The Virtue of Gatherings of Knowledge
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Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
To proceed: We begin this gathering, which is the second of the month of Rabi' al-Akhir, on Thursday, the twenty-first of Rabi' al-Akhir, in the year 1414 AH, and we ask Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to bless us all in our lives and our deeds, and to make the best of our lives their endings, the best of our deeds their conclusions, and the best and happiest of our days the day we meet Him.
These blessed gatherings between scholars and students of knowledge, and between students of knowledge and the general public, are undoubtedly noble and beneficial gatherings. They enable people to gain insight into their religion, to bond with one another, and to share their needs and hardships with one another. There is nothing strange about this,For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (The believer is to the believer like a building, each part strengthening the other). And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (The example of the believers in their love, mercy, and compassion for one another is like a single body; when one part of it suffers, the rest of the body responds with fever and sleeplessness). This is the obligation upon the Muslim community: that it be a single body, such that when one part of it is in pain, the rest of the body feels that pain until it is healed and at ease. Likewise, they must be like a building, each part strengthening the other. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) interlaced his fingers to indicate that the more a building is compact and well-fitted, the stronger it is.
Our gatherings, praise be to Allah, are blessed. The attendees benefit from them, the listeners benefit from them, and the hearers benefit from them through what Allah has bestowed upon us in this time: the facilitation of audio tapes that are widespread among people.
A person may be driving his car while listening to the Shaykh speaking to him without fatigue or boredom. A person may be lying in his bed while listening to knowledge. All of this is due to what Allah has bestowed upon us in the form of these tapes. Therefore, we see, praise be to Allah, the effects of these tapes in homes, among the young and the old, and among women and men. This is undoubtedly a source of good and blessing.
It is our custom to begin the gathering with a discussion of verses from the Noble Qur'an. We started with Surat al-Naba' and have reached Surat al-Buruj. We chose this portion because it is frequently heard from people in the prayers. The Noble Qur'an was not revealed merely for recitation; rather, it was revealed for recitation, for reflection, and for remembrance.As Allah the Exalted said: [Surat Sad: 29]. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) did not move past ten verses until they learned the knowledge and practice contained therein.
The one who has no share of the Qur'an other than recitation is, in reality, illiterate.As Allah the Exalted said: [Surat al-Baqarah: 78], meaning: other than reading. So Allah described them as illiterate, even though they read. Therefore, Muslims must learn the meanings of the Qur'an. The Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book titled (Introduction to the Science of Tafsir): If people were given a book to study in medicine or any other science, they would have to understand its meaning in order to benefit from it. If this is the case with scientific books, which are the words of humans, how much more so with the mother of knowledge and the foundation of knowledge, which is the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic)? It is more deserving of our care, that we understand its meaning and its tafsir, and that we receive it from the imams of tafsir who are known for the soundness of their creed and the integrity of their methodology.
To proceed: We begin this gathering, which is the second of the month of Rabi' al-Akhir, on Thursday, the twenty-first of Rabi' al-Akhir, in the year 1414 AH, and we ask Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) to bless us all in our lives and our deeds, and to make the best of our lives their endings, the best of our deeds their conclusions, and the best and happiest of our days the day we meet Him.
These blessed gatherings between scholars and students of knowledge, and between students of knowledge and the general public, are undoubtedly noble and beneficial gatherings. They enable people to gain insight into their religion, to bond with one another, and to share their needs and hardships with one another. There is nothing strange about this,For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (The believer is to the believer like a building, each part strengthening the other). And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: (The example of the believers in their love, mercy, and compassion for one another is like a single body; when one part of it suffers, the rest of the body responds with fever and sleeplessness). This is the obligation upon the Muslim community: that it be a single body, such that when one part of it is in pain, the rest of the body feels that pain until it is healed and at ease. Likewise, they must be like a building, each part strengthening the other. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) interlaced his fingers to indicate that the more a building is compact and well-fitted, the stronger it is.
Our gatherings, praise be to Allah, are blessed. The attendees benefit from them, the listeners benefit from them, and the hearers benefit from them through what Allah has bestowed upon us in this time: the facilitation of audio tapes that are widespread among people.
A person may be driving his car while listening to the Shaykh speaking to him without fatigue or boredom. A person may be lying in his bed while listening to knowledge. All of this is due to what Allah has bestowed upon us in the form of these tapes. Therefore, we see, praise be to Allah, the effects of these tapes in homes, among the young and the old, and among women and men. This is undoubtedly a source of good and blessing.
It is our custom to begin the gathering with a discussion of verses from the Noble Qur'an. We started with Surat al-Naba' and have reached Surat al-Buruj. We chose this portion because it is frequently heard from people in the prayers. The Noble Qur'an was not revealed merely for recitation; rather, it was revealed for recitation, for reflection, and for remembrance.As Allah the Exalted said:
[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.
كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِThe one who has no share of the Qur'an other than recitation is, in reality, illiterate.As Allah the Exalted said: