Stages Of Acquiring Knowledge.

Al Salamu 'Alaykum.

Allah Ta`ala ordered Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam to make this Du'aa:

  وَقُلْ رَّبِّ زِدْنِىْ عِلْمًا

"Oh My Rabb! Increase me in knowledge."

Despite being granted the great rank of Nubuwwat and appointed as leader of all the Ambiyaa, yet Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam was ordered to make Du'aa for an increase in knowledge. Knowledge('Ilm) is a Noor to safeguard ourselves, (light) through which one identifies truth from falsehood. Ignorance, on the other hand, is darkness, which conceals the hazards of this path. Thus, we must acquire knowledge.

Hadrat Sufyaan Thawri rah has outlined five stages to acquire knowledge.
 

First stage is Istimaa' (Listening Attentively):

When Wahi (revelation) would descend upon Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam, he would listen to the revelation attentively observing total concentration.  The Qur-aan has recorded two orders of Istimaa`:

  وَإِذَا قُرِئَ الْقُرْآنُ فَاسْتَمِعُوْا لَهُ -

"And when the Qur-aan is being recited, then pay careful attention to its recitation" and

 فَاسْتَمِعْ لِمَا يُوْحى-

"Listen attentively to what is being revealed".

Paying special attention is imperative.  If there is no Istimaa` then there is no guarantee that the 'Ilm acquired is that of 'Ilm e Nubuwwat. (Knowledge of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam)

The angel Jibraeel descended with Wahi (revelation) to Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam.  After listening to it, he would relate it to the Sahaabah . Allah Ta`ala, in describing the qualities of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam says:

  يَتْلُوْ عَلَيْهِمْ آياتِهِ  

"He will recite to them the verses of the Qur'an". 

The Sahaabah listened to the recitation of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam with utmost devotion and concentration.

Once, whilst speaking to a Sahaabi , Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam grasped his shoulder and shook it. Why did Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam shake this Sahaabi? To ensure that he was not inattentive and paid careful attention to the words of Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam.

Sahaabah listened to Nabi sallallahu alayhi wasallam with complete attention. In turn, the Taabi'een heard from the Sahaabah and this sequence of narration has continued, in this manner, over the centuries until 'Ilm e Nubuwwat has reached us today.

Knowledge acquired without observing Istimaa` cannot be regarded as 'Ilm e Nubuwwat. Therefore, the Muhadditheen have placed great importance on Istimaa`.

Second stage is Insaat (silence, pondering):

Insaat refers to paying attention, pondering or being observant.  Not to have a wandering mind.  This means, if a student listened to the lesson inattentively, he will not grasp the intended meaning.  Subsequently, there can be no guarantee that he has understood the lesson correctly. Distortions that are apparent, nowadays, are a result of not practicing upon Insaat (not paying attention or pondering over what is being said or having a wandering mind).

It has been recorded regarding a certain Muhaddith (scholar of hadith), that someone owned a strip of land close to his well but he would not grant that farmer permission to draw water from it. They were always arguing and quarrelling over this matter.

This Muhaddith had the quality of Istimaa` but he did not possess the quality of Insaat.

Someone asked him: "Why are you quarrelling so much? Everybody has the right to draw water from the well".

He replied, "It appears in the Hadith:

لاَ يَسْقِىْ أَحَدُكُمْ مَاءَهُ زَرْعَ غَيْرِه ِ 

No person should use his water to irrigate the land of another.

This does appear in the Hadith. He had acquired Istimaa` but he did not possess Insaat.  He did not fully understand the Hadith and he did not pay attention to its explanation.

This person then explained. "This is not the explanation of the Hadith.  The correct explanation of this Hadith is, that one who has purchased a pregnant slave girl should not share the bed with her until she does not give birth to her child. The reason being, that it is the land of someone else. Therefore, one should not irrigate it."

On hearing the explanation the Muhaddith said: "May Allah reward you. Up to now I had understood the Hadith incorrectly."

It is recorded regarding yet another Muhaddith that he used to perform Witr Salaah whenever he relieved himself from the call of nature, be it during the day or at night. When asked why he did this, he replied:

"It is reported in the Hadith

اسْتَجْمَرَ فَلْيُوْتِرْ مَنِ

Whosoever relieves himself should perform Witr

The questioner told him: "This is not the actual meaning of the Hadith". He then explained the Hadith to him, "Use uneven clots of soil to clean yourself after answering the call of nature." ('Witr' mean 'uneven' and does not refer to the 'Witr Salaah')

In short, Istimaa` must be followed by Insaat.

 

Third stage is Hifz (remembering or memorizing):

One should remember whatever one has read, heard or understood.  If the information leaves the mind then how will one be able to practise upon it and how will the chain of narration, for that part of knowledge, continue? What then will remain of 'Ilm if one heard the lesson, paid attention but did not remember it?

 

Fourth stage is 'Amal (practice):

One should practice on whatever one has heard attentively and remembered.  If one does not practice on the 'Ilm acquired, it will be void of any benefit and blessing.  An Urdu poem translates as follows:

The world will never listen to the statement of the one who does not put his own advice into practice.       

 

Fifth stage is Nashr (preaching and imparting):

'Ilm cannot be transferred or protected without Nashr. It will remain in the confines of a closet or trunk and after a few days, it will be buried. However, embarking on preaching, without acquiring the first four stages, is of no significance. This is why Hadhrat Sufyaan Thawri rah clearly explained the five stages of knowledge so that all the stages may be adhered to.

http://alhaadi.org.za/faqihul-ummah/mawaiz/405-stages-of-acquiring-knowledge.html?showall=1

Wa'laykum Salam.

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.