25. A PATHWAY FOR STUDENTS OF KNOWLEDGE
I noticed that greed causes the greedy (ham) to miss out on the intended purpose. They are many who greed (haris) after money and accumulate great wealth while still keen to increase their wealth further.
These kind of people however, do not seem to realise the purpose of money is to spend it during their lifetime and not spend lifetime earning it.
Many are those who spent their lives chasing money without enjoying it; they wasted all their lives collecting what their heirs will acquire afterwards to spend. This type of people is like what one poet said:
It is just like a silkworm that ruins itself while building (silk) that will end up being used by others.
Another form of avarice is the keen desire to collect books for there are many people who spent their entire lives in writing and compiling books (instead of benefiting from their contents). This form is found among some of the scholars of hadith who spent their entire lives copying and listening to hadiths. This group is of two types:
The type of people who busy themselves with the science of hadith and authenticating the reports without having the knowledge to be able to understand the ruling on any matter; though they may be aware of hundreds of routes for one single report!
I was informed that one of the scholars of hadith (ashab al-hadith) had heard the narrations complied in the book Juz’ of Ibn ‘Arafah from one hundred teachers and he had seventy copies of the book.
The other type compile books and hear its content without knowing the authenticity or meanings of such content as they are only proud of hearing the content of a book directly and collecting copies of these books. This is because they busied themselves with matters that diverted them from learning the important aspects of knowledge.
These types of people are as Al-Hutai’ah described in his lines of poetry:
Camels carrying the books on their backs have no knowledge
of what they carry
A camel does not know what is in the bags they carry should they step in
mud or lose the bags
You find some of them think that mastering the science of narrations alone is enough to qualify them to indulge in what is beyond their knowledge; thus when they give a fatwa they err and when they talk about the fundamentals they confuse everything.
I do not like to mention people by name, otherwise I would have narrated many stories on the confusion of some great scholars from among them but their condition is known to the verifying scholars.
If someone were to ask: Is there now a hadith that says: ‘Two kind of people whose appetite for what they love will never end: A person who seeks knowledge and a person who seeks worldly benefits?”
My response would be, ‘As for scholars, I do not say they should have enough of knowledge or suffice with some of it. Rather, I am advising them to start with gaining knowledge that is more important because an intelligent person must estimate his lifespan and work accordingly.’
Therefore, if he managed to reach the lofty’ level in knowledge that he desired before he dies, then he prepared himself well for each stage of his life— and if he could not then his intention will suffice him.
That said, once a person realises that his life is short and knowledge is abundant, then it is not appropriate for a person who seeks perfect virtues to busy his time in compiling or writing down narrations just so he can find all the routes and know every strange report.
This is more emphasised when a person is busy with compiling reports and so has no time to memorise the Qur’an, or is busy in the sciences of Qur’an but does not know the hadith, or is busy in learning the matters of dispute among scholars but does not know the evidences used to derive such rulings!”
If someone asks me, ‘Given what you said, 1 ask you to choose for me what you will choose for yourself?’
I will answer, ‘It is clear whether or not a person has vitality’ and high endeavours from a young age.’
Sufyan Ibn ‘Uyaynah said, ‘My father told me after I reached the age of fifteen: ‘You are no longer a child, so follow that which is good so you become from among the people of goodness.’ Since then, I put my father’s advice in front of me, and never swayed away from it.’
A person with self-respect and pride must refuse to be deficient when he is able not to be! Had being a Prophet been attainable through hard work, a person should not settle with being a pious noble, and if he were able to be a Caliph, he should not settle with being an Amir (a governor or leader), and if he were able to be an Angel he should not settle with being a human.
The main idea behind this is that a person must try to attain the possible levels of perfection in both knowledge and deeds, particularly when you know that life is short and knowledge is abundant.
You should therefore start with learning and memorising the Qur’an and studying its tafsir moderately so he becomes aware of the Qur’an.
Then learn the seven readings of the Qur’an and study some grammar and books of linguistics as well as the major works of hadith such as the Sahib Books, Musnad Books and Sunan Books. Thereafter you ought to know the weak narrators and the names of narrators, which is a field scholars have authored books about that suffice the students the trouble of researching.
After this, you should read books of history to learn essential things that one cannot overlook such as the lineage of the Messenger, his relatives, wives and biographies.
Then you should direct your attention towards learning fiqh; hence you should learn a Madhhab and the rulings that scholars disputed over. While investigating the matters of dispute, you should look into the sources upon which the different opinions are based such as the tafsir of ayat or hadiths or language.
You ought to study the principles of fiqh and inheritance laws as it should be noted that fiqh is the basis of all other sciences.
As for the science of the fundamentals of creed. It suffices you to look into what lead you to know the Existence of the Maker; hence if you could establish His Existence by evidence and know all that which is applicable to Him and all that which is not, and could affirm the Messengers He sent and so it is a must to accept their words.
Once this stage is complete, you have achieved the objectives of this science. If you have more time, then let it be in fiqh matters because it is the most beneficial. And if you are able to write books then you will leave behind good successors while ensuring taking the means to marry and have a child.
A person must understand that this life is a passing stage and so he should heed to learn how to worship and build a connection or relationship with Allah, Most High, for the knowledge that he acquired must direct him towards Him. Once a person seeks knowing Allah sincerely and learns how to build a connection or relationship with Him, he is then most likely to be placed into the state of pious nobility. And Whoever Allah chooses will be given guidance.
There are some people whom Allah looks after and nurtures (i.e. during their childhood and young age). He furnishes them with intellect to discipline them and sound understanding to straighten them.
Then, He takes care of educating them and facilitates the means whereby they become closer to Him. To this end, He protects them from all attempts to sway them from His path, and repels temptations away from them.
I ask Allah to make us from them.
I seek refuge with Allah from being let down and failure
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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