Questioner:
The people of knowledge say it is neccesary for a student to be stingy with his time?
Answer:
Meaning he safeguards his time, if he safeguards his time, Allāh will put barakah in it, and if he opens a lesson Allāh will put barakah in his time, he shouldn’t be stingy in spreading knowledge and he shouldn’t waste time, if he acts upon the knowledge Allāh will put barakah in it and in his time and in his knowledge as Albīrī may Allāh have mercy on him said:
It increase by much spending of it****
and decreases if you hold it with a tight fist
And it’s barakah is in spending it and calling to it, and teaching and advising and directing, and being patient upon the students of knowledge and having patience upon the people, patience as relates to knowledge, for perhaps some one with a need might come while you are sleeping, get up if you can get up, and sit and advise and recommend and instill patience, and Allāh will give you assistance, this is flesh and blood, if Allāh wills he will be strong and if Allāh wills he will be weak, Allāh does as he pleases, if he wishes he puts blessing in it, and strength and capability for big actions, and if Allāh doesn’t put barakah he’s not able to do the most minute of actions, how many do you find of strong bodied individuals, and he’s not able to pray Fajr, and if you wrestled him he would overpower a number of people the likes of you, but the Fajr prayer and some righteous actions you find him weak in them, the reason is Allāh did not aid him, Allāh did not grant him barakah in his body upon obedience.
They mentioned that Imām Abu Tayyib At-Tabarī was on a ship, so the situation called for abandoning the ship so he jumped, so they were astonished at him and they admonished him as he had reached over 100 yrs, so he said: “We preserved these limbs when we were young so Allāh preserved them for us in old age.”
So from the barakah is to give every affair it’s due right, enter into Salāh not thinking about anything, clearing you mind for it, and in the Hadith:
(إِنَّ في الصلاة لشغلا)
“Verily during the prayer one is preoccupied.”
So if you enter into Salāh dedicate to it and you will have khusū’ in it and feel at ease in it and treat your heart and worries in it as the Prophet ﷺ said to Bilāl:
ارحنا بها يا بلال
“O Bilāl bring us comfort by it.”
Enter into a lesson and pay attention in it, prepare for it and also the lectures, if you gave everything its due right you will be organized and everything will be in order, and other than this from the things you’re in need of.
So put everything in it’s proper place, a time for raising children, a time for revision and memorizing, a time for preparing what you wish to benefit the people in from khutbas or lectures and the likes of such, and make spare time, because it may happen that someone clashes with your time due to a certain purpose, so if you don’t make spare time you will miss this time, so the spare time will allow you to make up for that which you intended and success is with Allāh.
What a pleasure for the one who has filled his time with knowledge and teaching and Da’wah, praise Allāh for Āfiyah (safekeeping), people are busied with football, running after it from one place to another and from one state to another, this one running, and they sponsor this with big money and much time is wasted, indeed they have busied the youth, the youth don’t know where to turn to, they busied them.
And had they busied them with knowledge, by Allāh in knowledge there is pre-occupying from all evil distractions.
For this reason we said to some people Ahlus-Sunnah from the success of Allāh to them is that they raise communities from falling into destructive ideologies, or into affairs which could harm it or harm society, but Ahlus-Sunnah safeguard their brothers with the correct Manhaj, with the Book of Allāh and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ, they teach them and cultivate them
So you find them people of good manners inshāAllah, everyone according to what Allāh has given them.
So their foundation is good, knowledge-based foundation, Salafi foundation, foundation of guidance, foundation which doesn’t have fitnah or harms upon society ever, foundation which doesn’t have striving for the Dunyā, foundation upon the correct Aqīdah, upon what the Prophet ﷺ and his companions traversed upon, so as long as the foundation is good Allāh will put barakah and Āfiyah in the building and benefit, Allāh said;
أَفَمَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَى تَقْوَى مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرِضْوَانٍ خَيْرٌ أَمْ مَنْ أَسَّسَ بُنْيَانَهُ عَلَى شَفَا جُرُفٍ هَارٍ فَانْهَارَ بِهِ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّم
“Is it then he, who laid the foundation of his building on piety to Allah and His Good Pleasure, better, or he who laid the foundation of his building on an undetermined brink of a precipice ready to crumble down, so that it crumbled to pieces with him into the Fire of Hell.” [At-Tawbah, 109]
So these are cultivators for society, it is incumbent for the one who wants good for himself to take care of this, by Allāh this is mere advice, otherwise the good is present, and the Shaytān is an enemy, he drives the people away from the good and carries them away and distracts them and allures them and whispers to them to have imaginations in their minds and far expectations.
Make yourself at ease with knowledge, make yourself at ease in regards to this correct Salafi Manhaj.
Ahlus-Sunnah by the grace of Allāh are about: Tafsīr of the Qurān and Sahīh Al-Bukhāri and Muslim and memorizing the Noble Qurān and beneficial knowledge and they give importance to guiding the people.
And the intent is Allāh, they don’t want to increase numbers of a Hizb, we seek refuge in Allāh, except the Hizb of the Lord of the worlds which the Prophet ﷺ and his companions were upon, verily we want to profit in what the Prophet ﷺ said:
“مَن دعا إلى هُدى كان له من الأجر مثلُ أجورِ من تَبعه، لا يَنقُصُ ذلك من أجورِهم شيئاً”
“Whoever calls others to guidance will have a reward equal to the reward of those who follow him, without their reward being diminished in any respect.”
This thing is not equal to anything in the Dunyā, and indeed the Prophet ﷺ said to Alī may be pleased with him:
“فَوَاللَّهِ لَأَنْ يُهْدَى بِكَ رَجُلٌ وَاحِدٌ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ حُمْرِ النَّعَمِ”
“By Allah, if one person were to be guided by you would be better for you than red camels.”
And seeking reward in this is something desired, Allāh said:
(وَفِي ذَلِكَ فَلْيَتَنَافَسِ الْمُتَنَافِسُونَ)
“And for this let (all) those strive who want to strive (i.e. hasten earnestly to the obedience of Allah).” [Al-Mutafiffīn, 26]
Race to the society with guidance not for the sake of anything else.
Verily this is to clarify that in busying with knowledge is good cultivation for society with good and with safety and security and guidance with the upright Manhaj, this is the upright religion.
And reality is a witness, and affairs are running smoothly and describing itself, it doesn’t need overburdening by the grace of Allāh and everyone who treads the path will catch up, Allāh said;
وَالسَّابِقُونَ الْأَوَّلُونَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ وَالْأَنْصَارِ وَالَّذِينَ اتَّبَعُوهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمْ وَرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي تَحْتَهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا ذَلِكَ الْفَوْزُ الْعَظِيمُ
“And the first to embrace Islam of the Muhājirūn (those who migrated from Makkah to Al-Madinah) and the Ansār (the citizens of Al-Madinah who helped and gave aid to the Muhajirun) and also those who followed them exactly (in Faith). Allah is well-pleased with them as they are well-pleased with Him. He has prepared for them Gardens under which rivers flow (Paradise), to dwell therein forever. That is the supreme success.” [At-Tawbah, 100]
And Ihsān is to tread on their path and study the religion of Allāh and worship him, as Allāh saved them He will save you, for Allāh after he mentioned the saving of Dhān-Nūn (Yunus) from the numerous darkness he said:
(وَكَذَلِكَ نُنْجِي الْمُؤْمِنِينَ)
“And thus We do deliver the believers.” [Al-Anbiyā, 88]
Answered by: Shaykh, the Allamah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abu Abdirrahman Yahya bin Ali Al-Hajuri – may Allah preserve him
Source: https://t.me/sh_yahia_duroos/4010, https://t.me/sh_yahia_duroos/4011
Translated by: Abu ‘Abdillāh ‘Omar bin Yahya Al-‘Akawi