Part of Rawnaq Al-Ilm (series completed)
· Lesson 44 of 50
The book of the elegance of knowledge among the wise | Episode (44) | Conditions of knowledge and its beauty
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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“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)
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"Splendors of Knowledge According to the Wise,"
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by Dr. Hamzah Ibn Fay' Al Fathi,
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may Allah preserve him.
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The Prerequisites of Knowledge and Its Beauty.
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Imam al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him,
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who passed away in the year 204 AH, said:
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"Knowledge is neither truly refined nor beautiful except through three qualities:
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the fear and consciousness of Allah (taqwa),
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adherence to the Sunnah,
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and reverent awe (khashyah)."
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Knowledge has prerequisites that govern it and virtues that beautify it,
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through which it becomes complete and truly noble.
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The first of these, as al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, stated,
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is taqwa,
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which compels you toward self-vigilance and righteous action,
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ensures you do not misapply knowledge or lower its noble status,
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and keeps you from selling it for a fleeting, paltry worldly price.
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Through taqwa, knowledge increases and is blessed.
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Allah the Exalted says:
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“O ye who believe! When ye contract a debt for a fixed term, record it in writing. Let a scribe record it in writing between you in (terms of) equity. No scribe should refuse to write as Allah hath taught him, so let him write, and let him who incurreth the debt dictate, and let him observe his duty to Allah his Lord, and diminish naught thereof. But if he who oweth the debt is of low understanding, or weak, or unable himself to dictate, then let the guardian of his interests dictate in (terms of) equity. And call to witness, from among your men, two witnesses. And if two men be not (at hand) then a man and two women, of such as ye approve as witnesses, so that if the one erreth (through forgetfulness) the other will remember. And the witnesses must not refuse when they are summoned. Be not averse to writing down (the contract) whether it be small or great, with (record of) the term thereof. That is more equitable in the sight of Allah and more sure for testimony, and the best way of avoiding doubt between you; save only in the case when it is actual merchandise which ye transfer among yourselves from hand to hand. In that case it is no sin for you if ye write it not. And have witnesses when ye sell one to another, and let no harm be done to scribe or witness. If ye do (harm to them) lo! it is a sin in you. Observe your duty to Allah. Allah is teaching you. And Allah is knower of all things.” (2:282)
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It has been said
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that taqwa is indeed the primary cause and key to acquiring and retaining knowledge,
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as in the saying:
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“O ye who believe! If ye keep your duty to Allah, He will give you discrimination (between right and wrong) and will rid you of your evil thoughts and deeds, and will forgive you. Allah is of Infinite Bounty.” (8:29)
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Yet some scholars rejected this connection,
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considering the clause to be an independent sentence.
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Ibn 'Ashur stated in *al-Tahrir wa-l-Tanwir*:
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"Taqwa was commanded
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because it is the cornerstone of all goodness,
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and through it alone, transgression is abandoned.
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As for His saying:
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'And Allah teaches you,'
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it is a reminder of the blessing of Islam,
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which brought them out of ignorance into knowledge of the Sacred Law
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and the cosmic order,
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which is the greatest and most beneficial of all knowledge.
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It also carries a promise that this teaching will continually endure,
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as indicated by the use of the imperfect (present-tense) verb.
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Moreover, coordinating it with the command to have taqwa
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alludes to the fact that taqwa is a cause for the bestowal of divine knowledge,
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to the extent that some have claimed
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the conjunction 'waw' here denotes causation,
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meaning: 'so that He may teach you.'
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Some have even counted this among the accepted semantic uses of the 'waw',
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though that is grammatically incorrect."
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The second quality:
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let your knowledge be anchored in the Sunnah and uprightness,
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far removed from religious innovation and deviance,
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for the Sunnah is the gateway to benefit, the attainment of good,
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the acquisition of divine reward, and the portal to Paradise.
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It is inconceivable for a sincere scholar of the Sacred Law
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to acquire knowledge divorced from the guidance and Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
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just as Allah has said:
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“Verily in the messenger of Allah ye have a good example for him who looketh unto Allah and the Last Day, and remembereth Allah much.” (33:21)
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The third quality:
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reverent awe (khashyah),
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which is the ornament of the scholars,
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the adornment of the righteous allies of Allah,
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and the hallmark of the jurists,
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just as the Lord, Majestic and Exalted, said:
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“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)
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Among its fruits are:
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seeking absolute sincerity and the pleasure of Allah,
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guarding the tongue,
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not rushing into issuing legal edicts (fatwas) or authoritative rulings,
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engaging in introspection and self-rectification,
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elevating knowledge above worldly pursuit and baseness,
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suffusing it with the realities of the Hereafter,
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and attaining unwavering certainty.
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For their knowledge is never detached from Allah, from His love, or from fulfilling His pleasure;
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therefore, they impart it with profound humility and reverence,
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and whenever the verses are recited to them,
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their hearts tremble with awe,
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and they increase in faith and humble submission.
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Allah the Exalted says:
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“Say: Believe therein or believe not, lo! those who were given knowledge before it, when it is read unto them, fall down prostrate on their faces, adoring,” (17:107)
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"they fall down on their faces in humble prostration."
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“Saying: Glory to our Lord! Verily the promise of our Lord must be fulfilled.” (17:108)
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“They fall down on their faces, weeping, and it increaseth humility in them.” (17:109)
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And Allah is the Granter of success.