Imam Nawawi (r) - Seeker of Knowledge

Imam Nawawi (r) - Seeker of Knowledge

A student should learn & practice the etiquettes that a seeker of knowledge should possess & implement in order to reap the benefits from the ilm that he gains. First & foremost it is important to purify our intentions for the sake of Allah (swt) & the fundamental of seeking knowledge is Taqwa, fear of Allah (swt) & being aware of Him at all times. Taqwa is the driving force & should always lead us towards achieving goodness with Ihsaan & perfection.

“Oh you who believe if you obey and fear Allaah, He will grant you a criterion.”[1]

As seekers of Islamic Knowledge one must study the lives of our pious predecessors. Imam Al-Nawawi is one such example from whose life one can learn the beautiful etiquettes. He was from a simple & modest family. His father was known to be a God-fearing & pious man who always taught his family to a avoid eating anything which is forbidden.[2]

“Verily, Allah is good & accepts that which is good.”[3]

He memorized the entire Qur’an at a young age. When other children used to ask him to come & play he would not do so & would reply by saying that he has not been created to play. From a very young age his heart was not attached to this world & he knew the importance of time. He would always be contemplating & reflecting.

Imam Al Nawawi had a beautiful character. Even though he longed to go in the search of knowledge his father wanted him to stay & help him in his work. Even as a child he did not rebel & with patience and perseverance displayed his dedication & zeal for seeking knowledge. It was due to his patience that his father then encouraged him & sent him to Damascus.[4]

He studied in Madrasa Ar Rawahiyay in Damascus. This was not just any Madrasa but a well known Madrasa. As a seeker of knowledge we should gain knowledge from the learned Shuyukh following the path of the Prophet (peace be upon him) & reputable Institutes. When a seeker of knowledge travels for the sake of seeking knowledge that shows their sincerity for travelling especially at that time meant sacrifice & commitment. A Seeker of Knowledge should be ready to commit his time & resources in obtaining knowledge.[5]

He would study for 12 hours each day, a subject every hour. This showed that as a student of knowledge he knew the value of time & the importance of this sacred knowledge that he was gaining. Due to his dedication & hard work he achieved scholarship within a span of 6 years. Imam Nawawi’s thirst for knowledge was so great that for the first 2 years he did not sleep on his bed but if he got tired would keep his head down and sleep on his books. He would always be studying, revising, reading & writing.

One of the most beneficial things that a student of knowledge can do for this ummah is by writing. Imam Al Nawawi wrote profusely & even till now we can see his beautiful work in the form of Riyad us Saliheen, Arbaeen an Nawawi, At Tibyan, Kitab al Adhkaar, Rawhatal Talibeen etc. His fear of Allah (swt) & adherence to the Sunnah was great. He once called his student & took an oath from him that he would destroy around a 1000 treatise that he had written for he was unsure of his work & its quality.[6]

 

Imam al Nawawi did not get married as he feared that he would be unable to fulfill her rights. He was known for his piety, asceticism & sincerity. He was given the title of Mohyadeen, reviver of the sciences which he disliked & did not like people to call him with this title. Those seeking knowledge should always check their level of sincerity & keep away from riyaa. They should also be humble & should fear for riyaa to set in their intentions.

“Anyone who calls me Mohyadeen, I will not forgive him.”[7]

He is also known for his austerity.[8] The only clothing that he had was a turban & a long gown. He would only eat cake & olives that his father would send as he was very particular about the purity of what he ate. He would not indulge in any matter in which there was the slightest of doubt. He was even known for his modesty as he did not allow his students to serve him. On the other hand he taught, cared & served his students. One can see his hard work through his works & his students some of whom later became scholars.

A Seeker of knowledge should always be aware of Allah (swt). Imam Nawawi did not fear the rulers & would always stand with what is right & stand firmly against the wrong. He not only opposed wrong through his actions but also wrote against the innovations that were prevalent in his works. A seeker of knowledge should fulfill their job description of encouraging that which is good & forbidding that which is evil by all the means which one has in the best of ways.

Scholar of hadith Abu Al-Abbas ibn Faraah stated about Imam Nawawi:

"The shaikh had reached the top in three areas. Every one of these areas is such that a person should be willing to mount his camel and travel in order to seek it. One is the level he attained when it comes to knowledge. The second is the level he attained when it comes to asceticism. And the third is the level he attained in ordering good and eradicating evil."[9]

A Seeker of knowledge should purify his intentions for the sake of Allah (swt), should be strong when it comes to their levels of sincerity & should humble themselves before Allah (swt). They must love & fear Allah (swt). Allah (swt) blesses those who loves him with sincerity & establishes for them love in the hearts of others. These etiquettes enable the seeker to reap maximum benefits from the knowledge that he gain & he must remember that everything he gains is from Allah (swt) & not because of himself.

---

[1] (www.Quran.com, (8:29))

[2] (Commentary on the 40 Hadith of Al Nawawi, pg 11)

[3] (Sunan Al-Tirmidhi)

[4] (Sacred Scrolls, Al Maghrib Institute)

[5] (http://www.muslimcentralaudio.com/navaid-aziz-biography-imam-al-nawawi/)

[6] (http://www.muslimcentralaudio.com/navaid-aziz-biography-imam-al-nawawi/)

[7] (Sacred Scrolls, Al Maghrib Institute)

[8] (Zarabozo)

[9] (Zarabozo)

Ar-Riya'- The Inconspicuous Shirk

Ar-Riya’

Ash-Shirk Al-Asghar – Minor Shirk

The Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said:

"Shall I not tell you what I fear for you more than the false Messiah?" The Companions (May Allah be pleased with him) said, "Indeed, O Messenger of Allah," He said, "Inconspicuous Shirk,

as, when a person improves his rendering of the Salat when he knows that others are watching."[1]

Ar-Riya’

Ar- Riya’ is the practice of performing any of the various forms of worship in order to be seen and praised by people. This sin destroys all the benefits that lie in righteous deeds & brings on the one who commits it a serious punishment. Doing religious acts to impress people or in order to be praised by them is, therefore, an evil which deserves man’s utmost caution. This danger is really significant to the believers, whose goal is to make all the acts of their lives religious acts dedicated to God.

The likelihood that knowledgeable true believers would commit ash-Shirk Al-Akbar is small, since its pitfalls are so obvious. But for the true believer, like everyone else, the chance of committing RIya’ is great because it is so hidden. It only involves the simple act of changing one’s intention.

“Shirk is more hidden than a black ant creeping on a black stone in the middle of a moonless night.”

Intention

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Surely all actions are but driven by intentions and, verily, every man shall have but that which he intended.”[2]

This hadith is one of the most comprehensive hadith of the Prophet (peace be upon him). This hadith is considered one half of Islam because the religion concerns both the internal and the external. The deeds are the external aspect & the intention behind them is the internal aspect.

It is also considered to be covering 1/3^rd of Knowledge because the person earns rewards with his heart, tongue & body. Thus intention is involved in one of these 3 components.[3]

Intention is the intent & resolve in the heart. Imam Suyooti, may Allah have mercy upon him said, “Intention describes the driving force in the heart.” Intention is not just a thought but it is a determination, want & aspiration to do something. Niyyah is also referred to as the intent in the heart that must accompany & precede any act of worship.

Hypocrisy in Ones Intention

“And woe to those who make show of their deeds..”[4]

The Prophet (May the peace and blessing of Allah be upon him) said:

“The first to be judged on the day of resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought forward and Allah(swt) will remind him of the blessings He had bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask him: ‘What did you do with those blessings?’ The man will reply: ‘I fought for Your sake until I was martyred.’ Allah will say, ‘You have lied! You fought so that the people would call you courageous and they have done so.’ Allah’s command, with regards to him, will be issue and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.

“Next a man who had acquired and imparted knowledge and read the Qur’an will be brought forward. Allah will remind him of the blessings He bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. Then He will ask, ‘what did you do with those blessings?’ The man will reply: ‘I acquired knowledge and taught it and recited the Qur’an for Your sake.’ Allah will say to him, ‘You have lied! You acquired knowledge so the people would call you a scholar and you recited the Qur’an so they would call you a recited and they have done so.’ A command will then be issued regarding him and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.

“Next a man whom Allah had granted affluence and much wealth, will be brought forward and Allah will remind him of the blessings He bestowed upon him and the man will acknowledge them. He will ask him, ‘What did you do with those blessings?’ The man will reply ‘I did not neglect any of the ways you liked wealth to be spent except that I spent it for Your sake.’ Allah will say to him: ‘You have lied! You did it so the people would call you generous and they have done so.’ And a command will be issued regarding him and he will be dragged on his face and thrown into Hell.”[5]

Trait of a Hypocrite- Showing off ones deeds

“Indeed, the hypocrites [think to] deceive Allah, but He is deceiving them. And when they stand for prayer, they stand lazily, showing [themselves to] the people and not remembering Allah except a little”[6]

Allah the Most Exalted said:

"Whosoever desires the life of the world and its glitter; to them we shall pay in full (the

wages of) their deeds therein and they will have no diminution therein. They are those for whom there is nothing in the Hereafter but the Fire; and vain are the deeds they did therein. And of no effect is that which they used to do."[7]

Causes of Riya’

The primary cause of riyaa is weak imaan. When a person does not have strong faith in Allaah-- no matter how much they pretend to have it in the eyes of others-- he or she will prefer the admiration of people, or of a certain person, over the pleasure of Allaah.

1)      Weakness of Imaan

2)      Lack of God-Consciousness

3)    Lack of knowledge about Riya’

4)    To avoid criticism

Symptoms of Riya’

1)      To show off - To be seen of men

       Allah the Al-Mighty says:

     “And do not be like those who came forth from their homes insolently and to be seen by people       and avert [them] from the way of Allah. And Allah is encompassing of what they do.”[8]

2)      Love of Praise

The Prophet of Allah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

“Three things destroy: desires that are followed, greediness that is obeyed, and a person’s self-admiration and conceit: and this is the worst of the three!”[9] 

Allah the Al-Mighty says:

“And never think that those who rejoice in what they have perpetrated and like to be praised for what they did not do - never think them [to be] in safety from the punishment, and for them is a painful punishment.”[10]

3)      Laziness towards acts of worship

Being lazy regarding acts of worship when one is alone but not when he is within people.

Delaying the obligatory acts of worship, lacking the enthusiasm for worship, and public performance of good deeds are also warning signs of Riya’.

`Ali Ibn `Abi Talib (May Allah be pleased with him) said, "There are three signs for the one who works to be shown by people: Inactivity when alone and activity before people, love for estimation and abhorrence to criticism."

4)      Reacting to Praise

Increasing in one’s good deeds when one is praised for them and decreasing in them when one is not praised

Consequences & Effects of Riya’

1)      Riyaa’ renders good deeds void and unacceptable turning them into sins

Allah the Al-Mighty says:

“O you who have believed, do not invalidate your charities with reminders or injury as does one who spends his wealth [only] to be seen by the people and does not believe in Allah and the Last Day. His example is like that of a [large] smooth stone upon which is dust and is hit by a downpour that leaves it bare. They are unable [to keep] anything of what they have earned. And Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.”[11]

2)      An act of worship intended for other than Allah will bear witness against the person on the Day of Judgment and he will be subject to punishment for this very deed.

3)      The one who sought the pleasure and praise of others will be disgraced on the Day of Judgment.

The Messenger of Allah(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said,

“He who acts to show off, and he who does good deeds so that people might esteem him, Allah will expose his hidden intentions before all people on the Day of Resurrection.”[12]

Curing Riya’

1)      Purify your intentions

2)      When riya’ creeps in & you are able to ward off the idea of showing off and do not give in to it, rather you should turn away from it and hate it. This does not have any effect on your reward or intention, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Allaah has forgiven my ummah for what crosses their minds, so long as they do not act upon it or speak of it.”

3)      Acquiring knowledge about this disease of the heart so that you can diagnose yourself with it when it occurs

4)      Concealing acts of worship and not doing them openly is better than doing them openly and announcing them.

Allah the Al-Mighty says:

“If you disclose your Sadaqat(alms-giving), it is well, but if you conceal it, and give it to the poor, that is better for you. Allah will forgive you some of your sins. And Allah is well acquainted with what you do.”[13]

Ibn Katheer (may Allah have mercy on him) said: The words “but if you conceal it, and give it to the poor, that is better for you” indicate that giving charity in secret is better than giving it openly, because that is further removed from showing off, unless giving it openly will serve a greater purpose by setting an example for people, in which case it is better in that respect.[14]

The Sunnah indicates that it is better to offer the superagotary prayers at home. The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “You should pray in your houses, for the best of a man’s prayer is in his house, apart from the obligatory prayers.”[15]

5)      Intending the face of Allah(swt) when performing the deed –Sincerity

Ibn Mas'ood said: "Do not learn knowledge for three reasons: to amaze and confound the foolish, to argue with the learned and to make people's faces turn towards you. Rather, seek what is with Allah with your hearts and actions, since only that will remain and whatever is besides it will go."[16] 

6)      Make Dua

The Prophet taught the specific dua for Riya:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أُشْرِكَ بِكَ وَأَنَا أَعْلَمُ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُكَ لِمَا لَا أَعْلَمُ

“O Allah, we seek refuge in you from committing shirk knowingly, and ask your forgiveness for (the shirk that we may commit unknowingly).”

“O Allah! Purify my heart of hypocrisy, and my deeds from showing off, and my tongue from lying, and my eyes from betraying trust (looking at the forbidden). For indeed, You know what the eyes betray, and what is hidden deep in the breasts.”[17]

Glad Tidings to the Believer

It is not showing off if a person feels happy because he has done an act of worship, because that is a sign of his faith.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:

“Whoever feels happy because of his good deeds and sad because of his bad deeds, that is the believer.”

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) was asked about that and said:

“That is the first glad tidings of the believer.” 

To avoid Riya’ we abstain from performing good deeds, especially in front of others. This is incorrect and an attitude that surrenders to Satan. It is more serious that one abstain from doing good actions as this is one of Satan’s traps against the unaware worshipper.

Imam Qayyim, May Allah have mercy upon him, said:

The Keys to the life of the heart lie in reflecting upon the Qur’an, being humble before Allah in secret, and leaving sins.[18]

---

[1] Ahmad

[2] Sahih Muslim, Sahih Bukhari

[3] Fath al Bari – Ibn Hajr Asqalani

[4] Qur’an (107:6)

[5] Sahih Muslim

[6] Qur’an (4:142)

[7] Quran (11: 15-16)

[8] Qur’an (8:47)

[9] Saheeh, Mishkaat al Masaabih  Vol2  #1061

[10] Qur’an (3:188)

[11] Qur’an (2:264)

[12] Sahih Bukhari & Muslim

[13] Qur’an (2:271)

[14]  Tafseer Al Quran al Azeem 1/701

[15] Sahih Bukhari (6113), Sahih Muslim (781)

[16] http://www.kalamullah.com/hearts22.html

[17] Baihaqi

[18] Haddiyul Arwah ila Biladil Afrah (pg 45) by Imam Qayyim

Follow the Qur'an & the Sunnah of the Prophet(peace be upon him)

Follow the Qu'ran & the Sunnah of the Prophet(peace be upon him)

The final book Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad(pbuh) who is the final Prophet & Messenger of Allah(swt). We as muslims are bound to follow the Sunnah which has been left for us by the Prophet(peace be upon him). For the Sunnah along with the Qur’an is part of revelation.

Allah(swt) says in the Quran,

“Indeed, I have revealed the Reminder, I will, indeed, protect it”^[1]

We are not allowed to deviate from the path which has been prescribed by the Prophet(pbuh). He is the best example send to us by Allah(swt). His entire life has been recorded in the form of hadith. People who tend to reject hadith also reject the Qur’an as the words & actions of the Prophet(pbuh) give us the correct interpretation of the commandments of Allah(swt).

Allah(swt) says in the Quran,

“And whatever the Messenger has given you - take; and what he has forbidden you - refrain from. And fear Allah ; indeed, Allah is severe in penalty.”[2]

Hadith of the Saved Sect

Ibn ‘Umar reported that Allaah’s messenger said, “What happened to the children of Israel will surely happen to my nation, step by step. So much so that if there are those who openly have sex with their mothers, among them there will be among my nation those who do that. Surely the Israelites splintered into seventy-two sects and my nation will splinter into seventy-three sects, all of which will be in the fire except one.” When the (Sahaabah) asked “Which sect is it, O Messenger of Allaah?” He replied, “The one followed by my companions and myself.”[3]

The Prophet(pbuh) in this hadith mentioned how the Jews & Christians broke away into sects. He then prophesized that Muslims would also deviate & break away into 73 sects. It was a warning for us as the Christians & Jews by way of deviation, by making changes to the words & interpretation of the books they held differed & thus broke away from the real essence of the religion that was send to them.

The Hadith ends by saying that all sects that the Muslims breakaway into will be in the fire of hell except those that follow him & his companions. In another narration it says the one saved will be those who stick closely to the Jam’ah.

Hadith Classification & Sources

This hadith is found in At-Tirmidhi & classified as Daeef hadith[4]. It is also found in Sunan Abu Dawood hadith 4597 & Musnad ahmad with reliable narrations[5].  It is classed as Saheeh by Al- Haakim, who said “It is an important hadith that represents a basic principle. It was classed hasan by Ibn Hajr Asqalani in his book Takhreej al Kashshaafi. It is also classed as saheeh by Ibn Taymiyah in Majmoo al Fataawa, al shaatibi in al itisaam and al- Iraaqi in Takhreej al Ihya. It is mentioned frequently and often quoted as evidence by the scholars in the books of Sunnah. It was narrated  by many Sahabah through many chains of narrations, mostly mentioning the number of sects  as 73.[6]

73 sects

The only sect that will find their place in the midst of paradise is the ahl-al-sunnah wal-jamah. They are those who will follow the Qur’an, Sunnah of the Prophet(peace be upon him), his companions & stay close to the scholarly consensus.

The scholars of Ahl al sunnah wal-jamah have said that the other 72 sects are the misguided & doomed innovated groups. This is so because of the ideas & grave innovations they have brought into Islam. But in most cases they are not regarded as kaafirs, rather they are regarded as Muslim Sects.[7]

Imam Taymiyah(ra) said that groups that hypocrites fall into are inwardly kaafir, whereas those who within their hearts believe in Allah(swt) & his Prophet(pbuh) are not inwardly kaafir even though some of their interpretation may not be inline. Some of them may have qualities of hypocrisy that would lead them into hellfire or they might not have that level of hypocrisy to doom them to the hell fire.

Imam Taymiyah(r.a) also said that it is not permissible for us to label all the 72 sects as being kaafirs. For if we get into this practice this will lead us to be outside the fold of the Quran, sunnah, consensus of the Sahaba & the view of the imams.

Nevertheless some of the sects may be out of the fold of Islam like the extreme raafidis, the druze, nusairis and others.

Causes for the emerging of different sects

Sects have broken away from mainstream Islam because they differed with the ways prescribed by the Prophet (peace be upon him) & the ways of the companions of the Prophet(pbuh).  The Khawarijites preferred their personal opinions over the opinion of Prophet Muhammad(peace be upon him). They also rebelled against the command of the muslim leaders for the time that the sect survived. The Prophet (peace be upon him) had advised the muslims to stay close to the jam’ah & to follow the command of the ruler even if he be an Ethiopian slave.  The Prophet of Allaah said, the Khaarijites will be the dogs of hell’s inhabitants. Therefore one who calls himself a part of this sect is doomed for the hellfire & is outside the fold of Islam.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

“Surely whoever among you who lives after me will see great disputes, so adhere to my Sunnah and that of the rightly- guided Caliphs who will come after me. Stick closely to this Sunnah, bite into it with your molars and beware of newly invented matters (in religion) for every invented matter (in religion)is a cursed innovation (Bid‘ah) which leads astray.”[8]

The Shias have splintered into being another sect by making an additional pillar in this religion, imamate. They have given the qualities of Allah(swt) to their Imams by calling them infallible & knower of the unseen. Some Shias are outside the fold of Islam as per scholarly view while some of the sects within the shias are labeled as Kafirs due to the innovations they have introduced in the methods of worship. They even believe that all of the companions of the Prophet(peace be upon him) apostated except a few.

Some Sufi groups elevate the status of the Prophet(pbuh) over that of Allah(Swt) which excludes them from the fold of Islam. Others have committed kufr by innovating in the religion. They have introduced modes of worship and practices which are not present in the Sunnah of the Prophet(pbuh) such as celebrating his birthday etc. Sufi groups that permit worshipping of graves & the dead are outside the fold of Islam as this is shirk akbar.

The Ismailis consider themselves Muslim but are outside the fold of Islam. They believe in Aga Khan to be their spiritual leader who has keys to the unseen. Their modes of worship, their place of worship, their books are all separate. The Batinites are also outside the fold of Islam as their beliefs and actions are totally contrary to Islaam. The end result of their philosophy is the negation of the Creator; invalidation of Prophethood and worship; and the denial of the hereafter.[9]

Conclusion

The Prophet(peace be upon him) commanded us to stick close to his Sunnah & to hold fast to the rope of Allah(swt), ‘the Quran’.  He forbade us from associating anything to him which he has not said or done. Sects that have broken away from the ahl-al-Sunnah wal Jam’ah have splintered into sects by taking the deviant paths paved by the Satan. Practising Bid’ah is one of the major reasons which has lead these groups to commit Kufr or be completely outside the fold of Islam. Therefore as Muslims we must strive hard in order to follow the Prophets (pbuh) path without doing any act which has not been prescribed by him or Allah(swt). The book of Allah(swt) should be interpreted in a way as done by the Prophet(pbuh), his companions & the pious predecessors.

On one occasion the Prophet of Allah (pbuh) drew a line in the dust with his hand and said, “This is the straight path of Allaah.” Then he drew a series of lines to the right and to the left of it and said, “Each of these paths has a devil at its head inviting people to it.” He then recited, “Verily this is my straight path so follow it and do not follow the (twisted) paths.”[10]

---

[1] Surah Al Hijr (15:9), page 7,Book- Fundamentals of Hadith by Dr Bilal Philips

[2] (www.Quran.com, 59:7)

[3] (Tirmidhi)

[4] (Jawzee)

[5] (Mishkaah, vol.1,p.61)

[6] (www.Islamqa.com)

[7] (www.islamqa.com, q#90112)

[8] (Tirmidhi A. D.)

[9] (Jawzee, The Devils Deception)

[10] (an-nasaee)