M5 – Arts of ‘Ilm

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaah

 
فضل أصحاب الحديث

قال الشافعي رحمه الله

اذا رأيت رجلا من أصحاب الحديث
فكأني رأيت رجلا من أصحاب النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم
جزاهم الله خيرا, هم حفظوا لنا الأصل فلهم علينا الفضل 

وقال – عليكم بأصحاب الحديث فانهم أكثر الناس صوابا

The virtues of the people of Hadeeth

Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee (rahimahullaah) said:

“If I saw a man from the people of hadeeth, then it’s as if I saw a man from the Companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam). May Allaah reward them, they preserved for us the foundation so they have a right of virtue upon us.”

He said: “Upon you is (to accompany) the people of hadeeth for they are the most correct from amongst the people.”
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 الخير في خمسة قال الشافعي رحمه الله

 الخير في خمسة

غنى النفس
وكف الأذى
وكسب الحلال
والتقوى
والثقة بالله

Goodness is in five

He (rahimahullaah) said:

Goodness is in 5 matters:

- Richness of the soul
- Desisting from harm
- Earning halaal
- Taqwa
- And trust in Allaah
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 رضا الناس

قال الشافعي رحمه الله

رضا الناس غاية لا تدرك
وليس الى السلامة من ألسنة الناس سبيل
فعليك بما ينفعك فالزمه

Pleasure of the people

Seeking the pleasure of people is an objective that can never be obtained
And there is no way to safety from the tongues of people
So upon you is to adhere to only that which benefits you.
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الاخلاص في العلم

 قال الشافعي رحمه الله من أراد الآخرة فعليه بالاخلاص في العلم

Sincerity in Knowledge

Whoever desires the Hereafter then upon him is sincerity in knowledge
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فنون العلم

قال الشافعي رحمه الله

من تعلم القرآن عظمت قيمته
ومن تكلم في الفقه نما قدره
ومن كتب الحديث قويت حجته
ومن نظر في اللغة رقّ طبعه
ومن نظر في الحساب جزل رأيه
ومن لم يصن نفسه لم ينفعه علمه

The Arts of knowledge

Whoever learns Qur’aan, then his value becomes great
Whoever speaks in Fiqh (learns it), his capacity grows
Whoever writes ahadeeth, his evidence strengthens
Whoever examines into language, his nature softens
Whoever contemplates the reckoning, his opinion becomes sound
And whoever does not protect himself, his knowledge does not benefit him
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النمام

قال الشافعي رحمه الله

من نمّ لك نمّ عليك,
ومن نقل اليك نقل عنك

The Slanderer

Whoever slanders to you about others, will slander about you
And whoever reports to you, will soon report about you

Smarter than a Pebble

As-salaamu `alaykum wa rahmatullaah

From the different meanings of the word حَصَى is to ‘count’ or ‘calculate’ – and this comes up in the Qur’an in a few places for example:

“Verily, We give life to the dead, and We record that which they send before (them), and their traces, and all things We have recorded with numbers (ahsaynaahu) in a Clear Book.” [Ya-Seen:12]

Interestingly enough, another meaning of this word also is ‘to understand’ with the masdr (verbal noun) إحصاة meaning ‘aql, intelligence and the faculty of thought and mind.[1]

This brings a whole new understanding to the hadeeth of the Messenger (sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam) when he said:

إنَّ لله تعالى تسعة وتسعين اسماً من أَحصاها دخَل الجنةَ
“Indeed, Allaah Ta’aala has 99 Names, whoever ahsaaha enters Paradise”

It generally would mean ‘whoever counts them enters Paradise’ but subhan’Allaah a deeper meaning emerges here – one that includes not just to count, but according to this meaning of ‘ahsaa‘ – it alludes to understanding, pondering over, remembering and contemplating the Names of Allaah `azza wa jall.

Rabbi zidnaa ‘ilmaa
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[1] Ka’b ibn Sa’d al-Ghanawi – this derivative can be found in most lexicons incl. Lisaan al-’Arab.