Quenching A Future Imam's Learning Aspiration
Question: Someone gives me a car to sell. I park it outside my home with the FOR SALE sign. A customer comes to see the car and unfortunately I misplace the key. Now, who is responsible for making a new key? Is it my responsibility or the owner should make a new key?
There is a core essence of Tablīgh and boundaries that govern it. We have been given ta῾līm (guidance) for everything and this ta῾līm is of a very pure nature. So pure that even the theories of elite philosophers also fail to produce something similar.
[In the talk “Need for Tablīgh”, Maulāna Ashraf ῾Ali Thānvi rehmatullāhi ῾alayh says]
…Let us look at an Ayah which has been used to take proof that no one should propagate dīn until he brings that action into his own life.
لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ . كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ
Why do you say that which you do not do? It is most hateful to Allah that you should say that which you do not do. (61:2-3)
In reality these people have relied on the apparent translation only and have been deceived. They think that the Ayah is saying that an action which one is not doing himself, then he should not tell others to do that act, whereas that is completely incorrect. In order to understand Qurān in proper way we need to keep in mind the Asbāb un Nuzūl1 in mind.
Maulāna Ashraf ῾Ali Thānvi rehmatullāhi ῾alayh replied to a questioner that every Muslim has Nūr ul Imān in him, whether its effects are apparent or not.
In a discourse Maulāna Ashraf Ali Thānvi rehmatullāhi alayh said,
One person has sent a letter that he is indebted and needs an effective wazīfa. I replied that there is no better wazīfa in effect than Dua’.
[quran_taharah] People have stopped asking Allāh. The connection between the slave and Allāh has weakened a lot. The perception of people in this matter is very corrupt, and one thing which is even more harmful than this is when the wazīfa does not work, they start to doubt the ability of the verses of Allāh. This further corrupts ones belief.
Which is the Beneficial Knowledge?
Arabic is a very important language which ought to be learnt. It is not possible to understand Sharīah in its entirety without knowing Arabic; but in case one is unable to learn this Shar’ī knowledge in entirety then this should not be a reason to abandon some form of lower category of Islamic learning (e.g. basic understanding of Islam in Urdu language) as well.
[Continuing from the talk of “Obligation of Tablīgh”, Maulāna Ashraf Ali Thānvi rehmatullāhi alayh says]
dome_insideThese days some people have started to think that the work of tablīgh is the sole duty of ulamā. If it is the sole duty of ulamā then let these ulamā also keep fast on your behalf, and you may go ahead and live a life free of any religious restriction. This is just like some villagers used to think and perhaps there is still a place where similar thinking may exist….