Teaching Islam to Muslim Youth in Germany and the Importance of Studying Jurisprudence

Question:
To the program from West Germany, sent by one of the brothers there, named Musa Ibrahim Mibendi. Our brother says: I am a young Arab Muslim, praise be to Allah, and I am in West Germany. I have some young people with whom I discuss Islam, and I found that they know nothing of Islam except saying, "I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," and the recitation of Surat al-Fatihah. I am trying to teach them something of the Qur'an so that they can stand in prayer. It has now been a month since I began teaching them, so they asked me to write this letter to you so that you would guide them and help them by sending them the Noble Qur'an and copies translated into English, as well as Prophetic hadiths, also translated, if possible, because they are Muslims and desire to know more about Islam. This is a summary of our brother's letter. Your Eminence the Shaykh, it is a picture of the reality of Muslims in many countries of the world.

Answer:
Praise be to Allah, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon all his loved ones, and upon all his loved ones. As for what follows, the Muslim brother is truly to be thanked for his good work, for teaching his Muslim brothers and guiding them. There is no doubt that what he mentioned about these Muslims in Western countries exists in many places in the countries of the world, in Europe and outside Europe, in America, in Asia, and everywhere. The majority of Muslims, indeed many Muslims, do not know Islam except in a general sense of Islam and acquisition, whereas knowledge and understanding of the religion are known to be obligatory. This is one of the great calamities. Therefore, the Muslim should study the jurisprudence of his religion and learn what is not difficult to know regarding the matters of his religion. First is the creed: the meaning of "La ilaha illa Allah" and the meaning of "I bear witness that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah," so that he realizes this testimony. He should know that this phrase, "La ilaha illa Allah," is a great word, it is the root of the word, and it is the root of the religion. Its meaning is that there is no true object of worship except Allah, and Glorified is Allah, the Truth. And He, the Exalted, said: "Indeed, you are..." , and Glorified is He: "You alone we worship, and You alone we ask for help." And your Lord said: "Do you not worship Him alone?" So He, Glorified and Exalted is He, is the one worthy of worship. And whatever people worship besides Allah, whether prophets, awliya (close friends of Allah), jinn, idols, trees, angels, or otherwise, every object of worship is false, as Allah, Glorified is He, said: . He is the one who is called upon, He is the one who is hoped for, Glorified and Exalted is He. He is the Lord of the worlds, He is their Creator, He is the Provider, Exalted and Majestic is He. He is above the servant, Glorified and Exalted is He, above all creation, Exalted and Majestic is He. He knows in every place; He knows the conditions of His servants. He is the one in whom they believe, He is their Creator, Glorified and Exalted is He. He is the one who is addressed in their affairs, Exalted and Majestic is He. They believe in Him in every way, Glorified and Exalted is He. So the servants should worship Him alone in their supplications, their prayers, their fasting, their seeking aid, their vows, their slaughter, and the like. They fear Him and hope in Him; they fear Him, Glorified is He, and hope in Him, Exalted and Majestic is He, by doing what He commanded and leaving what He forbade, Glorified and Exalted is He. Thus it is obligatory upon all servants.
Then the testimony that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah: we must know its meaning. And the testimony that he is the Messenger of Allah in truth to all people, with truth, with faith, and with certainty, that Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah ibn 'Abd al-Muttalib is the Messenger of Allah in truth. If a person does not commit sin, and even if sin is not obligatory upon him, whoever responds to his call and follows what he called to has joy and happiness. And whoever disobeys what he called to and contradicts that, he has failure and misery, and a Fire in which he will not be wronged by Allah.
Likewise, he studies jurisprudence in his prayer, in his fasting, in his Hajj, in his zakah, in his dealings with people, in his rights toward his wife, in his rights toward his parents, in his rights toward his neighbors and his brothers. He studies jurisprudence: how he sees what is right, how he sees what is wrong, how he calls to Allah, how he teaches people. He studies jurisprudence until he is upon clarity, upon insight.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: So upon that happiness, and upon that success, is that he understands the religion of Allah, and gains insight into the religion of Allah. And he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Paradise.
So the believer studies jurisprudence in his religion, and details the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The great Qur'an is the root of all good. So if the Muslim studies jurisprudence in the Book of Allah and takes the Qur'an as a lesson and increases its recitation, it reveals to him great knowledge. And that is if he returns to the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and to the hadiths. If he returns to them, like the type of the intent, like the knowledge of rulings, like the meeting place of reports—these books that the scholars compiled and gathered in them the hadiths—if the student of knowledge returns to them, he benefits greatly, and he knows the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and his messengers are before him. Then he asks the people of knowledge about what is difficult for him. If he says, "So ask so-and-so with your permission," he says to them: "What is the meaning of such-and-such?"
Until he becomes proficient and studies jurisprudence more. If he has the capacity to help the Muslims, and in seeking knowledge, he participates with them in the research, attends with them, and reviews with them what is obligatory upon them, and reminds them. And if you have a scholar, study jurisprudence with him, and ask him about what is necessary, so that there is cooperation in righteousness and piety, and so that the knowledge is more abundant due to the review, and due to asking about what is difficult, and due to truthfulness and sincerity in that. And if he is truthful and sincere, he will be guided. And in the answer, whatever is mentioned regarding the establishment of the mushaf, and the establishment of some Islamic books, and the establishment of the English language, or, if Allah wills, it will happen, and Paradise will be published, if Allah wills. But it is recommended for the brother Musa to write to us a letter with an address that must be, if Allah wills, the evening prayer. What was requested, we ask Allah for the help that is in his letter with Shaykh 'Abdullah, if Allah wills, if Allah wills he has success. O Allah, guide him.