Six Etiquettes of Learning
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) said:
“There are six stages to knowledge:-
Firstly: Asking questions in a good manner.
Secondly: Remaining quiet and listening attentively.
Thirdly: Understanding well.
Fourthly: Memorising.
Fifthly: Teaching.
Sixthly - and it is its fruit: Acting upon the knowledge and keeping to its limits.”
[Miftâh Dârus-Sa’âdah (p.283).]
Imam Ibn al-Qayyim (rahimahullah) said:
“There are six stages to knowledge:-
Firstly: Asking questions in a good manner.
Secondly: Remaining quiet and listening attentively.
Thirdly: Understanding well.
Fourthly: Memorising.
Fifthly: Teaching.
Sixthly - and it is its fruit: Acting upon the knowledge and keeping to its limits.”
[Miftâh Dârus-Sa’âdah (p.283).]
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Abu Razin رضي الله عنه said,
“Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Allah laughs for the despair of His servant, as He will soon relieve him.’
I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ does the Lord laugh?’
The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Yes.’
I said, ‘We will never be deprived of goodness by a Lord who laughs!’”
[Ibn Majah 181]
“Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Allah laughs for the despair of His servant, as He will soon relieve him.’
I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah ﷺ does the Lord laugh?’
The Prophet ﷺ said, ‘Yes.’
I said, ‘We will never be deprived of goodness by a Lord who laughs!’”
[Ibn Majah 181]
A man advised his son, saying: Oh my son, you must be mindful of Allaah.
If you’re able to be better today than you were yesterday and to be better tomorrow than you are today, then do so.
”
Awn ibn Abdullah, al-Zuhd wal-Raqa’iq #832
If you’re able to be better today than you were yesterday and to be better tomorrow than you are today, then do so.
”
Awn ibn Abdullah, al-Zuhd wal-Raqa’iq #832
The Messenger of Allāh Ṣallallāhu-‘Alaihi Wa Sallam said: “And be pleased with what share (of provision) Allāh has given you and you will be the most rich of people.”
[مختصر صحيح الجامع الصغير ١٠٠ ، حسنه الألباني]
[مختصر صحيح الجامع الصغير ١٠٠ ، حسنه الألباني]
Categories of the Believers
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Rahmān Nāṣir al-Saʿdī said:
The believers are of three categories:
1- Those who race towards the good: They are those who establish the obligated and recommended things and abstain from the impermissible and disliked things.
2- Those who ration: They are those who confine themselves to carrying out only the obligated matters and leaving off the impermissible matters.
3- Those who oppress themselves: They are those who mix between the righteous actions and the evil actions.
Source: Taʿlīm ʾUsūl al-Īmān pg. 26.
Shaykh ʿAbd al-Rahmān Nāṣir al-Saʿdī said:
The believers are of three categories:
1- Those who race towards the good: They are those who establish the obligated and recommended things and abstain from the impermissible and disliked things.
2- Those who ration: They are those who confine themselves to carrying out only the obligated matters and leaving off the impermissible matters.
3- Those who oppress themselves: They are those who mix between the righteous actions and the evil actions.
Source: Taʿlīm ʾUsūl al-Īmān pg. 26.
Maslamah ibn ‘Abdul Mālik said:
"الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَةُِ خَيْرٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ مِنَ الْعَيْنَيْنِ وَالْيَدَيْنِ والرجلَيْنِ"
“A righteous woman is better for a believer than [his own] two eyes, two hands and two legs!”
[Ahsan Al-Mahāsin: 368]
"الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَةُِ خَيْرٌ لِلْمُؤْمِنِ مِنَ الْعَيْنَيْنِ وَالْيَدَيْنِ والرجلَيْنِ"
“A righteous woman is better for a believer than [his own] two eyes, two hands and two legs!”
[Ahsan Al-Mahāsin: 368]
Allaah revealed to Isa:
O Isa, I’ve granted you the love of the poor and mercy toward them.
You love them, and they love you and accept you as their spiritual guide and leader, and you accept them as companions and followers.
These are two traits of character.
Know that whoever meets me on Judgment Day with these two character traits has met me with the purest of deeds and the ones most beloved by me.
Source: Kitab az-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad #327
O Isa, I’ve granted you the love of the poor and mercy toward them.
You love them, and they love you and accept you as their spiritual guide and leader, and you accept them as companions and followers.
These are two traits of character.
Know that whoever meets me on Judgment Day with these two character traits has met me with the purest of deeds and the ones most beloved by me.
Source: Kitab az-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad #327
Al-Awzā’ī رحمه الله said:
"Know that this knowledge is religion, so be careful what you do [with this knowledge], and from whom you take, and whom you follow and who you trust in your religion! For all the people of innovation are people of falsehood, liars and sinners!”
[Tārīkh Dimishq: 6/361]
"Know that this knowledge is religion, so be careful what you do [with this knowledge], and from whom you take, and whom you follow and who you trust in your religion! For all the people of innovation are people of falsehood, liars and sinners!”
[Tārīkh Dimishq: 6/361]
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Fadhāla رضي الله عنه :
(That a mustard seed of my deeds is accepted by Allāh is more beloved to me than the world and what it contains because Allāh said:”Indeed, Allāh only accepts from the righteous “[5:27])
(That a mustard seed of my deeds is accepted by Allāh is more beloved to me than the world and what it contains because Allāh said:”Indeed, Allāh only accepts from the righteous “[5:27])
Ibn Taymiyyah رحمه الله said,
"Muslims must realize that those who were better than them were tested (as well).”
[Ibn Taymiyyah's Fataawa v. 5, pg. 178]
"Muslims must realize that those who were better than them were tested (as well).”
[Ibn Taymiyyah's Fataawa v. 5, pg. 178]
Ibn al Qayyim رحمه الله said:
"Allah loves those who repent and it is because of his love for his creation that He tests them with sins, so that He may shower His Blessings and Favours upon them after they repent."
[Sincere Repentance I P.13]
"Allah loves those who repent and it is because of his love for his creation that He tests them with sins, so that He may shower His Blessings and Favours upon them after they repent."
[Sincere Repentance I P.13]
Ibn al-Qayyim رحمه الله:
“Constantly remember Allāh in every situation, with the tongue, the heart, and the actions. The person will attain Allāh’s love in accordance with his remembrance of Allāh.”
[Book: One Hundred Pieces of Advice by Ibn al-Qayyim | Pg. 9]
“Constantly remember Allāh in every situation, with the tongue, the heart, and the actions. The person will attain Allāh’s love in accordance with his remembrance of Allāh.”
[Book: One Hundred Pieces of Advice by Ibn al-Qayyim | Pg. 9]
Shaikh Sālih al-Fawzān was asked:
“Is it binding upon us to mention the good points of the one we are warning against?” So the Shaikh responded:
“No. Do not mention their good points. Mention only the error that they have fallen into.
It has not been entrusted to you to give them tazkiyah (commendation).
That which is entrusted to you is to explain the error they are upon so that they may repent from it, and so that others may take caution against it.”
Kitābul-Ajwibah al-Mufīdah Fī As’ilatil-Manāhij al-Jadīdah (p.13-14).
كتاب-الأجوبة المفيدة في أصيلة-مناهج الجديدة (ص١٣-١٤).
“Is it binding upon us to mention the good points of the one we are warning against?” So the Shaikh responded:
“No. Do not mention their good points. Mention only the error that they have fallen into.
It has not been entrusted to you to give them tazkiyah (commendation).
That which is entrusted to you is to explain the error they are upon so that they may repent from it, and so that others may take caution against it.”
Kitābul-Ajwibah al-Mufīdah Fī As’ilatil-Manāhij al-Jadīdah (p.13-14).
كتاب-الأجوبة المفيدة في أصيلة-مناهج الجديدة (ص١٣-١٤).
Allah refuted the unbelievers, criminals and hypocrites―and He (the Most High) did not mention any of their good deeds.
Likewise, the scholars of the Salaf refuted the Jahmiyyah, Muʿtazilah and the people of misguidance yet they did not mention their good deeds because their good deeds were overtaken by their misguidance, unbelief, heresy, or hypocrisy.
So, it is not correct that when you refute a person who is misguided, an innovator, and a deviant that you mention his good deeds by saying: ‘He is a good person, he has good deeds, etc., but was mistaken.’
We say to you: Your praise of him is worse than his misguidance because the people trust your praise of him―and when your praise of this astray innovator circulates, you are responsible for deceiving the people. And this will open the door for the acceptance of the ideas of the misguided.
If, however, the one being refuted is from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah, then the refutation should be with good manners.
He is shown his mistakes that are related to fiqh issues, issues that are open to juristic deduction, extrapolation and ijtihād.
So, we would say, ‘So-and-so erred in this matter, and what is correct is such-and-such, and here is the proof, so may Allah forgive him.’
This is the way, just as the rebuttals that would take place between the jurists of the Four Madh-habs, and other scholars.
So, such a person is not defamed in his station of knowledge if he is from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah―and Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah are not infallible―they can err. The proof can pass them by, or they can miss the mark in deduction.
So, we do not remain silent concerning the mistake―rather, we clarify it, alongside making excuses for him due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
“When a judge passes a judgement and makes ijtihād―and he is correct, he receives two rewards. And if he passes a judgement, and is wrong, then he receives a single reward.”
(Bukhāri, no. 6919, Muslim, no. 1716) This is in matters of fiqh.
Ajwibah al-Mufīdah pp. 29-38.
أجوبة المفيدة ص ٢٩/٣٨
Likewise, the scholars of the Salaf refuted the Jahmiyyah, Muʿtazilah and the people of misguidance yet they did not mention their good deeds because their good deeds were overtaken by their misguidance, unbelief, heresy, or hypocrisy.
So, it is not correct that when you refute a person who is misguided, an innovator, and a deviant that you mention his good deeds by saying: ‘He is a good person, he has good deeds, etc., but was mistaken.’
We say to you: Your praise of him is worse than his misguidance because the people trust your praise of him―and when your praise of this astray innovator circulates, you are responsible for deceiving the people. And this will open the door for the acceptance of the ideas of the misguided.
If, however, the one being refuted is from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah, then the refutation should be with good manners.
He is shown his mistakes that are related to fiqh issues, issues that are open to juristic deduction, extrapolation and ijtihād.
So, we would say, ‘So-and-so erred in this matter, and what is correct is such-and-such, and here is the proof, so may Allah forgive him.’
This is the way, just as the rebuttals that would take place between the jurists of the Four Madh-habs, and other scholars.
So, such a person is not defamed in his station of knowledge if he is from Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah―and Ahlus-Sunnah wal-Jamāʿah are not infallible―they can err. The proof can pass them by, or they can miss the mark in deduction.
So, we do not remain silent concerning the mistake―rather, we clarify it, alongside making excuses for him due to the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him):
“When a judge passes a judgement and makes ijtihād―and he is correct, he receives two rewards. And if he passes a judgement, and is wrong, then he receives a single reward.”
(Bukhāri, no. 6919, Muslim, no. 1716) This is in matters of fiqh.
Ajwibah al-Mufīdah pp. 29-38.
أجوبة المفيدة ص ٢٩/٣٨
Al-Imām Ibn Bāz (رحمه الله ) commented on these words of Fudayl bin ‘Iyād (رحمه الله ) said:
“Making the deed correct (according to the Sunnah) is more important than quantity―and the servant must give importance to performing the deed sincerely for Allah and purifying it from riyā (i.e. showing off to impress the people) and other than that from the categories of Shirk. So a person is to give importance to making sure the deed complies with the Sharī’ah and that is free from innovation―that is more important that quantity.”
“Making the deed correct (according to the Sunnah) is more important than quantity―and the servant must give importance to performing the deed sincerely for Allah and purifying it from riyā (i.e. showing off to impress the people) and other than that from the categories of Shirk. So a person is to give importance to making sure the deed complies with the Sharī’ah and that is free from innovation―that is more important that quantity.”
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Ibn Abbas رضي الله عنه said,
"Allah made four months (Dhul Qa'dah, Dhul Hijah, Muharram, and Rajab) especially sacred, and their sanctity is great, and every sin done within them is more severe, and every righteous deed done within them is greatly rewarded.”
[Lataif Al Ma'arif pg. 206]
"Allah made four months (Dhul Qa'dah, Dhul Hijah, Muharram, and Rajab) especially sacred, and their sanctity is great, and every sin done within them is more severe, and every righteous deed done within them is greatly rewarded.”
[Lataif Al Ma'arif pg. 206]
Ma’rūf Al-Karkhī said:
“We seek refuge in Allāh from extensive hopes, for verily it prevents [one] from [doing] righteous deeds!”
[Jāmi’ Bayān: 503]
“We seek refuge in Allāh from extensive hopes, for verily it prevents [one] from [doing] righteous deeds!”
[Jāmi’ Bayān: 503]