The ranks of scholars
4th advice
“My dear son…
Be no bankrupt of good deeds, nor empty of [spiritual] status. Know for certain that abstract knowledge alone will neither increase you in power nor strengthen your situation. Likewise, if a brave warrior in possession of ten Indian swords and other weapons, was alone in the wilderness, and a great ferocious lion attacked him, do you think the weapon could defend him if they were not used against the lion? It is well known that arms cannot defend people unless they are brought into use. By the same principle, if a man read a hundred thousand scientific theories, they would be of no use to him if he did not try and apply them. Similarly, if a man suffering from fever and kidney disorder, he should be treated with ginger an [other] plants. Without treatment no recovery is achieved.[…]
We must put our knowledge into action in order to benefit from it.
Without action no benefit:
- like dates or other fruits… they are of no benefit until we actually eat them.
Who can be called a عالم,’aalem, a scholar?The ‘aalem is the person who put what he learned into action, if he doesn’t practice his knowledge he cannot be called a ‘aalem.
Knowledge:We need knowledge to fulfill our religious obligations as well as to interact with people according the shari’a ( the islamic law).
No excuse for ignorance (haram doesn’t become hallal because we are ignorant).
The only excuse for ignorance is only the extreme case of a person living far from everything without means of communications ect..
In all other cases we must look for knowledge, and not doing so is actually a proof of being satisfied of our ignorance.
The higher rank of a ‘aalem:
The عالم, عامل, داعي (al ‘aalem, ‘aamel, daa’i), he is the heir of the prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم
It is the one who:
1) put into action every single thing that he learned
2) he teaches others
3) invite people to seek for knowledge
To attain this rank we need:
a) A pure and sincere intention
b) To learn from a sheikh
c) To always take notes during the lessons and gatherings of knowledge
d) To not delay today’s actions to tomorrow (when we learn something during the lesson we must put it immediately into action or make the intention during the lesson to do it as soon as possible)
e) To teach other the knowledge we attained, beginning by ones close family: wife or husband, children
If we do that the nur of Allah will start to shine upon us and slowly will start to increase in rank.
The second rank of ‘aalem:
The Daa’I, the caller to Allah
He is the one who:
1) Put into action a part of the knowledge he acquired
2) Teaches others
3) He calls other to attain knowledge
The third rank:
He is a person who:
Put into action 10 percent of the knowledge he attained (with these 10 percent the nur of ‘ilm will start to manifest him)
The 4th rank:
The person who:
Put his knowledge into action at least once in his whole life time.
This person enters the category of “ahl al ‘ilm” as a privilege but has not a high rank.
The 5th rank:
The person who doesn’t put into action his knowledge but teaches others.
He lacks the secret and the nur because he doesn’t put into action but gets the reward for teaching others.
Note: some persons cannot learn but pay for students of knowledge, in sha Allah they will have their reward.
The 6th rank:
The person who doesn’t learn nor teaches but has the intention to do it in the future.
At least if he is sincere Allah sobhanawata’la in sha Allah will make him learn and teach.
[…] Though you measure two thousand bottles of wine
Unless you drink, no thrill is thine
If you studied a hundred years and collected a thousand books, you would not be prepared for the mercy of Allah the Exalted, except by action.[…]
The one who comprehends and understands the reality of the knowledge is the ‘aalem.
Even if we put the Qur’an, the hadiths and all the books of knowledge in our computer, it will never be a ‘aalem.
There is a difference between accumulating informations and being able to understand and apply them in a proper way.
If a servant gets some knowledge but doesn’t really know what Allah wants from it, if he puts it into action Allah will facilitate him the path to the understanding and a way to Him.
We should ask our sheikh about the books we are reading.
[…]Allah says: “Man shall have nothing but what he strive for. (53v39)” “Whosoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness. (18v110)” “A recompense for what they used to do.(9v82) “As for those who believe and do good work, they will have for them the gardens of Paradise as an abode. No change will they desire from them .(18v107)”“Except he who repents, believes and does good work.(25v70)”[…]
To be forgiven by Allah, asking for forgiveness is not sufficient but we must do the opposite of the sin we’ve done.(If we’ve sinned with the eyes we read Qur’an for example)
In the hadith mentioned, the first pillar is a testification, a saying(قول) and the 4 other pillars are ACTIONS.
و صلى الله على سيدنا و حبيبنا محمد و على اله و صحبه و سلم و الحمد لله رب العالمين
“My dear son…
Be no bankrupt of good deeds, nor empty of [spiritual] status. Know for certain that abstract knowledge alone will neither increase you in power nor strengthen your situation. Likewise, if a brave warrior in possession of ten Indian swords and other weapons, was alone in the wilderness, and a great ferocious lion attacked him, do you think the weapon could defend him if they were not used against the lion? It is well known that arms cannot defend people unless they are brought into use. By the same principle, if a man read a hundred thousand scientific theories, they would be of no use to him if he did not try and apply them. Similarly, if a man suffering from fever and kidney disorder, he should be treated with ginger an [other] plants. Without treatment no recovery is achieved.[…]
We must put our knowledge into action in order to benefit from it.
Without action no benefit:
- like dates or other fruits… they are of no benefit until we actually eat them.
Who can be called a عالم,’aalem, a scholar?The ‘aalem is the person who put what he learned into action, if he doesn’t practice his knowledge he cannot be called a ‘aalem.
Knowledge:We need knowledge to fulfill our religious obligations as well as to interact with people according the shari’a ( the islamic law).
No excuse for ignorance (haram doesn’t become hallal because we are ignorant).
The only excuse for ignorance is only the extreme case of a person living far from everything without means of communications ect..
In all other cases we must look for knowledge, and not doing so is actually a proof of being satisfied of our ignorance.
The higher rank of a ‘aalem:
The عالم, عامل, داعي (al ‘aalem, ‘aamel, daa’i), he is the heir of the prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم
It is the one who:
1) put into action every single thing that he learned
2) he teaches others
3) invite people to seek for knowledge
To attain this rank we need:
a) A pure and sincere intention
b) To learn from a sheikh
c) To always take notes during the lessons and gatherings of knowledge
d) To not delay today’s actions to tomorrow (when we learn something during the lesson we must put it immediately into action or make the intention during the lesson to do it as soon as possible)
e) To teach other the knowledge we attained, beginning by ones close family: wife or husband, children
If we do that the nur of Allah will start to shine upon us and slowly will start to increase in rank.
The second rank of ‘aalem:
The Daa’I, the caller to Allah
He is the one who:
1) Put into action a part of the knowledge he acquired
2) Teaches others
3) He calls other to attain knowledge
The third rank:
He is a person who:
Put into action 10 percent of the knowledge he attained (with these 10 percent the nur of ‘ilm will start to manifest him)
The 4th rank:
The person who:
Put his knowledge into action at least once in his whole life time.
This person enters the category of “ahl al ‘ilm” as a privilege but has not a high rank.
The 5th rank:
The person who doesn’t put into action his knowledge but teaches others.
He lacks the secret and the nur because he doesn’t put into action but gets the reward for teaching others.
Note: some persons cannot learn but pay for students of knowledge, in sha Allah they will have their reward.
The 6th rank:
The person who doesn’t learn nor teaches but has the intention to do it in the future.
At least if he is sincere Allah sobhanawata’la in sha Allah will make him learn and teach.
[…] Though you measure two thousand bottles of wine
Unless you drink, no thrill is thine
If you studied a hundred years and collected a thousand books, you would not be prepared for the mercy of Allah the Exalted, except by action.[…]
The one who comprehends and understands the reality of the knowledge is the ‘aalem.
Even if we put the Qur’an, the hadiths and all the books of knowledge in our computer, it will never be a ‘aalem.
There is a difference between accumulating informations and being able to understand and apply them in a proper way.
If a servant gets some knowledge but doesn’t really know what Allah wants from it, if he puts it into action Allah will facilitate him the path to the understanding and a way to Him.
We should ask our sheikh about the books we are reading.
[…]Allah says: “Man shall have nothing but what he strive for. (53v39)” “Whosoever expects to meet his Lord, let him work righteousness. (18v110)” “A recompense for what they used to do.(9v82) “As for those who believe and do good work, they will have for them the gardens of Paradise as an abode. No change will they desire from them .(18v107)”“Except he who repents, believes and does good work.(25v70)”[…]
To be forgiven by Allah, asking for forgiveness is not sufficient but we must do the opposite of the sin we’ve done.(If we’ve sinned with the eyes we read Qur’an for example)
In the hadith mentioned, the first pillar is a testification, a saying(قول) and the 4 other pillars are ACTIONS.
و صلى الله على سيدنا و حبيبنا محمد و على اله و صحبه و سلم و الحمد لله رب العالمين