Suhbah at As-Siddiq Mosque
A`oodhu billahi min ash-Shaytaani 'r-rajeem. Bismillahi 'r-Rahmaani 'r-Raheem.
Nawaytu 'l-arba`een, nawaytu 'l-`itikaaf, nawaytu 'l-khalwah, nawaytu 'l-`uzlah,
nawaytu 'r-riyaadah, nawaytu 's-sulook, lillahi ta`ala fee haadha 'l-masjid.
أَطِيعُواْ اللّهَ وَأَطِيعُواْ الرَّسُولَ وَأُوْلِي الأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ
Ati`oollaha wa ati`oo 'r-Rasoola wa ooli 'l-amri minkum.
Obey Allah, obey the Prophet, and obey those in authority among you. (4:59)
I heard from Mawlana Shaykh Nazim, may Allah give him long life, part of a suhbat, in which he mentioned a very important point that was so shafaafa, transparent, that you can barely catch it. He was speaking about a conference, and that today people make a lot of conferences from which attendees come and go, where only money is given to show that they did something.
Now people attend conferences that are open to the public, for social gathering, to build relationships, for people to know each other, and that is the wisdom from it. There are other conferences from which `ulama come together to bring out fatwas we need these days, `ulama that are from different walks of life, they follow different schools of thought and come together for a few days, bringing ready-made resolutions that they adopt.
Is there anything else that sometimes has a benefit? The most important point that Mawlana touched on is, there are two elements in Islam, and no third: only halaal and haraam, to know, “This is halaal, this is haraam, and what is between them is something else.” What is halaal is haqq and what is haraam is baatil. What is haqq has to be accepted and what is baatil has to be left behind. This is an explanation. If you want to go on the highway of haqq, you cannot exit Siraat al-Mustaqeem, but you will fall into baatil. The other highway is baatil, from which, if you exit, you go to haqq. From the highway of haqq it is recommended that you don't exit; rather, it is recommended to exit the highway of baatil and destroy it.
So when `ulama meet--and Mawlana Shaykh specifically made this point--they must have one opinion, which is the opinion of haqq. There may be differences in their explanations and in their meetings you may see them attacking each other on various points. However, the significance is that if they are on haqq they don't need to attack each other, because opinions must be based on what the Prophet (s) came with. So `ilm, knowledge, has to be knowledge of haqq, and there is nothing else!
الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ
Ar-Rahmaan `alam al-Qur'an.
The Most Merciful has imparted this Qur'an. (ar-Rahmaan, 55:1,2)
Allah is The One that teaches. al-`Alim Huw Allah. We cannot say this one or that one is an `alim, as a true `alim is defined only by Prophet's description:
علما امتي كانبيا بني اسرائيل
`ulamaa ummattee ka-anbiyaa Bani Israa`eel.
The scholars of my nation are like the prophets of Bani Israa`eel. (Ihya of Imam Ghazali)
العلماء ورثة الأنبياء
Al-`ulamaa warathat al-anbiyaa.
The scholars are the inheritors of the prophets. (Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, and ibn Majah in his Sahih.)
He raised the `ulama high to be like the prophets of Bani Israel. That means `ulama have to be very transparent in their knowledge, so they must not fear anyone or anything in the Way of Allah! They must step on their egos and tell the truth! They must not fear their families, their communities or their governments! They must only stand up and speak haqq, as Truth is Truth!
Sayyidina `Umar (r) asked the Prophet (s), “Are we on haqq, or not?” He (s) said, “Yes.” Then Sayyidina `Umar (r) went up on the roof and called the adhaan.
When the Prophet (s) said the `ulama are like Bani Israel, who are those `ulama? Are they graduated from Harvard, Columbia Presbyterian or Stanford University, or does the term “`ulama” mean something else? Of course it does!
وَإِنَّكَ لَعَلى خُلُقٍ عَظِي
Wa innaka la `ala khuluqin `azheem.
You are of the most exalted character. (al-Qalam, 68:4)
This means for `ulama to be like prophets of Bani Israel, a qualification is that they must be on the best character. It means they are not `ulama that have memorized books, as the Prophet (s) didn't memorize any book; he was illiterate, which shows the greatness of his coming with Holy Qur'an, and that Allah Huwa al-`Aleem, “He is the Knower.” So with his high character, Allah (swt) taught him Holy Qur'an.
So the Prophet (s) said:
أدبني ربي فأحسن تأديبي
Adabanee rabbee fa-ahsana taa'deebee.
Allah raised me and perfected my manners.
And Allah made him Muhammad al-Ameen, “The Trustworthy One.” Entrusted with what? He is Ameen al-Kawn, “The Trusted One over His Creation.” He is the one responsible for all the Creation that Allah created. He is “`AbdAllah,” whom Allah trusted because He perfected him and he is happy to be the servant of Allah, his Creator. Allah raised him because he was ameen.
قَالَ اجْعَلْنِي عَلَى خَزَآئِنِ الأَرْضِ إِنِّي حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌ
Qaala ij`alanee `alaa khazaa'in al-ardi innee hafeezhan `aleem.
(Joseph) said: "Set me over the store-houses of the land: I will indeed guard them, as one that knows (their importance)." (Yusuf, 12:55)
Sayyidina Yusuf said to the King of Egypt, “Make me the treasurer, the one entrusted with the treasures of the Earth.” The Prophet (s) didn't say, “Make me the one entrusted with treasures of Earth,” and Allah (swt) entrusted him with the treasures of the entire universe, saying, “Because you are al-Ameen, I entrust you with Holy Qur'an, which is the secret of Heaven and Earth.”
We say as is written in Holy Qur'an, “Alif. Laam. Meem,” or, “TaHa,” “YaSeen,” or, “Qaf. Haa. Yaa,” or, “`Ayn. Saad.” They are letters. When Allah says, “Alif. Laam. Meem,” it must have something. It is a code. If you open the code you see treasures. The Prophet (s) has the key to these codes, because Allah sent down the Qur'an on him and gave him the keys.
لَوْ أَنزَلْنَا هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ عَلَى جَبَلٍ لَّرَأَيْتَهُ خَاشِعًا مُّتَصَدِّعًا مِّنْ خَشْيَةِ اللَّهِ
Law anzalnaa haadhaa al-Qur’ana `alaa jabalin la-ra'aytahu khaashi`aan mutasaddi`an min khashiyatillah.
Had We sent down this Qur’an on a mountain, you would surely have seen it humbling itself. (Al-Hashr, 59:21)
But Allah sent down the Qur’an on the Prophet (s) and he was able to carry it, so he must be of high character, and in that state Allah trusts you. That is why Prophet (s) said, adaabanee rabbee wa ahsana taa'deebee, “Allah raised me and perfected my manners.” So `ulama that are like the prophets of Bani Israel are those about whom Allah mentioned:
أَلا إِنَّ أَوْلِيَاء اللّهِ لاَ خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلاَ هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ
`Alaa inna awliyaullahi laa khawfun `alayhim wa laa hum yahzanoon.
Behold! Verily on the friends of Allah there is no fear, nor shall they grieve. (al-Yunus,10:62)
They are pious `ulama going on the highway of haqq, not on the highway of baatil! So good manners are the key to become an `alim in the footsteps of the prophets of Bani Israel. To reach a decision, before they learn and memorize and become PhDs and call themselves doctors, `ulama must have adab al-kalaam, courteous speech. That means they do not attack others, saying this one has committed bid`a, that one is kaafir, that one follows haraam, etc. Genuine `ulama must be the best of people, the honored ones, afaadil an-naas, both virtuous and righteous. So to acquire adab is important if you really want to become an `alim in Islam, then Allah (swt) will open to you from al-ladunni `ilm, heavenly knowledge. Evidence of this is in the Holy Qur'an:
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا
Fawajadaa `abdan min `ibaadinaa.
So they found one of Our servants. (al-Kahf: 18:65)
So when Sayyidina Musa (a) wanted to be from those people that possess `ilm, he had to be patient, because if you are not patient with what you see in front of you, you will never acquire higher knowledge. So although Sayyidina Musa (a) is from Ulool al-`Azam, the Five Highest Prophets, compared to the Prophet (s) he is not as knowledgable. So adab is required for `ilm; without it your `ilm is nothing.
The evidence of this is in Surat al-Kahf, when Sayyidina Musa (a) found one of Allah's servants whose level of patience was so high, and Musa (a) said, “If Allah wants, you will find me patient,” to which Sayyidina Khidr (a) replied, “You cannot, as that is impossible for you.”
Musa (s) said, “No, try me.”
Khidr (a) humbly replied, “Although you are Musa, of the highest level of prophets, you cannot be patient with me because I have been dressed with adab and I was given `ilm for that.”
When Sayyidina Musa (a) feared Fira`un, Allah (swt) said:
قَالَ لَا تَخَافَا إِنَّنِي مَعَكُمَا أَسْمَعُ وَأَرَى
Qaala laa takhaafaa innanee ma`akumaa asma`u wa araa.
He (Allah) said, “Fear not, for I am with you. I hear and see (everything). (TaHa: 20:46)
So where is the evidence that his adab is the reason he got the `ilm? Allah 'Azza wa Jall eloquently describes the meeting of Sayiddina Musa (a) and Sayyidina Khidr (a):
فَوَجَدَا عَبْدًا مِّنْ عِبَادِنَا آتَيْنَاهُ رَحْمَةً مِنْ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلْمًا قَالَ لَهُ مُوسَى هَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَى أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمْتَ رُشْدًاقَالَ إِنَّكَ لَن تَسْتَطِيعَ مَعِيَ صَبْرًا
Fawajadaa `abdan min `ibaadinaa aataynaahu rahmatan min `indina wa `allamnaahu min ladunnaa `ilmaa. Qaala lahu Musaa hal attabi`uka `alaa an tu`alimmanee mimma `ullimta rushda? Qaala innaka lan tastati`a ma`iya sabraa.
So they found one of Our servants on whom we had bestowed mercy from Ourselves and whom we had taught knowledge from Our Own Presence. Moses said to him, 'May I follow you on the condition that you teach me something of the Higher Truth which you have been taught?' The other said, 'Surely you will not be able to have patience with me.'" (al-Kahf, 18:65-67)
That rahmat is the Prophet (s), Rahmatan lil-`Alameen, “The Mercy to all the Worlds,” and also al-Rahmat al-Muhdaat, “The Gifted Mercy to Humanity.” So it means Khidr, that `abd, was dre
ssed from that rahmat. The highest level of rahmat is to be gifted with adab, good manners; therefore, to be gifted with adab you must be under rahmat. You cannot be under rahmat if you are a thief, a liar, or worse. But those who are on the highway of Siraat al-Mustaqeem, will be dressed with the adab that comes from the Prophet (s), which means, “If I have mercy on you, I will teach you a high level of adab.” That is why ethics, the high level of manners, akhlaaq, is taught in schools, which they claim is not from religion; however, the reality of akhlaaq is from religion, from the prophets Nuh, Musa, Ibrahim, `Isa, or Prophet Muhammad (s).
When Qabeel came to kill him, Habeel said, “If you are extending your hand to kill me, I am not extending my hand to kill you.” That is adab, and shahaama, chivalry. “I will not extend my hand to kill you as you are my brother,” so Qabeel killed him. Those who have adab, are dressed by the Prophet (s) and, therefore, they are like the prophets of Bani Israel, dressed by the Prophet (s) with high conduct and secrets.
If we examine the average definition of “`ulama,” everyone is an `alim up to his level of knowledge, but in Islam that does not fulfill the requirements of being an `alim. Regarding today’s `ulama, who study in universities, Mawlana Shaykh Nazim is saying to first have adab and then study, then you will reach a high level of `ilm, what you can only get from the Prophet (s); then you will be considered an `alim. Otherwise, anyone and everyone would an `alim; for example, a child who gets his drivers license is an `alim of driving!
We ask Allah to bring us up from darkness to His Light, “O You, Who takes from darkness to light!”
May Allah forgive us and forgive everyone.
Wa min Allahi 't-tawfeeq, bi hurmati 'l-habeeb, bi hurmati 'l-Fatihah.
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