بِسْم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Allah ordered the Prophet to ask Allah to increase him in knowledge: "و قل ربي زدني علما"
He didn't order the Prophet to ask Him to increase him in anything except knowledge.
HADITH:
عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَلُوا اللَّهَ عِلْمًا نَافِعًا وَتَعَوَّذُوا بِاللَّهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لَا يَنْفَعُ
The Prophet said exhorting the companions, "Ask Allah for beneficial knowledge and seek refuge from knowledge that doesn't benefit" [Authenticated by Al-Albani]
This Hadith emphasizes the virtue of acquiring knowledge. If seeking knowledge wasn't virtuous, the Prophet wouldn't have ordered his companions to ask Allah for it.
This Hadith also tells us that the sign of the truthful student of knowledge is that he asks Allah to grant him beneficial knowledge.
Most people acquire knowledge. But the most truthful amongst them is the one who asks Allah to grant it to him, open his heart, teach him, make him understand the knowledge, benefit him in what he's learning, etc.
Be like the people of the Dunya who are never tired of seeking and asking Allah persistently for worldly things. Don't get tired of asking Allah for knowledge.
The Prophet also told us to seek refuge of knowledge that doesn't benefit. Sometimes the knowledge we learn is void of benefit.
There may be people who ask Allah for beneficial knowledge but rarely do people seek refuge from knowledge that doesn't benefit.
We seek refuge from things which are harmful. How many of us actually feel the dangers of knowledge that doesn't benefit?
The prophet commanded us to seek refuge of the Dajjal, hellfire, the punishment of the graves, etc. It is as if unbeneficial knowledge is of the same degree of danger.
What is علم لا ينفع?
- Knowledge that is void of benefit in itself (e.g. Philosophy, Magic, etc.) But this is not the knowledge we'll focus on.
- Beneficial Knowledge which the person uses against himself. It's good knowledge but it makes him arrogant, conceited, etc. It could make him see himself better than other people. One atom of pride prevents a person from Paradise.
- Or a person could seek worldly things by it.
- It could make a person talk about Allah without knowledge. When they get into discussions and arguments, in order to show the people that they know, they search for evidences everywhere in order to prove that he Is right and other people are wrong. He always wants to be superior. This is all pride and haughtiness.
- These things will destroy and corrupt a person, and the knowledge he seeks becomes unbeneficial.
The heart is the vessel in which we receive knowledge. We need to check our hearts. There could be a barrier between it and the knowledge we learn. This barrier could be the sicknesses of the heart.
Ask Allah, الفتاح, to open your heart to that knowledge.
There are people who have studied Tawheed, but there are only very few who act upon what they learned.
People may go east and west searching for knowledge, and you tell them all the sciences can be found in the Quran, and he says he searched but he didn't find. The problem isn't in the Quran, it is in him. He didn't benefit from what he's reading.
Some may even repeat correct evidences and he doesn't know the meaning.
These are all indications that there is something wrong. People just repeat the words without knowing the meaning
HADITH: اللهم اهدني و سددني
Many of us go through situations and are confused as to what to say and what to do yet she knows this dua and doesn't use it for her situation. She has knowledge but she doesn't know when and how to use it, and this indicates it is unbeneficial knowledge.
If one becomes truthful in seeking knowledge, he will find that everything will benefit him. We have to purify our intentions and ask Allah prior coming to class to open your heart and benefit you.
The truthful person is worried and doesn't take the knowledge for granted. Don't let the knowledge you learn be a plea against you. You may say I know, but then why aren't you acting upon it?
"Whatever Allah opens for you of knowledge then adhere to it and excel in that field without neglecting the other branches of knowledge"
The people attached to this world covet and exert their utmost to gain the Dunya. The student of knowledge is more deserving of having this yearning and longing when it comes to knowledge.
There are students of knowledge whom Allah opened gates of knowledge, and instead of excelling they start looking for differences of opinions amongst scholars. These people will be deprived of knowledge.
Don't let what you learn be a plea against you.
The little you learn and act upon is better for you than having abundant knowledge and not acting at all on what you learn.
اللهم انفعني بما علمتني وعلمني ما ينفعني وارزقني علما تنفعني به
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THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING ALLAH
The most important knowledge is knowledge about Allah, His names and attributes.
1. We are in dire of need of knowing about Allah. Allah is testing our pleasure with Him, accepting his decrees, etc.
There are people whom Allah granted them many blessings but they always look at what is deficient in their lives. Their eyes always wander to what they don't have. They overlook the abundant blessings Allah gave them. This makes them displeased with Allah, and they are constantly complaining. The person who knows Allah will have a good life. But if you remember this world constantly you will have no pleasure and you will never be satisfied.
You find a woman who is depressed even though she has a good husband, house, money, etc. but because she is upset because of this one little insignificant thing missing in life. This is the work of the Shaytan.
The people who aren't pleased don't know how dangerous كفر النعمة is. Allah mentioned a whole Surah (Surah Saba) to teach us that the same thing that happened to the people of Saba will happen to them. Allah will take away the blessings because they didn't thank Allah for it.
They do plastic surgery because they aren't happy with their features, and in the end they look uglier than before they did it.
If these people knew Allah they would be pleased with what Allah had given them.
We are humans and our hearts can turn towards this world, and we fall into forgetfulness, but don't allow these moments to be prolonged. Out of Allah's kindness he won't allow the person to sink into it, He will send a reminder through a person or something to tell you to wake up from your sleep. Allah gives the Dunya to both the Kaafir and the Muslim. Do you want the temporary enjoyment or the eternal life in Paradise?
If Allah wants good for this person he will wake up and adopt the right path. This is out of Allah's kindness.
We need to reflect over the تربية الله in our lives. Allah said:
الحمد لله الرب العالمين
Allah nurtures us. Have eyes which sees Allahs blessings and kindness upon us.
2. Establish Tawheed. Tasting the sweetness of faith will not happen unless we have certainty in our hearts.
3. There is a strong relation between the names and attributes of Allah and our acts of worship. There is also a strong relation between the names and attributes of Allah and His laws.
4. Knowing Allah by His names and attributes helps the heart become sound. (قلب سليم)
Not knowing Allah causes the sicknesses of the hearts. And one of the greatest sicknesses is hypocrisy. Because of their lack of knowledge of Allah's seeing, hearing, awareness, etc. they hide disbelief in their hearts and show belief. If they knew Him, they would be afraid to lie because Allah knows what's in their hearts. They don't give Allah His due estimate and magnification.
They may lie to the people thinking no one knows, forgetting that Allah knows what is in their heart. You can't hide from Allah.
Whoever knows Allah by His names and attributes, knows that everything is in Allah's hand, that there is a wisdom in all His actions, that He disposes the affairs of the people in the best way, He would not find any pride in his heart when Allah gives Him a blessing. He wouldn't attribute the blessing to his effort and knowledge, unlike Qarun and Pharoah. He knows that the dominion belongs to Allah, He gives it to whom He wills and takes it from whoever He wills. He gives the dominion to TEST people. To know if they are grateful or not.
Sulayman knew this about Allah. When the throne of the Queen was presented to Sulayman in a blink of an eye he immediately said: (27:40)
"قال هاذا من فضلي ربي ليبلوني ءاشكر ام اكفر"
Never think you are getting something because you deserve it. We never deserve what Allah is giving us. This should be our attitude for every blessing Allah gives us.
"فمن شكر فانما يشكر لنفسه و من كفر فان ربي غني كريم"
How many blessings that we didn't even think of but Allah gave it to us? Because He is كريم. If we don't thank Allah we are the loser. He is الغني. He doesn't need us.
Your attitude will be different when you know Allah.
Know that if the entire people of earth gathered to harm you with something Allah hasn't written for you, they will never be able to harm you, unless Allah wrote it for you.
Knowledge about Allah will purify your heart from all the sicknesses and give you peace.
The heart has many states. It could go into the state of blindness, hardness, diversion, arrogance, envy, self-conceit, etc.
There are hearts which are قلب منيب. This is one of the descriptions of the people of paradise.
Or قلب مخبت, قلب لين. These are all examples of good hearts.
There are hearts which are filled with sincerity, love of Allah, etc.
If the people with sick hearts don't cure it they could end up dying a bad end.
This is the severity of the sicknesses of the heart.
E.g. وسواس of the Shaytan
The Shaytan will not overpower except the hearts which are sick. He will whisper evil suggestions in their hearts of fear, suspicion, doubts, etc.
If this person knows Allah is خفيط، وكيل, He'll put his trust in Allah.
The person should seek refuge in Allah from the Shaytan. He should practice عبادة المراغمة. Humiliate the Shaytan by doing the opposite of what he wants you to do. Don't listen to him.
How do you know that this وسواس is really from the Shaytan? When the same matter is repeated over and over again.
When Shaytan whispers into some people while they do acts of worship they fear that their acts of worship won't be accepted.
Allah is غفور شكور. Know that Allah forgives our shortcoming and deficiencies in the act of worship and multiplies the reward for us. In (25:29-30):
"ان الذين يتلون كتاب الله و أقاموا الصلاة و أنفقوا مما رزقناهم سرا و علانية يرجون تجارة لن تبور
ليوفيهم اجورهم و يزيدهم من فضله انه غفور شكور"
ليوفيهم اجورهم -> Allah is غفور. He will give them their reward in full, as if they perfected it.
و يزيدهم من فضله -> Allah is شكور. He won't just give their reward in full, but He will multiply their reward and give them far more then they deserve.
This is their state in the Dunya. In this world they are doing the good deeds, and believing that Allah is غفور شكور.
When they enter paradise they will say:
(34)
"الحمد لله الذي اذهب عنا الحزن انا ربنا لغفور شكور"
In this world they were worried that their deeds might not be accepted, etc. Allah accepted their good deeds, multiplied it, and gave them from His فضل which their deeds could never attain. - السعدي
Our acts of worship could never make us deserve paradise. If we enter Paradise it is out of Allah's mercy.
Our deeds are not deserving of Paradise.
Allah accepts the little, deficient, good deed, and will give the reward in more than full.
Only the person who knows this can repel the whispers of the Shaytan.
The more you strive hard against obstacles the more you will receive as reward.
There will always be obstacles which prevent us from performing or perfecting the deed, as a test from Allah.
Whoever finds difficulty in performing a good deed and strives hard against it, His reward will be more with Allah.
The person who does the act of worship easily is not like the person who is constantly struggling against وسواس. As he fights it and doesn't respond to it, as his reward is greater. You shouldn't surrender to it.
This is one of the means of multiplication of reward, according to السعدي.
There are both internal and external obstacles.
There are people who have وسواس regarding their sincerity. You have to fight back. Ask Allah to accept your deed for you, and remind yourself that Allah is غفور شكور.
E.g. Laziness.
It is Duha time. You find difficulty to get up from bed to offer 2 rak'ah. If you got up from your bed and pray this after struggling, you will get more reward than the person who did it easily.
Existence of any obstacles is a means of multiplication of reward. Don't surrender to the whispers of the Shaytan, Allah is testing you with it.
E.g. Fear
There are people don't go to Hajj now out of fear of stampedes, sicknesses, etc. This is a kind of وسواس. If the person fights this back and goes for Hajj and Umrah, then the reward for this person will be more.
E.g. Lack of certainty in the promises of Allah
You find the way to Allah long, boring, lack of people and circumstances to push us and help us in this, etc.
Allah promised us that if we do good deeds we will get such and such reward.
HADITH: Everyday two angels come down and ask Allah to compensate every person who spends. And the other Angel says destroy every miser.
You have to be certain that Allah will compensate you. Some people aren't certain and doubt this and the impact of this can be seen in their behavior. They obsess over their money and the accounts and etc.
Spending charity will NEVER decrease your money.
Fight these obstacles and your reward will be multiplied.
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