In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Is he who payeth adoration in the watches of the night, prostrate and standing, bewaring of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, (to be accounted equal with a disbeliever)? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed.” (39:9)
The Splendor of Knowledge according to the Wise.
By Dr. Hamza Ibn Fayi' Al Fathi.
May Allah preserve him.
The Essence of Beneficial Knowledge.
Imam al-Dhahabi, may Allah the Exalted have mercy upon him, said:
Who passed away in the year 748 AH.
Do you know what beneficial knowledge is?
It is that which the Qur'an was revealed with,
And which the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him and his family, explained,
Through both word and deed,
And regarding which no prohibition was ever issued.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me."
Therefore, my brother, you must contemplate the Book of Allah,
And consistently study the two Sahih collections,
As well as the Sunan of al-Nasa'i,
And the Riyad and Adhkar of al-Nawawi.
By doing so, you will prosper and succeed.
We all seek beneficial knowledge,
But the sciences are vast,
And fields of knowledge are expansive.
Yet the scholars of verification,
May Allah have mercy upon them, have summarized it in the decisive Qur'an,
And the Prophetic legacy,
From the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
As an explanation and clarification,
And as counsel and guidance.
So turn your attention to the Qur'an,
Through recitation and memorization,
Through understanding and contemplation,
And through practice and adherence.
For the two revelations are the true knowledge,
The sought-after benefit,
And the blessed planting,
Which purifies the student,
And benefits both the elite and the common folk.
Among the best Tafsir works of the Qur'an is,
The Tafsir of al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir,
May Allah have mercy upon him.
And there is no doubt that repeating it several times,
Is a source of knowledge,
And of the rulings and their fiqh.
[Likewise] the Tafsir of al-Qurtubi or Ibn al-'Arabi,
And studying them repeatedly and extensively.
Then, consistently study the two Sahih collections,
And understand their meanings,
Paying heed to their chains of narration and their complex issues,
For they are the most authentic books after the Qur'an.
The best of their commentaries are,
Al-Fath and al-Minhaj,
And the annotations of scholars like Ibn al-'Uthaymin,
Al-Khudayr, and their peers.
Do not neglect the Sunan of al-Nasa'i, may Allah have mercy upon him,
For it contains unique gems and discussions on 'ilal (hidden defects in hadith),
Scholarly craftsmanship and delight,
Additional benefits and wisdom.
So peruse it from time to time.
For spiritual purification and behavioral training,
[Turn to] the Riyad and Adhkar of al-Nawawi,
For they are the best works written in this field,
In terms of excellence, zakat, and attainment.
So memorize them and take great care of them,
For they are more refreshing than cold water,
And purer than clear, flowing water.
May Allah have mercy on Imam al-Nawawi,
And reward him on behalf of knowledge and Islam,
With the best of rewards.