Asalaamu alaikum G-l,
Alhamdulillah and in the following months the intention is to go into
Tahaara (purification) and Salaah (prayer) according to the Prophet (SAW).
This has been necessitated by a request from an old acquaintance, who to my
surprise does not know how to properly perform Ghusl (major purification
after Janaba, menses or when entering Islaam). May Allah make it easy. In
the mean time we drink from the ocean of knowledge left behind by our great
Imaam. Courtesy www.islaam.com.
Imam Ibn Taymiyyah
The Concise Legacy, pp. 23-25
© JIMAS
Abul `Aasim al-Qaasim bin Yoosuf bin Muhammad at-Tajeebee as-Sabtee
al-Maghribee says: I requested our leader, the shaykh, faqeeh, imaam,
respected scholar, vanguard of the predecessors, leader of the later
generations, reviver of the Deen, expresser of rare and wonderful
ideas with great eloquence and literacy, the most knowledgeable
person I have met in the lands of the East and West, Taqi ud-Deen
Abul-`Abbaas Ahmad bin Taymiyyah (may Allaah enable us to continue
benefiting from him):
[some questions deleted...]
- To point me towards those books which I may rely upon regarding knowledge
of hadeeth, and other sciences of the sharee`ah.
Ibn Taymiyyah answered:
All praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds.
As for which books one may depend on for the different branches
of knowledge, then this is a vast topic, and again, the answer to this
varies according to people's backgrounds in different lands. This is
because in each land, one field of learning or way or mode of
thinking may be easier than another, but the source of all good and
blessings is that one seeks help from Allaah in acquiring knowledge
inherited from the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, because
that is what is truly fit to be named knowledge. Anything else is
either not knowledge at all even though people call it so, or it is
knowledge which is not beneficial, or it is beneficial knowledge, in
which case it is necessarily true that there exists in the inheritance of
Muhammad, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, that which replaces it,
being similar to it or better than it.
Thus the person's effort should be to understand the purposes of
the Messenger, sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam, in his commands,
prohibitions and his various other sayings. When the heart is
contended that something is indeed as the Messenger, sallallaahu
`alayhi wa sallam, intended, then he should not waver from it as far
as possible, whether it is regarding his duties to Allaah or to the
people. In all branches of knowledge, he should strive to hold
firmly to principles narrated from the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa
sallam; if he is in doubt regarding any matter about which the
people of knowledge have differed, then he should supplicate to
Allaah with the du`aa which appears in Saheeh Muslim narrated by
`Aa'ishah, radiyallaahu `anhaa, that when the Messenger, sallallaahu
`alayhi wa sallam, stood for the night prayer, he would say,
'Allăhumma rabba jibreela, wa michă'eela, wa 'isrăfeela, fatiras-samăwăti
wal 'ardhi, `ălimal ghaybi wash-shahadati, 'anta tahkumu bayna `ibădika
feemă kănoo feehi yakhtalifoona,
'ihdinee limăkhtulifa feehi minal-haqqi bi'ithnika, 'innaka tahdee man
tashă'u 'ilă sirătin mustaqeem.
'O' my 'ilah Lord of Jibreel, hlichă'eel, and Isrăfeel, Creator of the
Heavens and the Earth, Knower of the hidden, and the visible, You decide
among your creation in justice in the matters in which they used to differ,
guide me rightly to that which has been differed upon of the Truth by your
leave, You guide whomever You will to a straight path.'
This is because Allaah the Exalted has said, as narrated by His
Messenger from Him, "O My slaves, all of you are astray except those that I
have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you." [Muslim]
As for a description of good books and compilations: people will
have heard from me what Allaah has made easy on other
occasions. I will say this much now, that out of all the compiled
books which have been divided into chapters, there is none more
beneficial than the Saheeh of Muhammad bin Ismaa`eel
al-Bukhaaree. However, this alone is not enough to cover all the
major principles of knowledge, nor can it fulfill all the objectives of one
who seeks to dive deep into the various branches of
knowledge. It is imperative that other ahaadeeth, as well as the
words of the people of understanding and the people of knowledge
of different specialised fields be known, for the Ummah has progressed
tremendously in all fields of learning. He whose heart Allaah enlightens He
guides him through what reaches him; but he
whose heart Allaah blinds, many books only increase him in
confusion and misguidance, as the Prophet, sallallaahu `alayhi wa
sallam, said to Ibn Labeed al-Ansaari,
"Did the Jews and Christians not have the Tauraat and the Injeel?
So what benefit did these bring them?" [al-Bukhaaree in Khalq
Af`aal al-`Ibaad, an-Nasaa'ee, Ahmad, al-Haakim, ibn Hibbaan, Saheeh]
So we ask Allaah Almighty that He sustains us with guidance and
firmness, instills in our hearts our correct direction, protects us from the
mischief of our own selves, that He does not allow our hearts to deviate
after giving us guidance and that He bestows on us Mercy
from Him, for He is the Most Generous.
All Praise be to Allaah, Lord of the Worlds, and His Blessings be
on the most noble of the messengers.
Wasallalaahu wasallim ala Nabiyyina Muhammad. Wasalaam.
Modou Mbye
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