اللهم إني أسالك علما نافعا و قلبا خاشعا و عملا متقبلا و رزق واسعا
The Prophet used to ask Allah for beneficial knowledge and a submissive, humble heart. If knowledge is beneficial it would undoubtedly affect the heart. When your heart becomes submissive, it will have an effect on your actions, and they will in turn be accepted by Allah. If Allah accepts your deeds then He will grant you provision and make your life good.
He also used to seek refuge from knowledge void of benefit. In the Qur'an, Allah warned us of being like the Jews, who acquired knowledge but didn't benefit from it.
In (62:5)
"مثل الذين حملوا التوراة ثم لم يحملوها كمثل الحمار يحمل أسفارا بئس مثل القوم الذين كذبوا بئايات الله والله لا يهدي القوم الظالمين"
They were entrusted with laws, obligations, commandments which were beneficial to their lives, but they didn't act upon it. Allah taught them, but they denied it.
There are 3 descriptions in this verse:
1. The person is carrying beneficial knowledge, just as the donkey carries اسفارا.
2. They carry knowledge from place to another. The Jews practiced certain rituals when they carried the Torah from one place to another, they honored knowledge.
3. They have knowledge but they don't know the purpose behind it. They don't know the المقصود and المطلوب; The goal behind it and what is required from them.
E.g. The relationship between the story of the cow in سورة البقرة and the last two verses:
We all know the story of the cow but only few understand the goal behind narrating the story and what Allah wants from them. The story is an example of stubbornness in following the commands of Allah. In the last verses of the Surah Allah says, "و قالوا سمعنا و أطعنا" in reference to the Prophet and the believers.
After understanding this, we have to act upon it. Whenever a command comes from Allah, we shouldn't show stubbornness or reluctance like the Jews, and instead adopt the example of the Prophet and the believers, who responded by hearing and obeying.
The Jews carried knowledge, memorized it, magnified it, but didn't act upon it. Allah warns us against being like this.
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The manners to be followed when studying the Names and Attributes of Allah
1. You have to know that the place you receive knowledge is the heart. If you want to pour water you'll get a vessel or a cup. If you use a dirty cup the water will get contaminated. Similarly knowledge is a provision and its vessel is your heart. We need clean hearts to receive knowledge.
a) Allah looks at our hearts. Don't neglect it. You need to be aware of the turning of your heart, and your faith - how much you have and whether it's increasing or decreasing.
Ask yourself; You used to enjoy your prayer before, why not anymore? Before you used to be energetic and enthusiastic to do good, why aren't you feeling it anymore?
If Allah grants your knowledge and your faith becomes high don't think that your faith will never go down or that you will stay firm for the rest of your life. You need to take care of the means.
b) Allah afflicted us with deficiencies in our characters and hearts. We all have sicknesses such as love of this world, doubts, jealousy, pride, arrogance, self-conceit, selfishness, hypocrisy, showing-off, etc.
Use the knowledge you learn to purify and cure your heart. The more you learn more about Allah, the more you will be able to overcome these sicknesses.
E.g. Greed.
You always covet after this world. You never stop striving for more and more of worldly gain. You're always busy with this world. You know this fact about yourself.
You also know Allah is الرزاق. He provides for whomever He wills, and He provides the exact amount which you need and benefits you. He will give it to you at the right time, the right amount, because He is also الحكيم. You know that if you ask Allah, He hears, sees, and responds to you. You also know Allah is المؤمن, that He promises and keeps His promises.
One of His promises is that if you believe and do righteous good deeds He will give you Paradise, and you will have whatever you wish, and more than that.
After knowing all this about Allah, whenever your self covets over something, you will remind yourself of all this information. If Allah doesn't give you in this world, He will compensate you in the next. The delight of this world is temporary, whereas the next is eternal. You won't give the world more value than it's worth.
Knowledge of Allah is like a medicine which cures the sicknesses of your heart.
c) Know that hearts turn. You have to repeat the meanings and impacts of the names of Allah repeatedly to yourself until the knowledge settles in your heart and you reach يقين.
How?
- You have to know the meaning of the name
- You have to study the evidences from the Qur'an and Sunnah in which Allah mentioned this name.
E.g. الحي الْقَيُّوم - Allah mentioned this name in سورة البقرة، آلِ امران، طه. You have to study the context it came in. Reflect upon it.
- Use it as remedy.
E.g. You have the sickness of showing off. You do good deeds waiting for people to praise you. Allah will make someone come and dispraise you while you expected praise. You need to check yourself:- Why did this happen? Allah is nurturing you.
NOTHING happens in this life without a wisdom or purpose. There is no such thing as coincidence.
If you know Allah is السميع، الخبير، البصير، الرقيب، الشهيد it'll cure this disease of your heart. Allah is الحسيب, He will take us to account on the Day of Judgement. Everyone else is poor and in need of Allah, just like you.
Once Ibn Baz was once asked why the other Shaykh had more students than him. He immediately said, "ذلك فضل الله يؤتي من يشاء"
He didn't reach that state without knowledge about Allah.
The problem is that we don't know our sicknesses. We think we are good and blame other people. We never accuse ourselves because we never see ourselves as defective. This is why Allah repeats the same situation again and again. It means you still didn't learn your lesson.
Ask Allah الهادي to guide you, enlighten you.
But don't despair, because change is something that happens gradually, not overnight. However, it requires effort and exertion.
The scholars said you have to seek knowledge for at least 10 years. We study for a few years and think we are scholars. Even after then and we might not even be considered students of knowledge. The scholars studied since youth until old age, and only then were they considered scholars.
Repeat the knowledge to yourself, with the evidences from the Qur'an and Sunnah, until you reach certainty.
2. RULES:
A) HADITH: Allah has 99 names, whoever أحصاها will enter Paradise.
The source of knowledge of the names of Allah are the Qur'an and the Sunnah.
E.g. If someone comes and tells you that one of the names of Allah is واجد، ماجد, صبور, then you need to refer back to the Qur'an and Sunnah. None of these names are mentioned, so you cant take them as names.
B) Every name of Allah has an attribute, and every one of His attributes have an impact in our lives. We need to worship Allah according to that.
Name -> Attribute -> Impact -> How I can worship Allah according to this knowledge?
E.g. Allah's names الرحمن الرحيم.
They imply the attribute of رحمة.
The general impact of Allah's mercy is shown in his creation. He created everything around us as a mercy for us. He subjected the sun, the moon, and everything to benefit us. The impact of His mercy can be seen in His legislations. When you ponder over the details of the laws you will find that He didn't enjoin the woman to cover herself except as a mercy for her. He didn't enjoin the cutting the hand of the thief except as a mercy for the community. Sending Messengers with books is also an impact of the mercy of Allah.
The mercy of Allah can also be seen through His decrees. You may dislike the situation you are in, but Allah, الرحمن, decreed it for you. This means that there is a mercy in it for you. E.g. Allah decreed sickness for you. Although you dislike it, you know that Allah purifies your sins by it, elevates you in ranks.
You will know all this through the Qur'an and Sunnah. You can compile the impacts of Allah's mercy by going through the whole Qur'an and noting down verses which have the words رحمة، يرحم، and its derivations, and studying them one by one.
The effect of this knowledge on you: How can you worship Allah with this knowledge? This is the most important part.
The knowledge of Allah's رحمة should make you love Allah. Whenever you go through distress you will remind yourself that Allah is الرحمن الرحيم, He doesn't want to destroy you, He wants good for you. When your children are sick, you will remind them it is a mercy from Allah, etc.
E.g2. Allah's name العزيز
The attribute that it implies is عزة.
The impact of Allah's might: Go to every verse that talks about عزيز، عزة، يعز, and it's derivations and study them.
One of the impacts of His might is that by it He rescues and supports the believers, and destroys the believers. He honours whomever He wills and humiliates whomever He wills.
How do I worship Allah by this name? If you seek honour, then seek the means of honour with Allah, العزيز, etc.
E.g3. Allah's name الرزاق
The attribute that it implies is رزق
The impact of this: Go to every verse that talks about الرزاق، يرزق، رزق، and its derivations and study them thoroughly.
You then worship Allah according to the impacts you find.
E.g4. Allah's name العلى
The attribute that it implies is علو
There are three impacts of Allah's highness:
- Allah is above His creation, there is nothing higher than Allah
- He is high in His attributes
- He is the most high in His power, in subduing everything.
How do I worship Allah according to this? Allah will be the قبله of your heart. Your heart will be directed to Him. Whenever you go through any situation you will flee and seek shelter with Him and no one else.
When you are afraid, sad, confused, you don't have except Allah, the Most High to return to. Don't think of anyone except Allah.
If you really worship Allah by this name you will never be afraid of anything or anyone else in your life.
Think of the most fearful thing to you. The most fearful thing to the believers is being made confused and distracted by the Shaytan at the time of death. If the person lived throughout His life resorting to Allah, then do you think that Allah will forsake or leave him at the time when he is in the greatest distress?
If you do this with every name of Allah, how do you expect your life to be? You will have a good heart and good life. And your final eternal abode will be Paradise.
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