MUSJIDUL HAQ

All praises, the praise of the grateful due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad and upon his household and all his companions.

I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship besides Allah the only one who has no partner, and I testify that our master Mohammad is his slave and messenger whom he has sent with the true religion and guidance.

‘O believers! obey Allah and obey the messenger, and those who have power of command amongst you.

  ‘O believers! Fear Allah as rightly He is to be feared, and do not die ever save as Muslims.

Allah Almighty states in the Holy Quran:

اِنَّمَا یَخْشَی اللہَ مِنْ عِبَادِہِ الْعُلَمٰٓؤُا ؕ

  Only those of His bondmen who possess knowledge fear Allah.

(Fatir 35, Verse 28)

يَعْنِي بِالْعُلَمَاءِ الَّذِينَ يَخَافُونَ قُدْرَتَهُ، فَمَنْ عَلِمَ أَنَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ قَدِيرٌ أَيْقَنَ بِمُعَاقَبَتِهِ عَلَى الْمَعْصِيَةِ، كَمَا رَوى عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ إِنَّما يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبادِهِ الْعُلَماءُ قَالَ: الَّذِينَ عَلِمُوا أَنَّ اللَّهَ على كل شي قَدِيرٌ.

Tafseer:

i.e. Those learned men who fear the power of Allah, so whoso knows that Allah has power over everything believes in His accountability over disobedience; as it is narrated from Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Abbas – may Allah be pleased with them – who said:  It is about those who know that indeed Allah Almighty has power over everything.

(Tafseer Qurtubi under the verse)

Hadeeth:

 The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – has stated:

رَأْسُ الْحِكْمَةِ مَخَافَةُ اللهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ

Principal of wisdom is the fear of Allah Almighty.

(Shu’ab al-Iman of Imam Bayhaqi # 730)

Knowledge and Taqwa are inseparable and intertwined with each other; one cannot be achieved without the other.

The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – was once asked: O Prophet of Allah – may Allah send peace and blessings upon you, which action is the best?  He said: Knowledge. He was then asked: Which Knowledge do you mean? He said: Knowledge about Allah Almighty. They said: We ask you about action but you speak of knowledge. The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – said: With your knowledge of Allah Almighty, a few actions will suffice but with your ignorance about Allah Almighty it will not suffice even though actions are numerous.

He said: On the Day of Resurrection, Allah Almighty will raise up the worshippers and the learned men. He will say: O the congregation of learned men, I have not imbued you with My knowledge but for My knowledge about you. I have not placed knowledge in you in order to punish you. Go, I have forgiven you.

أَنَّهُ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ كَانَ يُحَدِّثُ إِنْسَانًا فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ لَمْ يَبْقَ مِنْ عُمُرِ هَذَا الرَّجُلِ الَّذِي تُحَدِّثُهُ إِلَّا سَاعَةٌ، وَكَانَ هَذَا وَقْتَ الْعَصْرِ، فَأَخْبَرَهُ الرَّسُولُ بِذَلِكَ فَاضْطَرَبَ الرَّجُلُ وَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ دُلَّنِي عَلَى أَوْفَقِ عَمَلٍ لِي فِي هَذِهِ السَّاعَةِ، قَالَ اشْتَغِلْ بِالتَّعَلُّمِ فَاشْتَغَلَ بِالتَّعَلُّمِ، وَقُبِضَ قَبْلَ الْمَغْرِبِ،قَالَ الرَّاوِي: فَلَوْ كَانَ شَيْءٌ أَفْضَلَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ، لَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِهِ فِي ذَلِكَ الْوَقْتِ.

Once the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – was having a conversation with a man and Allah Almighty revealed upon him that nothing more than an hour has been left of his life.  It was the time of Asr and the Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – informed him.  He became anxious and said, “O Allah’s Messenger, advise me on how I can make the best out of this remaining timespan?”  He replied, “Engage in seeking knowledge.”  He continued to study until his soul was captured before Maghrib.  The narrator of this Hadeeth says that had there been anything else more rewarding than seeking knowledge, the beloved Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – would have recommended it for him in that time.

(Tafseer Kabeer Vol. 1)

قَالَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ لِكَمِيْلٍ يَا كَمِيْلُ اَلْعِلْمُ خَيْرٌ مِّنَ الْمَالِ۔ اَلْعِلْمِ يَحْرُسُكَ وَأنْتَ تَحْرُسُ الْمَالَ وَالْعِلْمُ حَاكِمٌ وَالْمَالُ مَحْكُوْمٌ عَلَيْهِ وَالْمَالُ تَنْقُصُهُ النَّفَقَةُ وَالْعِلْمُ يَزْكُوْ بِالْإنْفَاقِ

Sayyiduna ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib – may Allah be pleased with him – said to Sayyiduna Kameel:  O Kameel, knowledge is superior to wealth.  Knowledge protects you whereas you protect the wealth.  Knowledge rules whereas the wealth is ruled over.  Wealth decreases by spending whereas knowledge increases by spending.

(Ihya Uloom al-Deen Vol. 1)

O Allah, grant us the beneficial knowledge that can take us closer to You.

O Allah, increase me in my knowledge.I seek Allah’s forgiveness for me, for you and for all the Muslim males and females.  Verily, He is All-forgiving, the Merciful.