Speaking in the name of Allaah without Knowledge

As for the people of knowledge and Iman, and those who fear Allah (Exalted be He) among the ancestors and the latecomers, they declare Al-Haqq and do not exchange the Ayahs of Allah for a small price.

Those are the guides of the people in the light of Allah’s Book and the Sunnah of His Messenger; they would not exchange the Ayahs (Qur’anic verses) of Allah for a trivial thing; they would rather convey to people Allah’s religion, guide them to the truth with which Allah sent His Prophet (peace be upon him), and bear harm patiently in all cases.

Thus, it is known that anyone who calls people to Allah ignorantly is not following the role model of the Prophet (peace be upon him) in morals. Such a person does not have the morals of scholars; they are rather criminals, because Allah (Glorified be He) considers speaking in His Name without knowledge more dangerous than Shirk (associating others with Allah in His Divinity or worship), because it leads to great corruption.

In His Clear Book, Allah (Exalted be He) says, {{ Say (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم): “(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are Al-Fawâhish (great evil sins and every kind of unlawful sexual intercourse) whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allâh for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allâh of which you have no knowledge.”}} [Qur’an 7:33]

He (Glorified be He) considers speaking in His Name without knowledge the greatest of what He has prohibited, because this Ayah includes graduation from the least to the most dangerous.

Thus, the danger of speaking in Allah’s Name without knowledge is known, and that it is one of the greatest forms of Munkar (that which is unacceptable or disapproved by Islamic law and Muslims of sound intellect) and major sins, as it has evil consequences and leads to the misguidance of people.

In another Ayah of Surah Al-Baqarah, Allah (Glorified be He) clarifies that speaking in His Name without knowledge is called for by Satan, so a knowledge seeker should not follow the way of Satan.

Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says, {{ O mankind! Eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth, and follow not the footsteps of Shaitan (Satan). Verily, he is to you an open enemy. He [Shaitân (Satan)] commands you only what is evil and Fahshâ (sinful), and that you should say against Allâh what you know not.}} [Qur’an 2:168-169]

Look at what Allah (Exalted be He) has mentioned about this open enemy; he commands us to do evil and immoral deeds and to speak in the Name of Allah without knowledge, as he knows how dangerous it is to speak in the Name of Allah without knowledge.

A person who speaks in the Name of Allah without knowledge allows prohibited things, prohibits lawful things, forbids the truth, and commands falsehood out of ignorance. Thus, scholars and knowledge seekers should beware of speaking in the Name of Allah without knowledge; they should also pay attention to evidence from the Shari`ah so that they are aware of what they call for and are not speaking in the Name of Allah without knowledge.

[Source: Excerpts from a lecture delivered by Shaykh Ibn Baz (rahimahullaah) at Umm al-Qura University in Makkah in the month of Rajab 1409 A.H.]

Knowledge – the most precious pearl in the crown of the purified Sharee’ah

Shaykh Bakr ibn ‘Abdillaah Aboo Zayd (rahimahullaah) wrote in the Introduction to his book [Hilyah Talibul-‘ilm], page 138:

لقد تواردت موجبات الشرع على أن التحلي بمحاسن الأدب، ومكارم الأخلاق، والهدى الحسن، والسمت الصالح: سمة أهل الإسلام، وأن العلم – وهو أثمن درة في تاج الشرع المطهر – لا يصل إليه إلا المتحلي بآدابه، المتخلي عن آفاته، ولهذا عناها العلماء بالبحث والتنبيه، وأفردوها بالتأليف، إما على وجه العموم لكافة العلوم، أو على وجه الخصوص، كآداب حملة القرآن الكريم، وآداب المحدث، وآداب المفتي، وآداب القاضي، وآداب المحتسب، وهكذا …

“The motives of the Sharee’ah are affirmative upon the issue that to adorn oneself with beautiful etiquette, noble manners, good behavior, and pious conduct are distinguishing characteristics of the people of Islaam, and that knowledge – the most precious pearl in the crown of the purified Sharee’ah – cannot be attained except by those who adorn themselves with its etiquette and those who leave evil qualities associated to it.

For this reason the scholars devoted their attention to (this etiquette), outlined its importance and wrote books solely on this topic; either pertaining to [general conduct] with all types of knowledge or to specific types of knowledge such as the etiquette of the carriers of the Noble Qur’aan, the etiquette of the muhaddith, the etiquette of the muftee, the etiquette of the qaadee (judge), the etiquette of the muhtasib (the one who enjoins good and forbids evil for the sake of Allaah) and so on.”

Nothing kills Knowledge but Stories

عَنْ أَبِي قِلَابَةَ، قَالَ: «مَا أَمَاتَ الْعِلْمَ إِلَّا الْقُصَّاصُ يُجَالِسُ الرَّجُلُ الرَّجُلَ الْقَاصَّ سَنَةً فَلَا يَتَعَلَّقُ مِنْهُ بِشَيْءٍ، وَيَجْلِسُ إِلَى الْعَالِمِ فَلَا يَقُومُ حَتَّى يَتَعَلَّقَ مِنْهُ بِشَيْءٍ»

“حلية الأولياء” ( 2 / 287 )

It was narrated that Abu Qilaabah ‘Abd-Allaah ibn Zayd said: Nothing kills knowledge but stories. A man may sit with a storyteller for a year without really learning anything that will last, whereas a man who sits with a scholar for an hour learns what will last and benefit him before he even gets up.

Source: Hilyat al-Awliya’ (2/287).

The salaf of this ummah issued a stern warning against these storytellers, because of the bad effects that their stories have on the common folk and because they contain things that go against the laws of Allaah.

In a hadeeth that was classed as hasan by Shaykh al-Albaani in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (1681) it was narrated that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said:

إِنَّ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لمَّا هَلَكُوا قَصُّوا

“When the Children of Israel were doomed they started to tell stories.”

Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

It says in al-Nihaayah: “when they were doomed they started to tell stories” which means they relied on words and forsook deeds, and that was the reason for their doom, or vice versa: when they were doomed it was because they stopped doing good deeds and turned to stories.

Al-Albaani said, commenting on this:

ومن الممكن أن يقال : إن سبب هلاكهم اهتمام وعاظهم بالقصص والحكايات دون الفقه والعلم النافع الذي يعرف الناس بدينهم ، فيحملهم ذلك على العمل الصالح ؛ لما فعلوا ذلك هلكوا .

“السلسلة الصحيحة” ( 4 / 246 )

“It may be said that the reason they were doomed was that they paid too much attention to stories at the expense of fiqh and beneficial knowledge which teach the people about their religion, and motivate them to do righteous deeds. Because they did that, they were doomed.”

Source: Al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (4/246).

This is the case with the storytellers; they pay too much attention to stories and myths, which they narrate to the common folk, without any understanding or knowledge, and the common man hears a lot but does not understand any ruling or gain any knowledge.

Ibn al-Jawzi said in Talbees Iblees (p. 150):

والقصاص لا يُذمون من حيث هذا الاسم لأن الله عز وجل قال : ( نَحْنُ نَقصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ القَصَص ) وقال : ( فَاقْصُص القَصَص ) .

The storytellers are not condemned just for being storytellers, because Allaah says :

“We relate unto you (Muhammad) the best of stories” [Yoosuf 12:3] and His saying: “So relate the stories” [al-A’raaf 7:176]

وإنما ذُمَّ القصاص لأن الغالب منهم الاتساع بذكر القصص دون ذكر العلم المفيد ، ثم غالبهم يخلط فيما يورد وربما اعتمد على ما أكثره محال .

“تلبيس إبليس” ( ص 150 ) 

Rather the storytellers are condemned because they tell many stories without mentioning any beneficial knowledge, and usually they mix sound and unsound material in what they narrate and rely on things that are mostly impossible.

Source: Talbees Iblees (p. 150).

How often do these storytellers narrate from bad reports to the masses, and tell them these fables, which reach such a status among the masses that they believe everything that they hear and even give them precedence over the scholars and seekers of knowledge.

We ask Allaah to set straight the affairs of those on the path of acquiring knowledge, and to guide them to that which is best for them and others.

Knowledge is to comprehend something as it actually is

Shaykh Saalih ibn al-Fawzaan al-Fawzaan (hafidhahullaah) comments in his explanation of al-Usool ith-Thalaathah:

والعلم : هو إدراك الشيء على ما هو عليه في الواقع أو تصور الشيء على طبق الواقع

“And al-‘ilm (knowledge) is to comprehend something as it actually is or to perceive something in accordance with how it actually is.

و إدراك الشيء على خلاف ما هو عليه في الواقع أو تصور الشيء على خلاف الواقع فهو الجهل وهو ضد العلم

And to comprehend something in a manner contrary to how it actually is in reality or to perceive something contrary to reality of it – this is al-jahl (ignorance) and it is the opposite of al-‘ilm (knowledge).”

Source: Shaykh Saalih ibn al-Fawzaan al-Fawzaan (hafidhahullaah), in his Sharh al-Usool ith-Thalaathah, while explaining the statement “اعْلَمْ رَحِمَكَ اللهُ” (Know, may Allaah have mercy upon you).

Time is like a sword – Either you strike it, or it will strike you!

Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah) said on the night of  the 27th of Rabee’ul-Awwal 1417 H (Sunday) – which corresponds to the 10th of August 1996 CE:

I advise you all to safeguard your time and to occupy yourselves in that which is beneficial. You should know that time is more precious than wealth, as Allaah – the Most Blessed, the Most High – said:

“Until when death comes to him, he says: O my Lord! Give me respite so that I may then do righteous actions.” [Soorah al-Baqarah 2:333].

Time is such that when it departs it does not return, whereas wealth, when it departs, then it is possible to replace it. So time is of the utmost importance. This is why I advise you to safeguard your time, and to occupy yourselves in that which benefits. Keep away from qeela wa qaal (gossiping) – that so and so said such and such about this and that person – because the Prophet sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said in an authentic narration: “Indeed Allaah hates qeela wa qaal (gossip mongering), asking too many questions, and wasting one’s wealth.” [Muslim (no.1715)]

Unfortunately, many of the youths – after returning to the correct path, and uniting their hearts and unifying their word – have become disunited and fragmented into many factions, and this is due to the whisperings of Shaytaan amongst them and the disuniting of their word.

So I advise the brothers to utilise your time in beneficial matters, and to keep away from qeela wa qaal. Indeed, time is like a sword; either you strike it, or it will strike you!

Source: Al-Istiqaamah Magazine, Issue No. 5, Ramadaan 1417 H