WEBVTT 00:00:00.820 --> 00:00:04.019 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 00:00:04.019 --> 00:00:09.560 The life of the salaf between speech and action. 00:00:09.560 --> 00:00:15.189 Condemning ignorance. 00:00:15.189 --> 00:00:18.890 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said: 00:00:18.890 --> 00:00:22.190 "How will you be when a trial envelops you, 00:00:22.190 --> 00:00:24.489 In which the elderly grow decrepit, 00:00:24.489 --> 00:00:26.890 The young grow up, 00:00:26.890 --> 00:00:29.690 And people adopt it as a Sunnah? 00:00:29.690 --> 00:00:32.289 If it is ever changed, they will say, 00:00:32.289 --> 00:00:34.390 'The Sunnah has been changed!'" 00:00:34.950 --> 00:00:36.149 They asked, 00:00:36.149 --> 00:00:39.850 "When will that be, O Abu 'Abd al-Rahman?" 00:00:39.850 --> 00:00:41.149 He replied, 00:00:41.149 --> 00:00:43.750 "When your reciters become many, 00:00:43.750 --> 00:00:46.049 Your scholars of fiqh become few, 00:00:46.049 --> 00:00:48.450 Your leaders become many, 00:00:48.450 --> 00:00:50.850 Your trustworthy ones become few, 00:00:50.850 --> 00:00:55.420 And the world is sought through the deeds of the Hereafter." 00:00:55.420 --> 00:00:58.719 'Urwah Ibn al-Zubayr, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 00:00:58.719 --> 00:01:01.219 "O my sons, seek knowledge, 00:01:01.219 --> 00:01:04.819 For if you are the juniors of a people today, 00:01:04.819 --> 00:01:08.349 You may become their seniors tomorrow." 00:01:08.349 --> 00:01:10.450 How wretched, 00:01:10.450 --> 00:01:14.760 What is more unsightly than an ignorant old man? 00:01:14.760 --> 00:01:16.920 The poet spoke the truth: 00:01:16.920 --> 00:01:20.819 "What use are the days when you count them, 00:01:20.819 --> 00:01:26.030 If you have gained neither knowledge nor virtue in them?" 00:01:26.030 --> 00:01:29.230 It was said to Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, 00:01:29.230 --> 00:01:32.430 "A man has 500 dirhams; 00:01:32.430 --> 00:01:35.829 Do you think he should spend it on military expeditions and jihad, 00:01:35.829 --> 00:01:37.930 Or on seeking knowledge?" 00:01:37.930 --> 00:01:39.230 He replied, 00:01:39.230 --> 00:01:44.420 "If he is ignorant, seeking knowledge is more beloved to me." 00:01:44.420 --> 00:01:46.620 He also said, may Allah have mercy on him, 00:01:46.620 --> 00:01:50.219 "I am amazed at those who hold back from seeking knowledge, 00:01:50.219 --> 00:01:53.719 And they use al-Fudayl, may Allah have mercy on him, as an excuse, 00:01:53.719 --> 00:01:56.819 Yet perhaps al-Fudayl had already attained sufficiency. 00:01:56.819 --> 00:02:02.159 No one holds back from seeking knowledge except an ignorant person." 00:02:02.159 --> 00:02:04.379 Some have said: 00:02:04.379 --> 00:02:08.580 "In ignorance, before death, there is death for its people, 00:02:08.580 --> 00:02:13.080 And their bodies are graves before they reach the grave. 00:02:13.080 --> 00:02:17.280 Their souls are in desolation within their bodies, 00:02:17.280 --> 00:02:24.460 And they shall have no resurrection even after the Resurrection." 00:02:24.460 --> 00:02:27.159 Condemning blind imitation and forbidding it. 00:02:27.159 --> 00:02:31.240 And what has been said regarding partisanship. 00:02:31.240 --> 00:02:35.780 On the authority of 'Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, who said: 00:02:35.879 --> 00:02:40.379 "Let no one among you blindly follow a man in his religion; 00:02:40.379 --> 00:02:42.379 For if he believes, he believes, 00:02:42.379 --> 00:02:44.740 And if he disbelieves, he disbelieves. 00:02:44.740 --> 00:02:47.439 But if you must follow someone, 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:50.039 Then follow one who has already passed away, 00:02:50.039 --> 00:02:54.639 For the living are not safe from trial." 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:58.039 Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 00:02:58.039 --> 00:03:01.840 "I am but a human; I err and I am correct. 00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:04.139 So examine my opinions; 00:03:04.139 --> 00:03:08.639 Whatever agrees with the Book and the Sunnah, take it, 00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:13.629 And whatever does not agree with the Book and the Sunnah, leave it." 00:03:13.629 --> 00:03:17.129 It was said to Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, 00:03:17.129 --> 00:03:23.430 "There is a man in Tarsus who has heard the opinion of 'Abdullah Ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, 00:03:23.430 --> 00:03:25.360 And he issues fatwas based on it." 00:03:25.360 --> 00:03:26.659 He said, 00:03:26.659 --> 00:03:29.759 "This is due to the man's limited knowledge; 00:03:29.759 --> 00:03:37.210 He blindly follows in his religion a man who is not broad in knowledge." 00:03:37.210 --> 00:03:41.479 Condemning boasting about lineage. 00:03:41.479 --> 00:03:45.280 A man said to Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, 00:03:45.280 --> 00:03:47.379 "O Abu 'Abd Allah, 00:03:47.379 --> 00:03:50.580 It has reached me that you are a man from the Arabs, 00:03:50.580 --> 00:03:53.379 So from which of the Arabs are you?" 00:03:53.379 --> 00:03:54.780 He replied, 00:03:54.780 --> 00:03:57.580 "We are a humble people, 00:03:57.580 --> 00:04:00.629 And what benefit is there in this?" 00:04:00.629 --> 00:04:05.319 Ibn al-Rumi, may Allah have mercy on him, spoke well when he said: 00:04:05.319 --> 00:04:09.419 "Do not boast except of what you yourself have done, 00:04:09.419 --> 00:04:13.819 And do not think that glory is inherited through lineage. 00:04:13.819 --> 00:04:17.620 A man does not attain nobility except through his own actions, 00:04:17.620 --> 00:04:22.459 Even if he counts noble ancestors of high status. 00:04:22.459 --> 00:04:26.459 If a branch does not bear fruit, even if it is a shoot 00:04:26.459 --> 00:04:31.410 From a fruit-bearing tree, people count it as firewood." 00:04:31.410 --> 00:04:36.069 Among what is considered excellent in this regard is the saying of the poet: 00:04:36.069 --> 00:04:39.970 "The true youth is he who says, 'Here I am,' 00:04:39.970 --> 00:04:45.470 Not the youth who says, 'My father was.'"