40 Hadith #57: Seeking Knowledge

With our brother Abu Arwa Ali

Summary 

• The virtue of making affairs easy for the one who is troubled
• Helping each other and not seeking after each other’s faults
• Question: What about the open sinner?
• The great virtue of seeking knowledge

Hadith 36 (Seeking Knowledge)

• From Abū Hurayrah (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu), from the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wasallam), that he said, “Whosoever removes a worldly distress from a believer, Allāh will remove from him one of the distresses of the Day of Judgment. Whosoever alleviates [the lot of] a needy person, Allāh will alleviate [his lot] in this world and the next. Whosoever shields a Muslim, Allāh will shield him in thisworld and the next. Allāh will aid a servant [of His] so long as the servant aids his brother. Whosoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allāh will make easy for him a path to Paradise. No people gather together in one of the houses of Allāh, reciting the Book of Allāh and studying it among themselves, without tranquility descending upon them, mercy enveloping them, the angels surrounding them, and Allāh making mention of them amongst those who are with Him. Whosoever is slowed down by his actions will not be hastened forward by his lineage.” [Sahih Muslim]
• The explanation to this hadith is split into 8 parts

Recap of last lesson:

• We covered part 1 concerning the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ  “Whosoever removes a worldly distress from a believer, Allāh will remove from him one of the distresses of the Day of Judgment”

Part 2: Concerning the statement of  Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) “Whosoever alleviates [the lot of] a needy person, Allāh will alleviate [his lot] in this world and the next”

• The virtue of making affairs easy for the one who is troubled
• What are some examples for this?
  • Extending the time for a debt to be paid back if the debtor is in difficulty
  • foregoing a debt if the debtor is facing difficulty 

Part 3: Concerning the statement of  Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) “Whosoever shields a Muslim, Allāh will shield him in this world and the next”

• What does this mean?
• What are some examples?
• Covering the deficiency or fault of your brother or sister
• There is no one from amongst us except that he or she have some fault or flaw
• We should not publicise peoples faults and sins
• What did the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say about the one who tries to follow and expose the faults of his brother?
• What about one who is an open public sinner?
  • For example someone who is drinking alcohol in public?
  • What about a criminal?

Part 4: Concerning the statement of  Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) “Allāh will aid a servant [of His] so long as the servant aids his brother”

• This is an encouragement for us to help each other
• The virtue of helping your brother or sister in Islam

Part 5: Concerning the statement of  Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) “Whosoever follows a path to seek knowledge therein, Allāh will make easy for him a path to Paradise”

• Following a path to seeking knowledge is of two types:
  • 1. A physical path, for example you leave your house and head to the masjid or an Islamic University to study
  • 2. A metaphorical path (i.e. taking the means), for example studying and reading a book from the works of the Scholars, keeping company with the Scholars, listening to a lesson online etc
• This hadith covers Islamic knowledge, not other types of knowledge
• The great reward for the one who seeks knowledge
• How does Allah make the path to Paradise easy for you?
  • Allah will make it easy for you to acquire the knowledge which you seek
  • Allah will make it easy for you to accept, believe and act upon that knowledge

Part 6: Concerning the statement of  Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) “No people gather together in one of the houses of Allāh, reciting the Book of Allāh and studying it among themselves, without tranquility descending upon them, mercy enveloping them, the angels surrounding them, and Allāh making mention of them amongst those who are with Him”

• When the Prophet ﷺ said “one of the houses of Allah”, then this means the mosques. Why are mosques called houses of Allah? 
  • What are the most beloved places to Allah? 
  • What are the most disliked places to Allah?
• An encouragement to recite the Book of Allah in the Mosque. How is this done in a group? 
• The great reward mentioned in this hadith
• Question: How about those of us who are not in the mosque but we are studying the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ? Do those studying at home via online lessons get reward?

Part 7: Concerning the statement of  Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) “Whosoever is slowed down by his actions will not be hastened forward by his lineage”

• What does this statement from the Prophet ﷺ mean?
• Eemaan (Faith) and Taqwa (piety) is what 

Verily, the most honourable of you with Allah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [i.e. one of the Muttaqun (pious – see V. 2:2). Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.

[Qur’an, Surah Al-Hujaraat (The Dwellings) 49:13]

• Our race, lineage or skin colour has nothing to with us entering Paradise and they do not give us any advantage in the sight of Allah
• No amount of Social status, nationality or ethnicity background will avail you in the hereafter 
• A poignant poem

Part 8: Summary of Benefits

1. An encouragement in relieving other people from suffering in this world
2. The reward is based on the action
3. An encouragement in making this easy for people
4. An encouragement to hide the fault of other people
5. Aiding your Muslim brother leads to the aid of Allah for your
6. The virtue of seeking Islamic knowledge
7. The virtue of gathering together in the mosques in order to study the Book of Allah
8. Eemaan (Faith) and righteous actions are a course of a person entering into Paradise and obtaining a high station in the sight of Allah
9. The lineage of a person and his Nobility, if he does not have any righteous actions, then this will not benefit him before Allah, The Most High