Knowledge is not by lots of Narrations

Shaykh Saalih bin Fawzaan stated:

Knowledge is not abundance of information, acquaintance and books. Rather, knowledge is only through understanding, following and acting; even if the knowledge is little. Therefore, little knowledge with righteous deed and understanding in Allah’s religion is abundance while ample knowledge without action and following (the Sunnah) is of no benefit.

There were scholars and monks among the Jews, in spite of this, their knowledge were of no benefit and they became those who earned Allah’s anger because they purposely disobeyed. So the goal is not abundance of knowledge and researches. The goal is action. This is the meaning of knowledge, and this is the way of those on whom Allaah has bestowed His Grace as stated by Allah the Most High:

Guide us to the Straight Way, The Way of those on whom You have bestowed Your Grace

They are the people of knowledge and action

Not (the way) of those who earned Your Anger (such as the Jews)

They are the people of knowledge without action.

Nor of those who went astray (such as the Christians).  [Qur’aan 1: 6 - 7]

They are the people of action, without knowledge.

So knowledge is non-beneficial without action, and action benefits not except with knowledge. It is essential for knowledge and action to co-exist, and this is the way of those on whom Allaah has bestowed His Grace.

Source: A Gift to the Reader in Annotation of Sharh As-Sunnah, vol. 2, p. 51-51 by Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan

How to Deal with a Mushrik Imaam

Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allah have mercy on him) stated:

One of the conditions of being an Imaam is that the Imaam must be a Muslim.  The scholars differ on whether uprightness is a condition the Imaam must fulfill or it is valid to perform prayer behind a defiantly disobedient person (faasiq). There are two views among the scholars. The correct view is that prayer is valid behind a defiantly disobedient person if he is a Muslim. However, it is not good to appoint a defiantly disobedient person when a better person is available. In fact, it is necessary for those in charge of affairs (the leaders) to make enquiries about the Imaam [before appointing him] in order to ensure that he is an upright Muslim, good in character and deeds because he will be emulated.

As for the person who visits graves in order to invoke its inhabitants, or seek succor from them or ask them to cure the sick and grant him for victory over the enemies [or practices fortune telling and sacrifices to the jinn], such a person is not a Muslim. He is a Mushrik (polytheist) because calling upon the dead, seeking aid from them, [fortune-telling and performing sacrifice to the jinn] are forms of kufr (disbelief) in Allaah. Therefore, it is not permissible to appoint him as an Imaam or observe prayer behind him. If the Muslims cannot find another masjid, they should pray before or after him; they should pray in the same masjid he prays. But it should be after him or before him. If it is possible to remove him, it is obligatory to remove him. But if it is not possible, the Muslims should wait for the prayer of this Mushrik Imaam and his followers, and thereafter they should observe theirs or they should precede them [to the masjid] when it is time to pray and pray before them if that is possible…

Source: Fataawaa Noor ‘alaa ad-Darb by Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him)

Gains of Being Sincere

Imaam Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah stated: 

The unchangeable observed law of Allah and His unalterable way is to enshroud a sincere person with dignity, light and love in the hearts of the creatures and drawing their hearts closer to him in proportion to his sincerity, intention and dealings with his Lord. And He will cover an insincere person who puts on the garment of falsehood with detestation, humiliation and revulsion that befit him. Therefore, a sincere person will have dignity and love while the other will gain abhorrence and hatred.

Source: ’laam al-Muwaqqi‘een ‘an Rabb al-‘Aalameen by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah

The Basic Cause of Misguidance

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) stated:

The foundation of misguidance among the inhabitants of the earth stems from two things: either regarding as part of religion that which was not legislated by Allah, or regarding as Haraam that which was not forbidden by Allah. Consequently, the basic principle on which Imam Ahmad and other Imams based their schools of fiqh is that:  people’s deeds are divided into two categories: acts of worship that they take as part of their religion, by means of which they may benefit in the Hereafter, or in this world; and customs which are of benefit to them in their daily lives. So, the basic principle concerning acts of worship is that nothing is to be prescribed except that which was legislated by Allah while the basic principle concerning customs is that nothing is to be forbidden except that which was forbidden by Allah.

Source: Sharh Iqtidaa as-Siraat al-Mustaqeem, p. 322 of Shaykh al-‘Uthaymeen

A Resident Combining Prayers without a legislated excuse

Question: Is it permissible to combine prayers without any excuse?

Shaykh al-Uthaymeen: It is not permissible to combine prayers without any excuse based on the saying of Allaah the exalted: “But when you become secure, re-establish [regular] prayer. Indeed, prayer has been decreed upon the believers a decree of specified times.” The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) has fixed the time for the prayers, and he has set a specific time for each prayer. So advancing the prayer before its time or delaying it without a legislated excuse is a form of transgressing the limits of Allaah. Allaah the exalted said: And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah - it is those who are the wrongdoers.” [Soorah al-Baqarah: 229] And whoever transgresses the limits of Allah has certainly wronged himself” [Soorah at-Talaaq: 1]

Therefore, it is obligatory upon an individual to perform each prayer at its stipulated time. However, if there is a need such as if it becomes difficult for a person to perform each prayer at its stipulated time, in this case, there is no harm if he combines Dhuhr and Asr at the time of the former or later depending on that which is easier for him; or he combines Maghrib and Ishaa at the time of Maghrib or at the time of Ishaa depending on that which is easier for him. This is based on the statement of Ibn Abbaas (may Allaah be leased with him): “The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) combined the Dhuhr and Asr (prayers) and the Maghrib and Ishaa (prayers) in Madeenah without being in a state of fear nor due to rain.” When he was asked the reason why he did that, he said:  “So that there would not be any hardship on his ummah.” Meaning, so that he would not cause any hardship to his ummah by avoiding combining the prayers.

This is an indication from Ibn Abbaas that it is not permissible to combine prayers except if leaving it would cause difficulty and hardship [on the people]. This is because if a person combines two prayers without a legislated excuse, the prayer that was combined to the other time will not be accepted by Allaah. It is not valid because the person did an action that was not enjoined by Allaah and His Messenger. It is established from the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) that he said: ‘Whoever does a deed which we have not commanded will be rejected.”

Source: Fataawaa Noor alaa ad-Darb, tape no. 142

Shaykh al-Albaanee also stated: “… Some scholars of both old and recent times hold that this combining is permissible for a resident without any excuse, and I don’t consider this correct because the narrator of the hadeeth justifies the Messenger’s ﷺ combining without an excuse with another excuse: which is to legislate and explain to the people, as Ibn `Abbaas said, ‘So he ﷺ would not put his ummah to difficulty.’ This means that the ruling of combining as a resident is restricted to the presence of difficulty if one were not to combine. So when there is difficulty in performing the prayers in their known appointed times, it is permissible to combine to avoid the difficulty, which Allaah negated in the likes of His Statement: “He has not placed upon you in the religion any difficulty”.[1]  But if there is no difficulty, it is obligatory to maintain performing the five prayers, each prayer in its time, because there is no difficulty.[2]

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[1] Suratul-Haaj: 22-78

[2] Source: Fataawaa Jiddah, tape no. 13