View Full Version : Do not take Knowledge except from one who is known

03-15-2006, 08:54 PM
Abu 'Abdillaah Ahmad bin Muhammad ash-Shihhee


Imaam Muhammad bin Sireen (rahimahullaah) said: “Verily, this knowledge is Religion. So look into (i.e. investigate) whom you take your Religion from. "And he said: “They (the Sahaabah) did not used to ask concerning the isnaad (chain of narration), but when the fitnah occurred, they began saying: ‘Name your men for us.’ So the People of the Sunnah would be looked to and so their hadeeth would be accepted. And the People of Innovation would be looked to and so their hadeeth would not be accepted.” 8



First: The repentant individuals’ lack of devoting attention to beneficial knowledge, especially knowledge of the Fundamentals of Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, since knowledge protects the one who has it from deviations. Did you not see how knowledge protected Abu Bakrah (radi Allaahu ‘anhu) in the Campaign of the Camel (Jamal),9 when the people put the Mother of the Believers, ‘Aa’ishah, radi Allaahu ‘anhaa, forth (for the campaign). So what protected Abu Bakrah (radi Allaahu ‘anhu) was a hadeeth he heard from Allaah’s Messenger, who said when news reached him of the death of Kisraa and the appointment of his daughter (as leader): "A people that leave their affairs to be governed by a woman will never prosper." So when the fitnah occurred, Abu Bakrah remembered this hadeeth and it protected him from that, such that he said: "Allaah protected me with something that I heard from the Messenger of Allaah when Kisraa died. He (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ‘Who did they put to succeed her?’ They said: ‘Her daughter.’ So he (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: ’A people that leave their affairs to be governed by a woman will never prosper.’ So when ‘Aa’ishah approached, i.e. Basrah, I remembered the statement of Allaah’s Messenger and so Allaah protected me by it." 10

Second: A lack of returning to the People of Knowledge, since the most deserving to be asked are the People of Knowledge and their students from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah, those who have knowledge of this individual whom the people seek to study under. So this person should be enquired into: Is he from the Salafee students of knowledge or not? And did he undergo valid educational studies, such that he has the right to be sought knowledge from or no? So if the answer is negative, then the issue comes to an end, all praise be to Allaah. And if the answer is positive, then he can be studied under and benefited from, but without going to extremes in that matter. Rather, he should be given his due place and status.

This is an important point, which is:

Differentiating between the enlightened Scholars, those who are referred to in issues related to knowledge and current events, such as the two Imaams, Muhammad Naasir-ud-Deen Al-Albaanee and ‘Abdul-‘Azeez bin ‘Abdillaah bin Baaz, rahimahumullahu, and those enlightened scholars who remained after them, such as the Mashaayikh, Muhammad bin Saalih Al-‘Uthaymeen, Saalih bin Fawzaan Al-Fawzaan, Rabee’ bin Haadee Al-Madkhalee, our Shaikh, Muqbil bin Haadee Al-Waadi’ee and others who are at their level amongst the people of knowledge and fatwaa from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah. So these individuals have their own level and position…




1-These last two narrations were reported by Imaam Muslim in the Introduction to his Saheeh

2-Translator’s Note: The Campaign of the Camel occurred after the murder of ‘Uthmaan, radi Allaahu ‘anhu, when there was much turmoil amongst the Muslims. ‘Alee bin Abee Taalib, radi Allaahu ‘anhu, was given the bay’ah (oath of allegiance as the succeeding Khaleefah and he decided to wait for the turmoil to simmer down before seeking revenge from the assassins of ‘Uthmaan. So the Muslims were divided into those who were with him on this decision and those who wanted justice for his murder right away. A group was formed to go and voice their case to ‘Alee and they rallied several of the Sahaabah including ‘Aa’ishah, radi Allaahu ‘anhaa. So she participated in the Campaign riding on a camel (hence the name Jamal). When the parties met in Basrah, a peaceful agreement was decided, yet due to some misunderstanding and confusion battle broke out and many lives were lost. And Allaah knows best.


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M H Kahn
03-16-2006, 05:08 AM
Do not take knowledge in matters of religion-- no matter whether the person giving the knowledge is known or unknown-- unless you have verified it with the Quran's basic principles of:

** Worship Allah alone and seek help from Him alone.
** Allah do not depends on anything He has created; on the contrary, everything else depends on Him.
** All the prophets were humans like us with the exception that they were chosen by Allah for giving good news to their fellow people and warning them with the revelations made to them through Gabrael (pbuh).
** The job of prophethood ended with their death.

Say you have a case with the highest court of the country in some matter and there is a specific enactment about it in your favour in one of so many enactments. But unfortunately your lawers have no knowledge of the concerned enactment. Nor are the judges aware of the law. In this case, the lawers will argue from the point of ordinary justice, equity and fairness etc. and the judges are likely to pass an order quite diffrerent from that of the relevant law, themselves making a different law(judge-made law) on a matter in which an Act of the Parliament is already in existence. The case here is adjudged other than by the Act of Parliament for ignorance.

But it is never acceptable in case of a scholar in matters of the religion that he will be very versed in hadith and fiqhs, but not so in the Quran, should be followed. Nor is it advisable that she should innovate any knowlede which is not connected with the "obey Allah and obey the prophet'' ordainment.


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