Rejecting What You Don’t Know is A Practice of Jaahiliyyah

 

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

The people of the pre-Islamic days of ignorance would debate and dispute regarding matters they had no knowledge of. What is obligatory upon a person is that he should not debate except with knowledge. As for what he does not know, he should remain silent concerning it. Allah the Exalted said: “Rather, they have denied that which they encompass not in knowledge and whose interpretation has not yet come to them.” [Yoonus: 39]

This comprises of two aspects:             

The First Aspect: A person should not delve into that which he does not know nor reject that which he does not know. Rather, he should: “Allaah knows best.” As such, Allaah told His Prophet, Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam): “And say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” [Taa Haa: 114] So a person should not claim to have all the knowledge. Rather, he should limit himself and know his own worth. Even if he has a lot of knowledge, what is unknown to him is more. Allah the Exalted said: “But over every possessor of knowledge is one [more] knowing.” [Yoosuf: 76] until knowledge ends with Allaah, the All-Knowing.

The Second Aspect: He should not reject something that someone else knows. Therefore, if someone else possesses some knowledge that is unknown to you, do not reject the knowledge with someone else. This is because, there is no human being that has been given all of the knowledge. That is why the scholars say this phrase that they always repeat:

من حفظ حجة على من لم يحفظ

                                                                     

“Whoever memorized (some knowledge) is a proof against one who didn’t memorize.”

Source: Sharh Masaa’il Al-Jaahiliyyah, p. 293-294 by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan, transl. by Abdus-Samee Abdus-Salaam.

Calm Your Mind If Something You Dislike Befalls You For You Are a Gainer

 

Imaam Ibn Qayyim (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

Every preordainment which a person dislikes and which is not favorable to him is either a punishment for a sin (he has committed) or a remedy to a sickness which if the Wise had not remedied it with the medicine, the sickness would have thrown him into destruction. Then again, it could be a means to a blessing that cannot be attained except by means of that misfortune.

Hence, the misfortune will come to an end and disappear, and that which results from it of blessing will be eternal without termination. Therefore, if a person comprehends these two issues, it will open up for him the door of being pleased with his Lord regarding everything He decrees and preordains for him.

Source: Madaarij as-Saalikeen bayna Manaazil (Iyyaaka Na‘bud wa Iyyaaka Nasta‘een), by Imaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah; transl. by Abdus-Samee Abdus-Salaam

Giving Something up for the Sake of Allah

  

Imaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

Ponder over the condition of our third father Ibraaheem, the Imam of the monotheists, the chief of the Prophets, the pillar of the world, the intimate friend of the Lord of existence from the progeny of Adam. Think over what led to his trial, his patience and his sacrifice to Allah. Reflect on how it resulted in the sacrifice of himself to Allah and his support to the religion of Allah until He took him as an intimate friend and ordered His Messenger and intimate friend, Muhammad to follow his religion. I will inform you of one trait from that which made Allah to honor him in his trial concerning the slaughtering of his child. Allah the most High rewarded him for surrendering his child to His command by blessing his lineage and making it plenty such that it filled the plain and mountain.

Allah the most High has not honored anyone above him, as He is the Most Generous of the generous. Thus, whoever abandons something for His sake or does something for His sake, Allah will grant him double and multiples of what he abandoned and reward him with manifolds of what he did for His sake. When He ordered Ibraaheem to slaughter his son, he hastened to the command of Allah, his son agreed with his father out of pleasure and submission from both of them and Allah recognized the truthfulness and the devotion from them, so He ransomed him with a great sacrifice and He granted them what He gave them of virtue.

Part of the gift He bestowed on them was that He blessed them in their offspring to the extent that they filled the earth, because the aim of having a child is to procreate and produce offspring. Hence, Ibraaheem said: “My Lord! Grant me (offspring) from the righteous.” [Soorah as-Saaffaat: 100] He also said: “O my Lord! Make me one who performs As-Salaah (Iqâmat-as-Salât), and (also) from my offspring.” [Soorah Ibraaheem: 40]

Hence, the utmost of what he should be cautious and fearful of in slaughtering his child is the extinction of his lineage. However, when he offered his son for sacrifice and the son submitted himself, Allah multiplied his progenies for him, blessed them and made them plenty until they filled the world and He placed Prophethood and revelation among his offspring, among whom was Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

Source: Miftaah Daar as-Sa‘aadah wa Manshoor Wilaayah Ahl al-‘Ilm wal-Iraadah, by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah; translated by Abdus-Samee Abdus-Salaam.