Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (148) | Chapter on the virtue of knowledge

0:00 Riyad al-Salihin

0:03 From the words of the Master of the Messengers

0:06 Peace and blessings of Allah be upon him

0:09 The Book of Knowledge

0:15 Chapter: The Excellence of Knowledge

0:17 Allah the Exalted says:

0:21 “Then exalted be Allah, the True King! And hasten not (O Muhammad) with the Qur'an ere its revelation hath been perfected unto thee, and say: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.” (20:114)

0:24 And He the Exalted says:

0:26 “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)

0:28 And those who do not know.

0:31 And He the Exalted says:

0:33 “O ye who believe! when it is said unto you, Make room! in assemblies, then make room; Allah will make way for you (hereafter). And when it is said, Come up higher! go up higher; Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those who have knowledge, to high ranks. Allah is Informed of what ye do.” (58:11)

0:36 “O ye who believe! when it is said unto you, Make room! in assemblies, then make room; Allah will make way for you (hereafter). And when it is said, Come up higher! go up higher; Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those who have knowledge, to high ranks. Allah is Informed of what ye do.” (58:11)

0:40 And He the Exalted says:

0:42 “And of men and beasts and cattle, in like manner, divers hues? The erudite among His bondmen fear Allah alone. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Forgiving.” (35:28)

0:49 On the authority of Mu'awiyah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

0:52 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

0:56 "If Allah intends good for a person, He grants him deep understanding of the religion."

1:01 Agreed upon.

1:04 From the benefits of this hadith:

1:06 Whoever does not seek deep understanding of the religion and learn the principles of Islam,

1:10 And the branches connected to them,

1:13 Has been deprived of goodness.

1:15 A clear declaration of the superiority of the scholars over all other people,

1:19 And the superiority of deep understanding of the religion over all other sciences.

1:23 Knowledge is not attained through acquisition alone,

1:27 Rather, acquisition is merely a means.

1:30 Furthermore, the servant must seek the help of Allah,

1:33 That He may grant him sound understanding and sincere intention.

1:37 On the authority of Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

1:42 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

1:46 "There is no envy except in two cases:

1:49 A man to whom Allah has given wealth,

1:52 And he spends it in the cause of truth,

1:55 And a man to whom Allah has given wisdom,

1:58 And he judges by it and teaches it."

2:02 Agreed upon.

2:05 The intended meaning of 'envy' here is 'emulation' (ghibta),

2:08 Which is to wish for the same as another has.

2:11 On the authority of Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

2:14 The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

2:18 "The example of the guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me

2:22 Is like abundant rain that fell upon the earth.

2:25 Some of it was fertile soil that absorbed the water,

2:30 And produced much vegetation and grass.

2:33 Other parts were barren, holding the water,

2:37 By which Allah benefited the people,

2:39 So they drank from it, watered their animals, and irrigated their crops.

2:43 And it fell upon another portion,

2:46 Which was merely flat land,

2:49 That neither held water nor produced vegetation.

2:53 This is the example of one who is well-versed in the religion of Allah,

2:56 And benefits from what Allah sent me with,

2:59 So he learns and teaches.

3:01 And the example of one who does not raise his head for that,

3:04 And does not accept the guidance of Allah with which I was sent."

3:08 Agreed upon.

3:11 On the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd, may Allah be pleased with him,

3:14 That the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

3:17 Said to 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him:

3:20 "By Allah, for Allah to guide a single man through you

3:24 Is better for you than the best of camels."

3:28 Agreed upon.

3:31 On the authority of 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As, may Allah be pleased with them both,

3:36 That the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

3:40 "Convey from me, even if it be a single verse.

3:43 And narrate from the Children of Israel, for there is no harm in it.

3:47 And whoever tells a lie about me intentionally,

3:50 Let him take his seat in the Fire."

3:54 Narrated by al-Bukhari.

3:58 From the benefits of this hadith:

4:00 The obligation to convey the religion, both the Book and the Sunnah,

4:04 And that a person should pass on what he has memorized and understood,

4:07 Even if it is a small amount.

4:09 If every servant hastens to do this,

4:12 The transmission of everything brought by the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is preserved.

4:19 The removal of restriction regarding narrating from the Children of Israel,

4:23 Because there are wonders among them,

4:25 But one should neither believe them nor deny them,

4:29 Unless there is evidence in our Shari'ah supporting it through an authentic transmission.

4:34 The prohibition of lying about the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

4:39 The scholars have agreed that it is counted among the major sins.

4:44 Indeed, some have even gone so far as to declare the one who lies about the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, a disbeliever.

4:51 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

4:56 That the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

5:00 "And whoever treads a path seeking knowledge,

5:04 Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise."

5:09 Narrated by Muslim.

5:11 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him,

5:14 That the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

5:18 "Whoever calls to guidance,

5:20 Will have a reward like the rewards of those who follow him,

5:24 Without their rewards being diminished in the slightest."

5:28 Narrated by Muslim.

5:31 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

5:35 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

5:39 "When the son of Adam dies,

5:41 His deeds are cut off except for three:

5:45 Ongoing charity,

5:47 Or knowledge from which benefit is derived,

5:50 Or a righteous child who prays for him."

5:53 Narrated by Muslim.

5:55 From the benefits of this hadith:

5:59 The encouragement to prepare for death through righteous deeds.

6:03 Righteous deeds whose impact remains after the death of the doer, and whose reward continues.

6:11 The encouragement to endow works of righteousness,

6:14 Such as building mosques and schools,

6:17 Digging wells, and planting trees,

6:20 For all of these are ongoing charity.

6:23 The recommendation to teach knowledge and author beneficial books,

6:28 For it is among the beneficial knowledge whose impact endures,

6:32 And remains for a long time throughout the ages.

6:36 The encouragement to raise children and teach them the obligatory duties, the Sunnah, and manners,

6:41 So that they may be among the righteous.

6:44 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

6:49 I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:

6:54 "The world is cursed,

6:56 And cursed is what is in it,

6:58 Except for the remembrance of Allah the Exalted and what He loves,

7:02 And a scholar or a student."

7:05 Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

7:08 His saying "and what He loves,"

7:10 Means obedience to Allah.

7:14 On the authority of Anas, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

7:17 The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

7:21 "Whoever goes out in pursuit of knowledge,

7:23 Is in the path of Allah until he returns."

7:27 Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

7:29 On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him,

7:33 From the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, who said:

7:37 "A believer will never be satisfied with goodness,

7:40 Until his end is Paradise."

7:45 Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

7:47 From the benefits of this hadith:

7:51 This hadith is supported by his saying, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him:

7:55 "Two types of people are never satisfied:

7:58 One who is greedy for knowledge and is never satisfied,

8:01 And one who is greedy for the world and is never satisfied."

8:05 The student of knowledge is greedy and never satisfied with knowledge,

8:09 Because this lack of satisfaction is a requirement of faith and a trait of the believers.

8:14 That is why when it was said to one of the Imams of Islam:

8:19 "Until when should one seek knowledge?" He replied:

8:22 "From the inkwell to the grave."

8:25 The student of knowledge seeks more of it,

8:29 In fulfillment of the saying of the Exalted:

8:32 “Then exalted be Allah, the True King! And hasten not (O Muhammad) with the Qur'an ere its revelation hath been perfected unto thee, and say: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.” (20:114)

8:35 The pleasure derived from knowledge and faith,

8:38 Is in a state of constant renewal.

8:41 Its possessor remains a seeker of more, eager for it.

8:46 On the authority of Abu Umamah, may Allah be pleased with him,

8:50 That the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

8:54 "The superiority of the scholar over the worshiper

8:57 Is like my superiority over the lowest among you."

9:00 Then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

9:04 "Indeed, Allah, His angels, and the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth,

9:09 Even the ant in its hole,

9:12 And even the whale,

9:14 Pray for the one who teaches people goodness."

9:17 Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

9:20 From the benefits of this hadith:

9:22 The encouragement to teach people goodness,

9:26 Because it is the cause of their salvation, happiness, and the purification of their souls.

9:31 And whoever does that,

9:33 Allah rewards him according to the nature of his deed,

9:36 By ordaining for him His prayer, the prayer of His angels, and the inhabitants of His heavens and earth,

9:42 Which becomes a cause for his salvation, happiness, and success.

9:48 The teacher of goodness to people,

9:50 Because he is a manifestation of the Lord's religion and His rulings,

9:54 And makes them aware of His names and attributes,

9:57 Allah has made His prayer and the prayer of the inhabitants of His heavens and earth,

10:02 A means of exalting him,

10:04 Honoring him, and manifesting praise for him,

10:08 Among the inhabitants of the heaven and the earth.

10:10 The scholars are the callers,

10:13 They perform the function of the Prophets,

10:17 Which is calling to Allah and teaching people goodness.

10:21 They are the heirs of the Prophets,

10:23 And therefore they are preferred over the people,

10:26 Just as the Prophets were preferred over the people,

10:29 Though this does not mean the two stations are equal.

10:33 On the authority of Abu al-Darda', may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

10:38 I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:

10:42 "Whoever treads a path seeking knowledge,

10:46 Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise.

10:50 And the angels lower their wings for the student of knowledge,

10:54 Out of pleasure with what he is doing.

10:57 And the scholar is prayed for by those in the heavens and those on the earth,

11:03 Even the whales in the water.

11:05 And the superiority of the scholar over the worshiper

11:08 Is like the superiority of the moon over all the stars.

11:12 And the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets,

11:16 And the Prophets did not leave behind a dinar or a dirham,

11:21 But they left behind knowledge,

11:24 So whoever takes it has taken a bountiful share."

11:28 Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi.

11:31 From the benefits of this hadith:

11:35 The encouragement to respect students of knowledge and be humble before them,

11:39 And to be pleased with their work and to pray and seek forgiveness for them.

11:44 The excellence of knowledge,

11:46 And its rays of light that illuminate the paths of goodness and truth for people.

11:52 Knowledge is the greatest and most noble wealth,

11:55 And whoever possesses it should respect and honor it.

12:00 The perfection of knowledge is through action,

12:02 And following the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,

12:06 Regarding character and conduct.

12:09 Insulting and harming scholars is a form of wickedness and misguidance.

12:13 This is because they are the bearers of the Prophetic legacy.

12:18 On the authority of Ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

12:21 I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:

12:26 "May Allah brighten the face of a person who hears something from us,

12:30 and then conveys it exactly as he heard it,

12:33 for many a person to whom knowledge is conveyed understands it better than the one who heard it directly."

12:37 Narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

12:39 "May Allah brighten the face of a person..."

12:43 This is a supplication for his excellence.

12:45 The intended meaning is:

12:47 May Allah make his character and his status excellent.

12:51 Among the benefits of this hadith:

12:54 The encouragement to convey knowledge and teach people goodness.

12:59 One must preserve knowledge accurately, without addition or omission,

13:04 because the one who conveys it is a trustee.

13:07 People’s levels of understanding vary;

13:09 thus, "many a person to whom knowledge is conveyed understands it better than the one who heard it directly."

13:12 And "many a bearer of fiqh is not a faqih (jurist) himself."

13:17 The Prophet, peace be upon him, spoke this for anyone from his Ummah who conveys a hadith he has heard.

13:23 It implies that the mercy of Allah, the Majestic and Exalted, will protect him,

13:27 and that he will be among the successful on the Day of Resurrection.

13:32 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

13:36 The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

13:40 "Whoever is asked about knowledge and conceals it,

13:43 will be bridled on the Day of Resurrection with a bridle of fire."

13:47 Narrated by Abu Dawud and al-Tirmidhi.

13:50 Among the benefits of this hadith:

13:53 The necessity of punishment on the Day of Resurrection

13:57 for the one who conceals knowledge that is needed for the affairs of the Muslims.

14:02 Whoever acquires knowledge should pay its zakat by spreading it among the people.

14:09 On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

14:14 The Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, said:

14:18 "Whoever acquires knowledge that is intended for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic,

14:24 but does not acquire it except to attain some worldly gain,

14:29 will not perceive the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection."

14:33 Meaning its scent.

14:36 Narrated by Abu Dawud.

14:38 Among the benefits of this hadith:

14:41 One must have sincerity in seeking and teaching knowledge.

14:46 Whoever uses knowledge as a vehicle for worldly desires and vanities,

14:51 Allah will punish him on the Day of Resurrection.

14:54 On the authority of Abdullah Ibn 'Amr Ibn al-'As, may Allah be pleased with them both, who said:

15:00 I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him, say:

15:05 "Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people,

15:12 but He takes away knowledge by the death of the scholars,

15:16 until, when no scholar remains,

15:19 people will take ignorant leaders,

15:22 who will be asked questions and will issue fatwas without knowledge,

15:26 so they will go astray and lead others astray."

15:29 Agreed upon.

15:31 "Taking away the scholars" means their death.

15:35 Among the benefits of this hadith:

15:38 The death of scholars is a calamity that befalls the Ummah and a breach in Islam.

15:44 The encouragement to preserve knowledge,

15:47 and the warning against appointing the ignorant as leaders.

15:50 Issuing fatwas is the true form of leadership.

15:53 And the condemnation of those who undertake it without knowledge.

15:58 The ignorant prevail when scholars fall short of their duty.

16:03 Issuing fatwas based on personal opinion

16:05 is a path of misguidance and leading others astray.

16:09 The ignorant person is bold in issuing fatwas,

16:12 for he speaks without knowledge.

16:14 But when people of knowledge are asked about a matter they do not have knowledge of,

16:19 they say, "I do not know."

16:22 Riyad al-Salihin.

Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (148) | Chapter on the virtue of knowledge

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