Dua

Khutbah from October 15, 2010.

In a hadith related by Dawood and narrated by Abu Darda:

Kathir ibn Qays said: I was sitting with AbudDarda’ in the mosque of Damascus. A man came to him and said: AbudDarda, I have come to you from the town of the Apostle of Allah (saw) for a tradition that I have heard you relate from the Apostle of Allah (saw). I have come for no other purpose. He said: I heard the Apostle of Allah (saw) say: If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion.

Our inheritance is what the prophets leave us, the abundance of their knowledge, not their worldly possessions.

And from Abu Hurayra:

The Apostle of Allah (saw) used to say: “O Allah, I seek refuge in Thee from four things: Knowledge which does not profit, a heart which is not submissive, a soul which has an insatiable appetite, and a supplication which is not heard.”

Knowledge is what we strive for. It is incumbent on every Muslim to gain knowledge of our deen. This is one of the fundamental teachings.

Allah (SWT) says in Quran Sharif:

019.076 وَيَزِيدُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا هُدًى

Wayazeedu Allahu allatheena ihtadaw hudan

And Allah increases in guidance those who seek guidance

And

047.017 وَالَّذِينَ اهْتَدَوْا زَادَهُمْ هُدًى وَآتَاهُمْ تَقْوَاهُمْ

Waallatheena ihtadaw zadahum hudan waatahum taqwahum

And for those who are willing to be guided, he increases their ability to follow His guidance and causes them to grow in taqwa.

Those who search for knowledge desiring to be rightly guided, Allah (SWT) increases them in guidance and beneficial knowledge. This type of knowledge leads to righteous deeds and to knowledge that is needed in the hereafter to cross Sirat.

Knowledge is the Essence of Guidance. Knowledge leads us to the easy and straight path. Allah says in Quran Sharif:

005.015 قَدْ جَاءَكُمْ مِنَ اللَّهِ نُورٌ وَكِتَابٌ مُبِينٌ

qad jaakum mina Allahi noorun wakitabun mubeenun

There has come to you from Allah a (new) light and a clear Book, –

005.016 يَهْدِي بِهِ اللَّهُ مَنِ اتَّبَعَ رِضْوَانَهُ سُبُلَ السَّلامِ وَيُخْرِجُهُمْ مِنَ

الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّورِ بِإِذْنِهِ وَيَهْدِيهِمْ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ

Yahdee bihi Allahu mani ittaba’aa ridwanahu subula alssalami wayukhrijuhum mina al{thth}ulumati ila alnnoori bi-ithnihi wayahdeehim ila siratin mustaqeemin

With which Allah guides all who seek His good pleasure to ways of peace and safety, and leads them out of darkness, by His will, unto the light,- guides them to a path that is straight.

Allah (swt) wants us to succeed. The possessors of knowledge are like the stars that guide us through the night. If these stars go out, then we go astray.

Part 2

Narrated Abdullah bin Amr bin Al As

I heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “Allah does not take away the knowledge, by taking it away from (the hearts of) the people, but takes it away by the death of the religious learned men till when none of the (religious learned men) remains, people will take as their leaders ignorant persons who when consulted will give their verdict without knowledge. So they will go astray and will lead the people astray.”

Knowledge of the Tounge vs. Knowledge of the Heart

The tongue is the proof of Allah against the son of Adam

Rasul Allah (SAW) said “The Quran is the proof of Allah for you or against you” This means that when the inner knowledge departs only the outer knowledge (that of the tongue) remains. The knowledge has left the scholars and all that remains of the religion is its name and all that remains of the quran is its script.

The knowledge of the heart is beneficial knowledge. It bestows on the heart humility, sublimity, experiential knowledge.

The prophet (SAW) used to say; I seek refuge in Allah from knowledge which is of no benefit and from a heart which is not humble.

This indicates that knowledge which fosters no humility is of no benefit. The prophet (SAW) also used to say

“Ask Allah for beneficial knowledge, and seek refuge in Him against knowledge which is of no benefit.”

Seek knowledge of the heart. We can do it.

Wa allahu alim.

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