Is knowledge hinged on certificates?

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullah,

This is a short treatise relating to this question. In case my dear readers are wondering why I have not written for a long time it is because I have began focusing on compiling the statements of the scholars rather than bring them piecemeal. By doing this there is two main benefits

1) The reader would be able to access the statements on the scholars on a particular subject rather than search for long hours on the internet.

2) The reader would gain understanding of the statements of the scholars. This is because the people of desires take the statements of our scholars and change its meanings to suit their desires.

May Allah bring benefit through this first document.

Is a degree an evidence for knowledge

Know the levels of those you seek knowledge from

Shaikh Ahmad Ibn ‘Umar Al Baazmool said:

Not everyone who appears in front of the people and speaks in front of them is qualified to be a scholar. This is because those who appear in front of the people are at different levels:

From them are those at the level of the scholars who give verdicts unrestrictedly. And they are those who are the people of Fatwa and who are returned to in current affaits.

And from them are those who are at the level of the scholars who give verdicts on specific matters.

And from them are those who are the level of the students of knowledge who have not reached the level of the scholars.

And from them are those general folk who learnt something small from knowledge and came forth to give sermons and da’wah.

And from them: those who knowledge is never taken from.

Therefore these levels must be known in order that we obtain the ability to differentiate between them. And it is upon us to know that not everyone who appears in-front of the people is qualified to give them Fatwa.”

Al Mu’een Li Tawdeeh Al Ma’ani Athar Ibn Sireen (pg 49)

Shaikh Ahmad Bazmool mentioned that he benefitted from his brother, Muhammad Bazmool, regarding this point.

Envy between students of knowledge.

Without doubt much of what has taken place in terms of the splitting and disunity among the callers in the west is due to envy. And this envy without doubt leads to deviance. A Muslim only has to read about what took place between Iblees (لعنة الله عليه) and Aadam to understand that point that I just mentioned.

I would like to leave the readers with some wise words by Ibn Qudama Al Maqdisi pertaining to this issue:

“There is no envy between two people except to struggle for status. He therefore becomes envious of everyone in the world who competes with him in the matter which he takes pride in. And the origin of all of this is THE LOVE OF THE DUNYA because the Dunya is that which restricts those two who compete. As for the hereafter there is no restriction in it. Therefore, the one who loves to know Allah, his angels , his Prophets and what he possesses in heaven and earth, he would not become envious of other than him if he has knowledge of this.

Because knowledge does not restrict the ones who have knowledge, rather what is known by one is known by one million scholars, and he is happy that others know. For this reason we do not find that there is jealousy between the scholars of the religion. Because they wish to know Allah and this IS A SPACIOUS OCEAN AND THERE IS NO RESTRICTION IN THIS. And their goal is to get a station with Allah, and there is no restriction with what Allah possesses. 

Because the greatest thing that is with Allah is the pleasure of meeting him. And there is neither prevention nor crowd (meaning that every believer would have the pleasure of seeing him without crowding together), and some who see him cannot restrict others. Rather he is happy when there are many of them. Except if the scholars want by knowledge wealth and position they become envious of each other. “

Another point he likened it to:

” And for this reason you never see people crowding to see the beauty of the sky because it is wide and all can see it. Therefore, it is upon you if you are merciful to yourself to seek a pleasure where there is no crowding in it (meaning piety and doing that which pleases Allah.”

Minhaaj Us Qaasideen page 237.

Food for thought indeed.

Importance of Walaa and Baraa

The distinguished carrier of the flag of Jarh Wa Ta’deel in this time- even if the noses of others are turned up- the Muhaddith Ash Shaikh Rabee’ As Sunnah, may Allah preserve him, said:

May Allah give us and you his guidance and may he return us and you to the Manhaj of the Salaf Us Salih. Because verily, by Allah, there is a divide here between us and the Manhaj of the Salaf Us Salih, I ask Allah to return us to it.

And from the most important of it is allegiance and disassociation (Walaa Wal Baraa) as the Messenger said: “The most sturdy handhold of Imaan is loving for Allah and hating for Allah.” So at this time is this principle existant within us or did others take it away from us?

The principle of love and hate for Allah is this existant now in us?
Is everyone upon this? No by Allah… the current situation, and we know that now that the biggest testimony to this is that we don’t take this current situation seriously. Not so?

We felt this with our hands now that we find our youths with the people of innovations, those who have gone beyond the bounds and are oppressors… therefore is this Walaa and Baraa (for Allah’s sake)?

The statement of the Messenger is a proof upon us where he said: “Verily the souls are like platoons, whichever one knows the other will unite and whichever one dislikes the other it will disagree, a person is with whom he loves and they will be raised with such people. They loved them and their hearts and souls united with them and their hearts and souls have become distant with many of the Salafis.

Therefore my brothers we have to repent to Allah because we have done major oppresion and we have entered into a dangerous deviation therefore we have to return to Allah and return to the truth and return to the chapters of Walaa and Baraa and learn them my dear brothers.

And from the books dealing with this are:

• Khalq ‘Afaal Al ‘Ibaad by Imam Al Bukhari and look at the stance of the Salaf toward the people of innovation.
• And also Al I’tisaam by Imam Ash Shatibi
• The Sunnah by Abdillah Ibn Ahmad
• Ash Sharee’ah by Al Ajurri,
• Sharh Usuul Al ‘Itiqaad Ahlus Sunnah by Al Lalakaaee
• The Ibanatain (As Sughra and Al Kubrah) by Ibn Battah.

The one who does not read these books will not recieve clarity in understanding the Manhaj of the Salaf especially in the chapters of Walaa and Baraa. The enemies of Salafeeyah have wiped off the topic of Walaa and Baraa, they have wiped it clean off from the pages of the Salafi Manhaj therefore we have to return to this topic and learn it and preserve it and follow the way of the Salaf Us Salih may Allah be pleased with them.

Source: Tape: The effect of the Book and the Sunnah; side 2 from 37:53-40:16

I (Musa Millington) say: It is so true when the Shaikh said:

We find our youths with the people of innovations, those who have gone beyond the bounds and are oppressors

To add, Shaikh ‘Abdul ‘Azeez Rayyis mentioned that from the reasons by which a person may go astray is because he does not read the books of the Salaf. And from those which are available in English are:

1. The Explanation of the Creed : Imam Al Barbahari

2. The foundations of the Sunnah: Imam Ahmad

3. The belief of the people of the Sunnah the people of Hadeeth: Imam As Sabuuni.

4. The Belief of the Raaziyain.

And others.

Does a Muslim stay away from Fitan At all times?

ال الإمام ابن باز -رحمه الله تعالى- في أحد إملاءاته:

Al Imam Ibn Baaz said in one of his writings:

Understanding the Hadeeth concerning Fitnah (Trials, Tribulations)

From Abdul Azeez Ibn Abdillah Ibn Baaz to the noble brother the Shaikh… may Allah guide him to which he is pleased with and increase him in knowledge and Imaan. Ameen

Assalamu Alaikum Wa Rahmatullahi Wa Barakaatuhu,

You letter dates 24/Muharram 1411 has reached me, may Allah make you arrive to his guidance, and I checked all that you mentioned. And it makes me happy to inform you that the Ahadeeth concerning Fitnah and warning from it according to the people of knowledge are the Fitan (trials) where the one who is correct is not known from the one who is wrong and it is upon the believer to stay away from it. And it is what the Prophet meant when he said: The one who is sitting is better than the one who is standing, and the one who is walking is better than the one who is running…
As for the trails where the one who is right is known from the one who is wrong and the oppressor from the oppresed this does not enter in the aforementioned Ahadeeth. But evidences of the Shariah from the book and the Sunnah show that it is compulsory to help the one who is correct and oppressed upon the one who trangresses and oppresses. And from this is what happened between Ali and Mu’awiyah Radiallaho Anhuma. For the one who was correct according to Ahlus Sunnah was Ali and he was a Mujtahid who got two rewards. And Mu’aawiyah and those who were with him were wrong but they were Mujtahidoon, those who looked for the truth, and they have one reward, may Allah be pleased with all of them.

قال الإمام ابن باز -رحمه الله تعالى- في أحد إملاءاته:

(مفهوم الأحاديث المتعلقة بالفتن)

من عبد العزيز بن عبد الله بن باز إلى حضرة الأخ المكرم فضيلة الشيخ : ع ، ح ، خ . وفقه الله لما فيه رضاه وزاده من العلم والإيمان آمين .

سلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته ، أما بعد :

فقد وصلني كتابكم الكريم المؤرخ في 24 / محرم / 1411 هـ وصلكم الله بهداه ، واطلعت على جميع ما ذكرتم .

ويسرني أن أخبركم أن الأحاديث المتعلقة بالفتن والتحذير منها محمولة عند أهل العلم على الفتن التي لا يعرف فيها المحق من المبطل فهذه الفتن المشروع للمؤمن الحذر منها ، وهي التي قصدها النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بقوله : القاعد فيها خير من القائم والماشي خير من الساعي الحديث .

أما الفتن التي يعرف فيها المحق من المبطل والظالم من المظلوم فليست داخلة في الأحاديث المذكورة بل قد دلت الأدلة الشرعية من الكتاب والسنة على وجوب نصر المحق والمظلوم على الباغي والظالم .

ومن هذا الباب ما جرى بين علي ومعاوية رضي الله عنهما . فإن المصيب عند أهل السنة هو علي وهو مجتهد وله أجران . ومعاوية ومن معه مخطئون وبغاة عليه لكنهم مجتهدون طالبون للحق فلهم أجر واحد رضي الله عن الجميع .

http://www.aloloom.net/vb/showthread.php?t=2580