Imaam Sa’dee and the Shivering Old Man

Shaikh Abdullah Aqeel said about his Shaikh, Imaam Sa’dee (d. 1956), “An eyewitness mentioned that on a winter’s day with heavy rain, our Shaikh saw an elderly man in the Jaami’ mosque shivering due to the severe cold and wearing worn-out clothes. When our Shaikh saw him in such a state he went behind a pillar so that no one would see him and then took off one of his two thawbs, folded it and gave it to the man who then wore it and was able to protect himself from the cold with it and who then supplicated for him.”

Ash-Shaikh ’Abdur-Rahmaan As-Sa’dee Kamaa ’Araftuhu, p. 18.

Imaam Sa’dee’s website.

Al-Fawzaan on the Two Types of Conveying Knowledge and Who is to Carry Them Out

Questioner: How is it possible to reconcile his saying صلى الله عليه وسلم, “Convey from me even if only an aayah,” with the condition that a caller should have copious knowledge?

Al-Fawzaan: There is no contradiction here walhamdulilaah, because the conveyance is of two types: conveying the text and conveying the meaning.

The first type: conveying the text [i.e., the wording] is something everyone who has memorized a text from Allaah’s Book or the Sunnah of His Prophet can do, he can help the people memorise it … when he’s memorised a Surah or an aayah he can teach the people that Surah and when he has memorised a hadith he can teach it to the people—this is conveying the text and anyone can do it, for this reason the Quraan is taught by many people who do not have knowledge but they have memorized the Quraan and can recite well, and [likewise] people who do not have knowledge teach hadiths to the people but they are good at having memorised the hadith and teaching it to the people. Having understanding [fiqh] is not a condition for conveying a text.

The second type: conveying meanings, i.e., the explanation of these texts and clarifying the rulings and wisdom contained therein—this is the one that requires knowledge and no one should carry this out except a scholar. So there is no contradiction between the obligation of conveying and the fact that no one calls the people except someone who has knowledge of what he is calling to, because da’wah requires understanding. Conveying the meaning, the meanings of the texts and their explanations and clarifying them to the people is different to the first type which everyone who has memorized something from the Book of Allaah or the Sunnah of His Messenger can do and teach the people about, this is good … that he sits and teaches the people and makes them memorise the Quraan and memorise the hadiths and [other] texts, this is very good but we say to him: do not explain the meanings to the people when you don’t know them [yourself].

Al-Ijaabaat al-Muhimmah fil-Mashaakil al-Mulimmah, pp. 279-280.

Faith

In the Name of Allāh, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy..

Often times we are overwhelmed when we lack focus. When we lack vision. Or when the magnitude of our passion is not matched by an equal sense of direction. I have learned from my life that we often have a greater sense of obligation to fulfill the promises that we make to others than the sense of obligation for us to fulfill the promises that we make to ourselves.

Our dreams are the promises that we make to ourselves. And as painful as it is sometimes when we do not see our dreams materialize, or when they fall and they shatter at our feet. As painful as it is, We cannot afford to lose hope. For a dream fallen is never a dream lost. It is often a passion reignited if only you choose and you will choose. You will believe and you will move. You will act and you will prove. You will disprove those who have disapproved. Because you are as you will.

So, be a scholar.

If not, then be a student.

(If not, then love them. If not, then do then hate them).