Fadl al-Ilm as-Salaf ala Ilm Mun Khalaf (Pt.8): A Comparison Between Beneficial and Non-Beneficial Knowlegde

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-The difference between knowing Allaah and knowing the commands of Allaah is that knowing Allah doesn't necessarily mean a person knows what Allah wants from him.

Therefore we must learn what is beneficial knowledge:

-Signs of non-beneficial knowledge:

1. It has no benefit in and of itself or on his actions and manners.

2. It doesn’t distance him from the Dunya.

3. His Dua are not answered.

4. No one benefits from him.

-Signs of beneficial knowledge:

1. They are humble and don’t depend on what they’ve done and learned to think they are secure and have had it accepted – the more they learn the more humble they become.

2. Their Dua is accepted and receive support.

3. They leave the love of the Dunya.

4. Such people have the best of thoughts of Allaah and only get pleased or angered for His Sake.

5. He recognises his own faults and has a clean heart towards others.

6. He is not pleased with praises from people.

End of treatise. 
And Allah Knows best. 
May the Peace and Blessings of Allah be upon the Messenger, his family and Companions.

Fadl al-Ilm as-Salaf ala Ilm Mun Khalaf (Pt.7): What is Beneficial Knowledge?

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-We know a person is blessed and knowledgeable when he doesn’t spend his time debating and chasing people’s mistakes. Rather he has Fiqh and ‘Amal (righteous actions).

  

-Beneficial knowledge is to understand the religion, Aqeedah, Tafsir and Fiqh, with the Fiqh and Kalam of the Salaf.

-Ibn Rajab said from the dangers of knowledge is to leave Qiyas in Furoo (peripheral areas), but to use it also use it in Usool (fundamental areas). For example, Ibn Hazm rejected Qiyaas in Furoo but used it in Usool.

-One cannot benefit from the religion if his manners aren’t exemplary, likewise a person who has innovations but good manners hasn’t benefited from the religion.

-Beneficial knowledge has two fruits: 1) knowing Aqeedah properly and acting upon it in his eternal and external acts of worship, and 2) knowing what Allaah Loves and Hates.

-The one with knowledge has fear of Allaah in his manners and statements and actions, thus shows modesty and humility.

Fadl al-Ilm as-Salaf ala Ilm Mun Khalaf (Pt.6): Aqidah and Fiqh (and How to Deal with Differences)

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-Ibn Rajab then goes on to affirm the Aqeedah of the Salaf in not asking Kayf, or making Ta’weel, or Ta’weel or Tahreef or Tamtheel. Rather we take its meaning and not ask how - this is not beneficial knowledge.

Shaykh Muhammad said in commentary: therefore Ilm al-Mantiq (philosophy) and anything that stems from it is harmful knowledge.

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-In issues of differences of opinion in Fiqh, we are commanded to follow the truth and what we think is the closest. It is not proper to use all of ones time to research all the various views without conclusion, this was not the way of the Salaf.

Commentary: 

True, we must know areas of difference of opinion and areas of Ijma, as the Salaf didn’t allow anyone giving Fatwaa without this. But the point is we don’t busy ourselves with trying to find out what everyone says.

-We know a person is blessed and knowledgeable when he doesn’t spend his time debating and chasing people’s mistakes. Rather he is Fiqh and ‘Amal.

Fadl al-Ilm as-Salaf ala Ilm Mun Khalaf (Pt.5): Astronomy and Nahw

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-It's permissible to learn astronomy if it serves a purpose, such as learning distances and times. However if a person believes the stars has a benefit in themselves or it will lead to false beliefs then this is Haram; this is the view of Ibn Abbas, Abu Haneefah, Ishaq, Qatadah and others.

For example, if a person sees a road sign and it gives a distance to a particular place, no one would say that this would be Haram unless if a person takes the road sign as something that in and of itself can give information or benefit. 

Therefore, astronomy has three rulings:

-Shirk, if it leads to false beliefs and acts of worship.

-Haram, to learn it for the sake of learning it.

-Permissible, to learn routes and time periods:

'And landmarks (signposts, etc. during the day) and by the stars (during the night), they (mankind) guide themselves.' (16:16) 

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-Abu Ubayd, bin Muthanna, Ahmad and others all said studying Arabic in too much detail is not allowed as it distracts a person from what is of greater importance.

Qasim bin Khaybarah said, "The first of it is hard and the last of it a distraction." 

Ibn Rajabc quotes Ibn al-‘Arabi saying, "Learning Nahw is like salt on food".

Shaykh Muhammad said in commentary: 

Therefore, we only need enough of Nahw to understand the religion as a tool. This goes for all sciences as we don't have need to go into detail into all disciplines. 

Fadl al-Ilm as-Salaf ala Ilm Mun Khalaf (Pt.4): Signs of Beneficial Knowledge

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-the sign of a person with knowledge is that he doesn't speak with that which will harm him and not benefit, otherwise he will be worse than the Jaahil

-those magicians who became Muslim after seeing the miracle of Musa became Muslim because they witnessed an Ayah of Allaah and Eman entered their hearts. Therefore, all knowledge isn't beneficial, it's only that will make one accept Emaan and benefit.

-Ibn Rajab lists different topics that are beneficial to learn, including Arabic, lineage and astronomy. However, the benefit is limited and if one exceeds then it will become harmful knowledge. Thus, these aren't absolutely beneficial (Mutlaq).

Fadl al-Ilm as-Salaf ala Ilm Mun Khalaf (Pt.3): Types of Knowledge

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-Knowledge is of four types:

1. Beneficial knowledge and benefits a person.

‘Is then he who is a believer like him who is Fasiq (disbeliever and disobedient to Allah)? Not equal are they’ (32:18)

2. Beneficial but he doesn't benefit himself, this knowledge is good but the blame is the one who doesn't practice.

‘The likeness of (some of) those who were entrusted with the Tawrah, but who subsequently failed in those (obligations), is as the likeness of a donkey who carries huge burdens of books (but understands nothing from them). How bad is the example of people who deny the proofs of Allah. And Allah guides not the people who are criminals’ (62:5)

3. Not beneficial and doesn't benefit but harms him:

‘but neither of these two (angels) taught anyone (such things) till they had said, "We are only for trial, so disbelieve not (by learning this magic from us)." And from these (angels) people learn that by which they cause separation between man and his wife, but they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah's Leave’ (2:102)

Here, Allah describes black magic as being a type of knowledge but negated any benefit in it and affirmed it as being something harmful.

4. Not beneficial but no harm, like learning lineages, as long as it doesn't destruct his Akhirah 

Fadl al-Ilm as-Salaf ala Ilm Mun Khalaf (Pt. 2): About The Book

Follow @AhleDhikr The reason why this book is important:

-One can only be an Imam if he follows the Imams before him, this as Allah, the Most High, says:

وَالَّذِينَ يَقُولُونَ رَبَّنَا هَبْ لَنَا مِنْ أَزْوَاجِنَا وَذُرِّيَّاتِنَا قُرَّةَ أَعْيُنٍ وَاجْعَلْنَا لِلْمُتَّقِينَ إِمَامًا

'And those who say: "Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring who will be the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders for the pious"' (25:74)

The methodology of the Book:

-The book is split into three:

1.      What's beneficial knowledge and what is not

2.      How to act upon it

3.      What's are the characteristics of a scholar

And Allah Knows best (to be continued...)

'The Virtues of The Knowledge Possessed By The Salaf Over The Knowledge Possessed By Those After Them' (فضل العلم السلف على علم الخلف) [Part 1]

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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

This tab will display a series of notes taken from the explanation of the extremely valuable book, 'The Virtues of The Knowledge Possessed By The Salaf Over The Knowledge Possessed By Those After Them' (فضل العلم السلف على علم الخلف), authored by Imam Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali. The explanation was delivered by the noble scholar, Shaykh Muhammad Hisham Tahiri in which he gives valuable benefits.

I ask Allah to make this beneficial for the author, commentator and the translator and that it helps to serve Islam and the Muslims.