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seeking knowledge dr zakir naik

seeking knowledge dr zakir naik

How can I start to seek knowledge of hadeeth?

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What do you say about the one who wants to seek knowledge of hadeeth? How should I start? Please note that I have studied ‘aqeedah (beliefs) in depth, praise be to Allah, and now I find myself inclining a great deal towards studying hadeeth. I want to start and I need your advice.</div>
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<span style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Praise be to Allaah.</span><div style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">We may sum up our advice concerning the methodology of seeking knowledge of hadeeth as follows: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Firstly: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Paying a great deal of attention to memorising the texts of the Prophet’s Sunnah, because this is the aim and purpose for which the scholars established all the sciences of hadeeth. So it is not permissible for the seeker of knowledge to be distracted from the aim by the means. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Memorising the texts of the Prophet’s Sunnah begins with memorising the hadeeths on which there is agreement between the two <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Saheehs</i> (al-Bukhaari and Muslim), then by memorising those which were narrated only by al-Bukhaari, then by memorising those that were narrated only by Muslim. This will lead to accomplishing the first and most important stage in forming the hadeeth mentality in the one who is seeking knowledge of hadeeth. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">After that, he moves on to memorising hadeeths that are extra to those of the two Saheehs, which are to be found in the six books and the well-known Musnads. He may seek help in doing so by means of many books in which these extra reports (<i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">zawaa’id</i>) are compiled and classified. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">The best ways of memorising include repeating the text to be memorised for a few days after the day on which he memorises it. This method was recommended by az-Zarnooshi (may Allah have mercy on him) when he said: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">The seeker of knowledge should recite the text repeatedly because he will not be able to memorise properly until he dies that. He should repeat what he memorised on the previous day five times, and repeat what he memorised the day before that four times, and repeat what he memorised on the day before that three times, and what he memorised on the day before that two times, and what he memorised before that one time. This will help him to memorise and repeat. End quote. </span></span></div>
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<i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Ta‘leem at-Ta‘allum</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">, p. 60 </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">If the student is not able to memorise completely, then he should do no less than reading these hadeeths often, so that he will be able to call them to mind and have a full comprehension of them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">This topic has been discussed in detail previously in the answer to question no. <a href="http://islamqa.info/en/ref/113469" style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px; text-decoration: none;">113469</a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Secondly: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">It is essential for the seeker of hadeeth knowledge to memorise different types of isnaads and whatever he can memorise of the names and biographies of narrators. The isnaads of the Prophet’s Sunnah can be divided – in terms of how well known they are – into three categories: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">1.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Well known isnaads, through any of which hundreds of hadeeths were narrated and they are regarded as one of the main channels through which the Prophet’s Sunnah came to us. Indeed there is no book among the six books that did not rely on them and narrate from many of them. Examples include: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">The isnaad of al-A‘mash from Dhakwaan Abu Saalih al-Sammaan, from Abu Hurayrah </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">The isnaad of az-Zuhri from Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan from Abu Hurayrah. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">The isnaad of Hammaad ibn Salamah, from Thaabit ibn Aslam, from Anas. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">The isnaad of ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Umar al-‘Umari, from Naafi‘, from Ibn ‘Umar. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">It is possible to find out about these chains of narration, through which hundreds of reports were narrated, from the book <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Tuhfat al-Ashraaf</i> by Imam al-Mazzi. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">The student may also seek help in memorising the narrators of these isnaads from the book <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Tabaqaat al-Mukthireena min Riwaayat al-Hadeeth</i> by Shaykh ‘Aadil az-Zarqi, with a introduction by ‘Abdullah as-Sa‘d (published by Dar Tuwayq). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">If the seeker of hadeeth knowledge pays attention to these isnaads and memorises them, then start to connect these isnaads to the texts that he has previously memorised from the books of Sunnah, he will thus have instilled in his mind hundreds of hadeeths with their isnaads. In this way he will have started a new stage of acquiring deep knowledge of this noble science. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">2.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">The second category is isnaads that are less well-known, through which dozens of reports were narrated, but they include some well-known issues such as interruptions in the chain of narration, ambiguity, omission of the name of the Sahaabi (mural report) and so on. The student may study some of these isnaads in the book <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Tuhfat al-Tahseel</i>by al-‘Alaa’i. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">If the seeker of knowledge pays attention to these isnaads too, and learns the problems associated with these types of isnaads, then he will achieved a great deal in this branch of knowledge. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">3.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">The third category is the isnaads of mawdoo‘ (fabricated) and da‘eef (weak) isnaads, through which many hadeeths were also narrated, and which the seeker of knowledge must pay attention to, because it is not appropriate for the specialist to be unaware of reports that are well known among the scholars of hadeeth to be weak, faulty or fabricated. To achieve this, it is essential to persist in reading the books <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Meezan al-I‘tidaal</i> by Imam adh-Dhahabi, <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">al-Kaamil fi Du‘afa’ ar-Rijaal</i> by Ibn ‘Adiyy, and <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">al-Mawdoo‘aat</i> by Ibn al-Jawzi. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Thirdly: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">When the seeker of knowledge of the Prophet’s Sunnah has memorised a great deal of Sunnah texts, after that he may start to examine these texts more closely, finding out about ambiguous or difficult texts (ghareeb al-hadeeth) and the different ways in which they are interpreted. Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Knowledge is understanding and cognizance, not memorizing and narrating a great deal.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">End quote from <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">al-Jaami‘ li Akhlaaq ar-Raawi</i>, p. 174 </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">But the seeker of knowledge must be aware of the necessity of limiting himself – at the beginning of his pursuit of knowledge – to the abridged commentaries that will explain the difficult texts, and not engage in lengthy study of fiqhi and other issues, which may be too difficult and too time-consuming for the student. He would do well to read an abridged commentary such as <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">al-Mufhim lima Ashkila min Talkhees Saheeh Muslim</i> by Imam al-Qurtubi, <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">al-Minhaaj Sharh Saheeh Muslim ibn al-Hajjaaj</i> by Imam an-Nawawi. He can sum up the meaning of the hadeeth and explanations of its vocabulary from these books in notes written in his own copy from which he is memorising the hadeeth, so that when he reviews what he has memorised of the Prophet’s Sunnah, he will also be able to read this summarised explanation of the hadeeth, thus attaining two benefits at the same time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">With regard to studying fiqhi issues that are derived from the hadeeths, that is another matter altogether which he should not seek to learn from the commentaries on hadeeth; rather he should learn that from the books of fiqh which organise fiqhi issues into basic essentials and minor issues, according to one of the four madhhabs. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Fourthly: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">With regard to sciences of hadeeth terminology (mustalah al-hadeeth), we advise the seeker of knowledge to obtain a copy of the book <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Tahreer ‘Uloom al-Hadeeth</i> by Shaykh ‘Abdullah al-Juday‘ and read it, study it and memorise its contents, because it is a pioneering book in its field which is distinguished by its highlighting the principles of the hadeeth sciences through examination of the different ways of hadeeth critics and through examination of all the principles that are mentioned in the books of biography. This is in addition to other books of mustalah al-hadeeth. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">If the book is too difficult for the student or he is a beginner, he should limit himself to <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Nuzhat an-Nazr Sharh Tuhfat al-Fikr</i> by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar, or write a summary of the book of Shaykh ‘Abdullah al-Juday‘ and study his summary, so that when he understands it properly, he may move on to study of other books to increase his knowledge, the most important of which are <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">an-Nukat ‘ala Ibn as-Salaah</i> by al-Haafiz Ibn Hajar and <i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Fath al-Mugheeth</i> by al-Haafiz as-Sakhaawi. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Fifthly: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">It is essential to give sufficient time to reading two other types of books too: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">1.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Books on ‘ilal wa takhreej, which represent the practical application of hadeeth sciences, from which the student may examine many examples of the rulings on and evaluation of hadeeths and isnaads; this will open up to him more areas of research and study. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">2.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Contemporary studies by specialists in the area of hadeeth, such as the books of al-‘Allaamah ‘Abd ar-Rahmaan al-Mu‘allimi (may Allah have mercy on him) and specialist academic essays. We are living in a time – praise be to Allah – when there is a revival of interest in hadeeth sciences the like of which you can hardly find in later periods of the history of Islamic knowledge. Many of these studies include academic debates and important research on essential topics, which the seeker of hadeeth knowledge should not ignore or fail to pay attention to. By reading these contemporary studies he will find that he will increase in knowledge and understanding, and new ideas will come to his mind that require further research and examination, and perhaps he will play a part in achieving that.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"> Over and above all that, he has to remind himself to fear Allah, may He be exalted, for this is the purpose of all knowledge, and the one who is distracted by the pursuit of knowledge from acting has gone astray and is doomed. Rather the effect of acquiring knowledge has to be seen in the humility of the student and his good manners and attitude towards people. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">It was narrated that al-Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">A man would seek knowledge, and soon that would be seen in his humility, his conduct, and the way he spoke and acted. End quote. </span></span></div>
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<i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Az-Zuhd</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"> by ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubaarak, no. 79 </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">Ibn al-Salaah (may Allah have mercy on him) says: </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">If a person wants to start seeking knowledge of hadeeth or to learn any of the hadeeth sciences, let him first ensure that his intention is correct and sincere and purify his heart of any worldly aims, and let him beware of the trial of love of leadership. End quote. </span></span></div>
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<i style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">‘Uloom al-Hadeeth</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">, p. 213 </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;"><span style="font-family: Arial; line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">And Allah knows best</span></span><span style="line-height: 25.454544067382813px;">.</span></div>
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Islam Q&A</div>
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How can I start to seek knowledge of hadeeth?

What do you say about the one who wants to seek knowledge of hadeeth? How should I start? Please note that I have studied ‘aqeedah (belief...

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How to seek knowledge

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.8333px;"><span class="question" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">What does one need to become a scholar of Islam? </span><br />
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<div id="separator" style="background-image: url(http://www.islamqa.com/misc/separator.jpg); background-position: 50% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; font-family: Arial; font-size: 15.8333px; height: 5px; width: 784px;"></div><div arabic'="" class="answer" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin-top: 10px;" traditional=""><div align="left"></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>You have asked about a serious matter, but it is easy for the one whom Allaah enables to do it. Knowledge is a sign of guidance. The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “If Allaah wants to do good to a person, He gives him understanding of the religion.” This is understood to mean that whoever Allaah does not wish good for, He does not give him understanding of the religion. </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>Al-Bukhaari (may Allaah have mercy on him) said: “Chapter: it is essential to know a thing first before saying or acting upon it, according to the aayah (interpretation of the meaning):  </b></div><div align="left"><b>‘So know (O Muhammad) that Laa ilaaha ill-Allaah (none has the right to be worshipped but Allaah),’</b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>[Muhammad 47:19] </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>So one should start with knowledge. The scholars are the heirs of the Prophets, i.e., they inherit knowledge. Whoever gains knowledge has gained great good fortune, and whoever follows a path to seek knowledge, Allaah will make easy for him the path to Paradise. Allaah said (interpretation of the meaning): </b></div><div align="left" dir="RTL"><b>‘It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allaah’</b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>[Faatir 35:28] </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>And Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>‘but none will understand them except those who have knowledge’</b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>[al-‘Ankaboot 29:43] </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>‘And they will say: “Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire!”’</b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>[al-Mulk 67:10] </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>And He said: </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>‘Are those who know equal to those who know not?’</b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>[al-Zumar 39:9] </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Knowledge is gained by striving for it.” </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>Ibn ‘Abbaas said: ‘Be faithful slaves to your Lord, patient and learned.’ And it is said that the good instructor is the one who starts teaching people simple matters of knowledge before more difficult ones.” </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>It was narrated that Qays ibn Katheer said: “A man came from Madeenah to Abu’l-Darda’ in Damascus and he said, ‘What brought you here, my brother?’ He said, ‘A hadeeth which I have heard that you narrate from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him).’ He said, ‘Have you come for any other reason?’ He said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Have you come for trade?’ He said, ‘No. I have only come to seek this hadeeth.’ He said, ‘I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, “Whoever follows a path to seek knowledge, Allaah will make easy for him the path to Paradise. The angels beat their wings in approval of the seeker of knowledge, and those who are in the heavens and on earth pray for forgiveness for the scholar, even the fish in the water. The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like the superiority of the moon over all other heavenly bodies. The scholars are the heirs of the Prophets, for the Prophets did not leave behind dinars or dirhams, rather they left behind knowledge, so whoever gains knowledge has gained great good fortune.’” (narrated by al-Tirmidhi, 2606; classed as saheeh by al-Albaani). </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>These are some of the virtues of knowledge, and this is just a drop in the ocean. If we were to mention all the virtues of knowledge, it would take too long. Perhaps what we have mentioned here will serve as a reminder to the one who has a heart or gives ear whilst he is heedful (cf. Qaaf 50:37). See Question no. <a href="http://www.islamqa.com/index.php?ln=eng&QR=10471" style="text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">10471</span></a>. </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>With regard to the way to gain knowledge, it is to fear Allaah (taqwa) and to be aware that He is always watching, in secret and in the open. Then one should learn from the scholars whose knowledge and religious commitment can be trusted. If you find a scholar who meets this description, then cling to him and consult him in order to gain knowledge. If you cannot find a scholar, then look for a seeker of knowledge (taalib ‘ilm), and if you cannot find such a person, then you must study by using tapes and books that deal with the basic issues of Islam according to the correct methodology of sharee’ah. </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>If you ask, what are the books that we should study? </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>The answer is:  </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>First of all you should take a gradual approach to acquiring Islamic knowledge. For each branch of knowledge there are specific books. The first thing you should study should be ‘aqeedah (basic tenets of faith, doctrine), then the sciences which will help you to understand the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), such as Arabic grammar, usool al-fiqh, mustalah al-hadeeth, then fiqh and Tafseer… before all of that you should start by memorizing Qur’aan, because all other branches of knowledge are studied to help one to reach a correct understanding of the Qur’aan. </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>Here we will give you a list of books, organized in order of priority. </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>On ‘Aqeedah: start with the book al-Usool al-Thalaathah [available in English as “The Three Fundamental Bases of Islamic Theology”], then Kitaab al-Tawheed [available in English as “Kitab al-Tauhid”], then Kashf al-Shubuhaat, all by Shaykh Muahmmad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhaab. Then read Kitaab al-‘Aqeedah al-Waasitiyyah [also available in English as “Principles of Islamic Faith”] by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah. </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>After studying and understanding these books, move on to Kitaab al-Ajrumiyyah, on Arabic grammar, then Kitaab al-Usool fi ‘Ilm al-Usool, on usool al-fiqh, then Kitaab Usool al-Tafseer – both by Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen, may Allaah have mercy on him. Then study al-Arba’een al-Nawawiyyah [al-Nawawi’s 40 Hadeeth, available in English in several translations] on hadeeth, then ‘Umdat al-Ahkaam, also on hadeeth. Then start studying fiqh, and it is OK to study the fiqh texts of any of the recognized schools of thought, such as Bidaayat al-Saalikeen, ‘Umdat al-Fiqh, Matan Abi Shujaa’, and Matan Khaleel. We do not want you to be biased towards any of the madhhabs, rather your study should be organized and based on the well-established principles, so that your pursuit of knowledge will be enhanced and you will follow the evidence, not be biased towards any particular madhhab.  </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>It should be noted that the books mentioned above are to be studied so that you memorize and understand them. Try to get hold of tapes of the scholars who have commented on these books, such as Shaykh ‘Abd al-‘Azeez ibn Baaz, Shaykh Muhammad ibn ‘Uthaymeen, Shaykh ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Jibreen, and others. </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>After studying fiqh, read two books on Tafseer. Start with Tayseer al-Kareem al-Rahmaan fi tafseer kalaam al-Mannaan by Shaykh ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn Sa’di (may Allaah have mercy on him), and Tafseer Ibn Katheer [an abridged version in 10 volumes is available in English]. </b></div><div style="direction: ltr; text-align: justify; unicode-bidi: embed;"><b>These are the most important books which the seeker of knowledge should study. When you have finished them, there are more advanced books which we will tell you about when you have finished these books. Keep in touch with us. </b></div></div><div class="source" style="color: #552e14; font-family: Arial; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-align: right;">Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid</div><div><br />
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How to seek knowledge

What does one need to become a scholar of Islam? You have asked about a serious matter, but it is easy for the one whom Allaah enables to...

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