Seeking Knowledge - The Way to Paradise

"Allah will exalt those who believe among you, and those who have been granted knowledge to high ranks."

(Qur'an)

"Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim (male and female)." (Hadith)

THE VIRTUES OF KNOWLEDGE

Allah (Most Exalted is He), Who created us and gave us sustenance, has also given us guidance. He said:

"Verily We have created man into toil and struggle… Have We not made for him a pair of eyes; and a tongue, and a pair of lips; and shown him the two ways (obedience and disobedience)?"

(Qur'an, Al-Balad 90:4-10)

After providing us with the capability to contemplate, think and differentiate between things, He instructed us to know Him, to know his Prophets and to know His Deen, Islam. He said:

"So know that there is no god save Allah, ask forgiveness for your sins and for the believing men and the believing women. Allah knows well your moving and your place of rest."

(Qur'an, Muhammad 47:19)

This verse shows the importance of knowledge and the virtues that Allah has given to it. It also shows that knowledge comes before deeds, since Allah instructed His Prophet to know that He is One and the only One worthy of worship. After that, He commanded him to ask forgiveness for himself, his family and for his Ummah.

If Muslims truly realise the importance Islam places on knowledge and its virtues, they will definitely be keen to learn and teach others. They would start with themselves and their families; then their neighbours and the community at large. Once Mu'awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with her) gave a sermon in which he said, "I heard Allah's Messenger saying, "If Allah wants to do good to a person, he makes him very knowledgeable in the Deen." (Related by Bukhari and Muslim)

This is because knowledge is the basis of all good; it generates actions that are based on the commandments of Allah and the instructions of the Prophet . Hence, every Muslim must instil in his mind a desire to seek knowledge. Allah (Most Exalted is He) instructed His Prophet -- and thus all Muslims -- to ask Allah to increase him in knowledge. He said:

"And say: My Lord increase me in knowledge."

(Qur'an, Ta-Ha 20:114)

Though, initially, all Muslims are equal in the sight of Allah, those who believe, have taqwah (fear of Allah and righteousness), and have been granted knowledge move up to higher ranks. Allah says about those who have taqwah:

"Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is he who has most taqwah."

(Qur'an, Al-Hujurat 49:13)

And He said about those who believed and acquired knowledge:

"Allah will raise up, to (suitable) ranks and (degrees), those of you who believe and who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is well-acquainted with all you do."

(Qur'an, Al-Mujadilah 58:11)

When a servant of Allah is granted knowledge, he appreciates Allah's creation more, and becomes more acquainted with Allah's attributes and qualities. Consequently, he wholeheartedly witnesses that his Creator is the only one worthy of worship, and then submits to Him humbly. This, in return, generates in his heart a fear, which is akin to a full appreciation and love of His Lord. Allah (Most Exalted is He) has witnessed in favour of His learned servants these qualities, full appreciation of His Oneness and fear of Him. He stated in two verses, to be recited until Doomsday:

"There is no one worthy of worship but He: That is the witness of Allah, His angels and those endowed with knowledge, Standing firm in Justice (or maintaining His Creation in Justice). There is no god but He, the Exalted in power, the Wise."

(Qur'an, Al-'Imran 3:18)

"It is only those who have knowledge among His servants that fear Allah."

(Qur'an, Fatir 35:28)

The Messenger of Allah gave glad tidings to anyone who undertakes the task of seeking knowledge. Abu Hurayrah relates that the Prophet said, "For him who embarks on the path of seeking knowledge, Allah will ease for him the way to paradise." (Related by Muslim) If no Hadith on the importance of knowledge besides this one had been uttered by the Prophet , it would have been enough for Muslims. Yet the Prophet did more than that:

He used to stimulate his companions to seek knowledge: Ibn Mas'ud relates that the Prophet said, "Only two persons are worthy of being envied; a person upon whom Allah bestows riches and gives him the power to spend it in a righteous cause; and a person upon whom Allah bestows wisdom by which he judges and which he teaches." (Related by Bukhari and Muslim)

He used to congratulate the companions whenever they issued a right judgement or correctly answered a question. Imam Muslim narrates that once the Prophet asked Ubayy Ibn Ka'b, "Do you know which verse in Allah's Book is the greatest?" Ubayy answered by reciting Ayat-ul-Kursi (the verse of the Throne, i.e. Al-Baqarah, 2:255): "Allah! None has the right to be worshiped but He, the Ever Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists…) The Messenger kindly patted him on the chest, saying, "Congratulations, Abul-Munthir for this knowledge".

He used to call upon Allah to grant them the correct knowledge and understanding of this Deen: Ibn 'Abbas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated, "Once the Prophet embraced me and said, 'O Allah! Bestow on him the knowledge of the Book (Qur'an)." (Related by Bukhari)

He ordained all his companions and, thus, every Muslim who possesses some knowledge -- even as little as one verse -- to disseminate what they know to others: He said, "Convey (what you learn from me) even if only one verse…" (Related by Bukhari)

He made special du'a (supplication) for those who learn his sayings and transmit them to others: Zayd Ibn Thabit narrated that the Prophet said, "May Allah brighten the face of the person who hears what I say and retains it, then conveys it to others: for sometimes one who hears from another remembers it better than the original hearer himself." (Related by Ahmad and Tirmithi)

He assured all those who disseminate his knowledge that they will get the same reward of any Muslim who acts upon that knowledge: Abu Hurayrah relates that the Prophet said, "He who calls another to guidance will have a reward equal; to the reward of him who follows him without diminishing the reward of either of them." (Related by Muslim)

He showed to us the noble status of the learned people of His Ummah: Abu Umamah relates that the Prophet said, "A learned one is as much above an (ordinary) worshiper as I am above the least of you; and he added: Allah, His angels and all those in the heavens and in the earth, even the ants in their holes and the fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct people in beneficent knowledge." (Related by Tirmithi)

Better still, he declared that the 'Ulama' (those who have Islamic knowledge) are his heirs: Abu Darda' said that he heard the Prophet saying, "The 'Ulama' are heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets do not leave an inheritance of Dirhams and Dinars but (they left) only knowledge. He who acquires knowledge acquires a vast portion." (Related by Abu Dawud and Tirmithi)

After reading all these promises and glad tidings, one might ask, what more do we need to awaken our consciousness? We have been promised an easy way to paradise; the inheritance of our Prophet; a lofty rank, high and noble in status; a blessing from Allah and a supplication of all that exists in the heavens and earth; a face beaming in brightness and beauty on the Day of Judgement, when other faces will be sad and dismal. So, let us embark on the road to paradise; let us seek knowledge today.

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Islam on Dowry

The Real Gift

Islam has legislated the giving of the dower by the husband to the wife in order to please the woman’s heart and to honour her (Mahr - Marriage gift given by Males to Females). It is also meant to bring an end to what was done in the Days of Ignorance wherein she was wronged, exploited, despised and robbed of her wealth. The dower is a right exclusively for the wife. It is her possession and none of her guardians or relatives may share any part of it. No one has any power over her concerning how she wishes to dispose of it, as long as she does so in a legally acceptable manner. She may give it away as a gift, she may lend it to others or she may give it in charity or do any other permissible acts she wishes with it.

The dower was instituted because the goal of marriage is not the actual act of the marriage contract in itself. In fact, the actual purpose of marriage cannot be achieved unless the spouses stay in a state of marriage. However, that may not be achieved unless the dower is an obligation at the time of the marriage contract itself. In this case, when there come times that may lead the man to divorce his wife, such as estrangement or coarse behaviour, the husband would not be willing to divorce his wife due to just the slightest act of rudeness that occurs. If it were not for the dower that was required due to the contract itself, it would be very easy for him to leave her.

Therefore, the goals of marriage would not be met as the goals and benefits of marriage are only met when the two are in accord and agreement with one another but that accord will not come about unless the woman is something honoured and special to the husband. But such honour will not come about unless he had to give up something important to him. This is because what is most difficult to achieve is most special to the person. Therefore, if the wife is not something special in the eyes of the husband, then he will dispose of her at the first sign of unhappiness, the accord will not occur and the purposes of marriage will not be achieved.

What we see happening in some European countries, and indeed some Muslim countries, is very strange indeed. This is where the woman is required to furnish a dowry or provide the furniture for their future house. This is definitely turning the natural order of things upside down and goes against the nature of mankind. It leads to a great deal of social ills and behavioural harm. It is a means by which the woman is despised and belittled. Indeed, she is ruined because of it. If the woman is not able to gather enough wealth together for marriage, she will not be able to get married and, instead, will have boyfriends and affairs, and other evil results.

Such a practice contains a great deal of evil and harm for the society; this practice may even bring about society’s end soon. There is a great difference between the case where the woman feels that she and what she possesses belong to her husband and where she feels that she is something desired and honoured, as the fiancé spends money on her and gives her presents and so on to get her as his wife.

One regrettable aspect of dowry-giving in recent times is that it is becoming more and more a matter of ostentation. Nothing could be more un-Islamic in motivation than this. Even the practice of performing a marriage quietly, without any flamboyant display of wealth, but subsequently giving a lavish dowry to enable the bride to set up her home is contrary to Islamic practice. It was certainly not the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam (may Allaah exalt his mention). Faatimah, may Allaah be pleased with her, was his favourite daughter, but he neither gave her a lavish dowry nor did he send things to her home after the wedding, and even when she, may Allaah be pleased with her, made a request to him for something of a material nature, he only gave her the benefit of his counsel.

Mahr (The Dower)

Islam has successfully maintained an even balance in society between men and women by giving its unequivocal endorsement to a practical division of labour, whereby women are placed in charge of the internal arrangement of the household, while men are responsible for its financing. The home is thus organised on the pattern of a microcosmic estate, with the man in a position of authority. The Quran is specified on this issue; Allaah Says (what means): 

“Men are in charge of women by [right of] what [qualities] Allaah has given one over the other and what they spend [in support] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allaah would have them guard…” [Quran 4:34]

For largely biological reasons, women are well adapted to domestic pursuits while men, for similar reasons, are better suited to work outside the home. These physical and mental differences between men and women are, in practice, what underlay Islam’s division of familial responsibilities into internal and external spheres, with the woman dealing exclusively with the home and family and the man providing the funds.

Mahr Mu’ajjal (Promptly given dower)

At the time of the marriage, the groom hands over to the bride a sum of money called Mahr (dower) which is a token of his willing acceptance of the responsibility of bearing all necessary expenses of his wife. This is the original meaning of Mahr, although this custom has come to have different connotations in modern times.

There are two ways of presenting the Mahr to the bride. One is to hand it over at the time of the marriage, in which case it is known as Mahr Mu’ajjal, or promptly given dower. During the time of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam and his companions, Mahr Mu’ajjal was the accepted practice and the amount fixed was generally quite minimal. The giving of Mahr by ‘Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him, to Faatimah, may Allaah be pleased with her, who was the Prophet’s daughter, is an illustration of how this custom was respected. After the marriage had been arranged, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam asked ‘Ali if he had anything he could give as dower in order to make Faatimah his lawfully wedded wife. ‘Ali replied: "I swear by Allaah that I have nothing, O Messenger of Allaah.” The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam then asked: “Where is the coat of armour I once gave you?” ‘Ali, may Allaah be pleased with him, replied that it was still in his possession. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam then instructed him to send the coat of armour to Faatimah, may Allaah be pleased with her, thereby making his union lawful. This then was the sum total of Faatimah’s dower.

Sources:

1-'Women between Islam and Western Society'

By: Wahiduddin Khan

2- 'The Fiqh of Marriage in the Light of Quran and Sunnah'

By: Saalih al-Sadlaan

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Meaningful Mankind

Abdur Rahim Green talks about the purpose of life under the topic "Meaningful Mankind, The Islamic Definition

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Culture Confusion

Do you SUBMIT TO ALLAH or do you SUBMIT TO YOUR CULTURE? MAKE YOUR CHOICE!

By Abdur Raheem Green

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Sadaqa

Sadaqa is a donation given voluntarily for the sake of Allah to poor people, providing them with necessities of life.

“No money ever decreases because of charity”.
(Prophet Muhammad - PBUH)

Giving Sadaqa Is An Evidence Of Believe In Allah

If Allah blessed us with money, good health or knowledge, then we should acknowledge His blessing by sharing Allah’s gifts with those who are less fortunate. Some may need direct financial aid if they are poor and cannot meet their obligations. Others may need guidance in the form of sound sincere advice. Others may need comfort and a good word. All are forms of Sadaqa that will count in our favor.

Allah SWT said in the Quran

 “Believe in Allah and His Messenger, and spend (in charity) out of the (substance) whereof He has made you heirs. For, those of you who believe and spend (in charity); for them is a great Reward”.     
Al-Hadeed  57 : 7

The Best Charity Is That Given Out Of What We Make and Earn

The Prophet PBUH said :
“The best earning is that which your hands have earned; whenever a man spends on himself, or his family, children and servant, it is considered as a charity for him” Narrated by Ibn Majja.

Charity Involves Money, Effort, Knowledge And Helping Others

The Prophet PBUH said:

“There is a Sadaqa ( charity ) due on every Muslim; if he cannot give because he has no money, let him work then he can support himself and give charity; if he is unable to work, then let him help someone in need of his help; if he does not do that, let him adjoin good; if he does not do that, then he should not do evil or harm others: it will be written for him as a Sadaqa” Narrated by Ahmad,Bokhari, Muslim & Nesa’ee.

This hadith points out the importance of Sadaqa and making it as a continuous duty performed by society. That will tie the relations between the society’s individuals and unite them. The Prophet PBUH said in other Hadith that even your smile to your brother is a charity. Also, from the above mentioned Hadith we can observe that even if the person has no money he can perform the Sadaqa duty  by other ways, so the poor and rich will contribute in this duty.

Give Of The Best That You Have

We were asked to give sadaqa from the best things that we have and we love.

Allah SWT said: 

"O believers, never shall you attain to true piety unless you spend on others out of what you cherish yourselves; and whatever you spend - verily, God has full knowledge thereof”.     Al-Imran  3 : 92.

Our Wealth Will Not Decrease If We Give In Charity

Allah promised to replace everything that we give in charity, and Allah is true to His promise.

Allah SWT said in the Quran:

“Say: Verily my Lord enlarges and restricts the Sustenance to such of His servants as He pleases: and what you spend in charity He replaces it: for He is the Best of those who grant Sustenance”.  Saba  34 : 39

Prophet Muhammad ( PBUH ) emphasized this concept when He said:
 “No money ever decreases because of charity”.

Sadaqa Protects The Society

As a fact, the most causes of crimes in societies is related to the poorness and needy. When the person has no enough resources of income he may try to get money illegally to safe his life. When the rich people give out their sadaqa and Zakah the poor people will become secured and satisfied and they will not to go through criminal ways to get the money.

The Sadaqa Jariya

The Prophet PBUH said:

“If a human dies, then his good deeds stop except for three: a Sadaqa Jariah (continuous charity), a beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him”. Narrated by Muslim.

The Sadaqa Jariya is a donation that its reward from Allah SWT continuous for long time. There are many funds that the Sadaqa Jariya could be paid to. Examples of these are: digging wells, building mosques, building schools and distributing the knowledge.

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Is Quran God's Word?

A talk by Dr Zakir Naik

Dr. Zakir Naik logically and with sufficient proof proves the claims of the critics of The Holy Quran wrong and shows that it could only be a Divine Revelation from GOD (ALLAH). He shows the amazing facts mentioned in The Quran that conciliate with the modern science and at some other facts that are much more advansed than the present scientific knowledge by quoting the example of Dr. Keith Moore who studied the Quranic Embryology and incorporated it in the 3rd edition of his book to get the best book ever written on medicine award.

He further shows the mathematical miracles and the lack of any contradiction in The Quran to prove beyond doubt that The Quran could only be the word of GOD.

(The Audio and Video Quality is less for faster download)

Lecture




Question and Answer Session

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Is Milk Vegetarian or Non-Vegetarian?

Whenever the subject of vegetarianism is discussed, one question invariably asked is whether or not dairy products such as milk, butter, cheese, etc., may be clasified as vegetarian. Among ancient cultures, the Hindus - traditionally considered the architects who laid out the principles of vegetarianism - regard dairy products as vegetarian. However, from an ethical, medical and modern enviromental viewpoint, as well as from a vegan perspective, milk and milk products cannot be accepted as vegetarian, because they are obtained from animals. Therefore, I would like to examine and compare the different principles and philosophies behind the old and new interpretation of the meaning of vegetarianism.

Mother’s milk is the only nourishment available to a new-born infant, a characteristic common to all mammals since life originated on planet earth. Although a child may exceptionally be fed a dairy-free infant formula for medical reasons, despite unparalled developments in human biology and medicine the use of mother’s milk remains the preferred option. Breast feeding causes no physical discomfort or pain and no health or life risk to the mother. On the contrary, retaining breast milk is painful and it must be drained if not fed to the infant. Likewise, dairy products have been regarded as vegetarian foods because they are presumed to have been obtained without violence or risk to the health or the lives of dairy animals.

The Jains are a very orthodox non-violent Indian community who do not consume any root vegetables to avoid destroying any plant life, nor vegetables and fruits that support any form of parasitic life, but milk is nevertheless considered to be vegetarian, though certain health and hygiene guidelines must be maintained to procure and prepare the milk once the suckling calves have got their due share.

Types of Vegetarians

Milk products are not only consumed freely by everyone in such communities, but are also used by their holymen, saints and sadhus, and are considered holy enough as an offering to their gods and deities in all social and religious rituals. Non-violence, the preservation of life and the human bond conveyed through the mother’s milk are important concepts to them. Therefore, if milk products were not to be regarded as vegetarian, the act of suckling a baby would be akin to cannibalism. Most importantly, the molecular structure of milk does not consist of a biological cellular structure from which the basic building blocks of life are formed.

According to medical science, however, milk is an animal product with a molecular structure of animal origin. For example, if butter burns in a pot it gives off a smell similar to that of roasting animal flesh. However differently obtained, animal fat and butter are nevertheless similar, and should be eliminated to treat certain diseases and ailments directly linked to the consumption of animal products.

Milk serves also as the vehicle of transmission of some diseases from animals to humans, many animal diseases can easily mutate into specific human ailments. Modern science can also detect the presence of blood and pus cells in milk, kept below a specified limit through quality control. Vegans also object to the cruelty inherent in milk production and the commercial systems used to house and raise the animals.

Finally, the issue of eggs must also be confronted. Although it might be argued that using non-fertilised eggs addresses the ethical objections raised in defence of life, the cellular biological structure of the egg cannot be denied. The physiological impact of eggs on human health is therefore comparable with that of other flesh foods.

"As a Fact we cannot deny that the Milk is produced by Blood of Mammals which is a process cannot be done by Plants"

By:  Dr. P. K. Jain, Founder Chairman, Vegetarian Society of Botswana

P. O. Box 2178, Gaborone, Botswana.
Tel. +267 356171 Fax: +267 356591. E-mail: jainpk@noka.ub.bw

Your can watch the Debate  || Is Non-vegetarian Food Permitted Or Prohibited For Human Being?

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