Humility in Knowledge.

Al Salamu 'Alaykum.

Humility in Knowledge & Arrogance in Ignorance.

by Khalid Baig.

Imam Malik bin Anas (b. 93 AH, d. 179 AH) was one of the greatest Islamic scholars of all times. Among his 1300 disciples were people from all walks of life; rulers, judges, historians, Sufis, poets, and scholars of Qur'an, Hadith, and Fiqh. The Khalifah attended his class as an ordinary student along with others.

In the best traditions of this Ummah Imam Malik considered his knowledge as a trust. When he knew something to be right or wrong, no intimidation could stop him from declaring so. It was his fatwa that divorce given under compulsion is invalid, that earned him the wrath of the ruler (as it implied that pledge of allegiance given under compulsion was also invalid). He was punished with lashes and at every strike he said, "I am Malik bin Anas and I declare that divorce given under compulsion is invalid."
Yet it was the same Imam Malik who was more likely to say "la adree" (I don't know) or "la ahsin" (I don't know it very well) in response to the constant flow of queries directed toward him. Once a person approached him and told him that he had come from Marrakesh --- after a six month journey --- only to ask a question. "My people back home are waiting for your answer," he said. After hearing the question Imam Malik replied, "Please tell your people that I do not know the answer to your question." In one case he was asked forty-eight questions and in response to thirty-two of them he said, "I don't know." It was commonly said that if somebody wrote down Imam Malik's answers to questions, he could easily fill pages with "I don't know" before writing a real answer.
The reason for this extraordinary care was nothing but a deep sense of accountability before Allah. It was the caution of a person who was standing between Hell and Heaven, fearful that one wrong step could lead him to the former. "Before you answer a question about religious law, visualize that you are standing at the gates of Hell and Heaven," he used to advise others.
Of course, he was not alone. Ibn Jareej used to attend the majlis (sitting) of Abdullah ibn Umar, Radi-Allahu anhuma. "In answer to more than half the questions he used to say I don't know." Ibn Abi Layla saw 120 Sahaba (companions). "Whenever one of them was asked a question he wished that someone else would answer it."
Nor was this caution restricted to Fiqh (Islamic Law). In interpreting the Qur'an or the Hadith, they exercised same care. Imam Muslim whose Sahih Muslim is unanimously considered second of the two most authentic collections of Hadith, had set for himself only the task of Hadith collection leaving the job of interpreting them to others. He was so concerned about this that he did not even divide the book into chapters for such classification would amount to interpretation.
They were the authoritative source on Islamic teachings, having devoted their lives to learning and practicing them. They knew very well the tremendous burden inherent in a statement that begins "Allah says", or "The Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, says". For here stating something that is not so means that a person is attributing something to Allah or the Prophet, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, that is not true. What can be a greater sin than that! They always remembered that it is Haram to give fatwa without knowledge. They always remembered the Hadith, "Whoever interprets the Qur'an without knowledge should make his abode in Hell."
Fast forward to today and you are in a totally different world. Across the Muslim world today there are innumerable "experts" who are willing to interpret the Qur'an and Hadith, give fatwas, even do Ijtihad --- all without the benefit of even the minimum religious education and training. If such a person is a good writer or speaker that is qualification enough. For the audiences today readily confuse eloquence with scholarship. If the "expert" also carries the magic title "Dr." that certainly fills any gaps in his authority. It does not matter whether his educational achievement maybe in gynecology or business administration, journalism or nuclear science, physics or animal husbandry.
The results have been disastrous. The vast confusion and ignorance of even elementary subjects in religious teachings among the seemingly "educated" classes today is unprecedented. Today one can find all sorts of un-Islamic ideas and practices, conjectures, whims, and desires finding approval in the "Ijtihaddom" that has been concocted. What is more we also make a virtue out of this catastrophe by bragging that we have broken the "shackles of blind following" and opened direct access to the original sources of Islamic teachings. But no amount of bragging can hide the fact that this is the equivalent of allowing unlicensed and untrained people to practice medicine. Although in this case the resulting death and injury is not physical and is therefore less visible.
The reasons for this malaise are complex but two stand out. First, the schooling of our "educated" people included very little or none of Islamic education. Plainly, we do not know and we do not know that we do not know. Second, many of us harbor great mistrust of those who have received formal Islamic education. In turn this is also based on ignorance of what constitutes such education. It is a distant world, a black box, and all we know is that there is something wrong with it.
For a change let us visit a darul-uloom where they are screening candidates for admission to the next ifta class. The top scorers from the regular alim course were given a test and just the top ten scorers from the test will be brought for interview. They are tested not only for their knowledge of Arabic and religious texts but also their ability to understand complex real life situations and to communicate well. Once they graduate, they will do an internship for years under qualified and experienced muftis. But even the best of their teachers will consult others when they face a difficult issue. After exercising the best of caution they will learn to say "Allah knows best" at the end of their answers.

It is not to say that the decline of Muslim political power and the general decline of Muslim civilization has had no effect on this area of activity or our darul-iftas are running problem free. But can anyone in all honesty declare that an alternative that misses each and everyone of these features is better? There is a famous saying in Urdu. "A pseudo doctor is danger to life. A pseudo religious scholar is danger to faith." Do we know the danger?

http://albalagh.net/food_for_thought/fatwa.shtml

Wa Salamu 'Alaykum.

Need For A Shaykh.

 

The Need for a Shaykh

Adapted from Spiritual Discourses By Mufti Taqi Usmani

Tasawwuf means to crush vile manners and to develop excellent manners, and that is tazkiyah or purification. This is because [of the saying] "There are Men for every art", which means one has to go to a Master to learn. If for example it is a question of fiqh we have to approach a Mufti, who knows the answers. However it is difficult to study the condition of the inner self and to recognize the malady within anyone. The hidden weaknesses are very imperceptible and fine. Something may be very good and another very bad but it is difficult to distinguish between them.

For example, arrogance is an unlawful trait and it is wajib to shun it because it is the root cause of all maladies but there is another quality, self-respect. It is wajib to develop it, and it is not proper to debase oneself. However the line dividing the frontiers must be determined: that is at which point does self-respect end and arrogance begins? One must ask oneself: Am I doing this out of pride or a measure of self-respect? It is not possible for everyone to determine the dividing line and detect such inner maladies easily.

For instance, egoism is a great ill. A man brags about himself; this is unlawful. On the other side is 'describing blessings on oneself'. This is mentioned in the Quran: "And as for the blessings of your Lord, proclaim it" (93:11). It is not easy for everyone to say confidently whether he behaves egoistically or proclaims the blessing of Allah Ta'ala.

We can cite another example - of the sweetness of a mango and of a lump of sugar. Both are sweet but, how does one define each sweetness? It is not possible for anyone to do that in words and there is only one way to distinguish the nature of each. One must eat the two things and know for himself what the difference is.

In the same way, it is not easy to define the inner excellences of man. For instance, humbleness is difficult to describe. But, if one meets a humble person and observes his conduct and stays in his company for some time then that characterstic will grow in him. Hence, it is necessary to turn to a Shaykh and live in his company to know about tasawwuf and sulook. These things cannot grow in anyone by merely talking about them. It is only by attending the company of and giving one's time to a Shaykh that Allah Ta'ala helps one get these things.

Shariah is the name of rights. Whose rights? The rights of Allah Ta'ala and His slaves. And the Shariah is surrounded by: Sunnah & Tasawwuf. Sunnah is the name of the limits, on how to give the rights of Shariah. Tasawwuf is the protection of those limits (of rights) so that one may neither trespass nor stay behind. When one goes to a one's Shaykh, he learns to protect these limits. Hence, the aim of the relationship between a Shaykh and his disciple is to protect these limits, how much should he do, where should he stop, and how far should he go.

Hence, when one turns to a Shaykh to reform oneself that the real objective of turning to him is achieved: to imbibe excellenct traits, and ward off and crush the unworthy characteristics. This, then, is the true purpose of Tasawwuf. Nevertheless, the Dhikr and supplications are also helpful to the seeker. Only through the guidance of the Shaykh can the regimen of Dhikr, Supplications and other repetitions be prescribed for every individual according to the Shaykh's opinion of his condition. The prescription would suggest time, what to do, and how much to do. Only then can one benefit from reformation. By themselves the Dhikr, Supplications and repetitions are not the objective, for the basic aim is the reformation of one's manners and purification of the soul. One must keep the Shaykh posted of one's condition and seek his guidance, being careful to observe them. One must do that all his life, for the aim of turning to the Shaykh is simply this much.

Source: Al-Mahmood.org Wa Salamu 'Alaykum.

The Mother Of All Diseases.

Al Salamu 'Alaykum.

On Arrogance, Humbleness, and Inferiority Complex

By Khalid Baig

It has been called ummul-amradh, or the root of all sicknesses of the heart. Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, warned that a person having even an iota of it in his heart will never enter paradise. This deadliest of all sins is kibr, or arrogance.
No one likes arrogance --- in others. We never like a person who is haughty, too proud, or condescending. We detest a person who belittles us and has a huge ego. Similarly we love people who are humble, polite, and easy to talk to. We love people who give us respect and honor. Thus if we follow the principle of treating others the way we like to be treated, most of these problems might be cured. In reality, the treatment of ummul-amradh requires a deeper look.
For that we need to appreciate the difference between adab or manners, on the one hand and akhlaq or morals on the other. While adab deal with one’s external disposition, akhlaq as defined by Islam deal with our inner thoughts, feeling, and attitudes. In a healthy personality, the manners and morals are in harmony. But it is also possible to have the former without having the latter. The first concerns itself with how a person deals with others. The second is concerned with what a person thinks of himself. Two persons showing humbleness in their dealings with others, may have exactly opposite ideas in their minds. One may do it out of his or her "generosity"; the other may do it because he genuinely thinks that he is not better than the other person. The first person only has a shell of humbleness, which will crumble when tested. It is the second person who is really free of arrogance.
Real greatness belongs only to Allah, our Lord, Creator, and Master. Human beings are just a creation of Allah --- and a very small creation in comparison to the unimaginably vast universe. Anyone who understands this will realize that our proper status is only that of servants of Allah. In fact for a Muslim the real human model is none other than Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, who is the greatest of all human beings. His greatness lies in being the humblest of all servants of Allah! It is impossible for any person who has this consciousness to entertain any notions of his own greatness.
This leads us to the definition of kibr, given in a famous hadith: "Kibr is to knowingly reject Truth and to belittle other people." This hadith exposes two strains of this deadly disease, both dealing with our exaggerated ideas of self-importance. The first suggests that I am more important than the Truth. The second suggests that I am more important than other people.
We know about the Quraish and Jews of Arabia who had come in contact with Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa sallam, and who knew in the heart of their hearts that he indeed was the Messenger of Allah. Their arrogance, though, kept them from accepting it. History has recorded statements from some of them who said we know he is the Promised Prophet but we will keep on opposing him to maintain our leadership.
While that was the most blatant form of arrogance, we can witness the same attitude on a smaller scale in our discussions and arguments. A person realizes that he was wrong, but then his pride keeps him from admitting it. No matter how polite or "humble" that person may appear to be ordinarily, this test shows the presence of arrogance in his heart. It is arrogance that keeps a person from saying "I am sorry."
The second strain involves our feeling of superiority with respect to other people. Islam’s teaching is that one should never consider oneself greater than other people, because that Judgment will come from Allah, and Allah alone, on the Day of Judgment. None of us knows what our end will be, whether we will end up being a winner or loser over there. The person who appears to be nobody here may end up with eternal bliss because of his goodness that only Allah knew. The person who is a big shot here may end up among the sinners who will be punished there, because of his evil that only Allah knew. How foolish, it is then to congratulate ourselves over our fleeting "superiority".
What if a person does have edge over another person in measurable worldly terms? How then can he not consider himself superior than the other person in that respect? The point is sometimes made in half jest: it is difficult to be humble when you are so great. Islam does not ask us to reject reality and imagine we don’t have what we really do. Rather it asks us to take a deeper look at the reality and not be misled by a superficial perception of it. And the simple reality that escapes many is that our health, wealth, talents, and power are not of our own creation. God gave those to us as a test and He can take them back whenever He wills. Those who are conscious of this reality, their blessings will produce gratitude in them; those who are blind to it will develop pride and arrogance.
Some forms of kibr are subtle. If a person is embarrassed to bow to Allah in the presence of non-believers, that is a case of "kibr in the face of Allah," says Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi.
While throughout history humanity had agreed on the evil of arrogance and the virtue of humbleness (despite its failures in practice), this century has seen new dogmas that aim at changing the definitions of good and evil. Humbleness is no longer desirable. Rather, one has to avoid "Inferiority Complex." Alfred Adler (1870-1937) gave us that term. According to him, life is a continuous struggle to move from a position of inferiority to a position of significance. Those who fail to make the progress, develop inferiority complex, which can be treated by increasing self-esteem. Unfortunately today such pseudo-science is accepted as gospel truth.
The truth is that problems arise when we turn away from reality. A humble person is a happy, content, grateful person who thanks God for his blessings and has no notions of his own superiority. False notions of superiority or of one’s entitlements in life, on the other hand, lead to frustrations and complexes.

http://albalagh.net/general/kibr.shtml

Wa Salamu 'Alaykum.