The student seeks the Shaykh's advice on continuing his formal studies so that he can proceed with the research on the treatise *Ithbat Sifat al-'Ulu li-Allah al-Wahid al-Qahhar* by Ibn Qudamah.
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : Specifically regarding the studies, it concerns... I don't know... a matter regarding Islamic studies in the field of da'wah. I completed my master's degree in 'aqidah. I completed what is called a diploma. I wrote a verified research paper on *Ithbat Sifat al-'Ulu li-Allah al-Wahid al-Qahhar*.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The supervisor's method is strange, I mean.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : No, the 'aqidah supervisor; it is impossible for him to be Saudi, impossible for him to be Egyptian, except in rare cases.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : I mean... his appointment was just... very much when they needed him, and then they stopped him. He is not an imam of a mosque, but he had memorized the issues of 'aqidah. He was a supervisor at the graduate level. His name is Shaykh... They approved my registration for the thesis, which is a research on the manuscript *Ithbat Sifat al-'Ulu*, just as you might say, for example, in Rajab or on the twentieth of Rajab. I was traveling in Sha'ban, so I traveled and returned after the break, because it was a break and I would not benefit from it, and they were dealing with the circumstances of the break. So the supervisor was very angry, asking why I did not go and return to him directly. "O son of the noble one, I was traveling," I said. He said, "No, this is not acceptable. Well, if you please, if you do not want to supervise me, give me the paper so someone else can supervise." He said, "No, that is not possible."
The Shaykh : Also.
The questioner : The important thing is that the department intervened and the dean of the college intervened. They appointed a temporary supervisor and said, "Do not supervise him, that is enough... because so-and-so..."
The Shaykh : Yes... they do not bequeath it, but I do not have a study on the topic. I say this is how they do it, but I do not have an opinion. Yes, may peace, Allah's mercy, and blessings be upon you.
The questioner : I mean... this must be completed within a period of two years, otherwise the thesis is cancelled.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : And the period ended, and they said, "That is it, the thesis is cancelled." You had photographed the thesis and worked hard, and I had started to research it, so the motivation was truly cut off. I don't know, what is your advice to me? Do you think I should stop at this point with worldly degrees, or should I continue and not care about the topic of studies?
The Shaykh : This depends on your feeling. If you feel that you are gaining scientific benefit from studying and researching this thesis, and not just for obtaining the degree, then continue and persist.
The questioner : Sometimes a person becomes attached to...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I mean, when there is a horse or there is something, I mean, when the field pushes more.
The Shaykh : Correct.
The questioner : This is all that happens; there is nothing. I don't know. It is postponed, postponed. Allah willing, after a week, after a month, after this, until they force you to do a specific review in a certain period.
The Shaykh : Was the thesis cancelled and deleted?
The questioner : Yes
The Shaykh : Is there no hope?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : I mean, usually there is a way.
The questioner : There is a way... a diploma certificate is written.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : The diploma is not given unless a thesis is submitted, because the thesis requires a long time for submission, and if the period ends and he cannot complete it.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : They did not agree to an extension. Well, they give him a diploma certificate. I don't know, as for the research topic and the book topic, especially for the region of the Levant, I think it is a very important topic, which is proving the attribute of elevation, especially in the refutation. I had a goal behind the refutation of a group, for example, of the Sufis, the mystics, considering that I have a background on them that they consider that Allah is everywhere and that Allah means...
The Shaykh : This is not just the Sufis, Professor; the Asha'irah, the Maturidiyyah, and the Mu'tazilah, all of them are like this.
The questioner : The topic was truly sensitive and very sensitive, so I don't know if there is a means or a way for me to complete the topic and persist in it, or that I mean, with my personal effort, I am not going to tell you I will lengthen it and I will not persist. I want a motivator or I want a drive or I want...
The Shaykh : Since there is a way other than the path of Riyadh?
The questioner : By Allah, I have not tried, I mean...
The Shaykh : Continue. This is better than losing all the effort. How many pages did you write approximately?
The questioner : The manuscript as a research, I mean...
The Shaykh : Researching a book, I mean?
The questioner : Researching it; the whole manuscript is not large, I mean, approximately fifty pages.
The Shaykh : What is the manuscript?
The questioner : *Ithbat Sifat al-'Ulu li-Allah al-Wahid al-Qahhar*.
The Shaykh : By whom?
The questioner : By Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi.
The Shaykh : Ah, is there a copy of it in the Zahiriyyah Library?
The questioner : I think so.
The Shaykh : Where did you get the copy from?
The questioner : I got a printed copy, a very old edition, from more than fifty years ago.
The Shaykh : From India, I mean.
The questioner : It seems the press is not written, but it is old without research.
The Shaykh : Ah, of course.
The questioner : A photocopied version in the Manuscripts Department at King Saud University.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So I want to compare, I want to see where its origins are, where it is located, and so on. I found these. I tried to look for it in the indexes and such, but I did not find it...
The Shaykh : You did not find it?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : I think it is in Damascus, but it seems there is a deficiency in it. In any case, it will undoubtedly benefit you. Refer to the Index of Hadith Manuscripts of the Zahiriyyah, which I authored.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : You will surely find it there, because the Islamic University in Madinah al-Munawwarah had agreed with the Zahiriyyah Library to photograph all the manuscripts that come in Al-Albani's index.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Not all the manuscripts in general, because there are things that do not interest them, and it appears they did that. You may find this copy at the Islamic University in Madinah al-Munawwarah.
The questioner : The issue is that we are forbidden from traveling. We reside only in Riyadh, in Riyadh. It is forbidden to travel to any other place except with an official permit that specifies the reasons, I mean, if I want to travel to Madinah, it is only with an official permit.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : Security procedures, I mean, then you want to travel, you travel on Thursday and Friday, they will be closed, so you do not benefit from the travel.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : This is what...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The supervisor's method is strange, I mean.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : No, the 'aqidah supervisor; it is impossible for him to be Saudi, impossible for him to be Egyptian, except in rare cases.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : I mean... his appointment was just... very much when they needed him, and then they stopped him. He is not an imam of a mosque, but he had memorized the issues of 'aqidah. He was a supervisor at the graduate level. His name is Shaykh... They approved my registration for the thesis, which is a research on the manuscript *Ithbat Sifat al-'Ulu*, just as you might say, for example, in Rajab or on the twentieth of Rajab. I was traveling in Sha'ban, so I traveled and returned after the break, because it was a break and I would not benefit from it, and they were dealing with the circumstances of the break. So the supervisor was very angry, asking why I did not go and return to him directly. "O son of the noble one, I was traveling," I said. He said, "No, this is not acceptable. Well, if you please, if you do not want to supervise me, give me the paper so someone else can supervise." He said, "No, that is not possible."
The Shaykh : Also.
The questioner : The important thing is that the department intervened and the dean of the college intervened. They appointed a temporary supervisor and said, "Do not supervise him, that is enough... because so-and-so..."
The Shaykh : Yes... they do not bequeath it, but I do not have a study on the topic. I say this is how they do it, but I do not have an opinion. Yes, may peace, Allah's mercy, and blessings be upon you.
The questioner : I mean... this must be completed within a period of two years, otherwise the thesis is cancelled.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : And the period ended, and they said, "That is it, the thesis is cancelled." You had photographed the thesis and worked hard, and I had started to research it, so the motivation was truly cut off. I don't know, what is your advice to me? Do you think I should stop at this point with worldly degrees, or should I continue and not care about the topic of studies?
The Shaykh : This depends on your feeling. If you feel that you are gaining scientific benefit from studying and researching this thesis, and not just for obtaining the degree, then continue and persist.
The questioner : Sometimes a person becomes attached to...
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : I mean, when there is a horse or there is something, I mean, when the field pushes more.
The Shaykh : Correct.
The questioner : This is all that happens; there is nothing. I don't know. It is postponed, postponed. Allah willing, after a week, after a month, after this, until they force you to do a specific review in a certain period.
The Shaykh : Was the thesis cancelled and deleted?
The questioner : Yes
The Shaykh : Is there no hope?
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : I mean, usually there is a way.
The questioner : There is a way... a diploma certificate is written.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : The diploma is not given unless a thesis is submitted, because the thesis requires a long time for submission, and if the period ends and he cannot complete it.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : They did not agree to an extension. Well, they give him a diploma certificate. I don't know, as for the research topic and the book topic, especially for the region of the Levant, I think it is a very important topic, which is proving the attribute of elevation, especially in the refutation. I had a goal behind the refutation of a group, for example, of the Sufis, the mystics, considering that I have a background on them that they consider that Allah is everywhere and that Allah means...
The Shaykh : This is not just the Sufis, Professor; the Asha'irah, the Maturidiyyah, and the Mu'tazilah, all of them are like this.
The questioner : The topic was truly sensitive and very sensitive, so I don't know if there is a means or a way for me to complete the topic and persist in it, or that I mean, with my personal effort, I am not going to tell you I will lengthen it and I will not persist. I want a motivator or I want a drive or I want...
The Shaykh : Since there is a way other than the path of Riyadh?
The questioner : By Allah, I have not tried, I mean...
The Shaykh : Continue. This is better than losing all the effort. How many pages did you write approximately?
The questioner : The manuscript as a research, I mean...
The Shaykh : Researching a book, I mean?
The questioner : Researching it; the whole manuscript is not large, I mean, approximately fifty pages.
The Shaykh : What is the manuscript?
The questioner : *Ithbat Sifat al-'Ulu li-Allah al-Wahid al-Qahhar*.
The Shaykh : By whom?
The questioner : By Ibn Qudamah al-Maqdisi.
The Shaykh : Ah, is there a copy of it in the Zahiriyyah Library?
The questioner : I think so.
The Shaykh : Where did you get the copy from?
The questioner : I got a printed copy, a very old edition, from more than fifty years ago.
The Shaykh : From India, I mean.
The questioner : It seems the press is not written, but it is old without research.
The Shaykh : Ah, of course.
The questioner : A photocopied version in the Manuscripts Department at King Saud University.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : So I want to compare, I want to see where its origins are, where it is located, and so on. I found these. I tried to look for it in the indexes and such, but I did not find it...
The Shaykh : You did not find it?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : I think it is in Damascus, but it seems there is a deficiency in it. In any case, it will undoubtedly benefit you. Refer to the Index of Hadith Manuscripts of the Zahiriyyah, which I authored.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : You will surely find it there, because the Islamic University in Madinah al-Munawwarah had agreed with the Zahiriyyah Library to photograph all the manuscripts that come in Al-Albani's index.
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : Not all the manuscripts in general, because there are things that do not interest them, and it appears they did that. You may find this copy at the Islamic University in Madinah al-Munawwarah.
The questioner : The issue is that we are forbidden from traveling. We reside only in Riyadh, in Riyadh. It is forbidden to travel to any other place except with an official permit that specifies the reasons, I mean, if I want to travel to Madinah, it is only with an official permit.
The Shaykh : ... .
The questioner : Security procedures, I mean, then you want to travel, you travel on Thursday and Friday, they will be closed, so you do not benefit from the travel.
The Shaykh : Yes, exactly.
The questioner : This is what...