1
00:00:00,820 --> 00:00:04,120
In the name of Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful.

2
00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:09,560
The life of the salaf: between word and deed.

3
00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:17,280
Advice and guidance for the scholar and the student of knowledge.

4
00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:22,079
It is narrated that ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

5
00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:26,149
"Acquire knowledge and teach it to the people."

6
00:00:26,149 --> 00:00:29,149
"Learn dignity and tranquility."

7
00:00:29,149 --> 00:00:33,149
"Be humble toward those from whom you learn."

8
00:00:33,450 --> 00:00:38,250
"And do not be arrogant scholars."

9
00:00:38,250 --> 00:00:42,250
It is narrated that Ibn ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with them both, said:

10
00:00:42,250 --> 00:00:45,250
"A man will not attain a high station in knowledge,"

11
00:00:45,250 --> 00:00:48,250
"Until he ceases to envy those above him,"

12
00:00:48,250 --> 00:00:51,250
"Ceases to belittle those below him,"

13
00:00:51,250 --> 00:00:54,250
"And ceases to seek a price for his knowledge."

14
00:00:54,250 --> 00:01:00,020
It is narrated that ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said:

15
00:01:00,020 --> 00:01:06,019
"You do not relate a hadith to a people that their minds cannot grasp,"

16
00:01:06,019 --> 00:01:10,659
"But it becomes a source of discord for some of them."

17
00:01:10,659 --> 00:01:15,659
A man from the tribe of ‘Abs accompanied Salman, may Allah be pleased with him,

18
00:01:15,659 --> 00:01:18,689
and he drank a draught from the Tigris.

19
00:01:18,689 --> 00:01:22,689
Salman said to him, "Go back and drink."

20
00:01:22,689 --> 00:01:25,689
He replied, "I have had my fill."

21
00:01:25,689 --> 00:01:32,879
Salman said, "Do you think this draught you drank diminished the Tigris at all?"

22
00:01:32,879 --> 00:01:38,069
He said, "What could a single draught I drank possibly diminish?"

23
00:01:38,069 --> 00:01:43,099
Salman said, "Likewise, knowledge does not run dry."

24
00:01:43,099 --> 00:01:46,099
"So seek from knowledge that which benefits you."

25
00:01:46,099 --> 00:01:50,099
Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

26
00:01:50,099 --> 00:01:54,099
Ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them both, said:

27
00:01:54,099 --> 00:02:00,260
"Be Rabbaniyyin," meaning: wise, learned scholars.

28
00:02:00,260 --> 00:02:08,900
It is also said that the Rabbani is one who nurtures people with the basics of knowledge before its advanced levels.

29
00:02:08,900 --> 00:02:11,900
Al-Zuhri, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

30
00:02:11,900 --> 00:02:18,900
"If you take this knowledge by trying to consume it all at once, it will overwhelm you and you will gain nothing from it."

31
00:02:18,900 --> 00:02:26,729
"Rather, take it gently over the days and nights, and you will attain it."

32
00:02:26,729 --> 00:02:28,729
Rabi‘ah said:

33
00:02:28,729 --> 00:02:32,729
He said to Ibn Khaldah al-Zuraqi, may Allah have mercy on him:

34
00:02:32,729 --> 00:02:37,949
"I see that the people have entrusted you with their own affairs."

35
00:02:37,949 --> 00:02:43,949
"So when you are asked a question, seek a way out for yourself first,"

36
00:02:43,949 --> 00:02:45,949
"And then for the one who asked you."

37
00:02:45,949 --> 00:02:50,849
Abu ‘Asim al-Dahhak, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

38
00:02:50,849 --> 00:02:55,849
"Whoever seeks a hadith has sought the highest of matters."

39
00:02:55,849 --> 00:02:58,849
"Therefore, he must be the best of people."

40
00:02:58,849 --> 00:03:06,389
‘Ata’ ibn Yasar and Sulayman ibn Musa, may Allah have mercy on them, said:

41
00:03:06,389 --> 00:03:13,060
"Nothing is combined with anything more beautiful than knowledge combined with forbearance."

42
00:03:13,060 --> 00:03:15,060
Some of the salaf said:

43
00:03:15,060 --> 00:03:20,099
"Whoever sets out to seek knowledge for the sake of knowledge, the knowledge will not benefit him."

44
00:03:20,099 --> 00:03:27,129
"But whoever sets out to seek knowledge to act upon it, a little knowledge will benefit him."

45
00:03:27,129 --> 00:03:30,379
Knowledge is dependent upon acting upon it.

46
00:03:30,379 --> 00:03:34,379
And action is dependent upon sincerity.

47
00:03:34,379 --> 00:03:40,379
Sincerity to Allah grants one understanding from Allah, the Almighty and Majestic.

48
00:03:40,379 --> 00:03:46,120
Sufyan ibn ‘Uyaynah, may Allah have mercy on him, would often say:

49
00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:51,120
"A little divine guidance is better than a great deal of knowledge."

50
00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:57,659
They mentioned the scholars and the sharpness of their minds in the presence of Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him.

51
00:03:57,659 --> 00:04:01,659
He said, "It is only divine guidance."

52
00:04:01,659 --> 00:04:06,240
Abu Bakr ibn ‘Ayyash, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

53
00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:10,240
to al-Hasan ibn al-Hasan, may Allah have mercy on him, in Medina:

54
00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,240
"What has the trial left of you?"

55
00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:18,370
He replied, "And what trial have you seen me in?"

56
00:04:18,370 --> 00:04:23,370
He said, "I saw them kissing your hand and you did not stop them."

57
00:04:23,370 --> 00:04:27,720
Al-Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

58
00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:32,750
"The worst of Allah’s servants are those who seek out the worst of issues,"

59
00:04:32,750 --> 00:04:35,750
"To confuse the servants of Allah with them."

60
00:04:35,750 --> 00:04:40,069
He, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked, "What is the punishment of a scholar?"

61
00:04:40,069 --> 00:04:43,069
He said, "The death of the heart."

62
00:04:43,069 --> 00:04:46,139
It was asked, "And what is the death of the heart?"

63
00:04:46,139 --> 00:04:51,139
He said, "Seeking the world through the deeds of the Hereafter."

64
00:04:51,139 --> 00:04:54,649
Ibn al-Muqaffa‘, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

65
00:04:54,649 --> 00:04:59,740
"Make knowledge beloved to your soul until you adhere to it and become accustomed to it."

66
00:04:59,740 --> 00:05:05,740
"Let it be your passion, your pleasure, your comfort, and your sustenance."

67
00:05:05,740 --> 00:05:07,970
He, may Allah have mercy on him, also said:

68
00:05:08,970 --> 00:05:12,970
"Know the foundations, then seek the branches."

69
00:05:12,970 --> 00:05:18,970
"For many people seek the branches while neglecting the foundations."

70
00:05:18,970 --> 00:05:22,970
Thus, their attainment is no attainment at all.

71
00:05:22,970 --> 00:05:27,100
Whoever secures the foundations is satisfied with them, dispensing with the branches.

72
00:05:27,100 --> 00:05:33,100
And if one attains the branch after securing the foundation, that is better.

73
00:05:33,100 --> 00:05:37,769
It was said to Malik ibn Anas, may Allah have mercy on him:

74
00:05:37,769 --> 00:05:41,769
"So-and-so narrates strange things to us."

75
00:05:41,769 --> 00:05:45,899
He said, "Beware of the strange."

76
00:05:45,899 --> 00:05:48,899
"The worst of knowledge is the strange,"

77
00:05:48,899 --> 00:05:55,019
"And the best of knowledge is the manifest, which the people have narrated."

78
00:05:55,019 --> 00:05:57,019
He, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

79
00:05:57,019 --> 00:06:03,019
"If a man is asked a question and does not answer, and the matter passes him by,"

80
00:06:03,019 --> 00:06:07,019
"Then it is a calamity that Allah has averted from him."

81
00:06:07,019 --> 00:06:11,310
It was said to him, "A scholar makes mistakes."

82
00:06:11,310 --> 00:06:16,470
He replied, "The good he points to is greater."

83
00:06:16,470 --> 00:06:19,470
"And who is there who is free of faults?"

84
00:06:19,470 --> 00:06:24,470
"If only those who were free of faults were to enjoin good,"

85
00:06:24,470 --> 00:06:27,470
"No one would ever enjoin good."

86
00:06:27,470 --> 00:06:31,790
He, may Allah have mercy on him, said to his brother’s sons:

87
00:06:31,790 --> 00:06:35,790
"If you wish for Allah to benefit you with this matter,"

88
00:06:35,790 --> 00:06:39,790
"Then take little of it and reflect deeply upon it."

89
00:06:39,790 --> 00:06:44,949
He said, "No one ever took too much of it and succeeded."

90
00:06:44,949 --> 00:06:48,500
Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

91
00:06:48,500 --> 00:06:53,500
"It is not appropriate for a man to set himself up for issuing fatwas,"

92
00:06:53,500 --> 00:06:56,500
"Until he possesses five qualities."

93
00:06:56,500 --> 00:07:01,620
"As for the first, he must have a sincere intention."

94
00:07:01,620 --> 00:07:04,620
"For if he has no intention,"

95
00:07:04,620 --> 00:07:09,620
"There will be no light upon him, nor upon his speech."

96
00:07:09,620 --> 00:07:11,910
"As for the second,"

97
00:07:11,910 --> 00:07:15,910
"He must possess forbearance, dignity, and tranquility."

98
00:07:15,910 --> 00:07:18,139
"As for the third,"

99
00:07:18,139 --> 00:07:23,139
"He must be strong in what he is doing and in his knowledge of it."

100
00:07:23,139 --> 00:07:25,360
"As for the fourth,"

101
00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:27,360
"It is self-sufficiency."

102
00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:29,360
"Otherwise, the people will chew him up."

103
00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:33,360
"And the fifth is knowledge of the people."

104
00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:38,060
Ahmad ibn Abi Sulayman, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

105
00:07:38,060 --> 00:07:40,060
"O student of knowledge,"

106
00:07:40,060 --> 00:07:42,060
"When you seek knowledge,"

107
00:07:42,060 --> 00:07:48,060
"Adopt, before seeking it, an etiquette that will help you carry it."

108
00:07:48,060 --> 00:07:51,639
Yahya ibn Yahya, may Allah have mercy on him, said:

109
00:07:51,639 --> 00:07:55,639
"Maintain a sense of reserve between yourself and the people,"

110
00:07:55,639 --> 00:07:58,639
"For it is more dignified for your honor."

111
00:07:58,639 --> 00:08:01,889
The life of the salaf:

112
00:08:01,889 --> 00:08:05,370
between word and deed.