The three dimensions of revelation

Recital.
Understanding.
Practice.

(Extraction from Surah al-Baqarah, Verse 129 of the core functions of a Messenger who would be inspired by God. Namely, to recite upon people the revelation, to teach them its meanings by means of instruction & example, and to purify them by means of their realising & practising it.)

The Knowledge of Current Affairs

Found this booklet ('The Knowledge of Current Affairs' by Shaikh Muhammad Naasir ud-Deen al-Albaanee) on my shelf and thought I'd give it a (skim-) read. Quite a frustrating read. Doesn't seem to cover what the title/blurb implies, not very well structured and quite vague at times. At the end of reading it I still don't know what 'Fiqh ul-Waaqi' is! (which is the main point of discussion and a term used repeatedly throughout the booklet.) Definitely needed more edited before it went to publication.

Practising Arabic

"Hazrat Maulana Syed Asghar Hussain Sahib (Allah's Mercy be upon him) was a man of extraordinary spiritual qualities, and I was blessed with his loving affection. One day I presented myself to him and he said, 'Today let us talk in Arabic'. This rather amazed me because he had never before expressed such a desire. He then himself stated the reason why he wished to converse in Arabic. He said, 'Neither you nor I are able to speak Arabic fluently and freely, so we will talk less'. He then continued, 'Our case is like that of a traveller whose money is about to finish so he spends every penny very carefully'."

(Source: 'The World Within' by Mufti Muhammad Shafi (Allah's Mercy be upon him))

This quote is about avoiding meaningless talk. But it got me thinking nonetheless: It's been a long time since I spoke in Arabic (beyond "kayfa haaluk" and "alhamdulillah"). Maybe over a year. I really urgently need to find me an Arabic speaking partner.

Governed to the minutest detail and proud

"Hazrat Salman said: 'The Prophet taught us everything even how to cleanse after [answering the] call of nature...'"

(Source: Imam Ghazzali's Ihya-Ulum-id-Deen)

Ain't it funny when you have a conversation about a particular topic and later randomly independently stumble upon that very topic in reading, both in the same day? Anyway, the point here is that we are a people governed to the minutest detail... and proud of it. :-)>

Conditions of Debates

Just found a beautiful characterisation of debates and the debater in Imam Ghazzali's Ihya-Ulum-Id-Deen. Imam Ghazzali specifies eight conditions which provide a good means of identifying when we are debating for the sake of God and when we are debating for other purposes. Here's the fifth and sixth conditions:

"(5)... the debate should be held in private in preference to open meetings in presence of noted people and in grandeur because privacy is more suitable for clear thinking and to examine what is right and what is wrong."

"(6)... the debater should like truth in the same spirit as a lost thing is searched for. He should not mind whether the truth is found by him or by his adversary. When Hazrat Umar was once given sermon, a woman pointed out to him his mistake to which he submitted. At another time, Hazrat Ali was asked a question by a man and he replied. When the man pointed out his mistake, he admitted it."

The good deeds of this age

"... Another sign of the learned man of the next world is that he saves himself from innovations even though the people are unanimous on innovations and novelties. He is rather diligent in studying the conditions of the Companions, their conduct and character and their deeds. They spent their lives in Jihad, meditation, avoidance of major and minor sins, observation of their outer conduct and inner self...

... Hazrat Huzaifa said a [] wonderful saying: 'Your good deeds of this age are the evil deeds of the past age and the evil deeds of this age will be considered as good deeds of the next age...' He said the truth, because most of the good deeds of this age were reprehensible at the time of the Companions. The good deeds of our age is the embellishment of mosques, excess in ablution and bath, huge expenses in the construction of buildings for mosques, spreading of soft and fine rugs in mosques etc..."

(Source: Imam Ghazzali's Ihya-Ulum-Id-Deen)

The best of us is the one of learning,
harnessing passion with knowledge.

The best of us is the one free from blame,
following the way of the Companions.

The best of us is the one of good guidance,
firm in faith and silent toward doubt.

Visible Signs of the Learned Man of the Hereafter

"... Another sign of the learned man of the next world is that he becomes humble and adopts silence. The effect of God-fear appears on his body, dress, character, movements, speech and silence. If any man looks at him, it reminds him of God, and his nature and character are proofs of his actions. His eyes are a mirror of his mind. The signs of the learned man of the Hereafter are recognised on his face; tranquility, modesty and freedom from pride and vanity. A certain wise man said, 'God has not given a man a garment better than the garment of God-fear. It is the garment of the Prophets, Siddeeqs (truthful), Pirs and the learned men'..."

(Source: Imam Ghazzali's Ihya-Ulum-Id-Deen)

What do we say of a man
in whom God-fear has become ingrained,
a man who has acquired knowledge
and with it, tranquility and patience,
a man who has humbled himself
and whose knowledge has discouraged ignorance,
a man who rejoices at receiving the Mercy of God
whilst weeping secretly for fear of His punishment?

This man, the one who walks with modesty,
whose soul is in the earth but
whose wisdom is in the Hereafter,
he makes for a great companion;
he helps you when you remember God
and reminds you when you forget,
as the tradition goes.

This man, the one filled with God-fear,
who prepared for death before it came
and wept much in the world,
who remained silent
and did not mix with frivolous talks,
he will laugh most in the Hereafter.
Seek out his companionship.

I do not know

"Hazrat Ibn Mas'ud said: 'He who gives opinion as soon as a question is put to him is mad.'...

Some wise man said: 'There are worshippers in the world. Their meal ends when they are still hungry. They sleep when it overcomes them. Their words end only in necessary talks.' In other words, they do not speak unless asked and they remain silent when sufficient reply is obtained from others...

Someone said that among the jurists, the greater number were men who used to say 'we don't know' than the numbers who used to say 'we know'..."

(Source: Imam Ghazzali's Ihya Ulum-id-Deen)

Whoa whoa whoa, slow down there
and do not commit yourself so soon.
For what will you answer on that Day
when asked
"From where did you get this?"

Verily, as the wise man said,
"I do not know" is half of learning,
and this is the shield of the learned man.

Such was the condition of the Companions (RA)
and those who preceded us in excellence,
who when asked,
would wish not except that someone else reply,
freeing them of their burden.

This is knowledge, and with its increase,
is the decrease of excessive talk.
As the wise learned (wo)men of the Hereafter knew.

Signs of the Learned Man

"... Another sign of the learned man of the next world is that he has got no attraction for various kinds of foods and drinks, luxury in dresses, furniture and houses, but rather he adopts moderate courses in all these things following the other sages and he is best satisfied with the least of everything. The less a man is attracted towards luxuries, the more he will be close to God and the more he will be in association of the learned men of the hereafter and in rank...

... In short, use of ornamentation in permissible things is not unlawful but it creates fondness for these and to give them up at the end becomes difficult..."

(Source: Imam Ghazali's Ihya Ulum-id-Deen)

Let us ponder:

The learning of the learned man goes back to whom?
The Companions of the Apostle of God.
The learning of the Companions goes back to whom?
The Apostle of God.

The Apostle of God erected palaces for himself where?
Not in this world.
The Companions erected palaces for themselves where?
Not in this world.

And so we ask:
Who is our master and our teacher?
The likes of Pharaoh and Namrud?
Nay, rather, in the Prophet of God do we find an excellent example, Sallallahu 3alayhi wa sallam.

The Height of Foolishness

"... The learned man who does not act up to his knowledge is like a patient who describes the qualities of a medicine without using it or like a hungry man who describes the taste of a food without eating it..."

"... He who shuns the learning of practice and remains busy in arguments is like a sick man who suffers from many diseases, but when he fears death, he goes to an experienced physician and asks him many questions of the qualities of drugs and complexities of medical profession but he does not ask him about his diseases. This is the height of foolishness."

(Source: Imam Ghazali's Ihya Ulum-id-Deen)

Strange, one who dangles on the branches of a tree,
the stem of which cannot carry him.
Strange, one who delves into the complexities of knowledge,
the beginning of which, God and death, has eluded him.

A healthy soul is a healthy mind

"... The inward purity is of greatest importance. The Prophet therefore said: 'Angels do not enter a house wherein there are dogs.' The human mind is a house, the abode of angels, the place of their movements. The blameworthy evils like anger, lust, rancour, envy, pride, conceit and the like are dogs. When dogs reside in a heart, where is the place for the angels? God takes the secrets of knowledge to the hearts through the angels. They do not take it except to the pure souls. Hazrat Ibn Mas'ud said: 'Knowledge is not acquired through much learning. It is a light cast in the heart.' A certain sage said: 'Knowledge is God-fear, as God said: The learned among the people fear God most.'"

(Source: Imam Ghazali's Ihya Ulum-id-Deen)

Indeed, to know God, that is the aim;
to obey his commandments,
to purify my heart and soul,
to fill my actions with virtues,
the stepping stone.