Is it permissible for a person to leave his job and devote himself to seeking knowledge, becoming a burden on his father, his brother, or the one from whom he seeks knowledge?
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The questioner : Is it permissible for a person to leave his job and devote himself to seeking knowledge, becoming a burden on his father, his brother, and the one from whom he seeks knowledge?
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that seeking knowledge is among the best of deeds; indeed, it is a form of jihad in the path of Allah. This is especially true in our time, when religious innovations have begun to appear in the Muslim society, spreading and multiplying. Ignorance has begun to affect many who aspire to issue fatwas without knowledge, and much argumentation has begun among many people. These are three matters, all of which necessitate that the youth be keen on seeking knowledge.
First: Innovations whose stars have begun to rise.
Second: People who aspire to issue fatwas without knowledge.
Third: Much argumentation in matters that may be clear to the people of knowledge, but someone comes to argue about them without knowledge. For this reason, we are in need of seeking knowledge, of turning to people of knowledge who have firmness and extensive knowledge, and who also have understanding of the religion of Allah, and wisdom in guiding the servants of Allah. This is because many people nowadays obtain theoretical knowledge in a certain issue, and they do not care about looking at the reform of people and their upbringing. They do not realize that if they issue a fatwa like this or that, it will become a means to a greater evil, the extent of which only Allah knows.
And here are the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who were sometimes obligated to do things that the texts might indicate are not obligatory, in order to educate the people.
'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) obligated the people to treat the triple divorce as three separate divorces. The triple divorce in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the time of Abu Bakr, and two years of 'Umar's caliphate, the triple divorce was considered one. That is, if a man divorced his wife three times in one sitting, it would count as one. However, it is forbidden, meaning that divorcing a woman three times in one sitting is forbidden, because it is transgressing the limits of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:Bulugh al-Maram 8:125, so he enforced it upon them and made the triple divorce count as three, not one, after the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the time of Abu Bakr, and two years of his caliphate (may Allah be pleased with him) had passed. He obligated the people to treat the triple divorce as three, even though if a man had taken back his wife after this divorce, his taking her back would have been valid in the two periods prior to 'Umar's time and the two years of his caliphate. But he saw that the public interest required, what?
It required enforcing the triple divorce and preventing a man from taking back his wife.
Also, the punishment for drinking intoxicants in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was that the man who drank would be brought and struck with the end of a garment, or with palm branches, or with sandals, about forty lashes. In the time of Abu Bakr, he was lashed forty times, and in the time of 'Umar, he was lashed forty times. But when drinking became widespread,.
All of this is for the sake of reforming the people. The Muslim, or the mufti and scholar, in such matters should consider the conditions of people and what is best for them.
The Shaykh : There is no doubt that seeking knowledge is among the best of deeds; indeed, it is a form of jihad in the path of Allah. This is especially true in our time, when religious innovations have begun to appear in the Muslim society, spreading and multiplying. Ignorance has begun to affect many who aspire to issue fatwas without knowledge, and much argumentation has begun among many people. These are three matters, all of which necessitate that the youth be keen on seeking knowledge.
First: Innovations whose stars have begun to rise.
Second: People who aspire to issue fatwas without knowledge.
Third: Much argumentation in matters that may be clear to the people of knowledge, but someone comes to argue about them without knowledge. For this reason, we are in need of seeking knowledge, of turning to people of knowledge who have firmness and extensive knowledge, and who also have understanding of the religion of Allah, and wisdom in guiding the servants of Allah. This is because many people nowadays obtain theoretical knowledge in a certain issue, and they do not care about looking at the reform of people and their upbringing. They do not realize that if they issue a fatwa like this or that, it will become a means to a greater evil, the extent of which only Allah knows.
And here are the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who were sometimes obligated to do things that the texts might indicate are not obligatory, in order to educate the people.
'Umar ibn al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) obligated the people to treat the triple divorce as three separate divorces. The triple divorce in the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the time of Abu Bakr, and two years of 'Umar's caliphate, the triple divorce was considered one. That is, if a man divorced his wife three times in one sitting, it would count as one. However, it is forbidden, meaning that divorcing a woman three times in one sitting is forbidden, because it is transgressing the limits of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
People have made haste in an affair which they are required to take slowly. What if we execute it on them.
أرى الناس قد تتايعوا في أمر كانت لهم فيه أناة فلو أمضيناه عليهمIt required enforcing the triple divorce and preventing a man from taking back his wife.
Also, the punishment for drinking intoxicants in the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) was that the man who drank would be brought and struck with the end of a garment, or with palm branches, or with sandals, about forty lashes. In the time of Abu Bakr, he was lashed forty times, and in the time of 'Umar, he was lashed forty times. But when drinking became widespread,
He (may Allah be pleased with him) gathered the Companions and consulted them. 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf said: The lightest of the fixed punishments is eighty. So 'Umar made the punishment for the drinker of intoxicants eighty lashes.
جمع رضي الله عنه الصحابة واستشارهم، فقال عبدالرحمن بن عوف : أخف الحدود ثمانون، فجعل عمر عقوبة شارب الخمر ثمانين جلدةAll of this is for the sake of reforming the people. The Muslim, or the mufti and scholar, in such matters should consider the conditions of people and what is best for them.