Between Seeking Knowledge and Mixing with People
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
It was the method of the prominent scholars of the Salaf (may Allah be pleased with them) that they would deal with the common people and be patient with their harm in order to influence them and attempt to call them to the straight path. Do you not see that it is also necessary for the student of knowledge to enter into the midst of people, deal with them kindly, be patient with their harm, fulfill their needs, and intercede for them? Because some students of knowledge—O Shaykh—look down on this, claiming that it might occupy them from seeking knowledge, and that entering into the midst of people is not appropriate because they are lacking in some of the recommended practices or some of the obligatory duties, which makes him look down on them. So how does one combine these two matters?
There is no doubt that mixing with people and being patient with their harm is better than not mixing with people and not being patient with their harm. However, if they occupy him from what is more important, the principles of the Shari'ah require that we begin with the most important, then the next most important. If a person continues to accept whatever people ask of him, he will become so occupied that he will even neglect the prayers. In our current time, how many are there who beg for money, and how many are there who ask for intercession? If a person opens the door to people in this matter, he will become so occupied that he will even neglect the obligatory prayer. But sometimes it is one way and sometimes another, and one must distinguish between the urgent matter and the non-urgent matter. It is necessary to make a distinction.
Also, if a person sees from mixing with people that they disrespect him and do not revere his words or his guidance, let him be brief. Because some people, when they mix with people and laugh with them and joke with them and make themselves like one of them, are not revered by them and they do not take their words seriously. But perhaps he is with people who he descends to this level with because he knows his status in their hearts, so even if he mixes with them in this way, with others it is not possible for him to mix with them in this way. And a person is the physician of himself.
There is no doubt that mixing with people and being patient with their harm is better than not mixing with people and not being patient with their harm. However, if they occupy him from what is more important, the principles of the Shari'ah require that we begin with the most important, then the next most important. If a person continues to accept whatever people ask of him, he will become so occupied that he will even neglect the prayers. In our current time, how many are there who beg for money, and how many are there who ask for intercession? If a person opens the door to people in this matter, he will become so occupied that he will even neglect the obligatory prayer. But sometimes it is one way and sometimes another, and one must distinguish between the urgent matter and the non-urgent matter. It is necessary to make a distinction.
Also, if a person sees from mixing with people that they disrespect him and do not revere his words or his guidance, let him be brief. Because some people, when they mix with people and laugh with them and joke with them and make themselves like one of them, are not revered by them and they do not take their words seriously. But perhaps he is with people who he descends to this level with because he knows his status in their hearts, so even if he mixes with them in this way, with others it is not possible for him to mix with them in this way. And a person is the physician of himself.