Knowledge has its priority December 21, 2006
Posted by aMuslimForLife in Aqidah, Fiqh, Knowledge, Tasawwuf/Sufism, Traditional Islam.trackback
Knowledge has its priority, the highest being aqidah, then fiqh and then tasawwuf.
Aqidah is to understand Allah, His Messenger and the Unseen. One does this by studying one of the Islamic texts on Aqidah from either the Ashari, Maturidi, and Athari (not Salafi) schools of Aqidah. A recognized Ashari text in Aqidah to study is Jawharat Tawhid by Imam Ibrahim Laqani. A recognized Maturidi text in Aqidah to study is Aqidah Nasafi by Imam Nasafi. A recognized Athari text in Aqidah to study is Aqidah Tahawi by Imam Tahawi.
Aqidah texts you want to avoid, the The Sharh of Imam Tahawi by Ibn Abu Al Izz, any text on Aqidah by Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Uthaymeen, Bin Baz and the likes.
Fiqh is to understand the rulings of the Shariah. One does this by studying one of the Islamic text of fiqh from either the Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi or Hanbali schools of fiqh,
Tasawwuf is the science of how to put the rulings of the Shariah into practice with sincerity. One can do this by taking one of the valid tariqas of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah, the Shadhili, Naqshabandis, Qadiris and the likes, or if one is able to find an upright shaykh to teach him how to purify his heart and to do his acts of worship with sincerity.
The vehicles needed to know and understand this properly is to first have a living shaykh teach you these sciences.
The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) said,
“Truly, Allah does not remove Sacred Knowedge by taking it out of servants, but rather by taking back the souls of Islamic scholars [in death], until, when He has not left a single scholar, the people take the ignorant as leaders, who are asked for and who give Islamic legal opinion without knowledge, misguided and misguiding” (Al Bukhari- Sahih)
If one is unable to find a living shaykh to teach them, then one can learn these sciences online through website like Sunnipath at www.sunnipath.com or Zam Zam Academy at http://www.zamzamacademy.com/ Zaytuna Institute also has a distance learning program at www.zaytuna.org .
If for some reason one is unable to access these website for whatever reason, then one must find a reliable book to study from, such as the Reliance of the Traveler by Ahmad Al Misri translated by Nuh Keller, and there are other resources available.
And Allah knows best.
salaams,
i read this earlier and thought, what a useful post, it’s really good to have the priorities of knowledge listed out like this. i totally agree on the necessity of learning through a living shaykh. i once tried to learn and practice intensively by myself for a period of time, through books, and found that i was going the wrong way despite trying my best to do what was right.
why do you say to avoid those texts on ‘aqidah, are they faulty in some way or just complicated?
jazakAllahu khair.
Aqidah texts you want to avoid, the The Sharh of Imam Tahawi by Ibn Abu Al Izz, any text on Aqidah by Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Uthaymeen, Bin Baz and the likes.
My Thoughts:
Shaykh al Islam Ibn Hajar Al Haytami said, “And beware of what IbnTaymiyya, his student Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya and others wrote; he [Ibn Taymiyya] is a man who took his lusts for his Lord, for which Allâh led him astray despite his learning, sealed upon his hearing and heart, and put a veil upon his sight; and who can guide him after Allâh let him be misguided? Why should He not, when these heretics have gone past the boundaries set by the Sharî`a and trampled them? Yet they imagine that they are the guided ones, that they are guided by their Lord Almighty when the truth is that they are not. Rather, they are on the wrong path, the most heinous, misleading way and most abominable traits. They are afflicted by vices and have incurred a great loss. May Allâh humble their followers and wipe the earth clean from their likes!”
Thus we are to avoid these texts because the scholars of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah have considered Salafi text in Aqidah to be faulty. They are problematic in terms that they encourage the likening of Allah to His creation in such a subtle way that most who follow the Salafi Aqidah are unaware of it. And I will point out some examples:
Ibn Taymiyyah likened Allah to the Moon
Ibn Taymiyyah likened Allah to the moon, which means he likened Allah to his creation which makes him an anthropomorphist. Yet you have people today, who will sit up here and defend this man and parade this Aqidah as if it the Aqidah of the Salafus Salah. The Salafus Saleh NEVER likened Allah to the moon.
Ibn Taymiyyah said, “His saying “He is with you” does not mean that He is commingled with the creatures: The language does not indicate this and it is against what the early generation of the Ummah agreed upon, and contrary to Allah’s creation of all things; For example, the moon is one of Allah’s Signs to be found amongst the smallest of his creatures; It is placed in the skies where it is at the same time with both the traveler and the non-traveller, wherever they are; and He, The Glorified, is on the Throne, watching over His creatures, ruling over them; This is, as well as other Signs of His Lordship.”
That is clear as day. Ibn Taymiyyah likened Allah to the moon. Allah is with the believers as the moon is with the traveler. Ibn Taymiyyah is using the same definition of with for the creation that he uses for The creator.
Instead of correcting Ibn Taymiyyah’s mistakes the Salafis will try to say the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salaam) likened Allah to His creation too, by quoting the following hadiths.
Abu Hurayrah relates: They (the Companions of the Prophet) said: O Messenger of Allaah, will we be able to see our Lord on the Day of Judgement? He replied: “Do you have any difficulty in seeing the sun at noon when there is no cloud over it?” They said: No. He again said: “Do you have any difficulty in seeing the moon on the fourteenth night when there is no cloud over it?” They said: No. Thereupon he said: “By Allaah Who is the One in Whose Hand is my life, you will not face any more difficulty in seeing your Lord than you face in seeing one of them.” (Muslim)
Jarir Ibn Abdullah Al Bajali said, “We were sitting with the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salaam) and he looked to the moon of the 14th night (a full moon). Then he said, ‘You will see your Lord with your eyes just as you see this (moon). You will not have to trouble each other in trying to see Him” (Bukhari, Muslim)
They say in this hadith that the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salaam) likened Allah to the moon as well. What is strange about Salafis using hadiths like this to defend the likening of Allah to His creation, in the authoritative Salafi commentary of Aqidah Tahawi, Ibn Abu Al Izz refutes this understanding of the hadith, he says, “The Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salaam) said, ‘You will see your Lord as you see the full moon.’ Since ‘as’ modifies ‘you see’, the comparison is definitely between the two visions and not the objects seen.’”
Ibn Uthaymeen in his commentary of Aqidah Wasatiyyah said it would be better to use the Sun instead of the moon.
And this one of the example of anthropomorphism in the ‘Salafi’ Aqidah, which is promoted by Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Uthaymeen, Bin Baz and the likes.
Shaykh Abdullah Hamid recently translated by book entitled the Attributes of God by Imam Ibn Jawzi Al Hanbali, in this book Ibn Jawzi expounds upon some of the issue in which the Hanbalis have strayed away from the Aqidah of Imam Ahmad. Shaykh Abdullah Hamid provides some useful notes to better understand this particular issue, or you can go to Shaykh GF Haddad website at http://www.abc.se/~m9783/tgfh.html .
If you have any other question I would be glad to assist you in this matter as much as I am able.
The proper manners when dealing with Muslims who ascribe to this aqidah, is to refrain from debating with them. And to be kind to them and approach them in a pleasing manner.
The Prophet (Allah) bless him and give him peace) said,
“Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him say what is good or remain silent.”
Imam Nawawi commented on this hadith saying, “This hadith, whose authenticity Bukhari and Muslim concur upon, is an explicit ;legal text indicating that a person should not speak unless what he intends to say is good, meaning that the benefit of it is apparent to him. Whenever one doubts that there is a clear advantage, one should not speak. Imam Shafi’i (Allah have mercy on him) said, “when one wishes to speak, one must first reflect, and if there is a clear interest to be served by speaking, one speaks, while if one doubts it, one remains silent until the advantage becomes apparent.”
And Allah knows best.
Assalamu alaikum,
I am only properly reading this comment now. I’m a bit confused as to which parts are your own thoughts and reflections and which parts are the explanations of others. Whatever the case, I must say I am deeply concerned and troubled by some of the above statements.
First of all, I don’t think it is right to say that Ibn Taymiyya “took his lusts for his lord” or that Allah led him astray. Isn’t it only Allah SWT Who knows whether a person is on the right path or not? Isn’t He the One to judge? This is actually the first time I have heard anything negative about him, or about Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya. I’ve heard many scholars speak much good about both.
Secondly, from reading the above it does not seem that Ibn Taymiyya likened Allah SWT to the moon; he seems only to be trying to explain a quality of Allah through the example of a familiar experience that humans can understand, that of seeing the moon as travellers and non-travellers. It seems to me that he is using a parable, which is a very effective method of illustrating a concept.
I just realized I have that book on The Attributes of God, I purchased it a few months ago. Insha’Allah I will try to take a look at it.
Allah knows best, may He guide us to the best understanding.
Wassalam
Bismillah,
Wa Alaykum salaam,
Ibn Taymiyyah
It is from the sunnah of the Prophet (sallahu alayhi wa salam) and the way of the Salafus Saleh (Radullahi Anhum) that we are to have a good opinion of all believers. However most scholars are of the opinion that in particular instances, one has to expose certain mistakes that may mislead others away from that which is correct.
With that in mind, I tend to look at the statements against Ibn Taymiyyah by Shaykh al Islam Ibn Hajar Al Haytami as statements of warning other people from following Ibn Taymiyyah mistakes, as oppose to looking at the statements as one judging Ibn Taymiyyah, as only Allah can judge in the absolute sense. Perhaps, Shaykh al Islam Ibn Hajar Al Haytami used strong words because this issue is very serious as it is related to Aqidah (usul al deen – the foundation of our religion). If you ever heard the biography of Ibn Hajar Al Haytami you’ll find that he was a very pious man, and I don’t think he would make such a statement without a legal (shariah) basis for it. Perhaps I will post a biography of Shaykh al Islam Ibn Hajar Al Haytami. And Allah knows best.
What the scholars have said about Ibn Taymiyyah
http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?HD=7&ID=4851&CATE=22&redirect=yes
Concerning Ibn Taymiyyah’s statement
I was discussing this issue with a brother, and he told me that the error in this quote from Ibn Taymiyyah can be very subtle. Although I believe the error is very clear. And Allah knows best.
It looks like you’re disregarding the Athari school as a whole which would include the Hanbalis. Can you give me a list of Hanbali/Athari Scholars who are also part of Ahl Sunah?
I did include the Athari school. I said, “Aqidah is to understand Allah, His Messenger and the Unseen. One does this by studying one of the Islamic texts on Aqidah from either the Ashari, Maturidi, and Athari (not Salafi) schools of Aqidah. A recognized Ashari text in Aqidah to study is Jaharat Tawhid by Imam Ibrahim Laqani. A recognized Maturidi text in Aqidah to study is Aqidah Nasafi by Imam Nasafi. A recognized Athari text in Aqidah to study is Aqidah Tahawi by Imam Tahawi text.”
A list of Athari who you might not consider Ashari.
Imam Tahawi
Imam Suyuti
Imam Nawawi
Imam Ibn Hajar Asqalani
Imam Ibn Qudamah
Imam Abu Bakr Al Arabi
Imam Ibn Jawzi
Imam Ibn Rajab
and many others.
and Allah knows best.
I would say if we recite Quran and do zikr daily inshallah Allah will protect us from all these major sins.
ws
I would like to see a continuation of the topic
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