A Word on Making Use of Time in Obedience to Allah and Occupying Oneself with Seeking Knowledge
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The Shaykh : Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and I send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad, the Seal of the Prophets and the Imam of the righteous, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
As for what follows:
We begin this meeting, which is called the open meeting, and it is the last meeting of this year, 1416, which is Thursday, the twenty-ninth—come here, you— the twenty-ninth of Dhul-Hijjah, 1416. We conclude this year with it, and we ask Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, for us and for the Muslims a good ending and conclusion.
The rational person considers the passing of nights and days, their swift expiration, and their complete departure. He considers how these nights and days proceed, not by hours, nor by minutes, nor by seconds, but even by breaths, until the appointed term arrives, by which a person moves from the abode of action to the abode of recompense. The rational person considers what is to come by what has passed; he considers the future by the past. The past has passed, and it is as if it were a single day, or even a single hour, or even a single minute. Indeed, a person does not perceive, in his current state, in his current place, what preceded his speech, his speech now, except that it is something that has expired, been wasted, and perished. It has expired as if it were an hour of the day, and as if the events that occurred in it were the dreams of sleepers. So the future will also come and pass until the term is completed, the work ends, and it is cut off, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Abi Dawud 2880Sahih (Al-Albani) The decisive, wise, and astute believer is the one who seizes the opportunities of life before they pass, seizing them in good, in speech and in action. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said: Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2500Sahih (Darussalam) So silence is the good, unless speech is the good, and leaving off action is the good, unless action is the good. For this reason, Allah described His servants, the servants of the Most Merciful, by saying: [Al-Furqan 25:72] [Al-Furqan 25:63] And in another verse: [Al-Qasas 28:55] So you, my Muslim brother, should fear Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and seize the opportunities, and not let an hour pass without you having a righteous deed in it, whether it is a specific act of worship, such as prayer, recitation of the Qur'an, dhikr, and the like, or a general act of worship, such as knowledge that you spread among your brothers, your colleagues, and the general public, or by enjoining good and forbidding evil.
Or by dutifulness to parents and maintaining family ties, or by being kind to neighbors, being kind to orphans, and others, or by striving to reconcile people, and so on, of the many matters that Allah, the Exalted, has legislated for the servants as mercy, favor, and kindness from Him. Were it not that Allah legislated these things, they would be among those that do not bring one closer to Allah. But Allah legislated them to be means of drawing near to Him, and for the servants to benefit from them. Among these is: traveling to seek knowledge, traveling in the pursuit of knowledge. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed thatSahih Muslim 2699a
The paths by which knowledge is sought are of two types: physical and spiritual. As for the physical, they are the markets in which a person walks to the houses of knowledge, mosques and non-mosques. As for the spiritual, it is that a person travels with his thought, his contemplation, and his reflection in the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), or in reading the books of the scholars who exerted much praiseworthy effort in spreading the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) with their correct meanings. Whether that is in the Qur'an directly, such as tafsir, or in the Sunnah directly, such as explanations of hadiths, or in a separate form, such as the books of jurists and the books of scholars on 'aqidah and tawhid, and the like. For everything you find of books of 'aqidah and tawhid in which their authors provide evidence, in which their authors provide evidence from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, is in reality an explanation of the Qur'an, but it is an indirect explanation. And likewise, what you find in the books of jurists who provide evidence for the rulings of the Shari'ah from the Qur'an and the Sunnah is in reality an explanation of the Qur'an. So the one who reads books of fiqh based on evidence is in reality reading tafsir, but it is indirect. And the one who reads in 'aqidah and books of tawhid that provide evidence for what they say from the Book and the Sunnah is in reality reading tafsir.
Then, on this occasion, I say: It is perhaps very appropriate that a person conclude his year by reflecting, contemplating, and thinking about what he has done and what he is doing. Has he hit the mark? Has he done well? Let him praise Allah for that and ask Him for more of His favor. Has he been negligent? Let him make up for it. If there is a neglected obligatory duty that can be made up, let him do so. And if there is a neglected obligatory duty that cannot be made up, let him seek forgiveness from Allah, the Exalted, for what has happened. And if there is a forbidden act, let him seek forgiveness from Allah and repent. Let him think. I say this while I am the most negligent of you, but I ask Allah for well-being and success. It is necessary for a person to think seriously. If the merchants who strive in this world for profit review their ledgers every year, looking at what comes in and what goes out, why should not those who trade with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, do as these do? For working in the worship of Allah is, in reality, a trade. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:[As-Saf 61:10-11] He made faith in Allah and His Messenger and striving in His cause a trade, and it is truly a trade; it is the profitable trade. As for this world, its trade, even if it increases, may be a loss. I ask Allah, the Exalted, to grant me and you the seizing of times with what brings us closer to Him, and to forgive us what we have neglected of His rights, and to overlook our sins. Indeed, He is capable of all things. And now, to the questions. We begin with the right side.
The questioner : Shaykh... may I ask a question?
The Shaykh : If the brothers permit, there is no harm; otherwise, it is in order. Yes, if you have no work, your staying is better because you are listening; perhaps there are questions that will benefit you. Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, no, whoever is from Unaizah has no right until he is finished.
The questioner : I am not from Unaizah.
The Shaykh : No, I mean the answer is general. If you have work, the brothers will permit it, and if you have no work, your presence in this assembly is better.
The questioner : Oh Shaykh, there is a question. As you know, the means of transportation.
The Shaykh : Take, take the microphone so it is recorded. Come closer, come closer so you can expand for those behind you.
As for what follows:
We begin this meeting, which is called the open meeting, and it is the last meeting of this year, 1416, which is Thursday, the twenty-ninth—come here, you— the twenty-ninth of Dhul-Hijjah, 1416. We conclude this year with it, and we ask Allah, Glorified and Exalted is He, for us and for the Muslims a good ending and conclusion.
The rational person considers the passing of nights and days, their swift expiration, and their complete departure. He considers how these nights and days proceed, not by hours, nor by minutes, nor by seconds, but even by breaths, until the appointed term arrives, by which a person moves from the abode of action to the abode of recompense. The rational person considers what is to come by what has passed; he considers the future by the past. The past has passed, and it is as if it were a single day, or even a single hour, or even a single minute. Indeed, a person does not perceive, in his current state, in his current place, what preceded his speech, his speech now, except that it is something that has expired, been wasted, and perished. It has expired as if it were an hour of the day, and as if the events that occurred in it were the dreams of sleepers. So the future will also come and pass until the term is completed, the work ends, and it is cut off, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
When a man dies, his action discontinues from him except three things, namely, perpetual sadaqah (charity), or the knowledge by which benefit is acquired, or a pious child who prays for him.
إذا مات الإنسان انقطع عمله إلا من ثلاثة : صدقة جارية أو علم ينتفع به أو ولد صالح يدعو لهAnd whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, then let him say what is good or remain silent.
من كان يؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر فليقل خيرا أو ليصمتand when they pass near ill speech, they pass by with dignity.
وَإِذَا مَرُّوا بِاللَّغْوِ مَرُّوا كِرَاماًand when the ignorant address them [harshly], they say [words of] peace,
وَإِذَا خَاطَبَهُمُ الْجَاهِلُونَ قَالُوا سَلاماًAnd when they hear ill speech, they turn away from it and say, "For us are our deeds, and for you are your deeds
وَإِذَا سَمِعُوا اللَّغْوَ أَعْرَضُوا عَنْهُ وَقَالُوا لَنَا أَعْمَالُنَا وَلَكُمْ أَعْمَالُكُمْOr by dutifulness to parents and maintaining family ties, or by being kind to neighbors, being kind to orphans, and others, or by striving to reconcile people, and so on, of the many matters that Allah, the Exalted, has legislated for the servants as mercy, favor, and kindness from Him. Were it not that Allah legislated these things, they would be among those that do not bring one closer to Allah. But Allah legislated them to be means of drawing near to Him, and for the servants to benefit from them. Among these is: traveling to seek knowledge, traveling in the pursuit of knowledge. For the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) informed that
he who treads the path in search of knowledge, Allah would make that path easy, leading to Paradise for him
من سلك طريقا يلتمس فيه علما سهل الله له به طريقا إلى الجنةThe paths by which knowledge is sought are of two types: physical and spiritual. As for the physical, they are the markets in which a person walks to the houses of knowledge, mosques and non-mosques. As for the spiritual, it is that a person travels with his thought, his contemplation, and his reflection in the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), or in reading the books of the scholars who exerted much praiseworthy effort in spreading the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) with their correct meanings. Whether that is in the Qur'an directly, such as tafsir, or in the Sunnah directly, such as explanations of hadiths, or in a separate form, such as the books of jurists and the books of scholars on 'aqidah and tawhid, and the like. For everything you find of books of 'aqidah and tawhid in which their authors provide evidence, in which their authors provide evidence from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger, is in reality an explanation of the Qur'an, but it is an indirect explanation. And likewise, what you find in the books of jurists who provide evidence for the rulings of the Shari'ah from the Qur'an and the Sunnah is in reality an explanation of the Qur'an. So the one who reads books of fiqh based on evidence is in reality reading tafsir, but it is indirect. And the one who reads in 'aqidah and books of tawhid that provide evidence for what they say from the Book and the Sunnah is in reality reading tafsir.
Then, on this occasion, I say: It is perhaps very appropriate that a person conclude his year by reflecting, contemplating, and thinking about what he has done and what he is doing. Has he hit the mark? Has he done well? Let him praise Allah for that and ask Him for more of His favor. Has he been negligent? Let him make up for it. If there is a neglected obligatory duty that can be made up, let him do so. And if there is a neglected obligatory duty that cannot be made up, let him seek forgiveness from Allah, the Exalted, for what has happened. And if there is a forbidden act, let him seek forgiveness from Allah and repent. Let him think. I say this while I am the most negligent of you, but I ask Allah for well-being and success. It is necessary for a person to think seriously. If the merchants who strive in this world for profit review their ledgers every year, looking at what comes in and what goes out, why should not those who trade with Allah, Mighty and Majestic, do as these do? For working in the worship of Allah is, in reality, a trade. Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says:
(10) O you who have believed, shall I guide you to a transaction that will save you from a painful punishment? (11) [It is that] you believe in Allah and His Messenger and strive in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if you should know.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هَلْ أَدُلُّكُمْ عَلَى تِجَارَةٍ تُنْجِيكُمْ مِنْ عَذَابٍ أَلِيمٍ * تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِThe questioner : Shaykh... may I ask a question?
The Shaykh : If the brothers permit, there is no harm; otherwise, it is in order. Yes, if you have no work, your staying is better because you are listening; perhaps there are questions that will benefit you. Yes.
The questioner : ... .
The Shaykh : Yes, no, whoever is from Unaizah has no right until he is finished.
The questioner : I am not from Unaizah.
The Shaykh : No, I mean the answer is general. If you have work, the brothers will permit it, and if you have no work, your presence in this assembly is better.
The questioner : Oh Shaykh, there is a question. As you know, the means of transportation.
The Shaykh : Take, take the microphone so it is recorded. Come closer, come closer so you can expand for those behind you.