Question & Answer about the Seeker of Knowledge, by Dr. Shaykh Salih bin Fawzan bin Abdullah al Fawzan.

Question:

What does your eminence recommend for the student of knowledge from the direction of obtaining and seeking the legislated knowledge? What is the solution for them in learning the legislated knowledge? May you be rewarded.

Answer:

In the name of Allah the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All the praise is for Allah the Lord of all the worlds, and the peace and blessings of Allah be upon our prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his companions.

Concerning to what follows after:

Indeed seeking (Islamic) knowledge is from the greatest Ibadaat (all forms of worship that Islam prescribe), because it is imperative that Ibadaat is built upon (Islamic) knowledge. This is the proof that appears in the Book of Allah, and sunnah of His Messenger.

Al – Ibadaat it has conditions, and it has rulings, and it has obligations (wajibaat 3), and it has sunnah ( mandob see footnotes 4), that it is imperative that the people are learning these principles. Upon the ability that he is able to establish his Deen (way of life Islam) from the five pillars of Islam. It is known what is establish with this knowledge is his Deen, and this is Fard Ayn (1) upon all Muslims. Not in addition to that from the legal status of Amalaaat (all types of actions in Islam), and the rulings of Wasiyaa (wills) and Inheritances, and etc. This is from the Frood al Kifayaat (2), and if he establish it (learning these principles) he will suffice (save from) falling into sins (from what is Fard Ayn & Kifaya see footnotes), regarding the remaining subjects that remain behind (to learn that which falls into Fard Kifayaat like following the Janazah funeral prayer). What came from the bounties of seeking knowledge that the prophet said: “the Ulimaa (scholars of Islam) are the inheritors of the prophets”, and like this it was known (hadeeth) ” That the angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge, and all things (from the creation) seeks forgiveness for the seeker of knowledge, even the whales in the ocean”.

So that is the bounty of seeking knowledge, but knowledge is taken from authentic scholars in their aqeedah (affairs of learning correct Islamic creed) and their knowledge (all affairs related to Islam) it has been this way generation after generation ( pass down from the Messenger of Allah sallahu wa alayhi wa salam, to his Sahabah to tabeen and the past scholars who passed it down to another scholar until the day of Judgement).

Because acquired knowledge is not from reading, and reading a lot of books, for this is not learning. Rather this is the possible cause of many people being misled. Indeed knowledge is acquired from the authentic original true scholar it has been this way generation after generation.

Indeed the (Islamic) knowledge is a mighty knowledge, which is taken from its people (scholars), and it is not taken from the al-Mutalimeen (people who pretend to be scholars, falsely educated, who take from books only or memorize the text only without learning it from the scholars). It is not taken from books (knowledge), it is imperative that knowledge is taken from the scholars who are Rabaniyoon ( rooted, grounded, and sound in knowledge), it has been this way generation after generation (until the day of Judgement).

Translated by Abul Baraa Muhammad Amreeki

Terms & Footnotes

فرض جمع فَروض

Fard and its plural Farood:

That which is obligatory. A term used for those rules and ordinance of religion which have been established and enjoin by Allah the Most High Himself. Fard that which is proved beyond all doubts to have been enjoined either in the Quran or in the tradition of undoubted authority and the denial or disobedience of which is positive infidelity ( fall outside the folds of Islam).

فرض عين

(1) Fard Ayn: individual duty. An injunction or ordinance, the obligation of which extend to every Muslim, as the Salah (the five written prayers a day, the fasting of Ramadan {Siyaam}, etc…)

فرض كِفايَة

(2) Fard Kifayah: collective duty. A command which is imperative (fard) upon all Muslims, but if some persons perform it, it is sufficient (kifayah), or equivalent to all having performed it (like the one who follows the Jinazah Funeral).

Some of the Legal Status of the Shariah (Islamic) law ( Fiqh {Jurisprudence})

وَاجِب

(3) Wajib: that which is obligatory. What is reward by doing it, and a punishment if abandon it (leaving it off).

مَندُوب

(4) Mandub: is also know as-Sunnah سنة and Mustahab مستحب. Meaning recommended, advisable. What is reward upon doing it, and no punishment for leaving it.

مباح

Mubah: permitted, allowed, lawful, permissible, and action which a person may do or let alone, being attended with, neither praised nor blamed.

There is no reward for doing it, and no punishment for leaving it.

مَحظُور

Mahdhur: prohibited, forbidden. What is rewarded by leaving it, and a punishment for doing it.

مَكرُور

Makror: not approved of undesirable from the point of view of religion, although not punishable.

What is reward upon leaving it, and no punishment for leaving it off.

صَحِيح

Saheeh: authentic, valid, sound, perfect, right, correct.

What is related to authorizing, deem to be authentic without any doubt.

باطِل

Batil: that which is a falsehood.

What is not authorize, and is deem to be false without any doubt.

طالب العلم

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السؤال:

بماذا توصون طالب العلم، من جهة تحصيل وطلب العلم الشرعي وما التوجيه لهم في ذلك مأجورين؟

الجواب: بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمد لله رب العالمين وصلى الله وسلم على نبينا محمد وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين   أما بعد.

فإن طلب العلم، من أعظم العبادات لأن العبادات لا بد أن تبنى على العلم وهذا الدليل، الوارد في كتاب الله وسنة رسوله، العبادات لهُا شروط ولها أحكام ولها واجبات ولها سنن ولا بد أن يتعلم الإنسان من ذلك على قدر ما يستقيم به دينه من أركان الإسلام الخمسة يعرف ما يستقيم به دينه هذا فرض عين، على كل مسلم وما زاد عن ذلك من أحكام المعاملات وأحكام الوصايا والمواريث إلى آخره وهذا من فروض الكفايات، إذا قام بهِ من يكفي سقط الإثم عن الباقيين وجاء في فضل من طلب العلم، إن النبي صلى الله وسلم قال :ـ( العلماء ورثة الأنبياء) وكذلك ورد:ـ (أن الملائكة تضع أجنحتها لطالب العلم وأن كل شي يستغفر لطالب العلم حتى الحيتان في البحر)، لفضل طلب العلم ولكن العلم يؤخذ عن العلماء الموثقين، في عقيدتهم و في علمهم، جيلاً بعد جيل، لأن العلم بالتلقي ليس العلم بالقراءة، كثرة القراءة الكتب هذا ليس هو التعلم، بل هذا ربما يضل الإنسان أكثر، إنما العلم بالتلقي عن العلماء الأصليين الموثقين جيلاً بعد جيل، العلم إنما هو علم عظيم يؤخذ عن أهله، لا يؤخذ عن المتعالمين ولا يؤخذ عن الكتب، لا بد أن يؤخذ عن العلماء الربانيين جيلاً بعد جيل.