Sunday, January 5, 2014

Excellence and Virtues of Scholars and Du'aat.

Virtues of Scholars – People of Knowledge

The people of knowledge are the leaders of this earth, they are the lights and lamps, and they have been preferred above everyone else. They direct the people to the way of happiness, they guide them to the means of salvation, they lead them to that which pleases Allah, the Majestic and Sublime, and His Mercy, and keep them far from that which evokes His Anger and punishment. They are the heirs of Prophets, as Prophet Muhammad (saws) informed us emphasizing the excellence of the people of knowledge.

He (saws) said: “…The superiority of the knowledgeable man over the worshipper in Islam, is like the superiority of the full moon over the rest of the planets. And the scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets, but the Prophets did not leave behind wealth but they left behind knowledge. And whoever takes firm hold of this is a very fortunate man." [Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, Tirmidhi] 
The message of this Hadith is truly profound. As we all know, worship is a praiseworthy act in Islam. However, it dulls in comparison to practicing with knowledge, as is obvious from the above-mentioned Hadith.

Allah has honored and extolled those who posses knowledge, and raised their status high, He made them bear witness to His Oneness with sincerity and devotion. He reminds us of the exalted status that is bestowed upon them saying: “Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe and those who have been granted knowledge.” [Mujadilah 58:11] 

Regarding their virtues Allah says: “Allah (Himself) bears witness that La ilaha illa huwa (none has the right to be worshipped but He) and the Angels and those having knowledge (also give this witness).” [Aal-Imran 3:18]

The above mentioned verse shows the superiority of knowledge and its people, the following points can be referred from this verse:

1. Allah chose the people of knowledge (Oolul ’ilm) to bear witness to His Oneness (Tawheed: La ilaha illa Allah) over and above the rest of His creation.

2. Allah honored the people of knowledge by mentioning their testimony along with His testimony.

3. He raised the status of the scholars by associating their testimony with the testimony of the angels.

4. This verse bears witness to the superiority of those who posses knowledge because Allah does not make any of His creation bear witness except the upright amongst them. There is a well-known narration from the Prophet Muhammad (saws): “The upright in every generation will carry the knowledge, rejecting the distortion of the extremists, the false claims of the liars, and the false interpretation of the ignorant.” [Declared Hasan by Shaykh Saleem al-Hilaalee]

5. Allah the One free from all defects, Himself bears witness to His Oneness, and He is the greatest witness. Then, He chose from His creation the angels and the scholars – this is sufficient to show their excellence.

6. Allah made the scholar bear witness with the greatest and the most excellent testimony: “La ilaha illa Allaah.” We know this because Allah, the One free from all defects and the Most High does not bear witness except to matters of great importance and only the greatest of Allah’s creation bear witness to this.

7. Allah made the testimony of the people of knowledge a proof against the rejecters. Thus, they are its proof and its signs, indicating His Oneness (Tawheed).

8. Allah, the Most High, used a single verb (shahadah) to refer to His testimony and the testimony of the Angels and the scholars. He did not use additional verb for their testimony: thus he connected their testimony to His. This show the strong link between their testimony and Allah of testimony, as if He bore witness to His Oneness upon their tongue and made them utter this testimony.

9. Allah, the One free from all defects made the scholars fulfill His right (that none has the right to be worshipped but Him) through this testimony and if they fulfill it, then they have fulfilled and established this right of Allah upon them. Then, it is obligatory upon mankind to accept this right of Allah upon them. Then it is obligatory upon mankind to accept this final return, this testimony, which, is the means to reach happiness in this life and in their final return (to Allah). Whosoever takes this guidance from the scholars and accepts this truth because of their testimony, then for the scholars there is a reward equal to them. And none knows the value of this rewards but Allah.
The Most High explained clearly that there is none equal to them: “Say: Are those who know equal with those who know not? It is only men of understanding that will remember (i.e. get lesson from Allah’s Signs and Verses)” [Az-Zumar 39:9] 
And the Mighty and Majestic distinguished the people of Knowledge from the ignorant. He (swt) said: “Shall he then who knows that what has been revealed unto you (O Muhammad (saws) from your Lord is the truth be like him who is blind? But it is only the men of understanding that pay heed.” [Ar-Raa’d 13:19] 

Therefore, the people of knowledge and the ignorant are not alike. There is an immense difference between the knowledgeable and the ignorant. It is the difference between one who knows the truth and obtains insight through its light and acts accordingly to its guidance until he meets his Lord achieving success with nobility, and the on who is blind to this way and follows his desires taking the path of Shaytan. 

The Excellence of the Caller and Calling to the Path of Salvation 
Allah praises the one who invites with knowledge in His Book, He (swt) said: “And who is better in speech than he who invites to Allah and does good deeds ...” [Fussilat 41:33] 

Prophet (saws) supplicated for him who spreads the Deen of Allah, saying: “May Allah be well pleased with the servant who heard our words, remembered them, retained them well and then passed them on to others.” [Shafi'i reported it and also Bayhaqi in Al-Madkhal and Al-Tirmidhi 228] 

Allah's Messenger (saws) said: “When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays for him (for the deceased)” [Muslim] 

Prophet Muhammad (saws) pointed towards the superiority of calling and inviting people to the path of salvation, saying (to Ali (ra)): “If Allah guides a man through your help, it is better (for you) than red camels. (Red camels at that time were from among the people's most precious possession.) [Bukhari and Muslim] 

Once, when Allah's Messenger (saws) happened to pass by two groups (of Muslims) in the mosque, he (saws) said: “Both of them are good, but one is superior to the other. One group is supplicating Allah and praying Him. If He so wills He will confer upon them and if He so wills He will withhold. So far as those who are acquiring the understanding of religion and its knowledge and are busy in teaching the ignorant, they are superior. Verily, I have been sent as a teacher. He then sat down amongst them.” [Al-Tirmidhi, 257] 

Those who acquire knowledge and then spread it are the most generous after Allah and His Messenger (saws), he (saws) said: “Do you know who is most generous? They said: ‘Allah and His Messenger (saws) know best. Whereupon he said: ‘Allah is the Most Generous, then I am most generous to mankind and the most generous people after me would be those who will acquire knowledge and then disseminate (spread) it. He will come on the Day of Resurrection singly, like a ruler, or he said: As a single Ummah. [Al-Tirmidhi, 259] 

The Messenger of Allah (saws) emphasized the reward for a Dai’ee, due to whom people benefit and perform good deeds. He (saws) said: “Whoever guides or directs to good, then he gets the same amount of blessing as the one who does it." [Muslim] 

He (saws) also brought to our attention the punishment of him, who conceals his knowledge, saying: “Whoever acquires knowledge and keeps it concealed, Allah will bridle (check, control) him with a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection.” [Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, At-Tirmidhi]

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