A TALK BY SHAYKH KAMALUDDIN AHMED
on Sunday, May 13th
Time: 7.45 PM
Venue: 6A-H, Gulberg III, Lahore
(Open to both Men and Women)
Online Broadcast: www.islamicspirituality.org
Showing posts with label knowledge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label knowledge. Show all posts
Friday, May 11, 2012
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Top Ten Things Every Student of Knowledge Should Know
Copy pasted from an email my friend had sent. JazauLLAH lihaa!
Top Ten Things Every Student of Knowledge Should Know
Many
times young Muslims decide they want to become scholars and embark on
the path of knowledge with little knowledge of what to expect. I was
such a youngster who signed up for an “‘alim” course with no idea what an ‘alim is or where it would lead me.
In
order to help my fellow Muslims prepare themselves psychologically and
not repeat the mistakes I made, I present to you ten things I feel every
student of knowledge must know (in no particular order):
1. A few years of study does not make one a scholar:
Too
often, young Muslims study a few books or for a few years and then
develop a “scholar” complex. They begin to force their opinions on
others as if they can’t be wrong. They become intolerant to other views,
and they write anybody off who disagrees with them as deviant.
We
need to realize, before we even begin our journey of knowledge, that
the sciences of Islam are many and deep; the variety of opinions in fiqh are
multiple, and the chances of always being right are slim. I advise all
of my fellow young Muslims to tread carefully, keep egos in check,
approach differences with the possibility of being wrong, and never
forget to say “Allah knows best”.
2. Manners come first:
In the past, most scholars would train their students in good manners
before teaching them Islamic knowledge. Parents, too, would encourage
their children to learn manners before the Islamic sciences.
Sadly, today many institutes do not teach good manners to their
students, expecting them to automatically gain them through their study
of Islam. This leads to Islamic teachers with bad manners, which in turn
chases people away from Islam.
In
this regard, anybody who is studying or teaching Islam must learn the
proper manners of dealing with people, mercy, tolerance, and being
non-judgmental and must possess a personality that attracts people;
otherwise, we might do more harm than good.
3. Studying Islam does not make one immune to sin:
Some
people have the misconception that if they study Islam, they will reach
a level of piety from which they can’t slip. The reality is that Shaytan tries even harder to lead people of knowledge astray as it has a more detrimental effect on the community as a whole.
So instead of temptations growing less, they are more likely to increase and intensify as Shaytan tries
to use every means at his disposal to lead us astray. We need to
realize this, prepare for it, and never let our guard down as the Shayateen try very hard to make a knowledgeable Muslim fall astray.
4. People will judge you:
While we should not be judgmental to people as Islamic teachers, the
reality is that people will still judge you. Many people are intimidated
by practicing Muslims. When they see a practicing Muslim, they see
their own flaws and deficiencies and so they search for fault in that
individual. We should not be surprised if people judge our clothing,
mannerisms or weaknesses; it is their way to try and console themselves
or justify their sins. We need to always keep this in mind and be able
to respond appropriately.
5. You represent your Faith:
When a person chooses to study Islam, especially once they earn a title, they automatically become a representation of the deen.
When people see an Imam or a Shaykh, they expect to see a living
example of Islam. If people see such a person sinning, they will either
lose respect for him and become disillusioned about Islam, or they will
take it as proof that it can’t be that big a sin. Either way, for an
Islamic teacher, our lives represent ourdeen, so we should always be careful not to give a wrong impression of Islam.
6. You will be tested:
Undoubtedly, life is a test and every human is being tested all the time
in different ways. However, one should not think that because one is
studying Islam and teaching it, Allah will grant a life of ease and
comfort. Rather, history proves that those closest to Allah are the most
severely tested. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The most
severely tested people are the prophets, then those closest to them in
piety then those closest to them.”
Be
prepared to be tested and take it as a sign that Allah loves you and
wants to test your love for Him. Remember that the Prophet (peace be
upon him) said, “Whoever embarks on a path to study Islam has embarked
on the path towards Paradise.” It is not the information alone that
takes a person to Paradise; it is his fulfillment of its rights by
understanding, practicing and preaching it to others and dealing with
all the problems that go along with this that ultimately leads to
Paradise.
7. Studying should not be an end; rather it should be a step to a higher goal:
I have met many Moulanas, Imams and Shaykhs with no goals or aspirations. Despite the ummah having
so many issues that need dealing with, these men don’t seem to care.
Upon further analysis, I realized that they set out to study with one of
the following goals: to please their parents, to get a title, or to
get the knowledge. Once they obtained the knowledge, they did not know
or care about what to do next, so they carried along with their lives
like donkeys carrying books.
Any person who studies Islam should be introspective and find a good motivation to study. Perhaps you would like to become a da’ee and
a means of guidance for non-Muslims. Perhaps you would like to
establish an Islamic centre in an area that needs one. Perhaps you would
like become a mujtahid in a field that is lacking many quality
scholars. Whatever you decide, it should be something noble that you
wish to do for the sake of Allah after completing your studies. In
short, studying should not be a goal but a means to help accomplish
higher goals.
8. You can’t change everyone:
In
life, we do not always get what we want. Similarly, in Islamic work
things don’t always go our way. Remember that not everybody you meet
will agree with you, listen to you or accept your message. Rather, there
will always be people who will disagree with you or flat out reject
you. This is reality and we have to be prepared for this by realizing
guidance is only in Allah’s Hands, and we are only responsible for
conveying the message.
9. You will make mistakes:
Many of us study Islam to make up for the sins of our past. Yet, being
humans, we are never free from sins and mistakes and so some people
become depressed and give up Islamic work when they realize that they
are now knowledgeable but still occasionally fall into sin.
The truth is that the Shaytan wants
us to quit and by doing so we are just playing into his hands, but
Allah is Most Forgiving to those who repent. Every time you fall down
and make a mistake, pick yourself back up, turn to Allah in repentance
and try again to be a good Muslim, and never EVER allow your sins or
mistakes stop you from doing Islamic work. Rather, it should motivate us
to do more Islamic work so that our good deeds outweigh our sins on the
Last Day.
10. The reward for studying and teaching Islam is worth it:
While
most of the above make it seem like Islamic Work is a difficult field,
that is not the purpose of this article. The purpose was solely to
prepare for the many challenges and responsibilities we face while
trying to serve Allah.
The
reality is that the reward of dealing with all of the above is truly
worth it, whether it is the rewards in this world or in the akhirah. As far as the akhirah goes, we know that the path of knowledge leads to Paradise but additional to that is the fact that insha’Allah you will get the rewards for the good deeds of those you teach or inspire to do good.
In
this sense, it is one of the only good deeds we can do where the reward
keeps multiplying. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “When a person
dies, all their deeds end except three: charity which continues to
benefit, knowledge he left behind which people benefit from, and
righteous children who pray for him.”
As
far as this world goes, the greatest reward an Islamic worker can
receive in this world is seeing the fruits of his efforts. When a person
tells you they changed and became a better Muslim because of your
influence or when a person takes their shahadah at your hands, there is no feeling equal to it, and any sacrifice you have being through for the deen feels worth it.
So,
my beloved brothers and sisters, let us study Islam, seeking its
rewards yet knowing the responsibilities and trials that go along with
it. I wrote this firstly as a reminder to myself as well as to anybody
else involved in the field of Islamic Studies. May Allah keep us all
steadfast on His deen. Ameen.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Traits that Allah Ta'ala Doesn't Love.
Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed's talk on
Traits that Allah Ta'ala Doesn't Love.
on Channel Islam International
dated 1st December 2011
Traits that Allah Ta'ala Doesn't Love.
on Channel Islam International
dated 1st December 2011
Kindly download from the link below:
(right click and save)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Inviting others Home: Islam
Inviting others Home: Islam
(right click and save)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/
Shaykh Kamaluddin Ahmed's short talk on
Dawah: Heart/Mind
on Channel Islam International
dated 24th November 2011
Dawah: Heart/Mind
on Channel Islam International
dated 24th November 2011
(right click and save)
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/
Friday, October 7, 2011
I am a graduate ...?
Taken from Haq Islam.org.
A Message to University Graduates
Earlier this week I was part of a group that was invited to attend a University Graduation ceremony. Someone dear to me will also be graduating soon and some very good general advice was given at the ceremony I attended, so I decided to write this little message up to Muslim University Graduates.
Graduation day is the culmination of 3-5 years of studying a particular subject in depth at degree level. You have spent these years studying because you realise that education is a means to attaining a good career and perceive it to lead to a better way of life.
At this significant stage in your life, you are experiencing the transition from being a student through to a professional who will soon be working in the ‘real’ world. With this transition comes the need to prepare yourself in dealing with issues that may arise in the workplace, not due to trivialities such as race etc but mainly because of your religion.
Whilst many undergraduates become closer to their deen at university thanks to the efforts of ISOCs and associations, for those of us who will be going out into the workplace where their will be a minority muslim workforce or where contact with fellow muslims will be limited, it is especially vital for us to hold on to our deen; That is YOUR ISLAM.
If during your university days, you were unable to ‘get involved’ with the Muslim community, make this the starting point of change in your life.
“The one who treads a path seeking therein knowledge, Allah eases his path to the Garden.” [Sahih Muslim]
We must fully realise that our ultimate purpose in this dunya is to serve Allah Ta’ala and that our ultimate goal is to reach Jannah in the akhira (hereafter). Therefore your focus should now, be on adopting the means to achieve this eternal goal, i.e. adopting the teachings of Islam and following the Sunnah of our beloved messenger Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
This does not mean that you have to become a hermit and retreat to some remote jungle to spend the rest of your days engaged in ibaadah. In fact we must live in the dunya but work for the akhira. What does this mean? This means that we must attempt to the best of our ability to seek deeni knowledge into at least the basic fundamentals of our religion. For example start from the basic fiqh of cleanliness and prayer and then move onto more advanced areas of the shariah such as the etiquettes of trading and business, especially for the field of work that you will soon enter into. You may also decide to study the fiqh of Nikaah and Talaaq because sooner or later if not already you will be approaching the stage where you will marry and eventually settle down with a family. These are just suggestions that hope to serve as an example of how YOU can tread that path to bring you closer to your Lord Allah Ta’ala and how you can balance the work of this world with the work of the akhira, Inshallah Ta’ala.
Whilst we have covered the importance of learning about our religion to benefit us in the hereafter, it is also necessary to learn about Islam so that we may be in a position to answer any questions that non-Muslim work colleagues may pose to us genuinely or out of curiosity.
Islam is in the spotlight; the media reports and the people see. Hence situations are bound to arise where you will be asked questions about Islam. It is therefore important that we should be equipped with the correct answers and teachings of Islam rather than substituting it with your own logic. Using your own logic in most cases will mean that you won’t be sharing the ‘true’ teachings and views of Islam and instead could be causing confusion and misinterpretation of our beautiful deen. Remember, what you say/ utter is what most people will think of Islam; so think before you speak.
Graduation also means that you have acquired a certain status in society as well as now being able to place certain letters after your name. One should, however, remember that in Islam there is no superiority of one over another except through taqwa.
“…Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa. …” [Surah Hujurat V13]
Also, never look down upon anyone or let pride set into your heart as a result of your education. Any status we can obtain in the world is of no value whatsoever if Allah is displeased with us. Remember we should look at the people below us in the dunya, so that we may make shukr for what Allah Ta’ala has given us, and we should compete with the people above us in the matters of deen so that we may become closer to Allah Ta’ala.
After graduation some of you may return to your home town/ city whilst others remain living away from home to continue studies or work. We should reflect on how we travelled away from home to acquire our worldly education and if need be we must prepared to travel to acquire ‘deeni education’ and benefit also. We are aware of how our pious predecessors would travel years and years to obtain deeni knowledge, but that was a sacrifice that they were willing to make. We have vast arrays of modern technology to aid us, not only that; we have Masjids and Khanqahs where we can learn from the pious. Make the most of the means and resources that Allah Ta’ala has blessed you with.
I pray Allah Ta’ala fills our working lives with blessings and they are not a distraction to us from striving to achieve taqwa and, ultimately, jannah in the hereafter.
Jazakallah to Sister Mujahidah for her help in putting together this article.
Graduation day is the culmination of 3-5 years of studying a particular subject in depth at degree level. You have spent these years studying because you realise that education is a means to attaining a good career and perceive it to lead to a better way of life.
At this significant stage in your life, you are experiencing the transition from being a student through to a professional who will soon be working in the ‘real’ world. With this transition comes the need to prepare yourself in dealing with issues that may arise in the workplace, not due to trivialities such as race etc but mainly because of your religion.
Whilst many undergraduates become closer to their deen at university thanks to the efforts of ISOCs and associations, for those of us who will be going out into the workplace where their will be a minority muslim workforce or where contact with fellow muslims will be limited, it is especially vital for us to hold on to our deen; That is YOUR ISLAM.
If during your university days, you were unable to ‘get involved’ with the Muslim community, make this the starting point of change in your life.
“The one who treads a path seeking therein knowledge, Allah eases his path to the Garden.” [Sahih Muslim]
We must fully realise that our ultimate purpose in this dunya is to serve Allah Ta’ala and that our ultimate goal is to reach Jannah in the akhira (hereafter). Therefore your focus should now, be on adopting the means to achieve this eternal goal, i.e. adopting the teachings of Islam and following the Sunnah of our beloved messenger Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم).
This does not mean that you have to become a hermit and retreat to some remote jungle to spend the rest of your days engaged in ibaadah. In fact we must live in the dunya but work for the akhira. What does this mean? This means that we must attempt to the best of our ability to seek deeni knowledge into at least the basic fundamentals of our religion. For example start from the basic fiqh of cleanliness and prayer and then move onto more advanced areas of the shariah such as the etiquettes of trading and business, especially for the field of work that you will soon enter into. You may also decide to study the fiqh of Nikaah and Talaaq because sooner or later if not already you will be approaching the stage where you will marry and eventually settle down with a family. These are just suggestions that hope to serve as an example of how YOU can tread that path to bring you closer to your Lord Allah Ta’ala and how you can balance the work of this world with the work of the akhira, Inshallah Ta’ala.
Whilst we have covered the importance of learning about our religion to benefit us in the hereafter, it is also necessary to learn about Islam so that we may be in a position to answer any questions that non-Muslim work colleagues may pose to us genuinely or out of curiosity.
Islam is in the spotlight; the media reports and the people see. Hence situations are bound to arise where you will be asked questions about Islam. It is therefore important that we should be equipped with the correct answers and teachings of Islam rather than substituting it with your own logic. Using your own logic in most cases will mean that you won’t be sharing the ‘true’ teachings and views of Islam and instead could be causing confusion and misinterpretation of our beautiful deen. Remember, what you say/ utter is what most people will think of Islam; so think before you speak.
Graduation also means that you have acquired a certain status in society as well as now being able to place certain letters after your name. One should, however, remember that in Islam there is no superiority of one over another except through taqwa.
“…Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa. …” [Surah Hujurat V13]
Also, never look down upon anyone or let pride set into your heart as a result of your education. Any status we can obtain in the world is of no value whatsoever if Allah is displeased with us. Remember we should look at the people below us in the dunya, so that we may make shukr for what Allah Ta’ala has given us, and we should compete with the people above us in the matters of deen so that we may become closer to Allah Ta’ala.
After graduation some of you may return to your home town/ city whilst others remain living away from home to continue studies or work. We should reflect on how we travelled away from home to acquire our worldly education and if need be we must prepared to travel to acquire ‘deeni education’ and benefit also. We are aware of how our pious predecessors would travel years and years to obtain deeni knowledge, but that was a sacrifice that they were willing to make. We have vast arrays of modern technology to aid us, not only that; we have Masjids and Khanqahs where we can learn from the pious. Make the most of the means and resources that Allah Ta’ala has blessed you with.
I pray Allah Ta’ala fills our working lives with blessings and they are not a distraction to us from striving to achieve taqwa and, ultimately, jannah in the hereafter.
Jazakallah to Sister Mujahidah for her help in putting together this article.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)