqh. I believe one
of the Maaliki texts has been translated in the U.K by Aaishah Bulie. Right now we do have
in our times translation of the major works from all of the 4 mathhabs. In previous times you
couldn’t find such in English, so one had to know Arabic in order to study Comparative Fiqh.
Whereas now, Alhamdulillaah, it is possible to study the different schools of Islaamic law in
a comparative way. And the combined fiqh text of "Bidayatul Mujtahid" is also available. It
has also been translated; a very powerful translation. But that text, while bringing all the
evidences from various schools, doesn’t comment on the authenticity of the evidences. There
has been recent editing of that text in Arabic in which they authenticated the hadeeths. So
while working with that text, it is better to have the authenticated text along with is, if one is
developing a program of study with it for himself or for others.
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd mentions the books for Fiqh. He mentioned the book written by
Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhaab, "The Etiquettes of Walking to Salaat. Then he mentions all
these classical texts. This is because in that region, Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhaab was the
reviver of the Sunnah. So the scholars mention this Fiqh text. It is not a comprehensive fiqh
6
text, rather it deals with a particular issue which was the etiquette of walking to salaat.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen ignored it all together and doesn’t go into it, in his commentary.
Then in Usool ul Fiqh, Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd goes on to mention, “In the Principles of
Fiqh "Al Waraqaat" by Al Juwaynee who was a Shaafi scholar, and "Rawdhatun Naadhir"
by Ibn Qudaamah. He mentions two texts which are on Usool ul Fiqh.” Shaykh Al
Uthaymeen mentions “It’s a nice jump that he made from the short booklet "Al Waraqaat"
directly to Rawdhatun Naadhir." The difference between them is huge but they are good
concise books in Usool ul Fiqh which can be depended upon. Usool ul Fiqh is the rules and
principles which enable a person to know how to deduce Shariah rulings from their detailed
proofs.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen did a commentary on the whole book "Al Waraqaat." It is quite
an extensive work and it has been published as a text in Arabic which is untranslated. In it,
he comments on Usool ul Fiqh. It isn’t an easy subject especially for beginners. It’s better to
have gone a few steps in fiqh, before taking it on. And he mentioned "Rawdhatun Naadhir"
by Ibn Qudaamah (a Hanbali schoar from Gaza who wrote in the field of Aqeedah. ) But
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen mentions here that there are other books that are done, which are
better presented. There are a number of modern books that have been done also combining
the approaches of earlier scholars. So he doesn’t necessarily recommend "Rawdhatun
Naadhir."
In regards to English Usool ul Fiqh books, we have "The Principles of Islaamic

Jurisprudence" by Muhammad Hashim Kamali. He teaches at the International Islaamic
University in Malaysia. He has done a lot of modern presentations. He uses a lot of legal
terminology to present Usool ul Fiqh. And Imaam Ash Shaafi's "Ar Risaalah" is the first
book written in Usool ul Fiqh. It has been translated into English and published by
"Islaamic Text Society." Islaamic Text Society is a Sufi organization, but that doesn’t mean
that whatever they produce isn’t reliable. Because, for example, Imaam Ash Shaafi's "Ar
Risaalah" is a classical text which is worth purchasing. And they also did the Arabic text of
"Lane's Lexicon" which we will talk about later. This was the most extensive Arabic-
English dictionary which they published. It’s quite an expensive, classical work but still one
has to be aware of their other publications. Just because they published "Ar Risaalah"
doesn’t mean that everything they publish is reliable. In fact, one has to be quite careful.
Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd then goes on to speak about books in Laws of Inheritance. “As
for the laws of inheritance "Ar Rahbiyyah" along with its explanation and "Al Fawaa'id al
Jaliyyah." And as for Tafseer, the Tafseer of Ibn Katheer, and as for the Principles of
Tafseer: " Al Muqaddimah" by Shaykh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah. And as for Seerah, "The
Summarized Biography of the Prophet," "Mukhtasir as Seeratun Nabawiyyah" by
Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhaab, and its original text by Ibn Hisham, and "Zaad ul Ma’ad" by
Ibn ul Qayyim.
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen comments on these saying, “As regards " Ar Rahbiyyah" by Ar

Rahbi and its many commentaries, and "Al Fawaa'id Al Jaliyyah" by Shaykh Abdul Azeez
7
Ibn Baaz, I consider "Al Burhaniyyah better than "Ar Rahbiyyah" from the perspectives of
comprehensiveness, richness, and depth. For example, the author mentions in his introduction
the inheritance rights linked to humans; the whole scope. This wasn’t mentioned in "Ar
Rahbiyyah" regarding those having the rights to two-thirds of the inheritance. "Ar
Rahbiyyah" mentions four lines of poetry. And "Al Burhaniyyah" mentions only one, in
which he combined all of these principles.” Two-thirds is for two equal females and
becomes one-eighth. It has an extensive, but concise commentary by Ibn Salloom which is
beneficial.
In the field of Inheritance Laws, there are some works which have been done according
to one mathhab or another. And there are two or three books available on that topic. But one
who is engaged in that study should have a text to work with. At the Islaamic Online
University, we use a section on inheritance laws from the concise book on Islaamic
Jurisprudence by Shaykh Saalih Al Fawzaan. There is also a book on Laws of Inheritance
by Suhayl Husayni. It has 132 pages; published by "Outskirt Press.
In Tafseer, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said that Tafseer Ibn Katheer is excellent relative to
Tafseer by Narration, "Tafseer bil Ma'thoor", but it has little benefit from the perspective of
grammar and eloquence. The best that I have read from the grammar perspective and its
literary analysis is "Al Kashf" by Az Zamakshari and all those who came after him depended
upon it. Sometime one finds sentences and paragraphs of Az Zamakshari transposed word for
word in other works. However Az Zamakshari’s Tafseer has some major errors from the
perspective of Aqeedah, as he was a Mutazilite. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen still recommends
the book in terms of the one who looks into the Quraan's Tafseer and explanation of the
Quraan from the grammar, language, and literary perspective, because he was a master of
that field. But from the Aqeedah perspective one has to be careful.
Part C:
In terms of what is available in English in Tafseer, Ibn Katheer is available in ten

volumes and this is the best Tafseer available. The Tafseer of Mawdudi is also available
completely in English, called "Tafhimul Quraan." It is okay to read as a secondary source, but
not being a specialist in hadeeth, he has quoted many weak hadeeth and uses it to build
arguments on his Tafseer. Also the Tafseer of Sayed Qutub known as “In the Shade of the
Quraan” has also been published in a number of volumes. The complete set is very huge. I
think they charge around $ 350 for the eighteen volume set. It is quite extensive, and of
course for people involved in his movement, this Tafseer is very popular. But from an
Aqeedah perspective we can find many mistakes by Sayed Qutub. But in terms of some of his
discussion, he has quite a bit of eloquence in presenting the Quraanic text. So it is also a
source that one can look at as a tertiary source, not as a primary source. A primary source in
English should be Tafseer Ibn Katheer. In terms of Fiqh, also there are some other texts like
"Maqaasidu Shari'ah Made Simple" by Muhammad Hashim al Kamali. This is also a good
text for Maqaasid, that is, the goals of the Shariah.
8
Moving on to Usool ut Tafseer, Shaykh Bakr mentioned the tafseer "Al Muqaddimah" by
Shaykh ul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen commented: "This work is
commonly known as "Al Muqaddimah fee Tafseer" and it is a good, concise, and beneficial
work." He doesn’t mention here any other Usool ut Tafseer texts. There aren’t that many
written but there are some classics like "Al Burhaanee" and "Al Minhaal" in Uloom ul
Quaran. And as well, there is another book by Imaam AsSuyooti which is a well known
text for Usool ut Tafseer. In English in Usool ut Tafseer, there is "Uloom ul Quraan" done by
an Egyptian scholar, known as "Introduction to Uloom ul Quraan," basically translated by
Yasir Qaadhi and published by 'Al Hidaayah' in the U.K. This is a good basis for Usool ut
Tafseer. Dr Bilal Philips also wrote a book called "Usool ut Tafseer" which combines from
these various texts, and it was also published by "Al Hidaayah" in the UK as well as the
"Islaamic Publishing House."
Moving on to Seerah, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen commenting on the text for Seerah said,
"As for concise Prophetic Biography and its origin by Ibn Hisham, it is purely history. He
also commented on the text of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abdil Wahhaab which is called
"Mukhtasir us Seeratun Nabawiyyah," As well as the origin of those being the Seerah of Ibn
Hisham which is well known. In his commentary, Shaykh Al Uthaymeen pointed out that
it is basically history which just mentions the facts. Whereas, "Zaad ul Ma'aad" contains
both History and Fiqh, and Aqeedah and Science, so it is one more extensive work. Naturally
for us at the Islaamic Online University, we use "The Noble Life of the Prophet” by Alee
Muhammad As Salabi. He is an Iraqi scholar who wrote it in Arabic, and it was translated
into English, in three volumes. In Dr. Bilal Philips view, it is the best text available on the
Seerah of the Prophet. The next best is “ The Sealed Nectar,” " Ar Raheeq ul Makhtum" by
Sayf ur Rahmaan al Mubarakpuri and it was published by Darussalam. "Zaad ul Ma'aad" has
also been translated and published by 'Islaamic Learning Media' in the US. It isn’t
completely translated; it is by Jalaal Abdur Rabb. And "Fiqh us Seerah" is also an excellent
text by Shaykh Muhammad Al Ghazaali who is a modern Islaamic scholar. It is published by
'International Islaamic Publishing House'. It provides an interpretation of the Seerah and you
are not just reading about history, and its developments. It contains the points to be extracted
from it, and the benefits that one may obtain from reading it. So Fiqh us Seerah as a concept
is very important because the whole idea of studying the Seerah is to use it in one’s life, and
not merely to gather facts from the life of the Prophet ‫للا صلى‬‫ ; وسلم عليه ّه‬it is not just for
Barakah or just for general knowledge.
Then Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd goes on to speak about "Lisaan ul Arab" and the books of
Arabic which one could be dependent upon. In "Lisaan ul Arab," special attention is given to
classical Arabic poetry. Such as "Al Mu'alaqaat us Sab'ah," and the reading of "Al
Qamoos" by Fayrooz Abaadi, and so on through the stages of knowledge in different books.
And along with this, they would study the long compilation of "Tareekh ul Umam wal
Mulook" by Ibn Jareer At Tabaree. And Ibn Katheer also did a work known as "Al
Bidaayatu wan Nihaayah." The student would concentrate on the works of Ibn Taymiyyah
and his student Ibn ul Qayyim and the books and fataawaa of the Imaams of Dawah,
especially their writings in Aqeedah.
9
Shaykh Al Uthaymeen does not comment on "Lisaan ul Arab." But it is considered to

be a more extensive Arabic dictionary. It is the more classical work. You find that the
different topics are presented in the form of narration. If the author is giving a proof for a
particular point, he mentions the chain of narrations from which this word is taken to explain
various points. It is the cream in terms of Arabic Dictionaries. And "Al Mu'alaqaat us
Sab'ah" is the seven wall hangings. Shaykh All Uthaymeen said they are the best, most
comprehensive and beautiful odes chosen by the Quraysh to hang on the Kabah, which is
why they are named wall hangings, "Al Mu'alaqaat." When Ibn Katheer mentioned "Al
Laamiyah' by Aboo Taalib, he stated that it should have been among the wall hangings
because it is stronger and more magnificent, Aboo Taalib said in it, “They know that our son
is not a liar among us, and he didn’t care for falsehood.” Meaning by this the testimony that
the Messenger ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬, was truthful, but this declaration from Aboo Taalib didn’t
necessitate acceptance and submission. Consequently, it didn’t benefit him, and he was
deluded at the time of death. The Prophet ‫للا صلى‬ ‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬was telling him to say that there
is no God worthy of worship but Allaah, but he never said it. The author also mentioned,
"Reading 'Al Qamoos.' " But Al Uthaymeen said, it means referencing 'Al Qamoos' and not
actually reading; for only reading doesn’t produce the desired results. You don’t pick up a
dictionary and start reading it. You reference it; and you go into it from time to time. The best
Arabic-English dictionary is "Lane's Lexicon." It is the classic for Arabic-English
dictionaries. It is huge and thick. It is of two volumes. And he has taken his classical
explanation from classical Arabic dictionaries, such as "Taj ul Aroos" and "Al Qamoos" by
Fayrooz Abaadi, as well as "Lisaan ul Arab" and he makes referencing for it. That’s a
classical work written by a non Muslim. The other best and most popular book in English
dictionaries is known as "Al Mawrid." Theree are other books such as "Al Munjid" and and
others. Probably the next best and most important would be "Al Mawrid" by Ba’ala Baqi. He
has both Arabic- English and English- Arabic.
Continuing on the statement of Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd ,” Shaykh Al Uthaymeen speaks
about Tareekh (Islaamic History). He quotes Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd saying that he is
speaking about students of religious knowledge in his area, not students in general.
Consequently the books he paid special attention to were those of his region. There are
probably similar books equal to them in other countries, that may be arranged in a similar
fashion. As for the author's statement, "And concentrate on the works ofIibn Taymiyyah and
his student Ibn ul Qayyim, (May Allaah have Mercy on both of them), this is correct as most
of the later students focused on both of them. And our Shaykh, Abdur Rahmaan As Sa’adi, he
has a tafseer known as "Tafseer As Sa'adi, which is really entitled "Tayseer ur Rahmaan."
But it came to be known as "Tafseer As Sa’adi and Darussalam will soon publish the
translation of it. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said, “Shaykh Abdur Rahmaan As Sa’adi used to
encourage us to read their books because of the details and referencing not found in the works
of others. Shaykh Al Uthaymeen said, speaking for himself, “I feel as if their books sprang
forth from their hearts, consequently they affect an increase in faith.” As for using Ibn Jareer
and Ibn Katheer as reliable history texts for references, that is fine; but for a person taking it
for reading it will be too long and will consume a lot of time.
10
The text of Ibn Jareer is called "Taareekh ul Umam wal Mulook" "The History of the
Nations and the Kings. This is a classical history text. You will find in it that he brings
everything by narrations. Similarly, "Al Bidaayatu wan Nihaayah" is by narration also. It is
more authenticated because Ibn Katheer was a hadeeth scholar, so he authenticated the
narrations in it. But these books only go up to the point when those scholars lived. There are
also the history books of Ibn Atheer, but he doesn’t use many narrations, hence, they are
not reliable. In terms of English books in History, the best book is “The History of Islaam” by
Mubarakpuri which is published by Darussalam. In terms of “The History of the Rightly
Guided Caliphs”, there are some books by that title but such books aren’t well authenticated.
The best book is that done by Dr. Alee As Salabi, published by IIPH. He has done books on
Aboo Bakr (this was published by Darussalam), and Umar, Uthmaan, Alee and Al Hasan.
Hence he has done books on the five rightly guided caliphs. We usually talk about the four,
but it is actually the five rightly guided caliphs because Al Hasan was historically among
them.
And the final comment that Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd has mentioned is about Books of
Fataawaa. In English we have " Al Fataawaa Al Islaamiyyah" which is and eight volume
work. It combines the rulings of the leading scholars of Saudi Arabia like Shaykh Ibn Baaz
and others. They made fataawaa on the various issues that had been presented to them over
the last twenty years. Hence, it is considered a classical compilation. It is good to keep this
encyclopedia in our homes.
And in the final statement regarding the Books and Imaams of Dawah, Shaykh Al
Uthaymeen said, "This refers to the Dawah of Shaykh ul Islaam, Muhammad Ibn Abdil
Wahhaab, his descendants and his students. So for fataawaa we have " Al Fataawaa al
Islaamiyyah." This is in terms of reliable compilations of fataawaa. And this is considered
among the best.
So that basically covers Shaykh Bakr Abu Zayd's presentation of the course of study of
the texts which are normally used in Saudi Arabia. Most of them generally are the best texts
available. But were he speaks about texts which are unique to the Hanbali mathhab, these
could be replaced by texst from other schools of Islaamic law, if one is studying in Arabic.
And we have already mentioned those that are available in English from all of the various
school of Islaamic law. Hence, the recommended book list of study should be in your hands.
11
ETH 101
Module 22
Mohammed ‫ص لى‬ ‫ و س لم ع ل يه‬and on all those who follow the path of righteousness until
the last day.
This is the 22nd session of the course, The Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge based on the text
of Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid by the same name and the commentary by Shaikh Al Uthaymeen on
his work. In our previous session, we had gone through the recommended texts which Sheikh
Bakr Abu Zaid had given for those who are seeking knowledge and we pointed out that these
texts to some degree were localized. In other countries, scholars may choose other texts,
especially in the areas of Fiqh.
We also went through the equivalent books which are available in English for a student of
knowledge, who would be trying to gain this knowledge but through an English medium,
namely students in the Islamic Online University. After completing the last statement which
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid had made concerning reading the books of Dawah.
He spoke about a general approach for the study of Islamic knowledge,and he said, “In this
manner, time would be utilized in studying and within the circles of knowledge from after
Fajr till the forenoon and after that there will be time for a nap, before the Zuhr and lessons
would be held after 5 daily prayers,” (page 39)
He is taking about the circles of learning in different parts of Arabia and the traditional
approaches to learning in different parts of the world which still continues in this way. After
Fajr it’s like prime time. We have the Hadeeth of the Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫سلم و ع ل يه‬
where in he had said that whoever prays Salatul Fajr and stays in his place remembering
Allah until sunrise, he would gain the reward of Haj and Umrah which was accepted by Allah
‫ وت عال ى س بحان ه‬.
So because of that, study in the morning in general is highly recommended. Those who are
involved in memorization of Quran, they are encouraged to do so right after Fajr. We also
have the verse in the Quran where Allah speaks about Quran at Fajr that this is witnessed by
Allah ‫ وت عال ى س بحان ه‬and the angels.
It’s generally held as a standard practice, and then studying all morning until just before noon
where it was the common practice of the Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬to rest. This
is known as Qailoola though we tend to call it Siesta, which in Spanish tradition they do it
after noon and the Sunnah of Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬was to do it just before
noon. Then studies would be around the various prayers after that. After Salat Az-Dhuhr you
2
would have a period of study, and after Salat Al-Asr, there would be a period of study and it
would be a full day of study.
That was the traditional approach: “The students also use to be immensely well mannered,
having plenty of mutual respect along with self esteem and were upon the way of Salaf As-
Salih. For this reason, they reach their goals. Many of them became recognized scholars and
all praise is due to Allah alone, the Lord of all the worlds. So is it not time to call for the
return to the traditional methods of seeking knowledge by studying and memorizing concise,
reliable texts and not just relying upon the understanding or upon studying pre arranged
pamphlets.” (Page 39-40)
It is these two things that cause the students of knowledge to become lost and he neither
memorizes nor understands knowledge. Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid here is encouraging a return to
the traditional approach to study which he himself had grown upon but which with the
development of universities was dropped because in the university now, one teacher would
not sit and just teach students all day long, he would just teach one particular subject.
And then another teacher would come or the students would go to the another classroom and
sit with the another teacher for an hour, so that the time of the study were now was broken
down into smaller and smaller and smaller chunks, and also the teachers naturally, in order
to cover a larger amount of material they would then instead of having the students memorize
text and read the major classical texts they would prepare students notes that they would give
the summary of the subject and then they would present the subject to them.
Shaikh Al Uthaymeen commenting on this section said the author’s statement “return to the
traditional methods of studying by memorizing reliable concise books and not relying upon
understanding alone and studying class notes” is true, because those who prepare the notes
may be from among those who only have a surface understanding, gathering quotations from
here, there and everywhere and not written specifically for that subject.
Comparing the two approaches in the class notes which were prepared by the professor would
either have somebody else gather these things or he have may have gathered at a earlier
period of time or it was gathered before or he was just using what was already prepared and
those tended to cover many different books, because if he going to deal with a particular
topic, rather than just taking one book and going through that single author’s approach, he
may take quotes from variety of different books and so in reading you are exposed to number
of different styles, and this is another approach.
3
But according to the traditional view, this doesn’t give the student the kind of consistency of
thought that studying under a single teacher would give or staying with one single classical
text would give. The original text would have taken one particular approach and presented it
all over through and followed that full line of reasoning, rather than a piece from here and a
piece from there and a piece from elsewhere so this is the negative, the con of that type of
approach.
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen goes on to say that likewise any field of knowledge devoid of
memorization will be quickly lost, this the traditional approach as we mentioned earlier was
that whatever subject you are going to take, what would happen traditionally was that the
teacher would choose a particularly concise work on the subject which would be very short
may be only 15 or 20 pages, but it would be the whole subject put into so many lines of
poetry 500 lines or 1000 lines of poetry where all of the concepts, the principles, the
conditions, everything of that subject would be compiled, so the teacher would then start
from the point of memorization, the students would be required to first and foremost
memorize the text and this would be before they come to class or they may prescribe it
afterwards then the teacher would go about explaining that text to the students, and that
explanation may take years, and in that text all of the principles would be there, concisely put
together.
So, with the new approach, students are not required to memorize, I know when I went to
Madina, into grammar class, the text which we were using was called, Sharh ibn Akheel,
which was Sharha of Alfiyat Ibn Malik which was a 1000 lines of poetry written by Ibn
Malik, which compiled all of the rules of the Arabic grammar, all Nahw and Sarf, all Arabic
grammar rules, so he advised us to memorize it, and some of us started to do it, but there
were so many things to memorize and very few managed to keep it going, but this was his
advice.
So, Alhamdulillah no doubt, one who has memorized those types of basic texts master the
subject on a level that those who haven’t get those kind of access that the person who didn’t
memorize has taught these things to people for 25 years. After having taught these things
over and over for 25 years and it would be at your finger tips, but for you just to memorize
that core text even though you are a beginning teacher, it would be just at your finger tips,
what takes you 25 years, you can have it in that 1 year if you spent in memorizing that whole
concise text, so this is the advantage.
4
So Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen felt that the original texts were written and commented on.
Likewise any field of knowledge devoid of memorization could be lost, unless a person is
teaching it over and over again, whereas once you memorize it again, I had mentioned it
before, my teachers when I studied in Madina were masters in their field, my teachers who
taught Tafseer, for example, we could ask him questions in grammar and he would bring the
answer right out, immediately you quote the line of poetry, he would explain it to us, we ask
him in Hadeeth and quote the line of poetry he would explain it to us, whatever we asked
him, he had the answer, it was all at his finger tips, because of that tradition of memorizing,
so it’s not lost once you memorize it.
Of course if you are not working with it constantly and constantly revising it, it will get rusty,
but still it’s there, if you call on it you will get enough of it that you will be able to explain,
that’s the point. If you haven’t memorized it as Sheikh Al-Uthaymeen said, it would be
quickly lost, you will quickly forget it, there was a time when people fought with us, don’t
tire yourself by memorizing the basic text, focus on understanding as it is everything, since it
is the way in the West, it’s about understanding, don’t memorize it, its complete opposite.
They are opposed to the idea of memorizing and just regurgitating whatever you have
memorized, now it has its merit, that we shouldn’t be just blindly memorizing things without
understanding, but the person who has memorized will have advantages over those who
haven’t. I saw many people who came from Egypt because in Egypt you just have to
memorize everything. When they came they excelled, the teachers, and professors were
flabbergasted, how much these guys had because they memorized all these stuff, so it
definitely has its advantage, but as we said even in Saudi Arabia this is Sheikh Al-Uthaymeen
speaking about this trend towards just understanding had become strong enough even he said
that this was told to himself and others in the later time.
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid is from a generation before Sheikh Al-Uthaymeen, he studied under
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid. He said, they say, don’t tire yourself by memorizing the basic text,
focus on understanding as it is everything. However we found ourselves lost if we did not
have knowledge memorized. Practically speaking he saw the need and that’s the path he took
and Allah only benefitted with text that we memorized in the end, if Allah had not benefitted
us with that, we would have lost a great amount of knowledge.
So do not be fooled by the one who say understanding is everything, thus if you ask or
discuss with those Du’aats, preachers and callers who call for only understanding you find
5
them blank without knowledge, and he quotes the verse from Surah Noor, “like a mirage in a
low land where a thirsty person thinks there is a water until he comes to it and finds it is
nothing,”
In the text of the translation of Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid there is a chunk actually which is
missing because the next text states “and it is Allah alone who we seek help from,” actually
there is a text before that, “and travel on the methodology of the salaf, be free in the dictation
of the knowledge, be free from doubtful and murky concepts, in the process of passing on
knowledge by the way of dictation.”
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid encourages to avoid those areas of doubtful and murky understanding
and focuses on the methodology of the salaf which tended to be clear and straight forward
without any kind of confusion and then he said and help should be sought from Allah. Shaikh
Al-Uthaymeen comments saying the scholar and the student should have their teaching and
learning free from these faults. Instead it should be pure where by the teacher wishes to
convey the student without dominating him or demonstrating his knowledge or showing off
and the student on the other hand should be confident and content about what his teacher
says, because if he says when he is learning from him, I am learning now, but I when I leave I
will go and search for another scholar, then his confidence about what he is learning from the
scholar is obviously lost and will cause him to be lost without a shadow of the doubt.
However if we take from the scholar benefitting with confidence, after that when he matures
in his knowledge and he develops mastery of the subject then there is nothing preventing him
from contradicting him with his shaykh in issues, in which he sees that the correct opinion is
with others, this is same thing like Imam Shafi studying under Imam Malik, he studied under
him until Imam Malik died, over 20 years he studied, even though he had reached a certain
level of knowledge he felt humble not to go out to start to teach until Imam Malik died, then
he then went out on his own to teach, so that was the tradition.
Of course, not necessarily saying every scholar sits under his teacher until he dies and Imam
Shafi didn’t do that, he did that specifically for Imam Malik because that was his starting, that
was where he started his studies from, and after that under others, like Shaykh Mohammed
Imam Mohammed Shaybani, student of Abu Haneefa, he studied under him for 2 yrs, but he
didn’t stay, he moved on, so he said, if he takes from the scholar benefitting with confidence,
after that when he matures in his knowledge and he develops mastery of the subject then
there is nothing preventing him from contradicting his Shaykh in issues, in which he sees that
the correct opinion is with others, and that was the way of early scholars.
6
The student of Abu Haneefa, they contradicted the ruling that he made, that’s why we say
what we call the Hanafee Madhhab was not really the Madhhab of Abu Haneefa, some of it
contained some of the Madhhab of Abu Haneefa but his students as reported has disagreed
with almost 50% of his rulings, later after his death, they changed them, then their students
after that they made other changes, so on and so forth, so the Madhhab now is the compiling
of the rulings all the way down the ages, and can no longer be said to be really the Madhhab
of Abu Haneefa but there is nothing wrong with regards to that. Same thing with Imam
Malik, his students differed and changed rulings, same thing with Shafii himself, his own
students changed ruling and of course Ahmed Ibn Hambal the same thing occurred. But as
long as he is in the period of seeking knowledge, he should depend on his teacher in order to
gain from his teachings with confidence, and peace of mind until he becomes grounded in his
knowledge, meaning that when you are staying with the teacher you follow through with that
teacher, means if you are looking here, looking there, looking elsewhere, teacher telling you
something, you have doubts about what he is saying, then your knowledge is confused, you
are gaining knowledge in a confused fashion, so you will be confused. So that why it’s very
important in terms of who you choose to learn from, so that they be reliable scholars from the
get go, so you have confidence in those scholars that you will continue your studies without
looking here, there and everywhere. As for taking knowledge while saying that if one leaves
him, he will seek knowledge from elsewhere, this is not appropriate, seeking knowledge in
this way will not produce good results.
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid then went on to say, “It was narrated from al Hafiz Usman ibn
Khurrazad who died in the 9th century, that he said rahimaullah the person associated to the
Hadeeth is in need of 5 qualities, if one of them is lost then it is considered as a deficiency, he
is a in need of a good mind, piety, precision, proficiency in his field as well as being well
known as for his trustworthiness. Imam Ad Dhahabi (who was from the 13th century)
commenting on the statement of Al Hafiz al Usman, said trustworthiness is the portion of the
deen, and precision is included in proficiency so what the hafidh whose going to be in the
field of Hadeeth really needs is to be fearful of Allah, intelligent, a grammarian, a linguist, he
should be righteous, he should be modest, he should be salafi, and it is sufficient enough for
him to write 200 volumes and to gather 500 reliable compilation of books and not to become
fatigue from seeking knowledge until his death, with sincerity and humility otherwise let him
not trouble himself.” (Page 40)
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Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen commenting on this said, “these are very heavy conditions set by
Imam Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) In my opinion, if we remained on statement
of al Hafiz al Usman ibn Khurrazan it would be better, what he said was sufficient really, but
Imam ad Dhahabi, he dropped a heavy burden on any one who wanted to follow the
scholarship in the tradition in that he said, he said it would be better and it would be easier on
us, trust is part of the religion and it is also included in his statement in piety and precision
includes memorization because that’s where precision comes from, proficiency is something
which means understanding, grasping as well, then so from the 5, only 3 were remained, that
is Imam ad Dhahabi, he combined two of the principles which were mentioned by al Hafiz
Usman and they were 3 remaining because he combined them amongst the 3. There were 3
remained for him to talk about, but instead of talking about just 3 he went on and added more,
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen said then from the 5 only 3 remained but he introduced more than the
3, he begins with to be god fearing, to have Taqwa and this is true as god consciousness is the
core of worship.
This is Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen speaking, it is obeying Allah's commands and avoiding his
prohibitions because with that you will have a shield from Allah's punishment and that is the
general explanation of Taqwa, in that Taqwa comes from waqaaa which means to shield or to
block, and the scholars explained it as putting a shield between yourself and Allah’s
displeasure by doing whatever he has commanded and avoiding whatever he has prohibited.
Intelligence that was mentioned by Dhahabi that the person should also be intelligent
meaning that he should not be slow-witted, he should be clever for there are many who have
memorized but are not smart. There was a person earlier, who was a good memorizer, who
memorized quickly, rarely forgot, he memorized the whole book called Al Furuua by
Maflikh, which is 3 large volumes he memorized the whole thing, and memorized the issues
of agreement and disagreement the way one memorizes Al-Fatiha, but he didn’t understand
any of it, because he really wasn’t very intelligent.
The other students use to nickname him Himar Al-Furoo, literally it means the donkey of Al-
Furoo, because Allah had said, “like a donkey carrying books on its back”, talking in a
metaphorical sense of those who had knowledge who didn’t apply it but not benefitting from
them, he should be a grammarian and a linguist, grammar in Arabic, Nahwu is syntax in
English which deals with the vowels on the endings of words and linguistics includes Sarf
which is declension of nouns and the conjugation of the verbs along with the understanding
of the Fiqh of the language, getting an understanding of the theory of language.
8
Consequently there must be books of understanding grammar of words and declension of the
syntax and conjugation and classical dictionaries like al Khamoos and Lisan al Arab and this
was mentioned earlier when they were listing the various books which should be focused on.
He should be righteous, the term here is Zaki, as opposed to different from Taqi, similar to
God-Consciousness when mentioned together that is when you mentioned Taqi and Zaki,
Taqi means one who avoids the forbidden and the Zaki means the righteous one is one who
does what is commanded, otherwise they are synonymous.
Shaykh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya had said an amazing statement concerning scholastic
theologians, those who were known as Ahlul Kalaam those who went into Greek logic and
philosophy and try to explain Aqeeda from this perspective, he said, “there were given
understanding but they weren’t given knowledge so they had intelligence but they weren’t
given that quality of righteousness to use that intelligence in a way which is in fact pleasing
to Allah ‫ وت عال ى س بحان ه‬,”
Imam Ad Dhahabi went on to say that he should be shy or modest. Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen
went on to say on condition that it does not prevent the person from seeking knowledge
because of that. Some people say knowledge cannot be attained by the shy or the proud, these
are two types of people who will not attain proper knowledge, those who are too shy or too
proud to ask. Consequently, he should be modest without it preventing him from seeking the
truth, Umm Salama had said that Umm Sulaym said, “Oh Messenger of Allah, indeed Allah
is not shy of the truth, does a women have to take ghusl (ritual bath), if she has a wet dream,”
and the Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬said, “yes, if she sees a discharge,”
He brought that of course to clarify the issue of shyness, that here Umm Sulaym putting
aside shyness and asking about what she needed to know of the Deen, she became one of the
teachers. Umma Salama is the second most prolific narrators of the Hadeeth from amongst
the female companion of Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬and of course one of his
wives, and Ad-Dhahabi said of course he should be Salafi, meaning that he follows the way
of the Salaf in Aqeeda, in manners, in deeds, in methodology, in all matters, because the
Salaf were the beginning of this ummah among whom the Messenger of Allah said, “The best
of people were my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them”,
that the reference here to the term Salafi is not to be mistaken with some people who run
around today calling themselves Salafi and attacking everybody else, crossing people off the
manhaj, declaring them to be deviant, though they are the well known scholars across the
ummah. They have a particular set of scholars that they follow, who follow the same
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approach, the approach of the early generation but because they are not in line with the
scholars that they follow, if you follow any other scholars then they declared you to be
deviated, misguided, they have all kinds of names, and they have become an organization and
that is not really what was meant by the term Salafi.
Salafi has become unfortunately today something like a dirty word, Salafi means like a rough
crude individual who shouts at the people, creates confusion but as you can see Imam Ad-
Dhahabi mentions it as a one of the qualities that a person should hold, as he should be
modest, he should be fearful of Allah righteous, as should he be Salafi, meaning that he
follow the way of the early generation of Muslims, from Sahaba how their approach was,
from Taba’een (those who studied under them), from Tabee Taba’een (those who studied
under them), especially the first 3 generations, especially those most favored, because of what
Prophet Mohammed ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬had said regarding them, but note as Shaikh Al-
Uthaymeen mentions in his statements concerning them that one should follow their way not
only in Aqeedah because this is what happens people get focused just on the Aqeedah aspect,
but in their manners, how they communicated, how they dealt with people, so this is where
that group with the best of intentions in terms of following the Aqeedah they didn’t really
follow the way of Salaf, they only followed in areas of Aqeedah and they went off in all of
the other areas in terms of manners and deeds and how they carried themselves, which really
was the methodology of that early generation.
Then Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen goes on to comment on the statement of Imam ad Dhahabi where
he said, it is sufficient for him to have written 200 volumes. Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen said, “we
can console ourselves in the fact that the volume in their time was small may be around 50
pages, and bound, if that was what he intended may Allah help us to do that, 50 times 200
give you what 10000, but if he intended is 600 page volume he said even if one were to stay
awake all day and night I don’t think he could write 200 volumes, which is equivalent to
120000 pages and he also said, that such a person is the person who is in the field of Hadeeth,
he is studying to be a muhaddith, this is amongst the things that is required of him to be a
muhaddith in that field, he should also gather 500 reliable compilations. Shaikh Al Usaimeen
goes on to say, where is one able to compile 500 volumes, at any rate according to their
capacities and we can only say may Allah help us.”
It’s worth noting here that Ibn Jareer At-Tabari, there was an incident recorded by students,
that he said to his students, “Do you have the energy to write the history of the world from
10
the time of Adam to our time,” So they asked him, “how many pages would it take?” So he
replied to them, “about 30,000 pages,” They said, “our lives would end before completing it,”
So Ibn Jareer At-Tabari said, “enthusiasm is dead,” so he summarized this history and
dictated it as 3000 pages as the classical work we know it’s in about 3 or 4 volumes. It’s
called Tareeq al Umam wal Mulook, which he dictated to his students, 3000+ pages and also
when he decided to dictate his Tafseer, Tafseer At-Tabari, also which is known as classical
Tafseer, it’s the earliest Tafseer which was written and remains existing. There are earlier
Tafseers written but this is the only one which is survived, he had said the same thing to his
students, are you ready to write the Tafseer of the Quran from Fateha to Naas and they asked
him the same things, how many pages, he said 30000, they said, we would be dead and gone
before we manage that one, so again he summarized it to 3000 pages
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen referring to the statement of Imam Ad-Dhahabi that not only should
the person who was associated himself with Hadeeth have written some 200 volumes but that
he should also have Hadeeth compilations in the neighborhood of 500. Shaikh Al Usaimeen
said, where is one able to compile 500 volumes, at any rate, they spoke according to their
capacities, and we can only say may Allah help us, and I had made reference to Imam Ibn
Jareer At-Tabari and his statements with regards to his book on history Tareekh al Umum
Wal Mulook as well as his Tafseer known as Tasfseer at-Tabari.
He went on to complete the statement of Dr. Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid’s quote from Ad-Dhahabi
saying that you should not become tired of seeking knowledge until death. That is the kind of
commitment or the approach that one should take that the process of seeking knowledge is
not one which ends at the particular point in time, when one embarks on that path, it’s a life
time path, there is no time that we can say, we have learned enough, we have learned
everything that there is nothing left to learn.
So Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen said that this is true for the true student of knowledge should not
tire, because if he repeatedly get tired and lazy, it will become his habit. Whoever seeks the
higher levels will stay awake at night, it is said give knowledge all of your efforts and it will
give you some back, but if you only give some of your efforts, it will escape you altogether,
if you don’t make a full effort to gain that knowledge you only give it some spare time, when
you have free time occasionally then you will not grasp, this is what tends to happen for
many people they attend the circles in the Masjids, they attend conferences in their time,
when there is time available circles etc. so years passed they have sat in so many circles, have
11
joined so many classes but at the end of all that time you ask them to convey this knowledge,
they can’t, because their approach to it wasn’t dedicated, wasn’t focused, it was just in my
spare time, so if that’s the way you approach it then you will not gain it, you will have heard
it you will be familiar with it, but you will not really learn it, because had you learned it you
would be able to teach it, your inability to teach it is proof that you didn’t learn it , you heard
it.
But we sometimes we mix up these two, hearing and learning, so lecturer, whoever may
come, they may say, I heard it before, but you really didn’t understand it, you didn’t really
learned it, you just heard it, you couldn’t say it, you couldn’t use it, you couldn’t really know
where to put it, but you heard it, so that’s the difference in what Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen is
pointing out. This parable which is commonly said amongst the people of knowledge: “give
knowledge all of your efforts, and it will give you some back, but if you only give it some of
your efforts, it will escape you altogether,” simple as that.
The acquisition of knowledge requires effort and concern, but I say to you, if a person
matures in knowledge it will be easy for him to understand many things not found in the text,
especially with the sincere intention, designed truth, and judgment according to Allah’s
Shariah, for Allah will grant him knowledge which did not cross minds or he will not find in
any of the books. Often he will research an issue in books and where he expects it to be he
will not find it, then later when he reflects on a verse from the Quran or the Hadeeth from the
Sunna of Allah’s messenger ‫صلى‬ ‫ سلم و ع ل يه‬he will find the solution because the blessings
of the Quran and Sunna is unequal by any other blessings. The point he is pointing out here is
that when a person dedicates himself or herself to seeking this knowledge, Allah will open for
them avenues of knowledge which they didn’t imagine, and this is something no doubt all of
those people who are involved in serious study etc, imparting knowledge have experience at
different times, when the knowledge comes, they wonder where the knowledge comes from,
you are explaining a point, it’s a difficult point, students can’t quite understand and all of a
sudden you give an explanation, you don’t know where that actually comes from, I really
hadn’t thought that of, but it really make sense, you gave the explanation that fits in that time,
it fits that circumstance just right, this is the nature of the knowledge when people dedicate
themselves to it.
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen goes on to quote the author, that is Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid saying that
with sincerity and humility because these two principles of course are key in seeking of
knowledge he said yes, this is among the most important things that should be taken inyo
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account, humility, and I ask Allah to grant me and you the humility for the truth and to the
creatures of Allah, humility is among the most important things because humility is among
the greatest of moral characteristics about which Allah said “indeed you have magnificent
manners”, the most humble human being was the messenger of Allah himself ‫صلى‬ ‫و ع ل يه‬
‫ سلم‬. So humility in terms of gaining knowledge we spoke about this earlier, because if one
approaches acquiring knowledge without humility where one feels one is better than one’s
teachers, then you cannot really learn, or the teacher makes a mistake, then you start to look
down because he made a mistake as if you are not making mistakes as if other teachers don’t
make mistakes.
Every teacher that you find will have mistakes, if you are not going to be humble enough to
work with that teacher except that he makes mistakes as a human being and focus on the
knowledge which is being imparted then you cannot really gain, you will hear knowledge,
you may buy the books, you may be able to repeat what he said, but it won’t have entered
your heart, so as Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid had said, quoting Imam Dhahabi: otherwise let him
not trouble himself, if he is not prepared to do these things, if he is not prepared to be
trustworthy, to be pious, to be precise and proficient, to not have those language skills which
he spoke about and at the same time have a Salafi approach while having sincerity because
once one is gaining knowledge one should be putting out that knowledge.
We think of people who have gone in search of knowledge overseas they have gone to
Madina they have studied for 6 years, they have come back and they are working in the
business. Well, the point is that the person who went wasn’t really clear about what he was
going for, he is going because it’s a good thing to do, everybody knows getting to Madina
that’s like you reached the pinnacle, everybody wants to go Madina so he got the chance, he
got the visa he got the scholarship, but he wasn’t clear, he wasn’t focused, he dint really
know what he was going for, so he went through the motions, he did everything he came
back, he had life in front of him, so now he has to survive, so he wasn’t dedicated to gaining
the knowledge and conveying it, so naturally he came back, that’s not his focus, it’s not
surprising.
So you have many like that, many who are going and coming back and their knowledge is
since dying with them, as years pas they get rustier and rustier, they may be called to give a
talk just here and there, but it’s just eventually slipping away, because they were not focused,
they were not committed. That sense of enthusiasm really wasn’t there for that knowledge so
the end result is that they will not produce what the knowledge is supposed to produced.
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That’s the fruit, it is supposed to be passed on supposed to be benefit many other people, so
this is why Imam Ad-Dhahabi said, better not to trouble yourself with it, don’t put yourself in
that situation if you are not really prepared to do what it takes, and come back and share that
knowledge with others, convey that knowledge because as we have said before that Zakaatul
Ilm, that knowledge you have you have pay zakaah on it that is by teaching it.
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen comments on that statement saying no need for a person to tire himself
if he does not have these characteristics, but I say may Allah forgive you Oh Imam Ad-
Dhahabi because we should go back to Allah’s statement, “fear Allah as much as you can,”
Let us treat people according to what is possible, otherwise do not drive people away, we told
a student at least he should write 200 volumes and compile 500 volumes a 1000 would be
better if it would be more complete, it would become too burdensome for him to handle.
Instead it is better we say write and compile what you are able on condition that you do it
with concern, energy and quest for knowledge, and as for really putting numbers on it, that is
going to vary from person to person, from scholars to scholar, some wrote scholars a lot,
others wrote a little.
I remember when I studied in Madina the two greatest Hadeeth scholars there at the time
who were known was Sheikh Ameen Shakheeti and Shaykh Nasr uddin Albani and of course
people who are students of both some would say so and so is the greater and others say that
the other to be greater, it’s a competition even between the students, but in reality both of
them were great scholars and even Shaykh Albani would say that in terms of Hifz, Shaykh
Ash-Shaqeeti was greater without a doubt because the Mauritanian tradition of memorization
is kept alive in a scale that you will not find it anywhere in terms of memorizing where the
teachers teach from books that they have memorized, they have memorized books after books
and one of the students who have studied under them was telling me how his teacher, he had
a shop in the market place and the students were like in the back of the shop and when there
were customers, he would be there and he would do whatever business, selling, buying and
selling, buying, whatever trade he was doing and when the customers go, he would turn back
to his students and he would tell them at that time, go now to that page, it’s often in his head,
all of his books, they are all sitting with their books, you can now turn to page so and so, and
he would continue his lesson, he would read out what they would see written in front of them,
he would read out from his head he would just, quote it straight, not that the customer would
come back, he would go and come back, and continue on from where he was, it was just
complete memorization.
14
If you look at works which were written by Shaykh Ash-Shakheeti, if you in comparison to
what Shaykh Albani wrote it is nothing. Shaykh Albani wrote huge number of books, but the
one who actually was the greatest scholars in terms of having in the field of Hadeeth
gathering the Hadeeth was Shaykh Ash-Shakheeti. So this varies from student to student,
teacher to teacher, to put numbers on it is of cousre is not practical and we have different
output which teachers and students have and then we just encourage them to do as much as
they can.
That completes point 16, in sha Allah in the next session, session 23 we will go ahead to
point 17 which focuses on acquiring knowledge from the scholars, so with that we close this
session.

natoobu ilaik.
15
ETH 101
Module 23
‫ صلى ه‬and on all those who follow the path of righteousness until the
Mohammed ‫ّللا عليه وسلم‬
last day.
This is session 23 of our course “The Etiquette of Seeking Religious Knowledge”, based on
the book “Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge” by Dr. Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid and the
commentary by Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen. We are currently on point number 17, after having
completed the approach to reading books, whether we should focus scholars or just read
books and that we are going to look at even more details in section 17, which is dedicated to
this talk.
We looked at the various texts which were advised to be focused on in the course of study
and the importance of memorization etc. and looking at the traditional methods of study as
well as the current methods, as the traditional way is superior. No doubt if one has their
whole life to be dedicated to studying then the traditional way is better, but if one has limited
time to studying then the modern way in my view is more practical and more effective for
student to be able to complete areas of knowledge sufficiently to be able to teach it and
benefit from it.
So point number 17 is to acquire knowledge from the scholars: “The basis of acquiring
knowledge should be way of dictation and acquisition from the teachers and by being in the
continuous company of scholars and taking from the mouths of men and not from the scrolls
from the depths of books. The first type of students fall under the taking of one’s relative
when they talk as a teacher, and the second from a book which is inanimate therefore how
can the ties of linage be possible.”
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid here is talking about the mode of acquiring knowledge, teaching it as
being that of dictation, meaning in the traditional circles what happens is that a student will
have a book and he will read that book, which is a book that the sheikh is specialized in. So in
reading the Arabic text, the sheikh would also be correcting the grammar of the student as he
is reading. He would read a section, that shaykh would correct his grammar, if his grammar is
fine he would stop him at a point and then he would begin his commentary, and explain that
section of the book, when he is finished, the student would continue to read. So he will have
next to him one or two readers who would just read the book. This you can still see in
Madina, and if you go to Madina and in Makkah if you go for Haj and Umrah, you will still
see in the Masjid of Kaba, Masjid ul Haraam or in Madina at certain pillars of Masjid special
Durus are held.
They have been held for generations, and continue to be held. So this tradition is still alive,
but universities have increased and flushed. Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen comments about this
statement mentioned here, that this is among the principles that a student of religious
knowledge must keep in mind, that the student should acquire knowledge from the scholars
because it will benefit him in more ways than one.
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid had spoken about two types of students, one who takes knowledge
from his relative and that is one who was a teacher and the second one from a book which is
2
inanimate so these are two approaches we have today. A lot of times students now, even
when I studied in Madina, they would just get the text book and study at home, and they
would not bother even to attend the class, except just before the examination time and they
would come when the teacher is dictating what type of questions that he would be asking, and
that’s what they wanted to know, and then they go and sit in exam. Some of them because of
the fact they had already studied lot of what is being taught. And again there is a lot of
situation when a person is only studying from the book in order to pass the exam; he is not
going to benefit from that teacher. It means there is something wrong, something missing,
where the teacher is available.
I mean not in the circumstances where the teacher is not available and that he is forced to
focus on a text book which is available, but where a teacher is available and the student
chooses not to sit with the teacher and just want to read from the book, that means his focus is
just to pass the exam, he just wants a piece of paper, and likely he will not end up passing on
that knowledge, he will use the paper for getting a job as that’s what his goal is, it is not
really that of seeking knowledge.
So Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen, he goes on to talk some of the benefits of seeking knowledge from
scholars. He said the first benefit is that the way will be made short for him, instead of
searching to find out what is the most correct position, and the reason for its preference, what
is weak position and the reason for its weakness, he gets a suitable mouthful, straightway, the
teacher informs him the scholars differed in this two positions or three or four and the correct
one is this, and the evidence for it is that, this is beneficial for the student without a doubt, so
it is much shorter. If you have to go and research, how many book you have to read, make
notes etc, and in the end you have to figure out, which one was the better opinion and work
out why it was the better opinion, and even when you do it you can’t be sure yourself because
maybe you misunderstood something of what you read, so that process is much longer when
you do it on your own.
So this is an advantage of when you are studying from scholars over studying from books, the
way is shorter. Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen mentions the second benefit, he said, the speed of
understanding is much quicker to grasp because if a person is reading to a scholar, he will
understand more quickly than if he goes and reads the book himself, because when you are
reading to the scholar, scholar is correcting and explaining for you and everybody in the
circle, so you are going to grasp what you are reading right away, it’s not that you need think
over it. So if a person is with the Shaykh, he will understand more quickly than if he went
and read books himself because if he goes and read himself he has to read some phrases 4,5
times and repeat it and may have to read it over and over again.
If one really grasps what is being said there, and he could have misunderstood the text in
spite of having read it over 3,4 times, so it means that you are able to grasp more quickly and
correctly what is being conveyed. The third benefit is the bond between the student and the
teacher, the link between the teacher and student. It should be from the young age until the
people get old, so there is a continual relation between the people of knowledge, and of
course this is in relation to the well known Hadeeth of Prophet Mohammed ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬‫صلهى ه‬
3
in which he said, “This world is cursed and everything in it is also cursed except for the
remembrance of Allah ‫ سبحانه وتعالى‬and what helps us to remember Allah and the scholar and
the student,”.
So outside of the remembrance of Allah and what helps us to remember Allah, the best
relationship we can have in this life is that of the teacher and the student. Either we are
learning from them what we don’t know as Allah said in the Quran, “Ask those who know if
you don’t know”, so whatever we don’t know we should be seeking out, finding out, getting
the answers for, or we are of those who have learned and now are teaching as the Prophet
Mohammed ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬ ‫ صلهى ه‬also said, “The best of you are those who learn the Quran and
teach it to others”, this is what makes a student superior to all those who study, those who are
superior are those who teach others, who pass the information to the others, this is in
accordance to what the Prophet Mohammed ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬ ‫ صلهى ه‬said.
So the third benefit is putting us in that bond, putting us in this blessed relationship about
which the Prophet Mohammed ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬‫صلهى ه‬, that’s the best relationship. As for general
friends you have on occasion you hang out with them, you go to park or whatever, it’s not to
say you can’t have them, but know that the best relationship in your life will ultimately be
between you and your teacher or your student. Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen goes on to say, these
are amongst the benefits of taking knowledge from the scholars directly, but as I said before,
the person must choose the scholar who is capable.
So it’s not just anybody, they may know more, but they should be trustworthy, because
simply knowing more, doesn’t necessarily mean they are the person whom you are going to
bond yourself with. They should be trustworthy in that, they apply the knowledge that they
have learned, they don’t hide the knowledge from people, they don’t belittle people who
don’t have knowledge, these are bad characteristics.
If you ask a teacher a question, and he says, “Don’t ask me these questions, if I gave you the
answers you will not understand, all you need to know is do or don’t, don’t ask me where the
Hadeeth is from, don’t ask me where the proof is from the Quran, because you are ignorant,
you can’t understand it anyway so itsa waste of time.” If you have somebody who is suppose
to be scholar talking to you in this fashion then he is not trustworthy, he is not suppose to be
the one whom you learn from, so you need to go and find somebody else.
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid then went on to say, “it is also said, whoever enters knowledge alone
will emerge alone,” that is whoever becomes involved in seeking knowledge without a
shaykh, will emerge without knowledge because knowledge is a profession and every
profession has its professionals in it, so it is necessary to have to teacher in order to learn the
principles.
This idea of the need for the shaykh in the Sufi tradition goes into something else, because in
Sufism they will say the same thing, you must have a shaykh, where is your shaykh, if you
don’t have a shaykh then Satan is your shaykh. Now their understanding is from different
perspective, they are coming from the spiritual perspective, that insists that for you to
understand the Deen, you can only do so though the Shaykh who will open these special
4
doors to you and you must make Bai’ah (Oath of Allegiance) to him, to obey him in
everything he tells you, you must submit yourself to him. As they say, you should be to your
shaykh like the dead body in the hands of those who wash the body, they turn the body here
and there, the body does not resist; it’s dead; that’s how you should be with your Shaykh.
So they abuse this concept because in Islam we are only suppose to be that way with Rasool
Allah ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬
‫صلهى ه‬. After Rasool Allah ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬
‫ صلهى ه‬nobody else has the right to claim
that position. So when we do that actually we are committing a shirk in what is known as
Tawheed Al-Ittabaa (Oneness is following) when we bear witness that Mohammed ‫ٱّلل‬ ‫صلهى ه‬
‫ عليه و سلهم‬is the messenger of Allah meaning that I will follow him blindly, I will be like the
dead body in the hand of those who are washing, that what my declaration of faith is saying is
that that is only for Rasool Allah ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬
‫صلهى ه‬.
Because he was receiving revelation, Allah appointed him, gave him the revelation, made
him the ultimate guide, no one else has the right to occupy that position. So their
understanding is a distorted understanding which calls for such blind following that you do
not question anything, you are not allowed to question anything.
In terms of the statement of Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid that whoever enters knowledge alone will
emerge alone, Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen went on to say that this is also correct, it is also said,
“whoever’s guide is a book then his errors will be more than his correct judgment,” Some
say, “whoever’s sheikh is a book then his errors will be more than his correct judgments,”
This is the natural consequence because you can’t ask the book anything, so whatever you
read, whatever you have understood from it, is all that you have, there is no one there to
correct it, check it, guide you, make sure that you have understood the concept and all the
other things connected to it, know what is there, it’s just you alone and the book. So
naturally the chances of you misunderstanding is much greater, than if you are with the
shaykh, who will clarify with you what was intended, what concepts are to be understood in
what way so that is natural.
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen goes on to say that that is the usual situation without a doubt. That
isthe norm, we can accept that there are rare individuals, there are exceptions who spend their
efforts correctly especially if there is no one of knowledge available in their area to learn
from, so they trust completely in Allah the most great and glorious, and they worked night
and day and acquire knowledge in spite of not having of Shaykh. They acquire great amount
of knowledge in spite of not having the shaykh, this is the exception, this is not the rule.
So that’s why the scholars spoke in this way Shaykh Nasruddin Albani in hadeeth if you
compare his teachers to the teachers of the Ash-Shankeeti, it’s like night and day, Shaykh
Ash-Shankeeti has hundreds of teachers, Shaykh Nasruddin Albani had very few teachers and
most of his teachers were his books, because that was his circumstance where he was in
Damascus, he used to fix watches, and in the spare time he would go to the great library in
Damascas, he would stay there and read the great books of Hadeeth, he would read and read
and study and make his notes, the librarian even gave him his own key, allowed him to spend
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the night there, so he would be sleeping over night in the library, so he gained knowledge
there.
Some people try to put him down on the basis of that, but that was what was available, not
that he didn’t study under any shaykh, actually his father was a Hanafi scholar. It’s not that
he didn’t come from any kind of scholarship at all, and his father trained him, grew up
studying so he had some background in Fiqh and Hadeeth. These are the areas, but he
excelled in this field of Hadeeth and the memorization of Hadeeth etc. studying on his own
for the most part, and the science of Hadeeth it lends itself more to that than other sciences
like Fiqh etc, where the understanding becomes is more critical because Hadeeth is about
knowing the chains of narrators, reading about it and memorizing who is who and what is
said about them. This kind of things and retaining all of that. So if its written down it doesn’t
harm you to learn on your own, you are not understanding there, its accessing those chains
etc, so he became a Hadeeth scholar in spite of that.
But on the other hand you have an individual in south India, his name was P.J. Zain Al
Abideen, known in South India. Now PJ didn’t study from a teacher but he was very keen
and he hung around those who had some knowledge and due to his own drive he translated
the first Quran into Tamil, good translation into Tamil, and then he translated Sahih al
Bukhari into Tamil so he became very well famous, I mean I was in Saudi Arabia that time,
and people mentioned him to me and showed me some of his lectures, but I noticed he was
smoking cigarettes.
So there was a problem, we tried to tell him, but he was defending it, he was still holding a
cigarette, obviously there was some issues about his understanding and you can see it there,
then later on he became very popular and later on he started to make some claims and he
made this statement that the Zakaah only needs to be paid once, on money. For example, if
you got $10000 you paid your 2.5% on that, you don’t have to pay again, you got another 10
you got to pay again, but on the first 10 that you paid already then you don’t have to pay
again. Of course, the business people loved this fatwa, he just excused them from all of this
Zakah, so he was very popular. But its deviation and he stood up defending it, arguing for it,
and if you look at his line of reasoning it ends up becoming because of the fact that he was
caught up with the book, this same thing, he had no teacher, he then ended up in spite of his
knowledge in Hadeeth that he build up with himself, he ended up misguided.
He went to the point when he was saying that the Hadeeth is Daeef (Weak), and the Hadeeth
specifically says that zakah is on wealth every year. He mentions this and it’s true, he found
some weak Hadeeth there, but the point is that the Sahaba also made statements concerning
this, and those statements of the Sahaba clarified that Zakah was to be paid continuously. So
what does he do when he is faced with these statements, he said, “They were men and we
were men, that was their opinion and I have my opinion,”
He is equating his opinion with the opinion of the Sahaba, and he rejected the opinion of
Umar Ibn Al Khattab ‫ٱّلل عنه‬ ‫ رضي ه‬and the opinion of big Sahaba and he is insisting on his
interpretation, this is serious misguidance, because he was stuck in the books and obviously
6
there are issues of sincerity, something else is there, other things are there too, but he was
only arguing from the books, he is misguided he wasn’t following the true Salafi
understanding. Though people consider him to be Salafi but when it came down to the critical
point we have found him rejecting the understanding of the Salaf, the understanding of the
first generation was no longer important to him anymore, they had an opinion and they were
wrong, my opinion is correct, that’s the consequence, in spite of the work that he did.
Common people in Tamil Nadu love him and as I said the business people really love him but
in spite of that he went astray. From there he went to other things, that was just the beginnin.
He went on to denying possession for example. That the Prophet Mohammed ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬ ‫صلهى ه‬
was affected by magic, he denied it, there were others also who denied it too but he took it on
a platform promoting it on a big scale.
So this is a very true statement of the scholars that whoever makes his shaykh his books his
mistakes will be greater than his correctness, and I know personally when I was in the
Emirates, I remember we had one individual there who was teaching Hadeeth and I started to
attend his circles, and he started to teach from Abu Dawood I went through almost all of Abu
Dawood with him, then he heard some of the local scholars saying beware of this guy. He is
just calling Hadeeth and quoting the authenticity of the Hadeeth from Shaykh Albani and so
and so on and he seem to be right. Slowly we started to hear him making some criticism of
Shaykh Nasruddin Albani, it’s not a good sort of criticism but it became like a put down
because it is one thing that you can criticize in one way and say, this is a mistake and it’s an
error, but then you can talk about it in such a way that you are putting that scholar down. So
we start to hear those things, and start to sound funny and we start to hear him expressing
some of his views, because before it was more the Hadeeth and just the interpretation of the
Hadeeth and that’s more straight forward and then when he started to give his own views and
things of his concern then we start to see things going off then we realize this guy is off,
though he has knowledge of the Hadeeth.
I did a course with him also, it was basically Salafi approach to Usool ul fiqh, very good
stuff, and there was that other disease that was there, he cut himself off, and I left after I had
started to hear that stuff, I left and I know people still continuing and they were telling the
more and more stuff was coming. He started to attack some of the well known scholars, he
started to attack them, because that’s what happens, as people started to raise issues, then he
started to lash out and then this is the danger, a big danger.
So as Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid said that whoever enters knowledge alone will emerge alone,
this is the same concept. He enters into knowledge alone, when he comes out, he will be
alone in the sense he will not have benefitted from then guidance that the scholars would
have given him, had he attached himself to the scholars.
Then Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid presents a basic defense for the disposition of the listing on
scholars and a refutation of those who said you don’t need to depend on scholars, from his
perspective. This is the last 3 pages of this section, pages 41, 42 & 43.
7
It’s a bit long but this completes our point and then we will be shifting over into the Etiquette
of the student of the knowledge with his shaykh and this is the end of the second chapter of
the book. Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid says that there is almost a consensus of the scholars about
this except for a few who were isolated in their opinion that it was necessary to have a
Shaykh such as Ali ibn Ridwan al Misri at Tabeeb who died in the 11th century and he was
refuted by scholars of his day and age and those who came after him.
Imam Ad-Dhahabhi in his biography said he did not have a shaykh, rather he engaged
himself in taking from the books and he wrote the book about acquiring skill from reading
from book that it is more prosperous for the learner and this is wrong. This was the opinion of
Ad-Dhahabi; and As-Safafi wrote an extension of the refutation of what he said which was
mentioned by Az-Zubaidi, in his explanation of Al-Ahya Al-Galali along with the number of
other scholars, all putting forth a number of arguments amongst them was that which was
said by Ibn Batlaan in his refutation.
He said there are things that exists in books that prevent the acquisition of knowledge, non-
existant in the teacher, and it is due to the distortion that occurs due to the resemblance of the
letters because when you are reading from the books, if you are reading the books in Arabic,
it sounds different in English but the books in Arabic will not have the fatha, kasra, damma
and sometimes when they write the dots go missing, you put a dot underneath it is ba and you
put a dot on top you got a noon and you put 2 dots underneath you got ya and you put on top
you got a taa.
So when you are reading, if the person who wrote the book and who printed the book and
when you are reading it and these dots are misplaced or whatever then the words change what
was really meant gets lost and all of these kinds of things become a problem when you are
reading in Arabic, and they also didn’t have vowels.
Fatha, kasra, damma were not written in, so you misread and misunderstand so this is what
Ibn Batlaan is pointing out that this is superiority with studying with the Shaykh you don’t
have that problem, what he is going to tell you is what it is, as he said and due to the
distortion occurs due to the resemblance of letter, some letters resemble each other and in
addition to the nonoccurrence of the pronunciation, because of course that going to identify
the vowelling etc, because the text is without vowelling and you can read it in different ways
and made mistakes due to straying of the eyes, that after you are reading and reading and
reading you are going to tired, you start blurring over stuff so again you can get
misinformation.
The lack of experience in the Eraab in applying the grammar rules, corruption of the existing
text there could be mistake in the text, handwritten cannot be written or cannot be read and
reading which is not written, not knowing the madhhab of the author, poor quality of the
script, poor quality of the transcription, lack of stopping at the correct pronunciation, mixing
up terminology. These are most of or all kinds of issues that occur with the Arabic text, this is
why you have in the Qur’an today symbols in the Quranic verse, or Laam Alif Meem, these
8
letters are there, you wonder what is this for actually, if you are Arab you don’t need it and if
you are Non-Arab and you are reading you don’t know what these symbols are telling you.
These symbols are telling you don’t stop here when you are reading because if you stop there
you are going to change the meaning of the whole verse. You must stop here, if you don’t
stop here you are going to change the meaning of the verse, it’s just like a parrot reading.
Similarly the verses can change the meaning depending on where you stop. If you stop in the
verse, “don’t go near prayer,” don’t pray. The verse goes on to say, “When you are in a state
of intoxication until you know what you are saying,” so if you pause in the wrong place, the
whole meaning of the verse changes altogether.
Also mixing up terminology of different subjects like the word Sunnah. Sunnah, depending
on which field you are using it, has a different meaning, if you are using it in the field of
Hadeeth, Sunnah means whatever is recorded from Prophet Mohammed ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬ ‫ صلهى ه‬of
what he said, what he did, what he approved, what was done in his presence, how he looked
the cloths he wore, his habits, everything is called Hadeeth, or the Sunnah.
Whereas the Sunnah when you go over to Fiqh, it mans what is recommended, which is
distinct from Fard (obligatory). So somebody could say that growing a beard is Sunnah. It’s
‫صلهى ه‬
true, it is Sunnah from the perspective of Hadeeth, its what the Prophet Mohammed ‫ٱّلل‬
‫ عليه و سلهم‬did but it is from the Fard Sunnah, that’s the point from the Fiqh perspective,
ibecause Prophet Mohammed ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬
‫ صلهى ه‬commanded it.
So this is just an example of terminology commonly mistaken by people today, when we use
the Sunnah term to mean other than what is actually means, it is out of context when it is used
in the Hadeeth sense when it should be in the Fiqh sense, and when it is used in the Fiqh
sense when it should be used in the Hadeeth sense.
And the existence of Greek terminology, the writer did not take from the Arabic language,
because in many of the texts the Greek learning had been infused into Arabic texts, Greek
terminology was used, and if you were not familiar with the Greek philosophy and the
meaning of these terminologies, then you are completely lost, you will be misinterpreting,
misunderstanding, though these word in Arabic had meaning.
When you are using them they became technical terms in Greek philosophy, they took terms
which were Arabic terms but they gave them special meanings in Greek philosophy so now if
you don’t know what was that intended meaning then these terms don’t make sense anymore
so these are among the problems that people reading in Arabic without a teacher to explain
would run into, all of the things mentioned obstruct knowledge.
This is Ibn Batlaan’s explanation of the weakness of studying purely from books, and the
learners relieved of them when he reads to a teacher because that was there method, talqeen,
the students would read the text to their teacher. If the situation is such then reading to the
scholars is more advantages and virtuous than personal study and this is what we wanted to
explain. As-Safwadi said for this reasons the scholars said, do not take knowledge from a
person who acquires it from script and do not take the Qur’an from a person who had recited
9
the Qur’an from the Mushaf, he has only learned Alif Baa Taa, he has learned some rules and
you are going to learn tajweed from him, he is going to mess you up, because tajweed has to
be learned from a teacher. I know most of the people who know all of the rules, but when
they recite, they are reciting without the rules, they are mixing up, messing up all the times,
because there is one thing to memorize it and another thing to apply it, the only way that you
can apply it effectively is that when you have a teacher who is checking you, correcting you,
making sure that what you are reading is correct, then you can master the field of Tajweed.
You must have a teacher, because you hear yourself differently from what actually you
sound, because that’s the reality, if you listen to yourself on a tape you say it’s not you, that’s
what you see, that’s what happens, you say it’s not me, it’s not how I sound, because what’s
happening is that when you are speaking, what you hearing in your ear and is not just what
you are speaking and our sound made in your throat is also going up inside, so that’s mixing
up with what’s coming into your ear from the outside, so this is why you get a sound different
from what you actually are saying.
Similarly, you trying to correct yourself in case of proper pronunciation, you can listen to
shaykh Abdul Basit, and shaykh Minshawi, as much as you want and you can recite after
him, until people listen to you and say, hay you sound just like Minshawi, but actually you
are just thinking, you learn his tone and pausing like he pauses, but you don’t know how the
rules, you hear people reciting like that sounds just like Minshawi, just like Sudais but
according to tajweed rules they are making big mess.
The person who don’t know tajweed rules, they say he is exactly the same, just like him, but
without that correction you can’t do it, so he said don’t take Quran from a person who has
recited the Quran from the Mushaf, he didn’t have anyone to listen to him, he just recited it,
till he got good in reciting it, meaning do not recite the quran to a person who has just read it
from the Mushaf without reciting it to a Shaykh.
Similarly, with Hadeeth, etc, from a person who has acquired Hadeeth reading it from scripts,
as for the tangible proof, it is that you will read thousands of biographies written in different
eras about though out history they are full of mentions of the teachers and the students. Some
students have many teachers while others have few, refer to some of the examples of those
who have many teachers, to the extent that some of them had to thousand. Abu Hayan
Mohammed ibn Yousuf Al-Andalusi who died in the 14th century, used to say when Ibn
Malik was mentioned to him, “where are his teachers?”
Al-Waleed used to say, Al-Awza’i used to say, “This knowledge used to be noble passed
down from men to men but when it entered into the books, the wrong people became
involved in it,” A similar account was narrated by Ibn Mubarak from Al-Awza’i. Without a
doubt flaws occur when taken from the script even with an Ijaza, specially at the time when
there was no dotting or vowelling, such flaws were non-existant when taken from a mouths of
men, errors also occurs when narrating from memory as opposed from narrating from edited
script.
10
So the statement “this knowledge used to be noble it was passed down men to men but when
it entered into books the wrong books,” its not speaking of people or writing of texts into it,
in general because the scholars of Hadeeth are recorded Hadeeth even from the very
beginning, Abu Huraira and students of Abu Huraiara were recording and they were writing,
people generally think that the writing took 200 years after the time of the Prophet
Mohammed ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬
‫ صلهى ه‬but this was not correct, writing was all along but it was that
they kept writing with the narrations. The two were inseparable because writing was the way
of preserving, narration was the way of conveying it quickly, so even when the scholars used
the term Haddasana for example, it didn’t mean that they simply were reciting from their
memories, it meant in most cases that they were reciting from a written text.
That is what is actually meant so it’s a misunderstanding that the Hadeeth were narrated
orally for 200 yrs and written and on the other hand the issue of Ijaza and the Ijaza when they
use the term in the science of Hadeeth, it has another meaning, but when they used the term
Ijaza in terms of science of Qur’an, it has another meaning now. Ijaza was most commonly
used to mean that a person has memorized the whole Qur’an and he has recited it completely
from beginning to end to a shaykh who was himself a memorizer of Qur’an and who was a
teacher and after that he has recited the whole Qur’an from beginning to end virtually without
a mistake and if he had a mistake in a section he would go back and revise it and come.
Then he recited it and the teacher would test him across the Qur’an confirming that he has
mastered the whole of quran and then he would give him the Ijaza, the right to teach it to
others, but today people are given Ijazas just because they have read the Qur’an to a teacher,
so you can get an Ijaza. You have people walking around now, with Ijazas who haven’t
memorized the Qur’an and they have read the Qur’an from the Mushaf to the teacher
correctly but the point is that what we read and what we recite may be two different things,
meaning that if you have to read a particular Surah, you may read exactly what is there, and
you have memorized the portions of it, but you haven’t read this back to a teacher, now you
could have mistakes in your memorization, if your teacher has not listened to you from your
memory then he cannot be sure, but now Ijazas are being given for having read the Qur’an
correctly.
That’s why in the Islamic Online University we don’t give Ijazas for reading. Ijaza only goes
to those who has memorized the whole Qur’an and recited it back to the teacher correctly
from Fatiha to Naas, and that is the position that our Tajweed Head of Department takes
based on how he studied himself and they keep to that tradition. In fact, today you have
people who give Ijaza only for Surah Baqara, a person will come to a shaykh and say can you
give me an Ijaza for Surah Baqara, he recites Surah Baqara and he has been corrected and he
gets the Ijaza for Surah Baqara, then what for a one verse from Sura Baqara you can get an
Ijaza too, so its not really a wise position and he points out here without doubt flaws occur
when taking from scripts even with an Ijaza, even if there is an Ijaza with the script, then they
can still be making mistakes, and then he quoted some lines of poetry and it is said in some
poetry that “whosoever doesn’t read the books to the scholars then his certainty in difficult
issues will be conjuncture” and Abu Hayan used to frequently quote the following poetry,
“The gullible one used to wrongly assume that the books guide, the one of undertaking and
11
attaining knowledge and it escapes the ignorant one that in it are obscurers the mind of the
person with understanding, it is you wish to attain the knowledge without a teacher, you will
be strayed from the straight path, and the issues will become so confusing to you, that you
will become,”
This is the end of the second chapter. Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen speaking about it had said that
taking from scholars is superior to learning only from books. The author further clarifies this
point by narrating statements refuting those which were given by Ali Ibn Ridwan Al-Misri,
the statements of Ibn Batlaan and he said quoting the 6th point of Ibn Batlaan: “There are
things that exist in books that are non-existente in the teacher,”
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen said that in the earlier days because the fact that they used to write
without the dots and the dashes it was easy for words to be misunderstood because the
changing of the dots would actually change the letters themselves or change the words within
that, they change the letters and the words as I mentioned earlier, you put a dot below and it
becomes ba and put it above it becomes noon. So he points out and says there were intended
mistakes to the books. This is for the people who read the books, but don’t read the books
back to the scholars themselves, and also he mentioned that one in reading such books may
not know the madhhab of the scholar who is writing the book, they may not know whether he
is, its not the issue, when we say of the madhhab we say its Maliki or Shafii.
That wasn’t so critical, but now where the math’hab was Mutazili or Jahmi or others which
are deviant, there are now philosophical math’habs and you are not aware of what you are
reading, you can easily go astray in your understanding. A classical example of that is like the
translation of the Quran which was done by Mohammed Asad.
He was a Swiss ambassador and he converted to Islam, but he studied Arabic extensively, he
was very good, and the book he favored for the Arabic was Az-Zamakshari, and Shaikh Al-
Uthaymeen mentioned earlier that that was the best book if you wanted grammatical
linguistic undertaking of the Qur’an, he was the best, but he said you have to watch out for
his Aqeedah because he was a Mutazilite, so Mohammed Asad used Zamakshari’s
interpretation for his translation of the Qur’an.
So his translation of the Qur’an comes out as a Mutazilite translation, so one might ask what
the difference is. Well, Mutazilites basically they deny the miracles mentioned in the Qur’an
where Allah says when Prophet Abraham ‫ عليه ٱلسهالم‬asked Allah to show him how he brought
life to the dead and Allah told him to take a bird and cut it up and put the different bit on top
of the mountain and call them and they will come back.
In his translation he puts it as and also Yousuf Ali does the same thing (he too was effected
by Mutazilite thoughts) and he says Allah told the Prophet Abraham ‫ عليه ٱلسهالم‬to put a group
of birds on each, train them first, then put a group of them on each of the top of the mountain
and then you call them, they will come, this was the example of resurrection, life coming
back after dead and that’s not what the Arabic says, because they don’t want to deal with the
idea that Prophet Abraham ‫ عليه ٱلسهالم‬must have chopped up the birds into pieces, and put
12
them in the mountain, after training them then come to him, then calling them and they would
come so they have changed the whole issue of the miracle.
Even when they say Prophet Mosa ‫ عليه ٱلسهالم‬hit the stone and out of the stone came the 12
springs from which the different tribes of Bani israil came, he doesn’t do it and the springs
they came to him, give some other explanation to move away from the miracles.
So that’s why Muhammed Asad’s translation of the Qur’an was banned by the Rabita, they
unanimously agreed that it should not be distributed. So Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen closed it off
saying basically that especially when speaking about the Greek terminology which came in
some of them were actually Greek words which were Arabised as well as some words as I
mentioned earlier which were given new meaning from Greek philosophy so that would be
confusing to a person who is reading it without a teacher explaining what it was meant by
these words. Even though they were Arabic words which were known as well those words
which were not Arabic words but were Arabised for those particular topics, and basically that
summarizes the end of the chapter, the second chapter which focuses on the process of the
methodology of gaining knowledge. And in our next session, sesion 24, we will be going on
to look at the Etiquettes of the student with the Shaykh and with the students etc. so with that
we close our session.

natoobu ilaik.
13
ETH 101
Module 24
‫ صلى ه‬and on all those who follow the path of righteousness until the
Mohammed ‫ّللا عليه وسلم‬
last day.
This is the 24th session of our course on Etiquette of Seeking Religious Knowledge and we
are working with the text “Hilyat Talibul Ilm”, “The Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge” by Dr.
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid and we are following the commentary by Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen. We
completed in our previous sessions up to session 23, the etiquettes of the students inner self,
or the etiquette of students with regards to himself/herself in terms of the qualities that they
should have, and the qualities that they should avoid.
Then we looked at the methodology of seeking knowledge that was from chapter 2, from
there we looked at the different levels of seeking knowledge, where to begin, what books to
focus on, what areas to specialize in and we also looked at the importance of learning from
scholars as opposed to learning from books and we spoke about the danger of what tends to
happen to those people whose knowledge is basically based on books as the scholars would
often say, “one whose shaykh is books his errors will be many,” because you can’t ask the
books any questions, what you have misunderstood is just misunderstood, there is nobody to
clarify it for you, so you carry it forward.
Etiquette 22 - Seeking Knowledge from an Innovator
At this point we are going to shift now in terms of the points that we have to cover to point 22
which is on page 47 of the book and that is acquiring knowledge from a mubtadi (innovator)
as this is an important element with regards to seeking knowledge. Those who may be
knowledgeable, intelligent, skilled, qualified, etc. but they may have issues in terms of their
belief systems and practices, so how does one deal with this situation where the scholar that
one wants to learn from is an innovator.
We looked at the issues in terms of choosing scholars who are known to be righteous and
trustworthy, Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen stressed that not only that the person should be
knowledgeable in his field ut also he be righteous and trustworthy as your teacher, because
you will learn for your teacher not only the bits and pieces of knowledge but also the
character, and that is probably more important that what one learns in terms of book
knowledge.
Dr. Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid begins this section saying, “beware of the innovator,” and he calls
him Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl was of course was title given to one of those enemies of the Prophet
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Muhammed ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬

‫ صلهى ه‬at his time, but here he is using this term Abu Jahl to mean just a
person who is himself ignorant because his innovation is the product of his ignorance. So he
refers to him as Abu Jahl.
So he says, “Beware of the innovator, that is Abu Jahl, the one who is touched by deviancy in
his creed (belief system) and engulfed by the clouds of fables, who allows himself to be ruled
by his vain desires, and calls it logic and diverts from the texts of the Qur’an and Sunnah,
after all where is logic to be found except in the text of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, he also
holds fast to the weak Hadeeth, and distances himself from the authentic Hadeeth.
They are also referred as ahlu shubuhaat or the dubious people or the people of doubt, who
focus on the doubtful things, ahlul hawa or the people who follow their vein desires, and for
this reason ibn al Mubarak among the tabiyoon one of the great scholars narrators of Hadeeth
tafseer etc, used to call them As-Asaaghir, the small ones.
Imam Ad-Dhahabi said, “If you see the innovative (scholastic theologian) mutakallim, saying
leave out the Qur’an and Sunnah and bring forth logic. (in course of discussion those who
take this approach, put the Qur’an and the Sunnah aside unless look at this subject logically,
this is a common approach we hear this among modern individuals) then know that he is Abu
Jahl. (when you hear somebody say this, then know he comes from that group to which he
refers to as the peole of Jahiliyya) and if you see one on the spiritual path, who claims that by
practicing a set of prescribed forms of innovative worship he will attain oneness with Allah,
commonly known as Sufis saying ‘leave us, put aside this knowledge that is transmitted and
bring instead taste and ecstasy or the taste of faith (focusing on this aspect leaving and putting
knowledge aside) then know that he is Iblees (a devil) become manifest in human form, or he
has become incarnate within this person, so if you come, if you become cowardly or if you
feel yourself weak, run away from him, otherwise, tackle him wrestle him put your knee in
his chest, read ayatul kursi over him and strangle him,” (Page 48)
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen comments that the author (may Allah have mercy on him) said,
“Beware of the innovator, Abu Jahl who has been touched by deviancy in creed and his cloud
of fables.” This solution stated by Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid is a necessary step. The solution of
warning against the innovator, it is obligatory that we warn against the people of innovation
and those who paint innovation in an attractive color, those who follow their desires in
critical issues, calling that intelligence. The reality is that it is not intelligence, or you may
3
call it intelligence and you may say that he has been intelligently misguided from the truth or
from following his own desires.
They are as Ibn Al-Qayyim said about some people similar to them, “They fled from
servitude for which they were created, and were tried by servitude to their desires and Satan,”
He turns away the individual who is innovating, turns away Divinely revealed text saying the
mind reveals what is contrary to that. Subhanallah, the mind contradicts the divine text, never
is it impossible for a clear mind free from desires to contradict with the authentic narration,
because of that Allah Most Glorious and Transcendent announced mental death of those who
oppose the messenger saying, “Will they not think?”.
So, Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen and Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid stressed here that those people who are
known to be innovators in the religion, meaning they are promoting openly innovative ideas
concerning the religion, once one knows that this is their methodology then it is better to stay
away from them, because there is misguidance, there a trap for those who are not solidly
grounded in the religion. They will fall into it. People who are scholars themselves, who can
confront this individual, that’s a different situation, they may meet with them, challenge
them, challenge their ideas, clarify to the masses the falsehood that they are upon etc, it is for
them to do that.
But for the common person who are in the early stages of seeking knowledge, it is better and
advisable to stay away. The main traits for those who follow the innovative way is that they
call to logic and reason as we are pointing out here. Often times, they will either put aside the
revealed texts whether from the Qur’an or from the Sunnah and go to their own
interpretations of their circumstances explaining things in a way that might seem very logical
and reasonable, but the fact of the matter is that their explanations go against the revealed text
of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, while they may be calling to logic and reason and they may
seem in tune with the times, so they like to promote this idea that religion should change
along with it.
When you talk with Christians and others about religions, how their religions change, so
many years ago, certain things were known to be evil and bad, and the religious leaders spoke
about these things. They stood against these things, now fifty years later, its changed. They
are silent, they are changed and they are saying you know that we have to change with the
times, and today you have so many different levels, you hear of ultra orthodox, then the
orthodox, then moderate, then the modern then the ultra modern, they various versions of
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Judaism. All of this, when you see what is happening, they are moving away from the
religious texts that they have.
Same thing with Christianity, most Christians today don’t follow what the original teachings
of the religion said, they think of it as backwards and they point their finger at Muslims and
say, may often not realizing the same things is there in their books if they do realizen they say
we have matured, we have gone past this pointn we have realized that those were old
positions that were held that was at the time when the people were poor, ignorant etc.
Now the people are more developed, society is more advanced, we have to deal with the
realities of our times and in that way, the religions become more modern. They are trying to
make it more attractive. In spite of all of this, people are still fleeing from it in droves in the
West. Of course, they are promoting Christianity rapidly in the East, where its being
promoted, not on the basis of the religious system that they have and the religious belief, but
it’s being promoted in terms of peoples poverty, etc.
They offer these things to the people, they tell them it is from the Jesus, he is one who is
doing this for us, so you accept it, and you get more, so the people, out of need, necessity
they accept these things. It seems to be bringing about good in their lives, but not the issue of
belief. It’s not the issue that they have really understood, if they have left Islam and they have
become Christian, they didn’t understand Islam in the first place, they didn’t know what
really are the teaching of Islam.
Its just a cultural things, they had some cultural set of things, fasting in the month of
Ramadan etc, but they didn’t really know what Islam is, they never understood. The point is
that the religion has changed rapidly. Those who try to hold on to the actual teaching and
actually engaged in propagating and promoting it, they are doing so by means of money,
education and food.
These are the channels through which they do it, whereas Islam hasn’t changed. Muslims
have gone through changes and so we are hearing some of those echoes of some of what went
on in Judaism, what went on in Christian, we are hearing it amongst Muslims today, we have
our versions of those who would challenge the teachings of Islam and claim that they have
their own personal interpretations and really Islam is to be understood by each person in
his/her own way. We have that spokesperson the media likes to use and she comes and says
that she is a lesbian who is a pork eating Muslim, which is just a huge contradiction.
5
In any way, she is Ismaili. Anyway not really Muslim as we know it, for her she is still a
Muslim, for her she is a Muslim and nobody can tell her what a Muslim is and she knows in
her heart what a Muslim is so this kind of approach we hear this maybe echoed on an another
level, we do have people in positions of education and authority who are speaking in the
names of Muslims and challenging Muslims practices and trying to strip away what makes
Islam unique and just moved to what they call people to spiritualism, and that the people
should be just spiritual and that way we can accept spirituality, involved by other people.
Its about being spiritual. However, you are spiritual and as long as you are spiritual then this
is good that way we can unite on spiritualism. We have this kind of call and that the logic and
reasons that the people may put behind it to make it attractive may sound attractive to people
who are especially in the West now, who are being bombarded.
Young people are growing up bombarded by these foreign ideas to Islam, Islam is just a
religion among the religions, who is to say who is right and everything comes along with it.
So as Ibn Al-Qayyim has said people who ended up in this vein they fled from servitude for
which they were created, that was servitude to Allah submitting their wills to Allah, they fled
to their own desires, because their religion now became their desires, whatever their desires
told them that is the direction in which they went into, they submitted to their desires, they
became slaves to their desires, and as a result of such, they became slaves to Satan, because
this is the way of satan, satan catches people, he captivates them as he captivated Adam by
way of desires, he named the tree.
Allah didn’t name the tree. Allah just said don’t eat from the tree, but he named the tree, he
gave the name ‘Shajaratul Khuld’ (Tree of eternal life), so he is playing to their desires,
everybody wants to live forever, Adam had not thought about living forever and dying and all
these things, but once he put this thought in his head, and now it becomes a desire, to live and
not die, so he played on those desires, and that is his methodology, naming things by other
than their names, that tree was an evil tree, but he called it the tree of eternal life, a beautiful
name.
Just like riba, a bad thing, originally called usury in English. Usury a not a nice name but they
renamed it ‘interest’ which sounds nice, its in your interest to do it, so beautifying what is
evil, this is the methodology of Satan and of course what they claim is that when there is a
contradiction they go to their own personal interpretations.
6
Where they consider to be contradictions between the texts from the Qur’an and the Sunnah
and reason, this is the claim where there is a contradiction, those who deviated, whether they
was the Mutazilite or the Asharites, or the Jahmites or any of these various groups that
deviated, they did so claiming that there was a contradiction between revealed text and
human logic and reason. But Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid points there can never be a contradiction
between the two because the human mind and logic was created by Allah, the logical
functioning of the brain was created by Allah. He created the brain and he created it to
function in the logical way, so there is no way that that brain which he created and the logic
by which the brain functions that this would go against his revelation from Himself.
There is no contradiction. If we see contradiction it means that means there is weakness or

lack of understanding on the part of human beings, if we have clear authentic narration either
by the way of Qur’an or Sunnah then that has to be correct, it is for the human mind to
understand where the error lies in his interpretation and in his logic, because we are the ones
who can have false logical, something appears to be logical but really it isn’t logical.
So when the human mind modern mind looks at the Hadeeth where in the Prophet
Mohammed ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬
‫ صلهى ه‬if a fly falls into your drink, dunk him in, throw him out and
drink because under one wing is the disease and under the other wing is the cure. So the
logical scientific mind who has gone though modern schooling, he/she has learned that flies
bring disease, nobody has talked about cure coming flies, no scientist has extracted medicine
which can cure illnesses from flies, so that mind says there is something wrong here, this
Hadeeth cannot be authentic, either that or you have to reject the Deen altogether so your
shortcut is to say that the Hadeeth can’t be authentic.
But the Hadeeth is in Saheeh Al-Bukhari, the most authentic book after the Qur’an, narrated
by the same people who narrated the Qur’an to us, so then the modernist will deny Hadeeth.
They will make a distinction between the Hadeeth and the Qur’an saying that if this goes
against our mind and the science shows us everything, then we have to reject it, but reality is
that what they actually have is not knowledge which contradicts what is stated in the
Hadeeth, what they have is limited knowledge.
The Hadeeth is speaking about something that they don’t know about, that’s all. The Hadeeth
speaks about the cure from the fly, they don’t know about the cures from the fly, the fact that
they don’t know the cure from the fly does that mean there is no cure. If you were to tell
somebody in early 1900’s, especially people who live parts of the world where there are
7
poisonous snakes, that the king cobra, known that its venom is so powerful, he bites you
within seconds you are gone. Now if you were to tell people in that part of the world that
there is a cure in the venom of the cobra for heart disease and heart problems, they will say
that you are mad.
But today they have special farms that raise king cobras. They milk the poison from it, they
send it to Switzerland, they extract from it chemicals which they use for heart patients, so all
we can say about the people who were told that hundreds years ago that they didn’t know. Of
course if you don’t know about something then the tendency is it can never be. This is our
nature, that anything we don’t know about, we tend to deny all together, but this is just
ignorance.
As the scholars say, “The lack of knowledge is not knowledge, it’s a knowledge of lack,” The
lack of knowledge is not itself knowledge but it only knowledge of a lack of knowledge,
that’s all, so if one approaches these issues in this fashion then there is no contradiction, its
only becomes a contradiction when we turn our lack of knowledge into knowledge when we
claim this cannot be. This is where the problem lies.
So as was pointed out, the mind which is clear and functioning properly, it can see these
matters clearly. The mind which is not, cannot. So you may find for example today, some
individuals who will say that Allah does not know the details of the future, why? They say
because if Allah knows the future, then you have to do whatever Allah knows. What you are
going to do, you don’t have a free will, that is what they say but we say Allah tells us that we
have a choice and we experience that choice. Allah tells us that He knows everything and of
course it makes sense, He should know everything and there is no contraction between
Allah's ‫ سبحانه وتعالى‬knowing of everything and free will to choose.
The fact that Allah knows everything doesn’t mean that he made us choose it. It is still our
choice so the judgment make sense, we are held accountable for the choices that we make, if
the mind is clear then this is clear, if the mind is been twisted by philosophy and these kinds
of things then it’s not clear, no matter how many times you go over it, then all that person
with that mind can see is that I would have to do whatever Allah knows I am going to do, so
the only way out for me is to accept this is that Allah doesn’t know what I am going to do
until I do it, and so he teaches that.
So those who oppose the messengers, Allah ‫ سبحانه وتعالى‬refers to them as being without
reason and without reasoning because the message of the messengers was the clear truth, so if
8
one has a clear mind and undistorted, the clear truth make sense, there is no way to oppose
the messenger. Those who would oppose the messenger are those who are not using proper
reasoning and understanding so Allah refers them to say, “will they not think?” as Allah says
earlier, “Do you call people to righteousness and you forget yourself, and you are reading the
revelation, wont you think?” Won’t you reflect, it doesn’t make sense, that is illogical.
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen goes on to say that after all where is logic to be found expect in the
texts. Actually this is the statement of Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid, “where is logic except in the
text themselves,” Qur’an and Sunnah are the ultimate sources of logic, the ones who deviate,
they hold on firmly to weak Hadeeth and distance themselves from that which is authentic.
They will quote many weak Hadeeth, whether it is the Shia or the Isma’ilis or the Sufis,
various groups that have deviated, you will find them using many fabricated Hadeeth in their
text. There will be no end of fabricated material.
That is most often found amongst preachers and story tellers, you will find them filling the
mind with weak Hadeeths to order to motivate the people to fearful stories to bring out their
fear and their love of the nice things that they are saying. For example: Those who say
Prophet Mohammed ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬
‫ صلهى ه‬said, “Indeed, Allah created from every letter of Surah
Al-Ikhlaas a thousand birds and each bird had a thousand tongues, each of which would
supplicate and glory Allah for the one who recited it,” IT sounds beautiful but who said that,
he said Rasool said it ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬
‫ صلهى ه‬. This is a lie, its not true, there is no such Hadeeth. Its
fabricated, but you will hear it told, and maybe its told to kids, to make the kids think wow,
amazing, Mashallah, but its falsehood, and the religion should not be taught with such fairy
tales. People use justification for it, it doesn’t really hurt, its like a white lie, like Santa clause,
it doesn’t really hurt.
But you are teaching through faslsehood. The ultimate consequence is people will be
misguided, they are strange and amazing other things mentioned concerning the virtues of
Religion. Likewise, the people may be referred to aspeople of doubt along with the people of
ignorance and the people desires.
Ibn Al-Mubarak, one of the Tabe’een used to call the innovators “the little ones”, it’s the
description which fits the described. They are little ones even though they have made
themselves big, and anyone who contradicts a divine text will be small in status in the sight of
Allah ‫سبحانه وتعالى‬, no matter how great he might see himself and promote himself.
9
As for the statement Ad-Dhahabi, “the religion of the sufi is about taste and ecstasy,” that it is
apparent that Ad-Dhabai was attacked by Sufis. He was a student of Ibn Taymiyya and he
promoted the idea of going back to Qur’an and Sunnah according to authentic sources etc, so
he came under attack as Ibn Taymiyya came under attack.
So Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen was commenting on Ad-Dhahabi’s statement which seems very

strong, it talked about wresting these people, putting your knee in their chest and strangling
them to death. He is saying that its apparent that Ad-Dhabai was attacked by them. Because
of that, he is particularly harsh in criticizing them. “If he comes close to you, flee if you are
unable to confront him or debate with him then flee and that is the correct ruling,”
Otherwise, if you are able to overpower him and defeat him then wrestle with him literally
and metaphorically. Wrestle him into submission and put your knee into his chest that implies
literal, a literal act and recite ayatul kursi until the devil leaves him, and strangle him. Shaikh
Al-Uthaymeen commenting thta a person hearing this statement of Ad-Dhahabi to wrestle
him in the ground, and put your knee in his chest and recite ayatul kursi and strangle him
means you are going to kill him, because of the severity of that act.
However, it appears that Shaykh Ad-Dhahabi was attacked by them and the one who is safe
is the one from whom Allah has saved you from, and if you went to Islamic countries, you
will find among them many amazing things. As mentioned by earlier and later scholars about
them, he is giving the example from the Sufi practices, they will pray until they go mad, they
give Zikr for example the different formulas to be repeated thousands of times, they will
carry loops and loops of zikr beads and you have regular zikr beads, the ones which you will
have at your shoulder, its got like 10000 beads on it and they have to count so many times in
the morning, and of course some people will go mad with it, so he is speaking about these
types of practices.
So he said that some of them will pray until they go mad and they beat drums and they are
beaten by sticks and they cover themselves in dust. Some of them will repeat La ilaaha illa
Allah over and over again and whilst doing that, they strike the dust and they will beat
themselves and the who is struck with the most dust over him is the one who is the closest to
Allah, he has achieved his closeness through this process. So these types of practices are
obviously innovative and have nothing to do with the Deen.
Shaikh Bakr goes on to say, “and I read in the handwriting of Shaykh Al-Muwafuq this
statement: we heard this lesson of Ibn Abi Asroom with my brother Abi Umar. When we
10
stopped going to his lessons I heard my brother say: I entered his house after that, and he
asked why have you cut yourselves of me. So I replied: Some people say that you are
Ash’ari. So I said: by Allah I am not Ash’ari, this is the rough meaning of the story.” (Page
49)
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen just comments saying what is the benefit of that is that it is not
appropriated to sit with the innovator, even if his innovation is actually like that of the
Ashaa’ira.
The text of Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid goes on to say, “It was narrated that Imam Malik said:
Knowledge is not to be taken from four people: a foolish person who publicizes his
foolishness even if he is the most prolific narrator of the Hadeeth, a person of innovation
who calls to it, a person who lies in his speech with people even if they don’t accuse him of
lying in Hadeeth and a noble pious worshipper if he does not memorize precisely what he
narrates.
Oh Seeker of knowledge if you are in a position of freedom of choice, then do not take it
from an innovator, be he a Shi’ite (Rafidi), a Khariji, (that’s the khawarij) a Murjii, Qadari or
Quboori etc. For you will never reach the level of knowledge that you seek, correct in your
creed, strong in your association with Allah with strong vision and following the tracks of the
early generation of righteous scholar and believers except by abandoning innovation and the
people of innovation.” (Pages 49-50)
Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen goes on to say that the obvious meaning of the words of the sahykh
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid is that nothing is to be taken from the innovator, even if that thing not
connected to his innovation. For example, if we found a man who is an innovator, but he was
good in Arabic knowledge, eloquence, grammar and syntax. Should we sit with him and take
from his knowledge which he is good in, or should we abandon him? The obvious meaning
of the shaykh’s word is that we should not sit with him, because it will cause two forms of
corruption: the first form is that he would be deluded and proud because all the students are
coming to him, and thinks that he is in fact following the truth, he would feel reinforcement
for his position and the second corruption is that people will be deluded by him, as many
people will be coming to him, learning from him, the common person is not able to
distinguish between his knowledge of Grammar and the knowledge of Aqeedah.
He doesn’t know the difference. Consequently, it is our view that a person should not sit with
the people of innovations and desires at all, even if the knowledge of Arabic, eloquence and
11
syntax only exists with them and Allah will give what is better than it, because us going to
these people frequently, no doubt it will make them conceited and attract people to them.
This is the position of Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid and Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen supports it. However
in practice, Madina University, for example where the numbers of scholars who we could say
were not only sound in their Aqeedah but also knowledgeable in other fields were very
limited, they brought scholars mostly from Egypt and from other parts of the Muslim world
also, and many people who came from Egypt did have Ash’ari beliefs but they were
contracted on the basis that they will not propagate their beliefs, its their own, they will have
it, but they will not propagate it, its on that basis that they came and worked there, so a choice
was made.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz was the head of Madina University so he held that position that a person
who may have some deviated ideas but who has knowledge in certain fields can be benefitted
from, when you have no other options available. They are what is available that you benefit
from them, but it should be controlled. As long as the situation is under control, it’s not a
situation where they dominate and people are free to say anything they want to say, so that
their ideas can spill over into the other topics that they are teaching, then if that’s not that
situation then it’s possible for one to benefit from them.
Or a person who already has a foundation, if you are coming to study on a higher level and if
you already have a foundation of correct belief then it is permissible to take knowledge from
them, so there is difference that scholars have had in this regard. This position held by Sheikh
Bakr Abu Zaid and Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen is an ultra-safe position, it is not taking any
chances, but when you are dealing with the education institutions in the Muslim world then
you may not be able to implement that as you would in your own small area that is under
your control in a small town or something like this, where you have control over what’s
going on in that city or town, or if you are dealing in the international scale, where in you are
bringing students from all over the world then its much more difficult to control those
circumstances and especially when you don’t have alternatives.
Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid goes on to say, “the books of biographies and adherence to Sunnah are
abundant with the accounts of Ahlul Sunnah finishing off the innovator and renouncing their
innovations, distancing themselves away from them as a sound person would distant himself
from the sick. There are so many stories and accounts that it would takea long time to recount
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but it gives me pleasure to mention few of them from the Salaf use to seek reward with Allah
in disregarding, humiliating and rejecting the innovators, and their innovation.
They also use to warn against becoming associated with them or seeking their opinion or
eating with them, for the innovator and the one following the Sunnah should be so far apart
that each of them cannot see the fire of the other, there are amongst the salaf those who use to
never pray on the funerals of the innovators, and would be seen leaving the funeral ceremony,
and it was also seen that Allaama Shaykh Muhammed Ibn Ibraheem abstained from praying
for an innovator who died amongst them.
Also they were amongst the Salaf those who use to prohibit praying behind them or
mentioning their innovations because the heart is weak and doubtful affairs are swift in
captivating the heart.” (Pages 50-51)
The author warns bitterly against the innovator, and they deserve that especially if the
innovator is an eloquent and a powerful speaker because his evil will be worse, his danger
will be greater. Especially if his innovation is an excommunicative bidah, one which causes
one to be out of Islam. For its danger is greater especially if he pretends to people that he is
from the people of Sunnah because some innovators have his hypocrisy.
You will find them meek in the presence of those who appear saying that I am from Ahlu
Sunnah. I don’t not dislike so and so among the Sahaba and I am with you but he is lying.
Those like these should be warned about, and the authors statement that there are amongst the
Salaf those who do not make funeral prayers for the innovators, at any way the bidah
(innovation) if it is excommunicative then no doubt praying for him is not permissible, based
on Allah ‫ سبحانه وتعالى‬statements to the messenger, “Do not pray on any one of them who dies
ever,” speaking with regards to the Munafiqoon, such a person should not be prayed for.
If on the other hand, if the innovation was not excommunicative, it’s a corruptive bidaa, the
consequence for not praying for him, should be considered with respect of existence or non-
existence of corruptive consequences so one chooses between the two. If a person who is
involved in innovation but the innovation that they are doing is not the type which would take
them out of Islam, it is an innovation in some other practice, related whether it is may be
some places after the Adhaan is given they make some kind of duas. Things which are not
allowed some places, or some people after Salah they insist on shaking this ones to the right
and that ones to the left, this is all innovations, but we are not going to say that the person
who does this goes out of Islam, so its not on that level.
13
Its not taking a peson to that kind of a level, so when we are dealing with that type of bida,
we are coming up now to Mawlid, this is among the bidahs. People who promote it, some
people who practice it, and there are some people who are actively promoting it and attacking
those people who don’t support it, so still the Mawlid itself, this is not a Bidah which will
take a person out of Islam, it is a Bidah, bigger than just shaking hands but it doesn’t take a
person out of Islam.
Although some of the things that might be said in it like the Qaseedatul Burda in which
attributes of Allah are give to Prophet Muhammed ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬
‫ صلهى ه‬which people who are
believing it and reciting it and promoting it that could actually take them out of Islam. But the
Mawlid per say, where some people do it and they say okay, we understand that the
celebrations where some people are going down the streets and carrying things singing and
dancing and all kinds of thing that they have turned it off, but what we do is we just gather
‫صلهى ه‬
and try to make somebody give a talk and ask Allah to bless Prophet Mohammed ‫ٱّلل عليه‬
‫ و سلهم‬and so and so we do it that way so there is no shirk about it.
They are not calling on Rasool Allah ‫ٱّلل عليه و سلهم‬

‫ صلهى ه‬but it is still celebrating the Mawlid and
it is still bidah so a person who may be doing that which is more innocent, its not the type of
thing which is going to take them out of Islam, then the issue of how do you deal with such a
person. If it is a issue where they have become strong those who are promoting this and the
people of Ahlul Sunnah are also strong then to take a strong position against them in order to
prevent the spread of their bidah is necessary but if they are not strong, if they are weak then
to make a big issue of opposing them then its not necessary to win them over.
You may not take that kind of a strong stance, so basically one needs to look at the
circumstance of the person that you are dealing with and the level of Bidah that is involved
and how you are going to deal with them. Inshallah that covers this 24th session what we have
covered about taking knowledge from the innovators. Actually this section is a bit long in
terms of the presentation of Sheikh Bakr Abu Zaid so we will stop here.

natoobu ilaik.
14

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Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies

Alhamdullilaahi Rabbil A’alameen, Wassalatu Wassalamu A’laa Rasoolihil Kareem, Wa

This session is closed. Subhaanaka Allaahumma wa bi hamdika nastaghfiruka wa natoobu

High Moral Traits

In Arabic, good characteristics is called "Makaarim ul Akhlaaq." Having a cheerful

‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬was the boycott of Ka'ab

He mentioned showing forbearance, that is being patient with people as prophet

Etiquette Nine: Masculine Qualities

Some general patterns do exist: gentleness, empathy, sensitivity, caring, sweetness,

So as we said point number nine is, as suggested by Shaikh Al-Uthaymeen, an extension of

Etiquette Ten: Forsaking Luxury

The author’s statement “asceticism is from faith” is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence

So to explain in this sentence of warning which means style, appearance whether in

Subhana kallah humma wa bi hamdika , as haduan la ilaaha illah ant, nastaghfiruka, wa

Etiquette 11: Avoid Worthless Gatherings

Etiquette 12: Avoid Commotion

So as Muslims we do in general avoid riotous type gatherings, demonstrations, marching

Subhana kallah humma wa bi hamdika , as haduan la ilaaha illah ant, nastaghfiruka, wa

Overview of the session 18:

Point 13-Adorn Yourself with Gentleness:

(13) Adorn Yourself with Gentleness-Evidences from the Hadeeth:

Gentleness, is as Prophet Muhammad has said, “Allaah is gentle and he loves

(13) Adorn Yourself with Gentleness-Exceptions:

(13) Adorn Yourself with Gentleness-Exceptions, Evidences from the Quraan:

‫َل ت َْأ ُخ ْذ ُك ّْم به َما َر ْأ َفةّ في‬

(13) Adorn Yourself with Gentleness-Exceptions, Evidences from Hadeeth:

(13) Adorn Yourself with Gentleness-Practical Point of View

(13) Adorn Yourself with Gentleness-Reasons for Harsh Penalties

As to the harsh penalties which Shaykh Al Uthaymeen mentioned regarding

(14) Contemplation versus Hastiness:

(14) Useless Talk:

(14) General Statements:

(14) Learn the Way to Give Reasonings:

(14) Ponder the Question When the Questioner Asks:

Shaykh Al Uthaymeen goes on to complete point 14 by saying “Ponder the question

(14) How to Give Answers:

(14) How to Answer the Point, Fatwa Shopping:

Point 15 Firmness and Confirmation:

(15) Firmness and Confirmation, The Shaykh’s Experience:

(15) Firmness and Confirmation, Evidences from the Quraan:

In Sooratul Hujuraat ‫الحجرات سورة‬, Allaah says,

(15) Firmness and Confirmation, Solutions & The Shaykh’s Experiences:

What is the solution for such a situation?

(15) Patience and Perseverance:

(15) Patience and Perseverance, Examples:

(15) Patience and Perseverance, Recommendations:

(15) Patience and Perseverance, Reasoning for the Recommendation:

Final Advice from Dr. Bilal Philips:

Ending of Live Session:

َ ‫َل أَ ْنتَّ أَ ْستَ ْغفرُكَّ َوأَتُوبُّ إلَ ْي‬

‫ وسلم عليه ّه‬said that: “Yawning is from Shaytaan.” For example,

Methodology of Seeking Knowledge:

The Methodology of Seeking Knowledge and its Levels:

knowledge, he will miss the immediate acquisition of knowledge because it is impossible.

Shaykh Al Uthaymeen also said: “Crowding knowledge in listening misguides

How you are going to know that the Shaykh is untrustworthy?

Not Relying upon Personal Efforts Alone :