Path to Knowledge

Journey to Knowledge in Words of Imam Bukhari

AI-Qaadee Al-Waleed ibn Ibraaheem AI-Bukhaaree was one of the students of Imam Bukhaaree, and when he grew up, he became the chief judge of the district of Ar-Rayy. He related that, when he was just entering into the early years of adulthood, he developed a yearning to seek out the knowledge of Hadeeth. And he of course went to one of the most eminent Hadeeth scholars of his time and told him about his desire to become a student of knowledge. That scholar was Imam Bukhaaree (may Allah have mercy on him), and if the beginning part of his response seems enigmatic at first blush, it becomes clearer towards the end of the narration. He said to Al-WaIeed,

"0 my son, do not embark upon an endeavor until you know its limits (i.e., what you will be required to learn in order to master the endeavor or course of studies you are embarking upon) and until you know the talents that will be required of you in order for you to succeed at it. And know that a man does not truly and completely become a scholar of Hadeeth until he writes down four things with four things and the example of four things; until he writes during four stages; until he writes in four conditions; until he writes in four places; until he writes down on four things; and until he writes down from four kinds of people. When he does all of that, four things will become easy for him [to lose (i.e., those four things will not preoccupy his time and his thoughts)]; also, he will be tested in four things. And if he remains patient throughout those tests, Allah will honor him withfour things in this world, and will reward him with four things in the Hereafter."

Al-Qaadee AI-Waleed asked, "May Allah have mercy on you. Interpret for me all of the groups of four things you mentioned."

Imam Bukhaaree said, "Yes, the four things one needs to write about are legislations of the Messenger Peace be Upon Him  and all information that one can gather about him; the Companions RadiAllahunho  and their talents (and doings and achievements); the Taabi'oon (the generation that came after the generation of the Companions ) and the doings; and the rest of the scholars (of Islam) – their biographies, their names, their Kunyahs, the places they went to, and the eras during which they lived.

The examples of narrations one should know about are a narration that has a complete and connected chain of narrators; one that has a chain that is only missing the name of the Companion who related It; one that is Mawqoof (i.e., it stops short at someone before the Prophet Peace Be Upon Him; therefore, it can be ascribed to a Companion, but not to the Prophet  Peace Be Upon Him) ; and one that is disconnected."

Imam Bukhaaree went on to explain, "One must write down narrations (and knowledge in general) when one is young, when one reaches an age of understanding, during the years of one’s young adulthood, and during one's middle years.

One must write down (narrations and preoccupy oneself with knowledge under four conditions: when one is busy, when one is free, when one is poor, and when one is rich.

And one must write down (narrations and knowledge in four places :) on the tops of mountains, while traveling by sea, in cities, and in the desert.

And one must write down (narrations and knowledge on four things): on stones, on shells, on leather, and on shoulder bones (of animals) until the time comes when one is able to transcribe that written information onto actual paper.

And one must write down from (four kinds of people:) from those who are above him, those who are below him, those who are at his level, as well as from the book of his father - but he has to be sure that he is transcribing from the actual handwriting of his father and not from the handwriting of Someone else.

Furthermore, one must strive to do four things: to seek out knowledge, seeking only the Countenance of Allah and His Good Pleasure; to act in accordance with the Book of Allah; to spread knowledge among students; and to author works, so as to keep one's remembrance alive even after one's death."

Imam Bukhaaree went on to say, "And one will not accomplish these things without four things that he, as the slave of Allah, must acquire himself: knowledge of the Book (of Allah), of language, of As-Sarf  (a branch of knowledge in Arabic which deals with the study of words before they make their way into a sentence), and of An-Nahwu (the study of words after they enter into a sentence, or in other words, the changes words undergo once they are written in sentences).

And then one will need four things that are from the gifts of Allah  (which He ( Allah Subhawatala) gives to whomsoever among His slaves He Wishes): health, ability (and talent), a strong drive (to learn), and a retentive memory. If one is blessed with all of these things, four things will become easy for him (i.e. ., they will become insignificant in his eyes when compared to his greater purpose in life): family, children, wealth, and homeland.

And one will be tested in four things: Enemies who find satisfaction in his failures and mistakes; friends who find fault with him; ignorant people who level accusations against him; and (contemporary) scholars who become jealous of him (and of his achievements). If he remains patient through all of these tests, Allah  will honor him with four things in this world: With the honor of becoming content with one's lot in life; with the aura of awe one inspires in others through one's profoundly deep faith (in Allah); with the sweet satisfaction of having (and of studying) knowledge; and with an eternal life (Le., even after such a scholar dies, he will live on through the good works and knowledge he will have left behind). And Allah will reward him with four things in the Hereafter: with the option of interceding for whomsoever he wants from his (Muslim) brothers; with being blessed with the shade of the Throne (on a Day during which there will be no shade save that shade); with being able to drink from the Basin of Muhammad ~Peace Be Upon Him (when there will be no water save for the water in that Basin); and with being in the company of the Prophets in the highest levels of Paradise: "Then they will be in the company of those on whom Allah has bestowed His Grace, of the Prophets... (Qur'an 4: 69).

Having explained what it entails to be a life-long student of knowledge, Imam Bukhaaree (may Allah have mercy on him) said to Al-Qaadee Al-Waleed: "0 my son, in general terms I have informed you of the various things I have heard from my teachers on this topic. So either come now to fulfill the purpose for which you have come to me (to seek out knowledge), or abandon this endeavor (if you feel that you will not be able to live up to the terms I explained to yoU).[l]

The reader will have noticed that, although - as I have mentioned above - much of this advice applies to scholars in general, it applies more specifically to the scholar of Hadeeth. But then the discussion between Imam Bukhaaree (may Allah have mercy on him) and AI-Qaadee Al-Waleed quickly turned to the study of Fiqh, In the above-mentioned account, Imam Bukhaaree (may Allah have mercy on him) pointed out all the hardships and obstacles that stood in the way of achieving excellence in the sciences of Hadeeth.

The Excellence of As-Saum (The Fast) during the first ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

The Excellence of As-Saum (The Fast) during the first ten Days of Dhul-Hijjah

1249. Ibn `Abbas (May Allah be pleased with them) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "There are no days during which the righteous action is so pleasing to Allah than these days (i.e., the first ten days of Dhul-Hijjah).'' He was asked: "O Messenger of Allah, not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah?'' He (PBUH) replied, "Not even Jihad in the Cause of Allah, except in case one goes forth with his life and his property and does not return with either of it.''
[Al-Bukhari].

Commentary:  This Hadith brings out the following two points:

1. Righteous deeds during the first ten days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah are far better and more rewarding than righteous deeds done on other days of the year, because they are Hajj days in the sacred season of pilgrimage. Because of their excellence and importance, Allah (SWT) swore by them, thus: "By the Dawn; by the ten Nights...'' (89:1,2)

2. Jihad has great eminence in Islam.

Good Manner and Muslim

The life of a Muslim must stand on seven foundations:

·         Adherence to Allah's Book,

·         Following the way of Allah's Messenger Peace Be Upon Him,

·         Eating that which is lawful,

·         Refraining from harming others,

·         Staying away from sins,

·         Repenting frequently,

·         Fulfilling the rights of others.

In the past and present, the great Islamic jurists of this nation have confirmed that the Muslim's life must be based on the aforesaid foundations. Brother Muslim, you must remain firm upon those seven comprehensive foundations - by the Will of Allah - until the day you die.

A Believer worships Allah by being well mannered and dealing pleasantly with all, so that Allah may love him and make him beloved to his creation. Whoever considers exercising good manners as worship will deal courteously with everyone, the rich or poor, a manager or a tea boy.

If one day a poor cleaner on the street stretches out his hand for you to shake it, and another day a director of some company stretches his hand out in the same way, will you treat them equally?

Will you welcome them both and smile at them equally?

The Prophet (PBUH) will certainly treat them both equally in terms of welcoming them and showing them sincere conduct and compassion.

Who knows, perhaps the one you may belittle and look down upon might actually be better in Allah’s sight than he who you look up and show honor and respect.

Quran (68:4) “and you (Prophet- PBUH) are certainly on the most exalted standard of moral excellence.”

Here, this sentence gives two meanings: (1) "That you stand exalted to a high and noble character; that is why you are enduring all these hardships in your mission of guiding the people to the Right Way, otherwise a man of weak character could not have done so;" and (2) "that besides the Qur'an, your high and noble character also is a clear proof that the accusation of madness that the disbelievers bring against you is absolutely false, for high morals and madness cannot co-exist in one and the same person. " A madman is he whose balance of mind is upset, who has lost his temperamental equilibrium. Contrary to this, the high morals of a person testify that he is a right-minded and sound-natured person, who possesses perfect temperamental equilibrium. The people of Makkah were not unaware of the morals and character possessed by the Holy Messenger of AIIah. Therefore, it was enough just to make a reference to them so that every reasonable man of Makkah was made to think how shameless were those people who were calling a man of such sublime morals and character a madman. Their absurd conduct was not at all harmful for the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) but for themselves, for maddened in their craze for opposition they were saying such a thing about him which could not be regarded as credible by any man of understanding. The same also is the case with those men of knowledge and scholarship, who in the modern time are accusing the Holy prophet (upon whom be peace) of having fits of madness and epilepsy. The Qur'an is available everywhere in the world and the Holy Prophet's life also exists in the written form in entire detail. Every person can see it for himself what a foolish and meaningless thing is being uttered in their blind enmity by those who regard the man who brought this unique and matchless Book and who possessed such sublime morals and character as a mentally deranged person. The best description of the Holy Prophet's character has been given by Hadrat 'A'ishah in her statement: Kana khuluqu-hul-Qur an: the Qur'an was his character." Imam Ahmad, Muslim, Abu Da'ud. Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, Darimi and Ibn Jarir have cited, with a little variation in wording, this saying with several chains of transmitters. This means that the Holy Prophet had not merely presented the teaching of the Qur'an before the world but also given its practical demonstration by his personal example. Whatever was enjoined in the Qur'an was acted upon practically by himself in the first instance; whatever was forbidden in it was shunned and avoided by himself most of all. His own self was characterized most of all by the moral qualities which were declared as sublime by it, and his own self was most free from those qualities which were declared as abhorrent and reprehensible by it. In another tradition Hadrat 'A'ishah has stated: "The Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) never hit a servant, never raised his hand on a woman never used his hand to kill a person outside the battlefield, never avenged himself on anyone for an injury caused unless someone violated a sanctity enjoined by AIlah and he avenged it for the sake of Allah. His practice was that whenever he had to choose between two things, he would choose the easier one unless it was a sin; and if it was a sin he would keep away from it most of all" (Musnad Ahmad). Hadrat Anas says: "I served the Holy Prophet (upon whom be peace) for ten years. He never did so much as express even a slight disgust over what I did or said: he never asked why I had done what I had done, and never inquired why I had not done what I had not done." (Bukhari, Muslim).

Quran (3:159) It was thanks to Allah's mercy that you were gentle to them. Had you been rough, hard-hearted, they would surely have scattered away from you. So pardon them, and pray for their forgiveness, and take counsel from them in matters of importance. And when you are resolved on a course of action places your trust in Allah; surely Allah loves those who put their trust (in Him).

(21:107) (O Muhammad!) We have sent you to be a real blessing for the people of the world. 

This verse (107) can also be translated as: "We have sent you only as a blessing for the people of the world". In both cases it will mean that the appointment of the Holy Prophet is indeed a blessing and mercy of Allah to the whole world. This is because he aroused the neglectful world froth its heedlessness and gave it the knowledge of the criterion between truth and falsehood, and warned it very clearly of both the ways of salvation and. ruin. This fact has been stated here 'to tell the disbelievers of Makkah that they were quite wrong in their estimate of the Holy Prophet that he was an affliction and distress for them because they said, "This man has sown seeds of discard among our clans and separated near relatives from each other." They have been told here, "O foolish people, you are wrong to presume that he is an affliction for you; but he is in reality a blessing and mercy of Allah for you."

"Shall I not tell you who among you is the most beloved to me and will be closest to me on the Day of Resurrection?" He repeated it two or three times, and they said, 'Yes, O Messenger of Allah (p.b.u.h.).’  He said: "Those of you who are the best in attitude and character." (Reported by Ahmad and its Isnad is Jayyid) Some reports add: "Those who are down to earth and humble, who get along with others and with whom others feel comfortable."

One of the attributes of the believer is that he gets along with others and others feel comfortable with him. He likes people and they like him. If he is not like this, then he will not be able to convey the message or achieve anything of significance. Whoever is like that has no goodness in him, as in the Hadith:
"The believer gets along with people and they feel comfortable with him. There is no goodness in the one who does not get along with people and with whom they do not feel comfortable.” (Reported by Ahmad and al-Bazar; the men of Ahmad's Isnad are Rijal as-Sahih)

The Prophet (p.b.u.h.) set the highest example of good behaviour towards people. He was skilful in softening their hearts and called them to follow him in word and deed. He demonstrated how to reach people's hearts and win their love and admiration.

He was always cheerful and easy-going, never harsh. When he came to any gathering, he would sit wherever there was a free space, and he told others to do likewise. He treated everyone equally, so that no one who was present in a gathering would feel that anyone else was receiving preferential treatment. If anyone came to him and asked for something, he would give it to them, or at least respond with kind words. His good attitude extended to everyone and he was like a father to them. The people gathered around him were truly equal, distinguished only by their level of taqwa. They were humble, respecting their elders, showing compassion to young ones, giving priority to those in need and taking care of strangers.

Hadith - Bukhari's Book of Manners #271, Abu Dawud, Tirmidhi, Ahmad, and Ibn Hibban.

...Abu Darda' reported that the Prophet of Allah, upon him be peace, said, "Nothing is weightier on the Scale of Deeds than one's good manners."

Hadith - Bukhari's Book of Manners #286 and Ahmad

Abu Huraira, r.a., said, "I heard Abu al Qasim (the Prophet saaws), say, 'The best among you in Islam are those with the best manners, so long as they develop a sense of understanding.' "

Hadith - At-Tabaraanee collected it, and Albani authenticated it in Silsilatul-AHaadeethis-Saheehah (#432).

The Prophet (saaws) said: "The most beloved of Allah's servants to Allah are those with the best manners."

Hadith - Bukhari's Book of Manners # 285, Hakim, and Abu Dawud

... Abu Huraira, r.a., said that the Prophet of Allah, saaws, said, "If one has good manners, one may attain the same level of merit as those who spend their nights in prayer."

Hadith - Bukhari's Book of Manners # 290, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, and Ahmad

... Abu Hurairah reported that the Prophet of Allah (saaws) said, "And what is most likely to send people to Paradise? Being conscious of Allah and good manners."