1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,520 In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:10,740 “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) 3 00:00:10,740 --> 00:00:16,980 The Splendor of Knowledge according to the Sages. 4 00:00:16,980 --> 00:00:21,780 By Dr. Hamzah Ibn Fayi' Al Fathi. 5 00:00:21,780 --> 00:00:23,539 May Allah preserve him. 6 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:32,219 The Qualities of the Chosen Teacher. 7 00:00:32,219 --> 00:00:35,100 Ibn Jama'ah, may Allah have mercy on him, said: 8 00:00:35,259 --> 00:00:40,369 Who passed away in the year 733 AH. 9 00:00:40,369 --> 00:00:44,850 One should choose the most knowledgeable, the most pious, and the most senior. 10 00:00:44,850 --> 00:00:47,890 Just as Abu Hanifah, may Allah have mercy on him, chose: 11 00:00:47,890 --> 00:00:50,850 Hammad Ibn Sulayman, may Allah have mercy on him. 12 00:00:50,850 --> 00:00:53,329 After contemplation and reflection. 13 00:00:53,329 --> 00:00:54,689 He said: 14 00:00:54,689 --> 00:00:57,409 I found him to be a dignified teacher, 15 00:00:57,409 --> 00:00:59,409 forbearing and patient. 16 00:00:59,409 --> 00:01:00,770 He said: 17 00:01:00,770 --> 00:01:05,980 I remained steadfast with Hammad Ibn Sulayman, and thus I flourished. 18 00:01:06,140 --> 00:01:11,019 Not everyone who has studied or assumed the role of a teacher is fit to be taken from as a source of knowledge. 19 00:01:11,019 --> 00:01:15,260 Rather, one must observe the necessary scholarly qualifications, 20 00:01:15,260 --> 00:01:18,060 and his true standing. 21 00:01:18,060 --> 00:01:21,260 Among these is his mastery of his specialization, 22 00:01:21,260 --> 00:01:25,260 and that he be the most knowledgeable of the people of his time in that discipline, 23 00:01:25,260 --> 00:01:28,219 so that when you sit with him, you benefit from him, 24 00:01:28,219 --> 00:01:30,780 and acquire a refined body of knowledge, 25 00:01:30,780 --> 00:01:33,549 the likes of which one would travel to attain. 26 00:01:33,549 --> 00:01:35,390 Among the qualities of the teacher: 27 00:01:35,469 --> 00:01:37,870 The maturity of his age in the pursuit of knowledge, 28 00:01:37,870 --> 00:01:43,069 such that he is seasoned, having grown grey in the process of acquiring and compiling it. 29 00:01:43,069 --> 00:01:46,510 Knowledge should not be taken from the young and inexperienced, 30 00:01:46,510 --> 00:01:50,909 due to their lack of expertise and limited experience in scholarly instruction. 31 00:01:50,909 --> 00:01:56,430 Likewise, he should be the most pious in religion, God-fearing, and observant of sacred boundaries, 32 00:01:56,430 --> 00:01:58,510 holding the Sharia in high esteem, 33 00:01:58,510 --> 00:02:01,790 and distancing himself from base character traits. 34 00:02:01,790 --> 00:02:03,549 He knows the value of knowledge, 35 00:02:03,549 --> 00:02:06,659 and upholds its conditions and etiquette. 36 00:02:06,659 --> 00:02:08,819 In the authentic hadith: 37 00:02:08,819 --> 00:02:12,819 "The excellence of knowledge is dearer to me than the excellence of worship." 38 00:02:12,819 --> 00:02:15,550 "And the best of your religion is piety." 39 00:02:15,550 --> 00:02:20,669 Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy on him, said in Majmu' al-Fatawa: 40 00:02:20,669 --> 00:02:25,150 "As for piety, it is refraining from that which may cause harm." 41 00:02:25,150 --> 00:02:28,189 This includes both prohibited matters and doubtful ones, 42 00:02:28,189 --> 00:02:30,270 because they may cause harm. 43 00:02:30,270 --> 00:02:32,430 For whoever avoids doubtful matters, 44 00:02:32,509 --> 00:02:35,150 protects his religion and his honor. 45 00:02:35,150 --> 00:02:37,229 And whoever falls into doubtful matters, 46 00:02:37,229 --> 00:02:39,069 falls into the prohibited, 47 00:02:39,069 --> 00:02:43,300 like a shepherd grazing around a sanctuary, who is soon to fall into it. 48 00:02:43,300 --> 00:02:46,659 Whoever remains steadfast with a dignified, knowledgeable teacher, 49 00:02:46,659 --> 00:02:49,060 and adheres to his methodology and lessons, 50 00:02:49,060 --> 00:02:51,620 will flourish with a beautiful growth, 51 00:02:51,620 --> 00:02:57,539 just as it happened for Abu Hanifah, may Allah have mercy on him, with his teacher Hammad Ibn Sulayman. 52 00:02:57,539 --> 00:03:00,740 He was sincere with him, so Allah opened the way for him. 53 00:03:00,740 --> 00:03:02,340 And Allah is the Grantor of success.