In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Within the embrace of Allah, happiness pours into the hearts.
Seek to increase your closeness to the Most Merciful.
The Muhammad Ibn Abd al-Aziz al-Musa Mosque.
In Al-Badi', presents:
The Musk of Discourse.
By Sheikh Usama Bahr, may Allah preserve him.
Everyone who obeys the Lord dissolves into the sweetest feeling.
Adab (proper conduct) comes before seeking knowledge.
An hour in which a person is alone to seek knowledge
Is better than an hour in which one is distracted.
The scholars used to race toward seeking knowledge,
And the teacher held a position of status and reverence.
The luminous examples that illustrate the high status of teachers
And the loftiness of the students' conduct are numerous.
For instance, the student of knowledge, Imam al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him,
Tells of his situation with his teacher, Imam Malik, may Allah have mercy on him,
When he would read the text to him, saying:
"I would turn the pages—meaning I would flip the paper in front of Malik, may Allah have mercy on him—"
"With great care,"
"Out of reverence for him, so that he would not hear the sound of the pages turning."
And this is Al-Rabi' Ibn Sulayman, may Allah have mercy on him,
A student of Imam al-Shafi'i and one of the narrators of his school of thought,
Who says: "By Allah, I never dared to drink water"
"While Al-Shafi'i was looking at me, out of reverence for him."
And this is the Imam and Hafiz, Shu'bah Ibn al-Hajjaj, may Allah have mercy on him, who says:
"Whenever I heard a hadith from a man,"
"I would be a servant to him as long as he lived."
And this is Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him,
Saying to the son of Imam al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him:
"Your father is one of the five people I pray for at every dawn."
He asked, "Why is that?"
Ahmad replied, "Al-Shafi'i was like the sun to the world,"
"And like health to the body."
"Consider, then, if there are any successors to these two."
Some of the salaf, may Allah have mercy on them,
When going to their teacher, would give charity,
Then say, "O Allah, conceal the faults of my teacher from me,"
"And do not let the blessing of his knowledge depart from me."
This adab, before seeking knowledge,
Is the path to success and the path to achievement
For anyone who desires knowledge and strives for it.
They have drawn near so that joy may embrace you.
Attach your soul to your Lord and fill the surroundings with light.
Everyone who obeys the Lord dissolves into the sweetest feeling.
It is darkness, then light, and revelation thereafter.
If Allah wills a thing, He says to it "Be," and it is.