The Obligation of Learning Religion and What is Required of Knowledge of Tawhid and Following
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Question:
The questioner says: Your Eminence the Shaykh, I inform you that I am ignorant in the matters of my religion, and I hope from Your Eminence that you issue your command and supplications to Allah that I may be among those who know the religion of Islam. As for my question, what are the matters that fall under the expiation for an oath, and what is the method of performing the expiation for an oath?
Answer:
As for your statement that you are ignorant of the duties of your religion, you must learn. Ask about your religion. Allah says:[An-Nahl 16:43] The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Sahih Muslim 1037a And he said to the ignorant: Sunan al-Bayhaqi 1:995 And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2646Sahih (Darussalam) So learning is important. The ignorant person learns; he attends the circles of knowledge. He listens to *Nur 'ala al-Darb*, which is of great benefit. It is broadcast to you every night. *Nur 'ala al-Darb* is a useful and excellent program; you should listen to it. Likewise, the circles of knowledge in the mosques with the people of knowledge: they listen to them and attend them, and [attend] the Friday sermon. Every person asks about what is difficult for him. This is how the believer should be. He does not ask out of ignorance. You were created to worship your Lord, and there is no worship except through learning. Allah the Exalted says: [Adh-Dhariyat 51:56] This worship requires learning how to worship your Lord, how to pray, how to fast, how to give zakah, and how to perform Hajj. This is how you learn. And the greatest of that is the tawhid (the oneness of Allah) of your Lord: the exclusivity of worship for Allah alone, and the strictness regarding shirk (associating partners with Allah) with Him. This is the meaning of *La ilaha illa Allah*. Do you know what the meaning of *La ilaha illa Allah* is? Know it. Ask about it. What is the meaning of *La ilaha illa Allah*? It means there is no true object of worship except Allah. Your supplication, your fasting, and your prayer are for Allah alone. [Al-Fatihah 1:5] We are upright. This is the meaning of the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah the Exalted: that you must testify with a firm testimony, based on knowledge and certainty, that Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib, the Qurashi, the Hashimi, is the Messenger of Allah in truth, (peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger of Allah, if you fear Allah, [will protect you from] the jinn and mankind. You believe in this and hold this belief. And [you believe] that he is the Seal of the Prophets, with no prophet after him and no messenger after him. And you believe that it is obligatory to follow him and obey his command. The questioner is from a calm [background?], so there is no path to Paradise except through your path. Allah the Exalted said: [Ali 'Imran 3:31] And He the Exalted said: [An-Nisa 4:80] And He the Exalted said: [Al-Hashr 59:7] And from you, so stop. (Exalted and Majestic is He) [An-Nur 24:54] Convey it, making it clear. The light [Al-A'raf 7:157] The Messenger of Allah, (Exalted and Majestic is He), is your guide in making clear the learning and understanding of the religion. Yes.
The questioner says: Your Eminence the Shaykh, I inform you that I am ignorant in the matters of my religion, and I hope from Your Eminence that you issue your command and supplications to Allah that I may be among those who know the religion of Islam. As for my question, what are the matters that fall under the expiation for an oath, and what is the method of performing the expiation for an oath?
Answer:
As for your statement that you are ignorant of the duties of your religion, you must learn. Ask about your religion. Allah says:
So ask the people of the message if you do not know.
فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَHe upon whom Allah intends to bestow goodness, He confers upon him an insight in religion
من يرد الله به خيرا يفقهه في الدينDid they not ask when they did not know? Indeed, the cure for knowledge is asking.
ألا سألوا إذ لم يعلموا؟ إنما شفاء العلم السؤالWhoever takes a path upon which to obtain knowledge, Allah makes the path to Paradise easy for him.
من سلك طريقا يلتمس فيه علما سهل الله له بطريق إلى الجنةAnd I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.
وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِIt is You we worship and You
إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَSay, [O Muhammad], "If you should love Allah, then follow me, [so] Allah will love you and forgive you your sins
قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللَّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللَّهُ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْHe who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah
مَّن يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَAnd whatever the Messenger has given you - take
وَمَا آتَاكُمُ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُSay, "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away - then upon him is only that [duty] with which he has been charged, and upon you is that with which you have been charged. And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided. And there is not upon the
قُلْ أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ مَا حُمِّلَ وَعَلَيْكُم مَّا حُمِّلْتُمْ وَإِن تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا وَمَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّاSo they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him - it is those
فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُوا النُّورَ الَّذِي أُنزِلَ مَعَهُ أُولَٰئِكَ هُمُ
Source
فتاوى الحج ١٤١٠ هـ - ٨ — archive.org (48:29)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.