MUHAMMADAN COVENANT - 7

IMAM AL-SHA'RANI'S LAWAQIH AL-ANWAR AL-QUDSIYYAH FI BAYAN AL-'UHUD AL-MUHAMMADIYYAH
COMMANDMENT NO. 7	MUHAMMADAN COVENANT	pp. 28-29

NOT TO DISENGAGE FROM THE COMPANY OF THE ‘ULAMA’

A general covenant was taken from us by the Messenger of Allah (ت) that we will not disengage ourselves from sitting with the ‘ulama’ even if we were (ourselves) ‘ulama’, for perchance Allah has bestowed upon them of knowledge which He did not give us. Many of the fuqaha’ and sufis have discarded from acting according to this covenant, but they claim that they have (with them) of knowledge that is not with the entire people. In fact I heard some of them saying why he has to exert himself over non-reference to ‘ulama’, “By Allah if I had known that someone in Egypt has with him knowledge over and above what I have, I would certainly have served (as) his shoe. However, praise be to Allah (t), He has bestowed (or granted) us of knowledge that we do not stand in need of it from other people”. All these are ignorance according to the testimonary evidence of the shari‘, just as it has come in his (ص) saying: من قال إني علم فهو جاهل  “whosoever said that ‘I am learned’, then he is (in fact) ignorant”. 

In the story of Musa with Khidr (may peace be upon both of them) there is sufficient (reflections) for every discerning ones (mu‘tabir). Therefore, gather (or meet), O, my brother, in every little (opportunity) with the ‘ulama’ and enrich yourself with their benefits (of their presence and knowledge) and do not be among those who are heedless of them so that you deny (for yourself) the blessing of the entire people of  your time, due to you begin to consider yourself above them or equal to them, for certainly the Divine Assistance (al-imdadat al-ilahiyyah) such as knowledge or other than it, its rule is the rule of water, as water does not run except at low levels (al-sufliyyat). Therefore whosoever considers himself higher than his contemporaries shall not derive any help from them, while whosoever considers himself as equal to them, then their help will be held  back just like the two water tanks that are equal. As such what is the goodness in its entirety except in the servant seeing that he, without each participant among the Muslims, should certainly be wary of the help he gets from them, just as we have elucidated that in the first of the covenants of the spiritual Mentors (masha’ikh): “And Allah is all knowing and all wise”.

Al-Tabrani narrating from Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) through a marfu‘ hadith (that the Prophet (ص) is reported to have said): إذا مررتم برياض الجنة فارتعوا ، قالوا يا رسول الله ، وما رياض الجنة ، قال : مجالس العلم   “If you pass by the gardens of the heaven be mindful (irtu‘u), they asked, O, Messenger of Allah, what are the gardens of the heaven, he replied: “knowledge sessions (majalis al-‘ilm)”. He said that in this chain there is a narrator who is not named. 

And in another narration from him as well through Abu Umamah by a marfu‘ hadith that Luqman (on whom be peace), said to his son: “O, my son, it is incumbent on you to sit with the ‘ulama’ and listen to the words of the wise, for Allah (ت) certainly resuscitate the heart of the dead with the light of wisdom, just as He resuscitates the dead earth from the heavy downpour of rain.” Al-Hafiz al-‘Abdari said: “perhaps this hadith is mawquf”. 

Abu Ya‘la narrated, and his narrators are valid narrators except for one, from Ibn ‘Abbas as saying:  قيل يا رسول الله أي جلسائنا خير : قال من ذكركم الله رؤيته وزاد في علمكم منطقته وذكركم بي الآخرة علمه  “it was said, ‘O, Messenger of Allah which of our participant is good?’ he said, ‘one whose seeing him reminds you of Allah and his enunciation increased your knowledge, while his knowledge reminds you of the Hereafter’”. And Allah (ت) knows best!

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