Regarding combining the pursuit of livelihood with the pursuit of knowledge?

Al-Hawini: Okay; but regarding...

Another questioner: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings.
Al-Hawini: And peace be upon you, combining a job with the pursuit of knowledge?

The Shaykh: Do you mean a trade?
Al-Hawini: A trade, yes.

The Shaykh: No one hears you like that to exploit it and sayThe Shaykh : He was an employee.
Yes, this is a matter that, praise be to Allah, is among Allah's (Mighty and Majestic) facilitations. Just as I used to, when I was with my father, seize the opportunity of his free time and lack of work at his shop, I would head to the market and to that Egyptian to browse through the books he had. Later, I became free and independent when I took over the shop on my own. It seems that our Lord (Mighty and Majestic) created me with contentment, especially when He secured a shop for me and a house for me. I was thus rid of the rent for the house and the shop. As I mentioned to you earlier, when I left my father and became independent with my shop and work, I said: And the Generous One said: "Take"; meaning the customers increased, so I saved enough to buy a plot of land outside the organized area; this one remained cheap. I also built without a permit because the area was not organized. I settled in this house, a modest house, meaning a quarter or less of the size of this house whose part you have seen. I was thus rid of the housing rent. Then I saved some money, and some people helped me with a good loan, so I bought a plot of land that was part of a house where the road had passed. A space remained from it for a shop, so I developed it, lived in it, and became self-sufficient. So all that remained for me to secure from earnings was the amount needed to support myself, my wife, and then my children.
Therefore, after I settled in this stability, I would work in my shop for one or two hours until eight or nine o'clock when the al-Zahiriyyah Library opens its doors. I would close the door and head to the al-Zahiriyyah Library for at least three hours before noon. Then I would pray the midday prayer there in congregation with some of the regulars at the library. When it closed its doors, I would go to my shop and work there for half an hour or an hour until the time for lunch. I would then go to the house. I had bought a regular bicycle, so I would ride it. For the record, I say: For the first time, the people of Damascus saw a shaykh with a white turban—a white turban, not this kind—riding a regular bicycle. (He laughs)The Shaykh- May Allah have mercy on him - , until it was said to me—I did not see it: We had a magazine called "The Laughing Crier" (al-Mudhakki al-Mubki), published by a man who was probably a Christian. He mentioned some of the oddities and jokes; among them was that a shaykh rides a regular bicycle. (He laughs)The Shaykh- May Allah have mercy on him - .

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh: Yes, because there was no one else like me at that time, and I do not care about traditions and customs. What concerns me? ... My time. And without a doubt, if I had the ability to buy a car, I would not ride a bicycle. At that time, I was a student based on the previous sectarian ideas and some weak, indeed fabricated, hadiths: , yes, and I also used to wear a jibbah (long robe). If I had bought it, it was because of financial tightness, and it was ready-made. But with time, I realized that these traditions have no authority from Allah. So the jibbah went, and the turban went, and I started wearing what people wear.

Another questioner: What was the turban you used to wear like?

The Shaykh: ... For example ... the wrap ... for example, the wrap of your Minister of Awqaf.

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh: Wearing a red fez ... .
Al-Hawini: The Azharites here are like that.

The Shaykh: The same wrap as the Azharites, meaning simple, meaning it does not have these degrees and layers ... The point is that I was content with a little from work, and I saved the rest of the time for the al-Zahiriyyah Library. Then, during a period of working in the shop, a Palestinian man, one of the immigrants to Damascus, got to know me. He offered to send his son to learn the trade. I told him: My brother, I have no objection, but I have conditions. The first condition is that it is not permissible for him to work for two or three months taking the basics of the knowledge at a time when I would not benefit from it at all; because all my effort would be directed toward teaching him. If he did not feel he had gained some knowledge and then turned his back and left me, having benefited while not benefiting me in any way. I thought the man was good, so he promised me well. Indeed, this apprentice stayed with me for years until I said: You are now able to become independent and open a shop. So he opened a shop in a village called "al-Qaboon," where he and his father were living.

The questioner: Was he a student of knowledge?

The Shaykh: No, he was not a student of knowledge.
Al-Hawini: The science of watches.

The Shaykh: Yes, watches; so the important thing is that this also concerned me; I would prepare the watches and things he could not do, so some time was also saved for us through him. In this way, I saved a long time for studying knowledge and studying the al-Zahiriyyah Library. Also, Allah facilitated for me some private bookstores that sell books to people; they would lend me what I did not have, and I did not have anything, because I was young and did not have a single book, nor could I afford to buy books. So I would take one or two books, or more, from the private bookstores and leave them with me in the shop until, meaning, when the lender no longer had another copy and a person came wanting to buy the one I had, he would send me a message, and I would send him the copy. Sometimes the copy would stay with me for years with no one asking for it, especially the science of hadith, as you know, it was a neglected matter, there was no ... . So the al-Zahiriyyah Library, the Qasibati Library, and the Arab Hashemite Library were also among the things Allah provided for me, so I benefited from their books as if they were my own property.
And this is sufficient, and praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.