What I Witnessed In England

Author: Shaikh Abu ‘Abdir-Rahmaan Yahyaa bin ‘Alee Al-Hujooree

Source: Al-Manhaj
Translator: Abu Maryam Isma'eel Alarcon

Published: Thursday 30th July, 2015



The Blessing Of Islaam And Seeking Knowledge

Before I begin I would like to remind you and myself of something important – and it is what Allaah has blessed the Muslims with generally and the Students of Knowledge with specifically from the blessing of Islaam. Allaah says concerning it:

“Today I have perfected your Religion for you and I have completed My Blessing on you and I am pleased with Islaam as a Religion for you.” [Surah Al-Maa’idah: 3]


And He says about it:

“Whoever takes other than Islaam as a Religion it will never be accepted from him and in the Hereafter he will be from among the losers.” [Surah Aali ‘Imraan: 85] [Surah An-Nisaa: 1]


And He says about it:

“Verily, the (only true) Religion in the sight of Allaah is Islaam.” [Surah Aali ‘Imraan: 19]


This is the Islaam, of which whoever dies upon it, is enacting the Commandment of Allaah, where He says:

“O you who believe! Fear Allaah as He ought to be feared and do not die except while you are Muslims.” [Surah Aali 'Imraan: 102]


Whoever dies upon Islaam will be from those who are successful:

“Successful is the one who accepts Islaam. He is granted sufficiency and Allaah makes him content with what He has given him.” [Reported by Muslim from the narration of ‘Abdullaah bin ‘Amr]


This Islaam, which many people have abandoned, and which some do not know anything about except the fact that they call themselves Muslims, is a blessing, O servants of Allaah. If there were no merit to it other than that the one who dies on it will be from the people of Paradise, (it would be sufficient). It is a blessing that will bring you happiness in both this world and the next:

“Whoever does a good deed – whether male or female – while he or she is a true believer, indeed, to him We will give a good life (in this world), and (in the Hereafter) We will surely give them their reward according to the best of what they used to do.” [Surah An-Nahl: 97]


One cannot be a “true believer” unless he accepts Islaam. So this is a promise from Allaah, Lord of the Worlds – that the person that adheres to this Islaam will have a good and pleasant life.

Another blessing we should remember is that which Allaah states in His saying:

“And remember Allaah’s blessing on you, when you were enemies of one another and He joined your hearts together, so that by His Grace, you became brothers. And you were on the brink of a pit of Fire, but He saved you from it.” [Surah Aali ‘Imraan: 103]


The blessing of studying Islaamic knowledge and the blessing of the presence of scholars amidst us, by Allaah, my brothers is indeed a great blessing that many people are deprived of. And many of them yearn to see our scholars – just to look at them once or to sit with them for an hour. If one of them speaks to him over the telephone, it is as if his heart is broken by his not being able to see him. I am referring to our noble shaikh, the ‘Allaamah, Muqbil bin Haadee, may Allaah preserve him and prolong his life. This is from the blessings Allaah has bestowed on us. The people of the west know the magnitude of this Shaikh. The Muslims of the west know him. In fact even many of the disbelievers know him. And so do the innovators. So we praise Allaah for this blessing He has bestowed on us here in that we are in his presence.

Verily, seeking knowledge is from the most honorable and grand types of blessings, for Allaah, Mighty and Sublime, says:

“Allaah will raise in levels those who believe amongst you and those who have been given knowledge.” [Surah Al-Mujaadalah: 11]


And in the Saheeh, from the hadeeth of ‘Umar:

“Verily, Allaah will raise some people by this Book (Qur’aan) and lower others due to it.”


By Allaah, the reputation of the scholars amidst the people is higher, honorable, and greater than the reputation of the kings and more noble than the reputation of the presidents, kings and others, such as successful businessmen. You all know the story of the slave girl of Haroon ar-Rasheed, when she saw Ibn Al-Mubaarak and the people that had gathered around him. She said:

“By Allaah this is truly the rulership, not the rulership of Haroon ar-Raseed, of whom people do not gather around him unless they want something or out of fear.”


So the one who sees, hears and lives with the people, he knows the magnitude of the scholars.


 

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