🔴 Advices for Students of Sacred Knowledge 🔴
🔘 Part 1 – Sins and a Student of Sacred Knowledge
By M. Muadh Chati
🔲 Introduction
As Muslims, we accept and acknowledge that, besides the Prophets, a human being is prone to sin.
Imām Muslim Raḥimahullah (d.261 AH/875 CE) has narrated in his Ṣaḥῑḥ that the paragon of Allah, the beloved Prophet Ṣallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam said:
…وَالْإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِيْ صَدْرِكَ وَكَرِهْتَ أَنْ يَطَّلِعَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ
Translation:
“…and a sin is that [action of yours] which bothers your conscience and you dislike for people to discover it” [1]
In the following article, I wish to briefly expand upon the importance of an individual avoiding sin while he or she is seeking sacred knowledge ( ‘Ilm).
It goes without saying that through means of this article, its compiler is firstly addressing himself as well as other students of sacred knowledge. Insha’Allah, if we keep the quotes mentioned below in our minds, it may deter us from committing sins in our personal or social lives.
🔲 Committing Sins Whilst Acquiring Sacred Knowledge
It is the belief and conviction of every Muslim that the commands of Allah and His beloved Messenger Ṣallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam contain within them the divine guidance that is the key to our success in this world and the hereafter. It thus follows that in order for one to attain success in this world and the hereafter, one is required to follow the commandments of Allah and His Messenger Ṣallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam.
Accordingly, an individual wishing to succeed in any walk of life must ensure that the commands of Allah and His Messenger Ṣallallāhu ‘Alayhi Wasallam are not contravened.
Indeed, when an individual wishes to master a certain field, he turns to those who excelled and accomplished a venerable status in that particular field. A person wishing to become a successful entrepreneur will turn to the advices of successful entrepreneurs by either listening to their quotes or reading their books and autobiographies. This individual shall value their advice as they have mastered the field of business. In the same manner, a student wishing to excel in the various facets of Islāmic knowledge, such as Tafsῑr, Ḥadῑth, Fiqh, Theology, Islāmic economics, Islāmic history, Arabic linguistics, Arabic poetry or Ḥifẓ can only do so once he has considered the statements of those meticulous scholars who excelled in all of these fields of Islāmic knowledge.
The erudite Muḥaddith and ascetic, Bishr ibn al-Ḥārith Raḥimahullah (d.227 AH/842 CE), also known as Bishr al-Ḥāfῑ, states:
إِنْ أَرَدْتَ أَنْ تُلَقَّنَ الْعِلْمَ فَلَا تَعْصِ
Translation:
“If you wish to acquire sacred knowledge, then do not commit sins” [2]
The erudite scholars of Islām have agreed that committing sins negatively impacts one’s memory.
The illustrious Andulusian contemporary of Ḥāfiẓ al-Khatῑb al-Baghdādῑ Raḥimahullah (d.463 AH/1070 CE), Ḥāfiẓ Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr Raḥimahullah (d.463 AH/1070 CE) narrates with an authentic chain of narration to Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd RaḍiyAllahu ‘Anhu that he said:
إِنِّيْ لَأَحْسِبُ الرَّجُلَ يَنْسَى الْعِلْمَ كَانَ يَعْلَمُهُ بِالْخَطِيْئَةِ يَعْمَلُهَا
Translation:
“Indeed, I believe that a man forgets the knowledge that he once knew due to the sins that he commits” [3]
A man once asked the celebrated scholar, Imām Mālik Raḥimahullah (d.179 AH/795 CE), “What is the thing that assists one in memorising this knowledge?” Imām Mālik Raḥimahullah (d.179 AH/795 CE) responded:
إِنْ كَانَ يَصْلُحُ لَهُ شَيْءٌ فَتَرْكُ الْمَعَاصِيْTranslation:
“If anything is capable of [assisting in] memorising it, it would be the abandonment of sins” [4]
‘Allāmah Mullā ‘Alῑ al-Qārῑ Raḥimahullah (d.1014 AH/1605 CE) records a thought-provoking statement of Imām Abū Ḥanῑfah Raḥimahullah (d.150 AH/767 CE) in his biographical dictionary, Al-Athmār al-Janiyyah. He writes:
كَانَ الْإِمَامُ أَبُوْ حَنِيْفَةَ إِذَا أَشْكَلَتْ عَلَيْهِ مَسْأَلَةٌ قَالَ لِأَصْحَابِهِ مَا هَذَا إِلَّا لِذَنْبٍ أَحْدَثْتُهُ! وَكَانَ يَسْتَغْفِرُ وَرُبَمَا قَامَ وَصَلَّى فَتَنْكَشِفُ لَهُ الْمَسْأَلَةُ رَجَوْتُ أَنِّيْ تِيْبَ عَلَيَّ
Translation:
“When a jurisprudential matter would become difficult upon Imām Abū Ḥanῑfah, he would say to his companions, ‘This is not except due to a sin I have committed!’ And he would seek repentance, and, at times, he would stand and perform Salah. Eventually the matter would open up for him, at which point he would say, ‘I have hope that I have been forgiven’” [5]
The prolific Muḥaddith, Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajr al-‘Asqalānῑ Raḥimahullah (d.852 AH/1448 CE) records in his biographical dictionary of the narrators of Ḥadῑth, Tahdhῑb al-Tahdhῑb, that ‘Alῑ ibn Khashram Raḥimahullah (d.257 AH/871 CE) said:
رَأَيْتُ وَكِيْعًا وَمَا رَأَيْتُ بِيَدِهِ كِتَابًا قَطُّ إِنَّمَا هُوَ يَحْفَظُ فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنْ دَوَاءِ الْحِفْظِ فَقَالَ تَرْكُ الْمَعَاصِيْ مَا جَرَّبْتُ مِثْلَهُ لِلْحِفْظِ
Translation:
“I saw Wakῑ‛ [ibn al-Jarrāḥ], and I did not ever see a book in his hand, indeed, he would memorise, so I asked him with regards to the medication for memorisation, he replied, ‘[The] abandonment of sins, I have not tried anything equal [in strength] to it’” [6]
In one of the first encounters that took place between the sagacious Imām Mālik Raḥimahullah (d.179 AH/795 CE) and the revivalist phenomenon Imām al-Shāfi‛ῑ Raḥimahullah (d.204 AH/819 CE) – the former being a teacher to the latter – Imām Mālik Raḥimahullah (d.179 AH/795 CE) advised his student Imām al-Shāfi‛ῑ Raḥimahullah (d.204 AH/819 CE) with the following:
يَا مُحَمَدُ اتَّقِ اللهَ وَاجْتَنِبِ الْمَعَاصِيْ فَإِنَّهُ سَيَكُوْنُ لَكَ شَأْنٌ مِّنَ الشَّأْنِTranslation:
“Oh Muḥammad [ibn Idrῑs al-Shāfi‛ῑ], fear Allah and refrain from sins, for indeed very soon you shall hold [a position of] importance” [7]
Imām al-Shāfi‛ῑ Raḥimahullah (d.204 AH/819 CE) went on to study under Imām Mālik Raḥimahullah (d.179 AH/795 CE) for many years. During this period, Imām Mālik Raḥimahullah (d.179 AH/795 CE) imparted another essential advice to Imām al-Shāfi‛ῑ Raḥimahullah (d.204 AH/819 CE), he said:
إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدْ أَلْقَى عَلَى قَلْبِكَ نُوْرًا فَلَا تُطْفِئْهُ بِالْمَعْصِيَةِ
Translation:
“Indeed Allah the Most High the Most Exalted has placed light in your heart, so do not extinguish it with sin” [8]
We can gauge from the above that while the case for secular education may be that one is able to attain impressive grades and success simply through the medium of talent, sacred knowledge is of a higher caliber, and thus, the benchmark for success in sacred knowledge is not tied to the pedestal of talent alone; rather, the abandonment of sins also plays a huge role in the academic success of a student of sacred knowledge.
‘Allāmah Ḥārith al-Muḥāsibῑ Raḥimahullah (d.243 AH/857 CE) explains in his Risālah al-Mustarshidῑn:
وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ كَمَا لَا يُغْنِيْ ضَوْءُ النَّهَارِ الْأَعْمى كَذَلِكَ لَا يَضِيْءُ بِنُوْرِ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا أَهْلُ التُّقَى
Translation:
“Know that just as the light of the day does not benefit a blind man, in the same manner, the light of sacred knowledge does not illuminate except those people who have Allah-consciousness” [9]
🔲 Possible Methods One Can Adopt to Avoid Sins
While we have learnt the negative effects of committing sins whilst studying the sacred knowledge, we are also aware that as human beings we do, at times, commit a sin.
As students of sacred of knowledge, it is paramount that we first recognise a sin when we have committed it. We should then immediately seek sincere repentance from Allah the Almighty. After that, we should have a firm intention of never repeating the sin again.
There are various methods that one can adopt in order to avoid sinning. An effective method to avoid sinning is to ordain a penalty upon oneself every time a sin is committed. This was a practice of some of the scholars of the past.
The illustrious Egyptian student of Imām Mālik Raḥimahullah (d.179 AH/795 CE), ‘Abdullah ibn Wahab Raḥimahullah (d.197 AH/812 CE) said:
نَذَرْتُ أَنِّيْ كُلَّمَا اغْتَبْتُ إِنْسَانًا أَنْ أَصُوْمَ يَوْمًا فَأَجْهَدَنِيْ فَكُنْتُ أَغْتَابُ وَأَصُوْمُ فَنَوَيْتُ أَنِّيْ كُلَّمَا اغْتَبْتُ إِنْسَانًا أَنْ أَتَصَدَّقَ بِدِرْهَمٍ فَمِنْ حُبِّ الدَّرَاهِمِ تَرَكْتُ الْغِيْبَةَ
Translation:
“I took a vow that every time I would backbite about a person, I would fast a day. This became cumbersome for me, but I would fast and [still] backbite, so I made an intention that every time I backbite about a person I shall give one dirham into charity, thus through love of dirhams (money), I left backbiting” [10]
Al-Muthannā ibn Rajā’ Raḥimahullah said:
جَعَلَ أَبُوْ حَنِيْفَةَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ إِنْ حَلَفَ بِاللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ صَادِقًا فِيْ عَرْضِ حَدِيْثِهِ تَصَدَّقَ بِدِرْهَمٍ
Translation:
“[Imām] Abū Ḥanῑfah took it upon himself that if he took an oath in the name of Allah the Exalted, the Most High, speaking truthfully whilst presenting his speech, then he would give a dirham in charity” [11]
In the same manner, if a student is perpetually carrying out a certain sin, it is firstly important for him to recognise the ill-effects of this sin. After this, he may adopt some of the methods adopted by the illustrious scholars mentioned above, such as fasting or giving into charity every time a sin is committed.
Finally, it is also important that we sit in the company of our pious teachers and maintain a connection with them. Simply sitting in their company without any dialogue can have a profound influence upon an individual’s spiritual condition. Even this mute interaction with a pious individual can have a profound effect in the struggle against the evil whispers to commit a sin.
Qabῑṣah Raḥimahullah states:
كُنَّا نَأْتِيْ سُفْيَانَ بَعْدَ الْعَصْرِ لَا يَتَكَلَّمُ بِشَيْءٍ حَتَّى يُمْسِيَ وَلَقَدْ أَتَيْتُهُ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فَرَأَيْتُ بَابَ الْمَسْجِدِ مَرْدُوْدًا وَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّهُ لَيْسَ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ أَحَدٌ فَلَمَّا دَخَلْتُ الْمَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا الْمَسْجِدُ غَاصَ أَهْلُهُ وَهُمْ سُكُوْتٌ وَسُفْيَانَ سَاكِتٌ لَمْ يَتَكَلَّمْ
Translation:
“We used to come to Sufyān [al-Thawrῑ] after Aṣr, he would not speak at all [all the way] until nightfall. Indeed, I came one day and I saw that the door of the Masjid is closed, and so I thought that there is no one in the Masjid, when I entered, I found that the Masjid is full of people, they were silent and Sufyān was silent, he did not speak” [12]
We gleam from the above that the students of sacred knowledge would spend time – even if it did not involve dialogue – in the company of the pious scholars of their time such as Sufyān al-Thawrῑ Raḥimahullah (d.161 AH/777 CE), regarding whom Abū Yazῑd al-Ma‛na would say:
كَانَ سُفْيَانَ الثَّوْرِيُّ إِذَا أَصْبَحَ مَدَّ رِجْلَيْهِ إِلَى الْحَائِطِ وَرَأْسَهُ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ كَيْ يَرْجِعَ الدَّمُ إِلَى مَكَانِهِ مِنْ قِيَامِ اللَّيْلِ
Translation:
“When Sufyān al-Thawrῑ would wake up in the morning, he would stretch his legs towards the wall and his head towards the ground so that the blood [in his feet] may return to its original place due to his [prolonged] standing in the night prayers” [13]
The effect of accompanying the pious is also apparent from the statement of Wakῑ‛ ibn al-Jarrāḥ Raḥimahullah (d.197 AH/812 CE) who used to say with regards to the pious saint ‘Abdullah ibn Dāwūd al-Khuraybῑ Raḥimahullah (d.213 AH/828 CE):
النَّظْرُ فِيْ وَجْهِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ دَاوُدَ عِبَادَةٌ
Translation:
“A glance at the face of ‘Abdullah ibn Dāwūd is an act of worship” [14]
We pray to Allah the Almighty that He grants us the ability to refrain from sins and that He grants us the companionship of the pious. We pray that He grants us al-‘Ilm al-Nāfi‛ (beneficial knowledge).
Ameen.
( Insha’Allah, we shall be sharing essential advices for students of sacred knowledge once every month in this format )
[1] [Muslim ibn al-Hajjāj, ‘ Ṣaḥῑḥ Muslim’, (Beirut: Dār Ibn Ḥazm, 2012), pg.101, v.6]
[2] [Al-Khaṭῑb al-Baghdādῑ Raḥimahullah, ‘ Al-Jāmi‛ Li Akhlāq al-Rawῑ Wa Ādāb al-Sāmi‛’, (Beirut: Mu’assasah al-Risalah, 1996), pg.387 v.2]
[3] [Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr Raḥimahullah, ‘ Jāmi‛ Bayān Akdh al-‘Ilm Wa Faḍlihῑ’, (Qatar: Dār al-Imām al-Bukhārῑ, 2016), pg.493, v.1]
[4] [Al-Khaṭῑb al-Baghdādῑ Raḥimahullah, loc.cit.]
[5] [Mullā ‘Alῑ al-Qārῑ, ‘ Al-Athmār al-Janiyyah’ – printed at the end of ‘ Al-Jawāhir al-Muḍiyyah’, (Riyad: Dār al-Āsimah, 1412 AH), pg.485, v.2]
[6] [Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Ḥajr al-‘Asqalānῑ Raḥimahullah, ‘ Tahdhῑb al-Tahdhῑb’, (Damascus: Mu’assasah al-Risālah, 2014), pg.313, v.4][Al-Khaṭῑb al-Baghdādῑ Raḥimahullah, ‘ Al-Jāmi‛ Li Akhlāq al-Rawῑ Wa Ādāb al-Sāmi‛’, (Beirut: Mu’assasah al-Risalah, 1996), pg.387 v.2]
[7] [Imām al-Bayhaqῑ Raḥimahullah, ‘ Manāqib al-Imām al-Shāfi’ῑ’, (Egypt: Dār al-Turāth, 1970), pg.103, v.1]
[8] [Imām al-Bayhaqῑ Raḥimahullah, op. cit., pg.104 v.1]
[9] [‘Allāmah Ḥārith al-Muḥāsibῑ Raḥimahullah, ‘ Risālah al-Mustarshidῑn’, (Aleppo: Dār al-Salām, 1983), pg.160]
[10] [Ḥāfiẓ al-Dhahabῑ Raḥimahullah, ‘ Siyar A’lam al-Nubalā’, (Beirut: Mu’assasah al-Risalah, 1985), pg.228, v.9]
[11] [Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Abil ‘Awām Raḥimahullah, ‘ Faḍā’il Abū Ḥanῑfah Wa Akhbāruhu Wa Manāqibuhu’, (Makah: Al-Maktabah al-Imdadiyyah, 1430 AH), pg.50]
[12] [Ibn Abῑ Ḥātim, ‘ Al-Jarḥ wa’l-Ta‛dῑl’, (n.a: Dā’iratul Ma‛ārif al-‘Uthmāniyyah, 1952), pg.98, v.1]
[13] [Ibn Abῑ Ḥātim, ‘ Al-Jarḥ wa’l-Ta‛dῑl’, (n.a: Dā’iratul Ma‛ārif al-‘Uthmāniyyah, 1952), pg.95, v.1]
[14] [Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Abil ‘Awām Raḥimahullah, ‘ Faḍā’il Abū Ḥanῑfah Wa Akhbāruhu Wa Manāqibuhu ’, (Makah: Al-Maktabah al-Imdadiyyah, 1430 AH), pg.333]
