Summary of Sunni concepts | 33- Concepts about caveats in seeking knowledge

0:01 A summary of the concepts held by the Ahl al-Sunnah.

0:09 Harmful knowledge.

0:12 Some knowledge is harmful to people.

0:15 Indeed, it is even harmful to the learner himself.

0:18 It may even constitute disbelief, as Allah the Almighty said:

0:22 "But the devils disbelieved,"

0:25 "teaching people magic."

0:27 “And follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babel, Harut and Marut. Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angles) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no-one save by Allah's leave. And they learn that which harmeth them and profiteth them not. And surely they do know that he who trafficketh therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter; and surely evil is the price for which they sell their souls, if they but knew.” (2:102)

0:29 "And what was revealed to the two angels at Babylon, Harut and Marut."

0:32 “And follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babel, Harut and Marut. Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angles) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no-one save by Allah's leave. And they learn that which harmeth them and profiteth them not. And surely they do know that he who trafficketh therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter; and surely evil is the price for which they sell their souls, if they but knew.” (2:102)

0:34 "But they do not teach anyone unless they say, 'We are a trial,"

0:37 "'so do not disbelieve.'"

0:39 "And [yet] they learn from them"

0:41 "that by which they cause separation"

0:43 "between a man and his wife."

0:45 “And follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babel, Harut and Marut. Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angles) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no-one save by Allah's leave. And they learn that which harmeth them and profiteth them not. And surely they do know that he who trafficketh therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter; and surely evil is the price for which they sell their souls, if they but knew.” (2:102)

0:49 "Except by permission of Allah."

0:51 "And they learn what harms them"

0:54 "and does not benefit them."

0:56 “And follow that which the devils falsely related against the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon disbelieved not; but the devils disbelieved, teaching mankind magic and that which was revealed to the two angels in Babel, Harut and Marut. Nor did they (the two angels) teach it to anyone till they had said: We are only a temptation, therefore disbelieve not (in the guidance of Allah). And from these two (angles) people learn that by which they cause division between man and wife; but they injure thereby no-one save by Allah's leave. And they learn that which harmeth them and profiteth them not. And surely they do know that he who trafficketh therein will have no (happy) portion in the Hereafter; and surely evil is the price for which they sell their souls, if they but knew.” (2:102)

0:58 "And he will have no share in the Hereafter."

1:01 A person may direct knowledge,

1:06 through his own injustice, toward corruption on earth.

1:09 Knowledge may be beneficial in its origin,

1:12 or capable of being beneficial,

1:15 yet a person uses it, through his injustice,

1:18 for corruption and spreading mischief.

1:20 Like nuclear science and atomic fission,

1:23 and what can result from it

1:25 in terms of beneficial applications.

1:27 Yet, a person turns away from that

1:29 and uses it in the manufacture of

1:31 atomic and hydrogen bombs,

1:34 annihilating with them hundreds of thousands,

1:37 or even millions of people.

1:41 Whoever is not restrained by his knowledge from transgression,

1:44 his knowledge will be of no benefit to him.

1:48 The knowledge that does not prevent its possessor

1:50 from following the whims of the enemies of Allah

1:53 will be of no benefit to its possessor.

1:56 Rather, it exposes him to abandonment and torment.

1:59 Allah the Almighty said:

2:01 “And the Jews will not be pleased with thee, nor will the Christians, till thou follow their creed. Say: Lo! the guidance of Allah (Himself) is Guidance. And if thou shouldst follow their desires after the knowledge which hath come unto thee, then wouldst thou have from Allah no protecting guardian nor helper.” (2:120)

2:04 "And never will the Jews or the Christians approve of you until you follow their religion."

2:07 "Say, 'Indeed, the guidance of Allah is the [only] guidance.'"

2:10 "And if you were to follow their desires..."

2:13 “And the Jews will not be pleased with thee, nor will the Christians, till thou follow their creed. Say: Lo! the guidance of Allah (Himself) is Guidance. And if thou shouldst follow their desires after the knowledge which hath come unto thee, then wouldst thou have from Allah no protecting guardian nor helper.” (2:120)

2:16 “And the Jews will not be pleased with thee, nor will the Christians, till thou follow their creed. Say: Lo! the guidance of Allah (Himself) is Guidance. And if thou shouldst follow their desires after the knowledge which hath come unto thee, then wouldst thou have from Allah no protecting guardian nor helper.” (2:120)

2:20 The arrogance of a scholar regarding his knowledge

2:24 stems from his ignorance of himself

2:27 and of Allah the Almighty.

2:29 If a person knew

2:31 that his knowledge is a gift from Allah,

2:34 and that it does not equal an atom in the knowledge of Allah the Almighty,

2:37 he would not have been arrogant or contended with Allah through his knowledge.

2:40 Indeed, the arrogance of a learner regarding his knowledge

2:43 is in reality

2:46 a result of his ignorance of Allah the Almighty,

2:49 and his ignorance of himself and the proportion of his knowledge

2:52 to the knowledge of Allah.

2:54 Allah the Almighty said:

2:56 “They are asking thee concerning the Spirit. Say: The Spirit is by command of my Lord, and of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but little.” (17:85)

3:00 Knowledge is sought by exerting effort and following its paths.

3:05 Among the afflictions in seeking knowledge

3:09 is negligence regarding it,

3:11 and being content with mere snippets of it

3:13 through messages, small booklets,

3:16 recordings,

3:18 and light, rapid clips

3:20 published on social

3:23 media.

3:25 While these means are beneficial and good,

3:28 their scope is limited to exhortation and reminders,

3:31 or general culture.

3:33 As for formal scientific lessons

3:35 and academic grounding,

3:37 one must exert effort,

3:39 sit with scholars

3:41 in circles of knowledge,

3:43 or specialize in universities

3:45 and Sharia schools.

3:47 Preferring the worldly life

3:50 and true knowledge

3:52 do not meet.

3:54 Anyone who prefers the worldly life

3:57 among the people of knowledge

3:59 will inevitably speak about Allah

4:01 without truth in his fatwas

4:03 and his rulings,

4:05 because the rulings of Allah the Almighty

4:07 often come

4:09 contrary to the desires of people,

4:11 especially those in positions of authority

4:13 among them.

4:15 If a scholar follows the desire

4:17 of love for the world

4:19 and seeks to please those in authority,

4:21 he will, because of that, concede

4:23 much of the truth

4:25 and oppose it.

4:27 Allah the Almighty said:

4:29 "And there came after them"

4:31 "successors who inherited the Scripture."

4:33 “And a generation hath succeeded them who inherited the scriptures. They grasp the goods of this low life (as the price of evil-doing) and say: It will be forgiven us. And if there came to them (again) the offer of the like, they would accept it (and would sin again). Hath not the covenant of the Scripture been taken on their behalf that they should not speak aught concerning Allah save the truth? And they have studied that which is therein. And the abode of the Hereafter is better, for those who ward off (evil). Have ye then no sense?” (7:169)

4:35 "And they say, 'It will be forgiven'"

4:37 "for us.'"

4:39 “And a generation hath succeeded them who inherited the scriptures. They grasp the goods of this low life (as the price of evil-doing) and say: It will be forgiven us. And if there came to them (again) the offer of the like, they would accept it (and would sin again). Hath not the covenant of the Scripture been taken on their behalf that they should not speak aught concerning Allah save the truth? And they have studied that which is therein. And the abode of the Hereafter is better, for those who ward off (evil). Have ye then no sense?” (7:169)

4:41 "They take it."

4:43 “And a generation hath succeeded them who inherited the scriptures. They grasp the goods of this low life (as the price of evil-doing) and say: It will be forgiven us. And if there came to them (again) the offer of the like, they would accept it (and would sin again). Hath not the covenant of the Scripture been taken on their behalf that they should not speak aught concerning Allah save the truth? And they have studied that which is therein. And the abode of the Hereafter is better, for those who ward off (evil). Have ye then no sense?” (7:169)

4:45 "The Scripture, that they should not say"

4:47 "about Allah except the truth."

4:49 "And they studied what is in it."

4:51 "And the home of the Hereafter"

4:53 "is better for those who fear Allah."

4:55 "Do you not understand?"

4:57 So He, glory be to Him, informed us that

4:59 the people of knowledge among the Jews who

5:01 inherited the Scripture

5:03 took the fleeting worldly goods,

5:05 meaning the enjoyment of the worldly life.

5:07 And if that were repeated for them,

5:09 they would prioritize the world

5:11 over speaking the truth in every

5:13 instance.

5:16 The abstinence of the people of knowledge

5:18 from the gifts of the ruler.

5:20 The abstinence of the people of knowledge

5:22 from the gifts of the ruler

5:24 preserves their dignity,

5:26 makes their word heard,

5:28 and their status elevated.

5:30 Accepting them

5:32 involves a degradation of their position

5:34 and humiliation for them.

5:37 The gifts of the ruler

5:39 come with a price.

5:41 All the gifts of the ruler

5:43 come with a price,

5:45 sooner or later.

5:47 So let the scholar beware

5:49 of accepting them,

5:51 lest he be asked to pay the price,

5:53 and that would be at the expense of his religion.

5:55 It is among the greatest

5:57 forms of illicit gain (suht).

5:59 Allah the Almighty said regarding the likes of

6:01 these scholars

6:03 of the Children of Israel:

6:05 "[They are] avid listeners to falsehood,"

6:07 "[and] devourers of the illicit."

6:09 Concealing the truth

6:12 when there is a need for it

6:14 is like speaking falsehood.

6:16 Concealing the truth

6:19 when people need it

6:21 is like someone who speaks falsehood,

6:23 and it is among the greatest injustices.

6:25 Allah the Almighty said:

6:27 "And who is more unjust than one"

6:29 "who conceals a testimony"

6:31 "he has from Allah?"

6:33 Allah has cursed the one who conceals

6:35 the truth among the people of knowledge.

6:37 He, the Almighty, said:

6:39 "Indeed, those who conceal"

6:41 "what We sent down of"

6:43 "clear proofs and guidance"

6:45 “Lo! Those who hide the proofs and the guidance which We revealed, after We had made it clear to mankind in the Scripture: such are accursed of Allah and accursed of those who have the power to curse.” (2:159)

6:47 "for the people in the Scripture,"

6:49 "those are cursed by"

6:51 "Allah and cursed by"

6:53 "those who curse."

6:56 The one who conceals the truth

6:58 and clothes it with falsehood

7:00 is unjust to people and to himself.

7:02 Just as he is unjust by

7:05 concealing the truth and clothing it

7:07 with falsehood toward people through his sinful

7:09 action, he is also unjust to

7:11 himself in the severest way

7:13 by burdening it with the sins

7:15 of all those who are led astray because of him.

7:17 Allah the Almighty said:

7:19 "That they may bear their own burdens"

7:21 "in full on the Day of Resurrection"

7:23 "and of the burdens of those"

7:25 "whom they misguide without knowledge."

7:27 "Unquestionably, evil is"

7:29 "that which they bear."

7:31 Concealing the truth

7:34 and clothing it with falsehood are intertwined.

7:36 Often,

7:39 the concealment of truth

7:41 is coupled with clothing it in falsehood,

7:43 or one necessitates

7:45 the other. So the scholar

7:47 who is misguided

7:49 finds people ignorant,

7:51 so he conceals the truth from them.

7:53 And if he finds they have something

7:55 of knowledge of the truth,

7:57 he clothes it for them and mixes it

7:59 with falsehood to divert them

8:01 from the pure truth.

8:03 Two things, either of which

8:06 causes the concealment of

8:08 the truth or clothing it

8:10 with falsehood.

8:13 What drives a scholar to conceal

8:15 the truth or clothe it with falsehood

8:17 whether it be out of fear of harm from

8:19 the people of falsehood, or out of love for

8:21 and greed for this fleeting worldly life,

8:23 then concealing the truth,

8:25 and obscuring it with falsehood,

8:27 out of greed for the world,

8:29 is never permissible under any circumstances.

8:31 It is among the gravest of sins, as previously mentioned.

8:33 Furthermore, clothing the truth with falsehood

8:35 out of fear of harm is not justified,

8:37 also because it

8:39 leads people into misguidance,

8:41 and there may be no one else to clarify

8:43 that to them and protect them from it.

8:45 As for mere silence

8:47 regarding the truth

8:49 due to severe harm that a person may not be able to bear,

8:51 and fearing that he might be tempted away from his religion

8:53 because of it,

8:55 then perhaps that silence

8:57 may be excused for him

8:59 if he hopes that someone else will speak out

9:01 for the truth, someone who is

9:03 more capable than he is of enduring the harm,

9:05 or who is removed from the possibility of it

9:07 befalling him.

9:09 The matter hinges, first and last,

9:11 on the fear of Allah, the Exalted,

9:13 and on averting harm as much as possible.

9:15 In summary:

9:17 if you are unable to speak the truth,

9:19 do not speak falsehood.

9:21 A corrupt

9:24 fatwa legitimizes

9:26 evil deeds and entrenches them

9:28 in society.

9:30 No matter how widespread evil deeds become

9:32 in society, they do not become entrenched

9:34 except by legitimizing them.

9:36 And they are legitimized by an evil scholar

9:38 through his fatwa that obscures

9:40 the truth with falsehood,

9:42 or by his concealing the truth

9:44 and remaining silent instead of denouncing it,

9:46 so people mistake his silence

9:48 for legislation and approval

9:50 of the evil.

9:52 This is most dangerous and severe

9:54 when an evil scholar colludes

9:56 with an oppressive ruler,

9:58 for this leads

10:00 to the effacement of the Shari'ah and the alteration

10:02 of concepts.

10:05 Institutionalizing the concealment of truth:

10:07 the greatest form of concealing

10:10 the truth and obscuring it with falsehood

10:12 is the institutionalization of concealing

10:14 the truth itself,

10:16 by granting it a veneer of legitimacy,

10:18 and moving it from the status of a temporary,

10:20 forced exception

10:22 to becoming the established norm,

10:24 thereby flipping

10:26 what is known and true in the understanding of

10:28 people into something evil and false.

10:30 Among its dangerous manifestations

10:32 is that a person becomes unable

10:34 to openly declare his disavowal

10:36 of the polytheists and his disbelief in the Taghut (false deities),

10:38 for a temporary

10:40 reason among many.

10:42 As Allah, the Exalted, said:

10:44 "Let not the believers take the disbelievers

10:46 as allies instead of

10:48 the believers."

10:50 "And whoever does that..."

10:52 “Let not the believers take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah unless (it be) that ye but guard yourselves against them, taking (as it were) security. Allah biddeth you beware (only) of Himself. Unto Allah is the journeying.” (3:28)

10:54 "...except when taking precaution against them in prudence."

10:56 "And Allah warns you of Himself,"

10:58 "and to Allah is the final destination."

11:00 Thus, a person may become accustomed to

11:02 appeasing the disbeliever

11:04 at all times,

11:06 and this appeasement turns into

11:08 sycophancy and allegiance.

11:10 He claims this sycophancy,

11:12 which stems from weak faith,

11:14 has become the foundation,

11:16 and calls for religious tolerance

11:18 and the alleged

11:20 convergence of

11:22 religions.

11:24 Preconceiving a ruling

11:27 for a matter before

11:29 seeking evidence for it:

11:32 among the pitfalls in knowledge

11:34 is to hold a specific ruling

11:36 for a matter and adopt it

11:38 before seeking evidence for it,

11:40 for that is a product of caprice.

11:42 A seeker of truth must

11:44 strip himself of caprice

11:46 before seeking evidence for a ruling,

11:48 because one who follows his caprice

11:50 will never lack a semblance of evidence

11:52 for his desires.

11:54 Iblis even claimed evidence

11:56 for the validity of his arrogance in refusing to prostrate,

11:58 saying:

12:00 "I am better than him; You created me

12:02 from fire and created him

12:04 from clay."

12:06 Committing a wrong without seeking evidence

12:08 for it, while acknowledging that it is

12:10 wrong,

12:12 is all lighter in the sight of Allah

12:14 than seeking evidence to justify it.

12:16 The former is a sin,

12:18 while the latter is declaring the forbidden lawful,

12:20 which leads to disbelief, we seek refuge in Allah.

12:22 The factions opposing

12:25 Islam and its

12:27 divine methodology:

12:30 everyone who opposes Islam

12:32 and its divine methodology

12:34 only does so out of caprice,

12:36 far removed from knowledge

12:38 and sound deduction.

12:40 First:

12:43 those who oppose it with what they deem

12:45 rational arguments,

12:47 which they prioritize

12:49 over the revealed texts.

12:51 Second:

12:53 those who oppose textual evidence

12:55 with analogy and personal opinion,

12:57 while claiming to possess fiqh in religion.

12:59 Third:

13:01 those who oppose the evidence

13:03 with mere taste and subjective experience,

13:05 calling themselves

13:07 "the people of reality,"

13:09 as opposed to the scholars committed

13:11 to the legal evidence,

13:13 whom they call "the people of the Shari'ah,"

13:15 or they say,

13:17 "You are the people of the outward,

13:19 and we are the people of the inward."

13:21 Fourth:

13:23 those who oppose the Shari'ah with politics,

13:25 such as the tyrannical

13:27 rulers

13:29 who violate the law of Allah

13:31 for the sake of establishing their own kingdom,

13:33 and do not care about that.

13:36 Argumentation and the harms of

13:38 argumentation and disputation in religion:

13:41 it is evil and a warning,

13:43 a cause of division and hostility.

13:45 No one engages in it

13:47 except one who follows his caprice,

13:49 searching for controversial issues

13:51 and stirring them up,

13:53 while remaining silent on matters of consensus,

13:55 neither supporting them

13:57 nor confronting the people of misguidance with them.

13:59 Among the characteristics of

14:02 those firmly grounded in knowledge:

14:04 the scholars who are firmly grounded

14:06 do not argue with falsehood,

14:08 nor do they dispute the truth,

14:10 in compliance with the saying of

14:12 the Prophet (peace be upon him):

14:14 "I guarantee

14:16 a house in the outskirts

14:18 of Paradise for one who leaves

14:20 disputation, even if he is in the right."

14:22 Narrated by Abu Dawud.

14:24 And where they differ

14:26 among themselves,

14:28 they only differ in matters where

14:30 there is room for disagreement,

14:32 and their disagreement is based

14:34 on evidence and the ijtihad applied to it.

14:36 This is the argumentation

14:38 in the best possible manner,

14:40 and it is hoped that there is mercy in it.

14:42 As for disagreement based on falsehood

14:44 for the sake of prestige and status,

14:46 or position or wealth,

14:48 it is a curse and a calamity,

14:50 and there is no mercy in it.

14:52 Taqlid (blind imitation):

14:55 the taqlid of a layman

14:58 for a scholar whom he trusts

15:00 in his religion and his adherence to evidence

15:02 is permissible,

15:04 and one cannot do without it.

15:06 As for the taqlid of a sheikh's actions,

15:08 Even if it contradicts the evidence,

15:10 it remains a form of fanaticism

15:12 for the opinions of men.

15:14 It is a blameworthy and forbidden practice,

15:16 as it leads to the claim

15:18 of the infallibility of the Imams and scholars

15:20 against error,

15:22 and the belief that everything contradicting their statements

15:24 from the revealed texts must be interpreted away

15:26 or rejected.

15:28 The stance of these

15:30 fanatical followers is:

15:32 "We found our forefathers

15:34 following a path,

15:36 and we are, in their footsteps,

15:38 following."

15:40 Al-Shafi'i said:

15:42 "The Muslims have reached a consensus

15:44 that whoever has the

15:46 Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, made clear to him,

15:48 it is not permissible for him

15:50 to abandon it for the opinion

15:52 of anyone among the people of knowledge."

15:54 The harm of blind

15:57 imitation:

16:00 Blind imitation

16:02 and fanaticism for the opinions of men

16:04 is a sin that leads to factionalism

16:06 and division in the ranks of the Muslims,

16:08 distancing the Ummah

16:10 from the evidence

16:12 and tethering it to the opinions

16:14 of men, who are prone to error

16:16 and correctness.

16:19 No one should take the lead in issuing fatwas

16:21 except those firmly grounded in knowledge.

16:24 It is not appropriate for anyone to take the lead

16:26 in issuing fatwas for people

16:28 unless he is a scholar firmly grounded in his knowledge,

16:30 possessing insight into the texts of the Book

16:32 and the Sunnah,

16:34 and the methodology of deriving rulings from them.

16:36 Due to the gravity of issuing fatwas,

16:38 the salaf, may Allah have mercy upon them,

16:40 used to avoid it

16:42 as much as possible,

16:44 and each one of them would wish

16:46 that his brother would spare him the burden

16:48 of issuing fatwas.

16:50 If no one else was found,

16:52 he would then be compelled to issue a fatwa,

16:54 while remaining mindful of the fear of Allah

16:56 and speaking only of what he knows.

16:58 If he was ignorant of

17:00 the ruling, he would say, "I do not know."

17:02 Pretending to have knowledge and the rushing of

17:05 the young and inexperienced

17:07 to issue fatwas

17:09 is one of the dangerous afflictions

17:12 in the realm of knowledge and fatwas.

17:14 Pretending to have knowledge and the rushing of

17:16 the youth and the inexperienced

17:18 to issue fatwas,

17:20 and their direct recourse

17:22 to the texts of the Book and the Sunnah

17:24 to derive rulings from them,

17:26 in isolation from the understanding of the salaf,

17:28 and without possessing

17:30 the necessary knowledge and principles

17:32 for issuing fatwas and judging matters,

17:34 especially if they are

17:36 complex issues,

17:38 leads us to find that

17:40 one of them might issue a fatwa

17:42 that the text does not truly indicate,

17:44 due to his lack of knowledge

17:46 of the Arabic language

17:48 and the methods of linguistic indication

17:50 regarding rulings.

17:52 Or he may issue a fatwa based on his knowledge

17:54 of a single text regarding the issue,

17:56 without gathering all the other texts

17:58 mentioned therein,

18:00 which, when considered

18:02 collectively, would change the ruling of the issue

18:04 from what he had decreed.

18:06 Or he may issue a fatwa based

18:08 on a text from the Sunnah

18:10 whose authenticity is not established,

18:12 and he has no knowledge of that.

18:14 Or he may stop at the ambiguous texts

18:16 and not refer them back to the clear, definitive ones.

18:18 Because of all this,

18:20 and other factors

18:22 that only the scholars

18:24 firmly grounded in knowledge can grasp,

18:26 the young and inexperienced person misses the mark of truth.

18:28 Al-Shafi'i said:

18:30 "If a young person takes the lead,

18:32 he misses much knowledge."

18:34 The primary reason

18:37 for the youth taking the lead

18:39 in issuing fatwas:

18:41 The primary reason for the rushing of

18:44 the youth and the inexperienced to issue fatwas

18:46 is the negligence

18:48 or exclusion of the scholars

18:50 from performing their duty,

18:52 and their abandonment of the responsibility

18:54 entrusted to them by the Shari'ah.

18:56 Thus, the youth turn

18:58 to fill the void that

19:00 the scholars' reluctance

19:02 left behind.

19:04 The youth do this

19:06 with good intentions or otherwise,

19:08 as a person is rarely free

19:10 from a love for fame,

19:12 taking the lead in gatherings,

19:14 vanity, showing off,

19:16 or other diseases

19:18 of the heart.

19:21 Good intentions do not absolve

19:23 the pretender to knowledge among the youth of responsibility;

19:25 they do not absolve him.

19:28 For error in a fatwa

19:30 does not relate to intentions,

19:32 but to speaking about Allah

19:34 without knowledge

19:36 and leading people astray.

19:38 In this lies a severe warning

19:40 and certain sin.

19:42 Allah the Almighty said:

19:44 “(O man), follow not that whereof thou hast no knowledge. Lo! the hearing and the sight and the heart - of each of these it will be asked.” (17:36)

19:46 "of which you have no knowledge."

19:48 "Indeed, the hearing, the sight,

19:50 and the heart—about all

19:52 of these, one will be

19:54 questioned."

19:56 The Prophet,

19:58 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

20:00 "Indeed, Allah does not

20:02 take away knowledge by snatching it away,

20:04 but He takes it away

20:06 by the death of the scholars,

20:08 until, when no

20:10 scholar remains, people take

20:12 ignorant leaders,

20:14 who are asked and they issue fatwas

20:16 without knowledge,

20:18 so they go astray and lead others astray."

20:20 Narrated by Al-Bukhari.

20:22 And he, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

20:24 "Among the signs of the Hour

20:26 is that knowledge will be sought

20:28 from the young (the inexperienced)."

20:30 Narrated by Ibn Al-Mubarak

20:32 in *Al-Zuhd*,

20:34 and authenticated by Al-Albani.

20:36 The remedy for the phenomenon

20:39 of pretending to have knowledge

20:42 and speaking

20:44 about Allah without knowledge

20:46 lies in an intellectual revival

20:48 that includes

20:50 increasing scientific activities,

20:52 highlighting them,

20:54 elevating the status of the scholars

20:56 who are truly connected to Allah,

20:58 and empowering them to perform their role

21:00 in society.

21:02 It also includes caring for students of knowledge,

21:04 qualifying them to reach

21:06 the rank of scholars,

21:08 and nurturing them in sincerity

21:10 and acting upon what they know.

21:12 And the establishment of scientific research centers

21:14 that examine

21:16 the emerging issues of the Ummah

21:18 and provide their Shari'ah-based solutions.

21:20 Issues of

21:23 disagreement and issues of

21:25 ijtihad:

21:28 Some do not distinguish between issues of

21:30 disagreement and issues of

21:32 ijtihad.

21:34 Among those with this misguided understanding, the saying spreads:

21:36 "There is no condemnation

21:38 in matters of disagreement."

21:40 This is a false statement

21:42 and a corrupt belief,

21:44 for not every disagreement

21:46 is valid, such that one may act

21:48 according to it in any way

21:50 whatsoever.

21:52 If it is rejected by a text from the Book or the Sunnah,

21:54 it is an irregular disagreement,

21:56 invalid,

21:58 and rejected upon its proponent.

22:00 This corrupt assertion necessitates

22:03 that the act of forbidding evil

22:05 in the Sharia of Islam be restricted

22:07 solely to those matters that are definitively

22:09 and necessarily prohibited, and upon which there is consensus

22:11 that they are indeed evil.

22:13 Yet, disagreement is not an argument

22:15 in and of itself;

22:17 rather, the Book and the Sunnah are the argument

22:19 against all who disagree, from the first generations to the last.

22:21 A scholar may sometimes dissent on an issue

22:23 because the hadith

22:25 pertaining to it did not reach him,

22:27 or because he believed it to be inauthentic,

22:29 or because he was unmindful of it

22:31 at the time of the disagreement.

22:33 In such a case,

22:35 it is not permissible to follow that scholar

22:37 when there exists evidence to the contrary,

22:39 based on his own words,

22:41 and other such reasons

22:43 mentioned by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah

22:45 in his invaluable book,

22:47 *Raf' al-Malam*

22:49 *'an al-A'immah al-A'lam* (Removing Blame from the Illustrious Imams).

22:51 Among the implications of this

22:53 corrupt assertion

22:55 is a dangerous theological deviation.

22:57 For when the authentic Sunnah,

22:59 established from the Prophet,

23:01 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is rejected

23:03 simply because someone

23:05 has disagreed on the matter,

23:07 this implies that

23:09 the statements of the Prophet, peace be upon him,

23:11 and his commands

23:13 do not derive their legitimacy

23:15 except when people agree upon them.

23:17 This is a dangerous path

23:19 that contradicts the foundation of Islam,

23:21 the meaning of which is

23:23 submission to the commands of

23:25 Allah the Exalted and the commands of

23:27 His Messenger, peace be upon him.

23:29 The correct expression

23:31 that is acceptable in

23:33 this field

23:35 is: "There is no forbidding of evil in matters

23:37 of ijtihad (independent legal reasoning)."

23:39 For matters of ijtihad

23:41 are those in which there is no binding evidence

23:43 or explicit text

23:45 that necessitates a clear, obligatory response,

23:47 or where the ijtihad

23:49 concerns the fiqh of balancing

23:51 interests and harms.

23:53 In such cases, it is permissible

23:55 to exercise ijtihad due to the conflict

23:57 or ambiguity of the evidence.

23:59 A person may then follow what

24:01 his own ijtihad leads him to,

24:03 if he is a scholar,

24:05 or follow what he finds reassuring

24:07 and trusts from the ijtihad of the scholars,

24:09 if he is a layperson.

24:11 Choosing the easiest

24:13 of the scholars' opinions—

24:15 this

24:18 is also a misguided concept,

24:20 branching off from

24:22 the previous misguided concept,

24:24 and even more severe.

24:26 It is based fundamentally

24:28 on the idea that the religion is easy and has no

24:30 hardship in it, so whenever

24:32 a disagreement is found among scholars

24:34 regarding a matter,

24:36 even if the dissenting opinion is anomalous

24:38 and contradicts the evidence,

24:40 it is permitted, under the pretext of

24:42 this concept,

24:44 to adopt the easier opinion and follow it

24:46 without looking

24:48 at the evidence for each position.

24:50 This misguided concept is refuted

24:52 by the same arguments used

24:54 against the concept preceding it.

24:56 Added to this is

24:58 that ease in the religion of Allah

25:00 is that which conforms to the evidence

25:02 and what the Sharia deems

25:04 to be easy,

25:06 not what conforms to whims and desires.

25:08 Adopting rulings by

25:10 collecting the anomalous views of the schools of thought

25:13 is the tailoring of a new religion.

25:15 Whoever collects

25:18 the anomalous views of the schools

25:20 is not establishing

25:22 his religion; rather, he is tailoring

25:24 a religion that suits his whims.

25:26 Legal stratagems (al-hiyal al-shar'iyyah):

25:29 There are no stratagems in the Sharia

25:32 used to reach the goal of

25:34 abandoning an obligation,

25:36 committing a prohibition,

25:38 or making the truth falsehood

25:40 and falsehood truth.

25:42 Allah the Exalted condemned

25:44 those who transgressed on the Sabbath

25:46 from among the Jews,

25:48 and used stratagems to catch fish

25:50 on their day of rest and Sabbath.

25:52 Allah the Exalted said:

25:54 "And ask them about the town..."

25:56 “Ask them (O Muhammad) of the township that was by the sea, how they did break the Sabbath, how their big fish came unto them visibly upon their Sabbath day and on a day when they did not keep Sabbath came they not unto them. Thus did We try them for that they were evil-livers.” (7:163)

25:58 “Ask them (O Muhammad) of the township that was by the sea, how they did break the Sabbath, how their big fish came unto them visibly upon their Sabbath day and on a day when they did not keep Sabbath came they not unto them. Thus did We try them for that they were evil-livers.” (7:163)

26:00 "...when their fish came to them

26:02 on the day of their Sabbath,

26:04 appearing openly..."

26:06 “Ask them (O Muhammad) of the township that was by the sea, how they did break the Sabbath, how their big fish came unto them visibly upon their Sabbath day and on a day when they did not keep Sabbath came they not unto them. Thus did We try them for that they were evil-livers.” (7:163)

26:08 "Thus do We test them

26:10 because they were defiantly disobedient."

26:12 When they engaged

26:14 in this stratagem,

26:16 they were transformed into apes.

26:18 Allah the Exalted said:

26:20 “So when they took pride in that which they had been forbidden, We said unto them: Be ye apes despised and loathed!” (7:166)

26:22 "...We said to them,

26:24 'Be apes, despised.'"

26:26 Their transgression was

26:28 that when they found

26:30 the fish coming in abundance

26:32 on the Sabbath, which was the day

26:34 they were forbidden from working,

26:36 they set up nets and dug pits

26:38 before the Sabbath,

26:40 so that when the fish

26:42 fell into them on the Sabbath,

26:44 they would extract them on Sunday.

26:46 This was their stratagem

26:48 for which they were transformed into apes,

26:50 despised,

26:52 because it was a deception more severe

26:54 than the sin of fishing on the Sabbath

26:56 itself.

26:58 As for what is legislated of stratagems,

27:00 it is that which is used

27:02 to achieve the goals of the Sharia

27:04 and to recover rights

27:06 from an oppressor who withholds them.

27:08 This type of stratagem

27:10 is praiseworthy and legitimate.

27:12 An example of this

27:14 is what the Prophet of Allah,

27:16 Yusuf, peace be upon him, did

27:18 by the stratagem of placing the King's cup

27:20 in his brother's luggage

27:22 to thereby succeed

27:24 in keeping him with him,

27:26 and subsequently, the arrival of

27:28 the rest of his family thereafter.

27:30 It is noted that despite his performing

27:32 this stratagem,

27:34 and despite his implying and describing his brother as a thief—

27:36 for he did not say,

27:38 “He said: Allah forbid that we should seize save him with whom we found our property; then truly we should be wrong-doers.” (12:79)

27:40 "except the one who stole,"

27:42 but rather he said,

27:44 “He said: Allah forbid that we should seize save him with whom we found our property; then truly we should be wrong-doers.” (12:79)

27:46 “He said: Allah forbid that we should seize save him with whom we found our property; then truly we should be wrong-doers.” (12:79)

27:48 "in his possession."

27:51 The claim of dividing the religion

27:53 into "husks" and "kernels":

27:55 Some claim

27:58 a division of the religion into essence and core,

28:00 contrasted with husks

28:02 and outward forms,

28:04 arguing that we should focus on the essence and core

28:06 rather than the husks and forms,

28:08 and that this

28:10 is what is more worthy of focus.

28:12 Perhaps some even add to this

28:14 by demanding that we deal with

28:16 the "spirit" of the text

28:18 rather than its literal and explicit meaning.

28:20 By Allah,

28:22 that is a sweeping claim

28:24 and a reprehensible statement

28:26 that leads to grave harms.

28:28 The truth

28:30 is that there are no "husks" in the religion;

28:32 rather, it is all core,

28:34 perfected and legislated

28:36 by the All-Knowing, the All-Aware,

28:38 complete and comprehensive.

28:40 Nothing in it was legislated in vain;

28:42 rather, everything in it is

28:44 with wisdom and for the benefit of the servants.

28:46 We are commanded

28:48 to worship Allah in everything

28:50 He has commanded or forbidden,

28:52 whether it be small

28:54 or great.

28:56 Allah the Exalted said:

28:58 O you who have believed,

29:00 enter into Islam completely,

29:02 and do not follow

29:04 the footsteps of Satan.

29:06 Indeed, he is to you

29:08 a clear enemy.

29:10 "Peace" here refers to Islam.

29:12 The intent is

29:14 to commit to the entirety of Islam,

29:16 its pillars, its obligations,

29:18 and its prohibitions.

29:20 Reflect on how Allah warned

29:22 at the end of the verse against following

29:24 the footsteps of Satan,

29:26 which includes his whisperings

29:28 to neglect what he claims to be

29:30 minor obligations or

29:32 mere formalities.

29:34 He trivializes the commission of minor sins

29:36 under the pretext that they

29:38 do not undermine the essence and the core

29:40 totality of Islam.

29:42 The motives behind the call

29:45 to divide the religion into shells

29:47 and kernels.

29:50 The motive for the aforementioned call

29:52 can be attributed to one of

29:54 two things.

29:56 First: a binary view

29:58 of matters,

30:00 and the belief that performing one of two things

30:02 necessitates and requires

30:04 the neglect of the other.

30:06 This perspective,

30:08 even if one assumes the good intentions

30:10 of its proponent and the soundness of their purpose,

30:12 remains

30:14 a deficient view.

30:16 It only holds true in the case of two

30:18 contradictory things.

30:20 As for other matters,

30:22 it is not impossible to combine them;

30:24 in fact, it may even be

30:26 encouraged or mandatory.

30:28 For Islam has pillars,

30:30 obligatory acts, duties,

30:32 recommended acts,

30:34 permissible acts, disliked acts,

30:36 and forbidden acts.

30:38 Fulfilling its pillars

30:40 does not in any way mean neglecting

30:42 its obligatory acts and duties.

30:44 Rather, the truth is that the obligatory acts

30:46 and duties are complementary

30:48 and perfect the pillars.

30:50 The Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

30:52 just as he directed

30:54 the attainment of the piety of the heart,

30:56 also guided us on how to adorn ourselves

30:58 with the outward appearance and guidance,

31:00 such as shortening one's garments,

31:02 letting the beard grow,

31:04 and so on.

31:06 Second:

31:08 ill intent and the malicious purpose

31:10 of dismantling Islam

31:12 through the call

31:14 to adopt the spirit of the text

31:16 rather than its literal wording,

31:18 under the guise of keeping pace with the times.

31:20 This is the claim of the modernists,

31:22 the secularists,

31:24 and the esoteric sects.

31:26 Their purpose is to dismantle the true Islam

31:28 and to break free

31:30 from the yoke of its requirements.

31:32 The corruptions of the call

31:35 to divide the religion into

31:37 shells and kernels.

31:40 This erroneous understanding

31:42 has several corruptions and harms,

31:44 including:

31:46 First: slipping away from

31:48 the practices of outward guidance,

31:50 supererogatory acts, and the trivialization

31:52 of minor sins,

31:54 and falling into them.

31:56 This weakens submission

31:58 to the commands and prohibitions of Allah

32:00 and the veneration of them.

32:02 Second:

32:04 mocking those who adhere

32:06 to the practices of outward guidance

32:08 and accusing them of caring only

32:10 about shells and forms,

32:12 while not knowing the essence and the core.

32:14 Third:

32:16 dissolving the apparent distinctions

32:18 between the path of truth and all other

32:20 paths,

32:22 which leads to the overlapping

32:24 and confusion of concepts.

32:26 Thus, vision becomes blurred,

32:28 and people wander in the wilderness of

32:30 accepting the status quo, justifying it,

32:32 and bestowing legitimacy upon it

32:34 under the claim that it does not contradict

32:36 the spirit of the texts.

32:39 A summary of the concepts of

32:41 Ahl al-Sunnah.

Summary of Sunni concepts | 33- Concepts about caveats in seeking knowledge | Concepts (487-518)

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