In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Imaam Fudayl Ibn Iyaad (rahimahullaah) once cried when he read the statement of Allaah [The Most High]: [أَلَمۡ نَجۡعَل لَّهُ ۥ عَيۡنَيۡنِ-Have We not made for him (i.e. the human) a pair of eyes?][ وَلِسَانً۬ا وَشَفَتَيۡنِ -And a tongue and a pair of lips?] [Ref 1]; then he was asked the reason he cried, so he said, ”Have you spent a night really thanking Allaah (for giving) you  two eyes by way of which you can see and a tongue by way of which you speak?’’  [Ref 2]

[Ref 1: Soorah Al-Balad: Aayaat:8-9]

[Ref 2: Jaami-ul Uloom wal-Hikam. Page 259. slightly paraphrased]

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Shuraih Al-Qaadhiy [rahimahullaah] said: Indeed [when] afflicted by a calamity, I praise Allaah four times: I praise Allaah for not making the calamity greater than what it is. I praise Allaah for granting me patience. I praise Allaah for the reward I hope for in that calamity and I praise Allaah for not placing that calamity in the affairs of my religion.

[Shu’ab Al-Eemaan 9507]

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Imaam Ibnul Jawzi [rahimahullaah] said:

I saw that solely being preoccupied with studying Fiqh and listening to [transmission] of hadeeth is not enough to rectify the heart, except [when] combined with [the authentic narrations concerning the] softening of the hearts, and looking into the biographies of the pious predecessors.  As for having knowledge of Halaal and Haraam only, it does not have a great strength in softening the heart; rather the softening of the heart is [attained] by  mentioning the Ahaadeeth on the subject matter and the stories of the pious predecessors. That is because they [i.e. the pious predecessors] grasped the intent behind narrating [ahadeeth]–they demonstrated the tangible obligated actions by way of them, practical encounter with their meanings and the goals behind them. And there is nothing that will make you experience this, except after cultivation and experience.

That is because I find that the ambition of the majority of the Muhadditheen and the students of hadeeth is [focused on acquiring hadeeth that has the closest chain of transmission from the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) and gathering numerous authentic Ahaadeeth on a particular subject matter in the religion etc]. And the majority of the jurists [focus on] the science of debate and that which gives one the upper hand [i.e. what he observed during his era]; so how can the heart be softened through these affairs?

Indeed, a group of the pious predecessors aspired to see that a righteous slave should look to his character and upright guidance and not [merely] the knowledge he has acquired. That is [because] his character and upright guidance are the fruits of his knowledge. So understand this!  The student of Hadeeth and Fiqh should combine [seeking after hadeeth and fiqh] with studying the lives of the pious predecessors and the Zuhhaad, so that it can be a means to softening the heart. Indeed, books have been compiled regarding the affairs and manners of each one of those well-known outstanding men [of piety]. A book has been compiled regarding the affairs of Al-Hasan [Al-Basri], Sufyaan Ath-Thawri, Ibraaheem Bin Ad-ham, Bishr Al-Haafiy, Ahmad Bin Hanbal, Ma’roof and other than them amongst the scholars and the Zuhhaad.

[An Excerpt from ‘Saydul khaatir’ Page 171. Daar Ibn Rajab. 1^st edition 2003. Slightly paraphrased]

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Khaalid Ibn Safwaan (rahimahullaah) reported: I met Maslamah Ibn Abdil Maalik (rahimahullaah) in a state of bewilderment, so he said to me: ”O Khaalid! Inform me of Hasan Al-Basree (rahimahullaah), for indeed I think that you know of his affair that which none else knows”.

So I said, ”May Allaah rectify the affairs of the Ameer, I am the best of those to inform you about him based on knowledge. I was a neighbour of his, I sat with him and I sat in his gatherings”. So he (Maslamah) said to me, ”Give what you have (of information)”. So I said, ”Indeed, he was a man whose private affairs were the same as his public affairs (i.e. what he believed and did in private was the same as what he believed and did in public), and his speech conformed to his actions. When he commanded good, he was the one who acted upon it the most, and when he forbade evil, he was the one who abandoned it the most. Indeed, I saw him free from having any need of the people and abstaining from what the people possessed, but the people were in need of him and sought after what he had.” So Maslamah (rahimahullaah) said, ”Enough O Khaalid! How can a people be misguided when the likes of such a person was amongst them”.

[Source: Suwar Min Hayaat At-taab’een Lis-saf Ath-thaalitha Al-Mutawassit page 14. Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education]

The Questioner asks:

“How do we combine between the spread of knowledge and the spread of Islam everywhere and the saying of the prophet, peace be upon him, that every time will be worse than the one preceding it.”

The Answer in the video by Shaykh Fawzaan

“Knowledge will spread in all ages and reach the East and the West. Today, you see that knowledge used to spread through Jihad in the path of Allah and the call to Allah. Now, we have the media, so the Qur’an is recited with loud and clear. It is recited in the loudest voice in the East and West. The Athaan (call to prayer) is heard in the East and West. This is from the mercy of Allah and from the establishment of proof against the servants so they can not say, Islam did not reach us or nothing reached us.”

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Abu Hayyaan Al-Misree [rahimahullaah] – well known and author of Al-Bahrul Muheet – used to highly praise Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [rahimahullaah]. When Shaikhul Islaam arrived in Misr [Egypt], he sat with Abu Hayyaan and discussed issues related to Arabic grammar, so Abu Hayyaan cited proofs from Seebawayh’s [rahimahullaah] book, saying, “Seebawayh said such and such, so how can you oppose him?” Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah said to him, “Is Seebawayh a Prophet in grammar and thus it is obligated on us to follow him?!” Then Shaikhul Islaam said, “Indeed, he [i.e. Seebawayh] made mistakes in more than eighty places in the book that are neither known to you nor him.” After that [discussion], Abu Hayyaan composed a poem in which he ridiculed Shaikhul Islaam. We ask Allaah for well-being and may Allaah pardon us and all of them. [ Sharh Hilyati Taalibal Ilm. pages 175 – 176. paraphrased]