Details

Written by Sheikh Abuz Zubair

I know of a number of people who led a generation of practicing young men and women in the 90s, without having studied Shari'ah formally anywhere or with anyone properly. Due to this they failed to appreciate the nuances in the Islamic Law, and polarized the community with their rigid stance on views that were subject to scholarly difference at best, or utterly absurd at worse. They burnt many bridges, broke up families, turned relatives and best of friends against each other, for a decade or more.

Once they saw a new generation of preachers with some background in academia introducing a more nuanced approach, which challenged their dichotomy and threatened their leadership, they lost grip of the core values that had defined their purpose for a significant portion of their lives. This triggered a radical transformation in them, and as they were going through this transformation, a number of loyal well-wishers tried to engage with them politely, but to no avail. Their response – if there was one – was cold, and often contained sentiments like,

'You were still young when I was teaching this book or that... You used to be my student... You are merely a product of my efforts... I, me, mine...'

It was clear. For them it was a leadership and ego crisis. They were, and had been leaders, for more than a decade, and could not get themselves to accept that others have left them far behind. Their insecurity prevented them from opening any channel of communication with the 'new young shaykhs', except in a capacity of, 'you still have much to learn from me, son'. Finally, they reversed polarity and sharply drifted towards liberalism – literally the other end of the extremism spectrum. At least two of them have now come out of the closest and declared their new found faith, secularism, taking their faithful flock with them.

And the cycle continues. Often I see people who have absolutely no formal education in Islam, reading a few books here and there, and perhaps learning some Arabic, becoming leaders of a small group of people, by merely sharing with them the little they have picked up. Once they get a taste of public appreciation and praise 'JazakAllahu Khayran brother! MashaAllah you have a lot of knowledge!' they find it a serious blow to their ego if someone, out of good will, humbly suggests, 'dear brother, you should formally study the topic before writing anything on it.'

Had they studied and learned before dishing out their half-baked ideas to the public, only to be blown into smithereens by someone who knows slightly better, they would not have subjected themselves to such humiliation, and ruin the lives of so many of their followers who had blindly put their trust in them.

And hence, Umar b. al-Khattab's advice:

Learn before you become leaders...

المكتبة الشاملة

Description and Features

1) A library containing an initial amount of 5300 books on the various Islaamic sciences [only Arabic] organized into appropriate categories and identity cards for many of the books and authors.

2) Highly advanced searching capabilities, including choosing single or multiple books to search in, ignoring or including the various forms of the letter Hamza, searching for book titles, searching within the books, searching in the comments section of the books, searching for the authors, and searching for multiple words either by “and” or using “or” criteria.

3) Ability to edit books, bookmark favorite locations, open multiple books at the same time, remove or keep the Tashkeel (Arabic punctuation marks) from texts (when available), and to associate books of Sharh (commentaries) with their respective Matn (text – when available).

4) Ability to change background image of the application, and changing the font and color of various levels of text and background in the software (e.g. main text, comments, titles, footnotes, etc.).

5) Ability to export the books to HTML files, (.doc) files (requires Microsoft Word on the device), and (.bok) files (requires the empty version of the library) with various export options.

6) Ability to update the library and download new books from within the software.

Main Screen of the Library:

 

Download the Library

Download the library from this link:

http://www.archive.org/download/ShamelaLibrary_20101109/ShamelaLibrary.rar

Alternative links: Archive | IslamWay | darcoran | almktba | More…

Installation

1) The file that you download is a zip file. Open the file.

Downloaded library zip file:

2) Run the (.exe) file within the zip archive.

Run the executable file:

3) A dialog box should appear. Click “Browse” to choose the location where you want to extract the files of the library then click “Install” to begin extraction.

Note: Choose a drive where there are at least 4 to 6 Gigabytes of free space.

Extract the library files:

4) Wait for the files to be extracted to your desired location.

Wait for the extraction of the files to finish:

5) After the extraction is done, go to the destination folder that you chose in Step 3) above and you should see a folder named “Library“. Open that folder and run the “Setup.exe” file in it.

Run the "Setup.exe" file:

6) A dialog box should come up. Click the button “إستعراض” to choose a location to install the setup and shortcut files of the library to. This installation requires only about 20 MB of space. Then click “موافق” to begin installation.

Choose a location to install the setup files to:

7) Wait for the installation to finish.

Wait for installation to finish:

8) After the installation finishes, the library should run.

Main Screen of the Library:

Adding More Books

There are four ways by which you can add new books:

A] Adding New Books from within the Library:

1) After you upgrade to the latest edition, as shown in the above steps, open the library. Click on the menu item “ترقية حية” then click the submenu item “ترقية البرنامج والكتب الآن“.

2) A dialog box should come up. If there is internet connection, it should search for new program upgrade and new books. If there are any new books, it should show them as checkbox items. Choose the items that you want and click “تحميل تلقائي” to begin downloading them from within the library.

Choose and begin downloading new books:

3) After you begin downloading the book(s) you chose, wait until the download finishes.

Wait while the book download finishes:

4) After the download is finished, restart the library and the new books should be added to the library.

B] Downloading New Books from Shamela.ws:

1) Visit the website www.shamela.ws.

The Shamela.ws website:

2) Choose a category of books. Then choose the book you want to download. You can also search by book title or author name. The books are in (.bok) format that is recognized by the library. However, what you download is compressed in a zip archive. So, after you download, extract the content of the zip archive to get the (.bok) file.

The downloaded book after it is extracted:

3) Now go open the library itself. Click the menu item “شاشات” then click the submenu item “استيراد ملفات“.

4) A new window should appear. Browse to the location where you extracted the new book in (.bok) format. Click on the book (or books) you want to import, and drag it over to the bottom list. Then click the lightning icon at the bottom-right side of the screen whose comment reads

"استيراد الكتب إلى البرنامج".

Import the new book(s) to the library:

5) After that, a confirmation message should come up telling you that the import was successful.

C] Downloading Books from IslamPort.com:

1) Visit the page islamport.com/index2.html.

Visit the IslamPort website.

2) Choose a category. Then download a book. You can also search by book title or author name. Extract the content of the zip file. Then follow the same steps as discussed for the Shamela.ws website above.

D] Downloading Books from AlMeshkat.net:

1) The website alMeshkat.net hosts a massive collection of books, encyclopedias, and programs, as well as other services, for free. Visit the page http://www.almeshkat.net/books/index.php.

Visit the AlMeshkat.net website.

2) Browse through the different categories and download the book(s) you want. If it is book designed for the Shaamila library, follow the same steps as those described for Shamela.ws above to import them to the library.

Details

Written by Abu Sahl Farhan ibn Irfan Siddiqi

We find many speakers rising amongst the ranks of the people discussing issues of the religion that they may or may not be ready for, to the extent that the value of a person is not held in what he says, but how he says it. Basically, his knowledge is not the point of benefit or value, but the way he speaks. This goes against the pure Islamic teachings, as Allah mentions the people who have the most awareness of him are the scholars [of the religion], and that they are the ones who we are commanded to turn to in times of trials and tribulations and our questions, and they are the ones who are praised in the Quran and in many ahadith of the Prophetic Sunnah (salalahu alaihi wa sallam). The reality is that knowledge is acquired, while speaking is a gift, and the Prophet (salalahu alaihi wa salam) described it as a type of magic, and unfortunately we have seen its effect, to the point they've fallen into another warning from him (salalahu alaiihi wa salam) about taking the ignorant as their leaders, be it in their masjid, concerning their religious affairs, giving fatwa, or other than that.

The question then arises: who are the people of knowledge and how do I connect myself to them?

As for who they are, then there are books written about the characteristics of the scholar and his etiquettes, but these books help us recognize a scholar, not proclaim scholarship for an individual. In essence, the scholars are recognized by scholars. The same way a person, when he is ill, asks his friends for a good doctor, they will direct him to who they feel is most knowledgeable concerning medicine. When this individual reaches that recommended doctor, he will in turn direct him to a specialist. Why? Because a professional in a field knows his peers, so how much more a person who has dealt with other teachers and educators in Islam?

Is there a set curriculum an individual has to go to, in order to ascertain scholarship? Not necessarily, but scholarship is usually attained in two ways, after tawfeeq from Allah:

1. Academically, by going through a curriculum focused in different Islamic sciences, focusing on a particular science, be it Fiqh, Hadeeth, Aqeedah or other than that.

2. Apprenticeship, in which an individual accompanies a scholar for a long period of time taking most of the sciences from that particular scholar.

In our time, the first is what is most prevalent, and a combination of the two also take place (which is the best), but in times before the establishment of universities and learning institutions most scholars became such via the second way.

This is not so strange, as in previous generations, and even in some parts of the world today, including certain fields in the West, apprenticeship has and still takes place. Before universities, if a man wanted to become a blacksmith, he would go to a blacksmith and be his apprentice and learn the trade from him, similar to medicine, masons, carpenters, and other than them. So why is it so backwards if it's done concerning Islamic sciences?

Similarly, just as a scholar is known by other scholars, these scholars also know the students of knowledge, who in turn know other students of knowledge. So if an individual claiming to be a student comes up to your community, there is no harm in asking for his credentials and his recommendations either from his teachers and/or peers, just as you would in any other science, actually this is even important than that because this is about your religion!!

Concerning connecting yourself with these individuals, be they scholars or students, then it is upon the Muslim to keep righteous company, as the Messenger of Allah (salalalhu alaihi wa salam) said a person is on the religion of his close friend, so what better friend to make except from the scholars and their students?! As for how it's done, then we have to realize they are humans just as we are, so you will find some easier to approach than others, but Allah has given them the tawfeeq of learning and preserving His religion, so it is upon us, no matter how friendly we are, to respect and honor them and to keep boundaries concerning them, similar to our relationships with our parents, granted the boundaries are different but still there. So it not upon us to venerate them to the point of perfection, or pure innocence, but at the same time we do not bring them down to our levels, as Ahlus Sunnah, we keep our affairs on the middle path.

And Allah knows best.

 

Details

Written by Aboo Thaabit

Everyone wants to be ascribed to knowledge, even the most ignorant of people would wish for others to talk of him as a person of knowledge.

This is why in today's world people love titles such as Haafidh, Taalib al-'Ilm, Shaikh etc. But wanting knowledge is not itself a bad thing, rather it is one of the most noble things a person could aim for in life.

However sometimes certain hurdles might appear, obstacles if you like, that often come in the way of most people. Here I will try my best to mention some of the main problems most people face whilst seeking knowledge in order to help us all avoid them.

#6 Shyness

Shyness will prevent you from greatness.

Have you ever attended a class? Only to find the teacher talking and explaining whilst using a particular word, be it in Arabic or your own native tongue (it might even be in Klingon for all you know), and you think to yourself, 'I wonder what that means?'

But of course instead of raising your hand and cutting the teacher off, you just sit there smile and nod your head whilst remaining ignorant. I mean everyone else in the class seems to understand the teacher, you can't embarrass yourself and make everyone think your dumb or something right?

Little do you know though that it is highly likely that half of the class you are sitting with are all sitting there with the same goofy looking smile not understanding the teacher. So now you really only have one of two options, either you remain ignorant and let this shyness get in the way, or you man-up (woman-up if you're a sister of course) and ask.

What is the worst that could happen? Most teachers are good people, and won't make you feel silly (even though it is fun to tease students, no lie), and in truth, you only came to benefit and not show the people in the class how goofy you look when smiling all clueless.

Also, think of the Sahaabah, how they asked very embarrassing questions at times (even female Sahaabiyaat) in order to benefit, even Jibreel asked the Prophet 'What is Islaam'! So please never feel shy when it comes to learning about your religion, whether it be how you pray, how you make Wudhoo' etc. People wont turn around and say, 'What! You're twenty-two and you are asking me now!' I promise you it is all in your head.

#5 Arrogance

The sin of Iblees himself.

This is the opposite of the previous point, in this case the person seems to think of themselves as a scholar, anything you tell them they wave off as, 'Oh yeah I knew that already' and this is a very bad trait.

This will lead the person to stop going to local classes because he/she feels like that stuff is below them, granted they might attend when or if a big scholar comes and visits the city but other than that they tend to look down upon weekly classes held at the Masjid.

They might even think of it as 'cute' that brothers and sisters are studying '40 hadiths by Imaam an-Nawawee' or 'Al-Osool ath-Thalaatha' and when invited to such a class they will quickly blurt out, 'Yeah no, I studied those books a gazillion years ago, memorized them and plus I was buddies with Shaykh Ibn Baaz (rahimahullaah) too...'

This type of attitude towards knowledge will never benefit the individual, rather it will only stop them and prevent them. What is the harm in studying one book twice? If anything you'll only increase your own knowledge, and if not even that, you will gain the tremendous reward of sitting in a gathering where Allaah is remembered.

So do not belittle any knowledge dear brothers and sisters.

#4 Qeel wa Qaal - Busying yourself with hearsay

I ain't trigger happy, I am just loading the gun.

This is a BIG problem amongst students of knowledge, especially those who are new to seeking knowledge.

Instead of busying themselves with memorising books and sitting with knowledgeable people, they fish around for the latest dirt as if Islaam was something from Hollywood where you get the latest gossip in tabloids.

And if you were to ask these very same individuals to recite Surah Al-Faatihah they might stutter, or if you ask them about Tahaarah they will tell you: 'Akhee (my brother) ask a Shaikh, I'm no Shaikh' yet when it comes to labelling individuals he/she is Shaikh-ul-Islaam himself!

However with all due respect, this is not to be confused with those sincere individuals who report on the behalf of the real scholars, warning people against innovators. These blessed people call mankind back to the scholars and the pure form of Islaam, the way the Companions and those after them understood it.

What I am mentioning here are those people who lack knowldege and are trigger happy when it comes to issuing a Fatwah concerning whether or not a person is a upon the right Manhaj or not (without any evidence from any scholar). This leads us to our next point.

#3 Not prioritising

You mean I shouldn't start with this book?

By this I mean, a student might be eager to seek knowledge and rightfully so, but he does not have a schedule, he starts by listening to Kitaab At-Tawheed one day and then gets bored, only to move on and study Buloogh al-Maraam the next day.

And if you were to stop him and ask, 'Brother what about the Qur'aan?' He will tell you 'I'm doing it bro, I am doing it!' And this is one of the main problems with people, they seem to always go for the big books, as if they want to prove to people 'look at me, I study Saheeh Muslim, oh you're still memorising juzz 'amma sis? Poor you!'

But the truth of the matter is, the one who starts from the bottom and works their way up towards the top, that person is the one who will benefit the most. Focus on yourself, you're seeking that knowledge for your own benefit first and foremost.

Let the people laugh if they see you walking around with a book teaching you the Arabic alphabet, don't pay attention to them if they happen to be carrying Tafsir Ibn Kathir. It was never about the people in the first place, so why bother? Which leads us to our next point.

#2 Riyaa' - Showing off

This is not only a problem for those who seek knowledge but a problem for anything you want to do in life.

Allaah does not accept Riyaa' in any form it might take, and those who fall into Riyaa' will have their good deeds nullified. And since today being a student of knowledge has become the new fashion, this has become more dangerous than ever.

So with all this it becomes crucial that you seek knowledge for the sake of Allaah and Him alone. The punishment of not doing that is very severe, and the Ahaadeeth actually tell us that such individuals will be burnt in the hell fire before the Mushrikeen (those who commit Shirk)!

The scholars warn us again and again, and say that whoever tries to show off with his/her knowledge, Allaah will not only punish them in the hereafter, but even in this world they will be prevented from seeking true beneficial knowledge. So you will see these type of people, always trying to show off in the gatherings, they love to appear as students of knowledge but it is all for show.

Do not be from amongst these people dear brothers and sisters.

#1 Giving up

This is because as human beings we are very impatient, we want everything right now. We think if we attend one class for a month or two, we become students of knowledge if not scholars.

We want to become Ahmad Ibn Hanbal over night, Imaam al-Bukhaaree in a week and so on. And when this doesn't work out we look at ourselves and get disappointed. Yet the true scholars sought knowledge for 60 years if not more! How can you attain what they did within a year or two?

Not to mention that seeking knowledge is an ever lasting quest, it is not like becoming an engineer or a doctor, you dont 'graduate' and say now I am a Shaikh rather you keep seeking knowledge until the day you die.

So do not overwhelm yourselves, take it one step at a time, it is a very long road ahead, and it is not as glamorous as you might think it is. Many nights will be spent reading and memorising and fighting with ones own intentions.

You will quickly notice that if your intentions weren't correct, like if you're seeking knowledge to make you the most popular sister around the block, you will soon quit because your intentions were never for the sake of Allaah to begin with.