The Compendium of The Correct Creed - Lesson 1

 

 

Description:

1. Important introduction on the importance of seeking knowledge
2. What is the greatest hadeeth clarifying the levels of the religion?
3. List the narrations of this hadeeth and the Companions who narrated it.

 

Transcription:

All praise is due to Allah.
and I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, alone without partner.
And I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and messenger. May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, his family, and his companions abundantly.
To proceed:
My brothers in Allah, I want to remind myself and you, that a Muslim must make use of his lifetime, which Allah, Exalted He is, has granted him.
We must make use of this life, and the hours that remain from our lives.
Allah, Exalted He is, said:

O you who believe, fear Allah, and let every soul look to what it has sent forth for tomorrow.

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَلْتَنْظُرْ نَفْسٌ مَا قَدَّمَتْ لِغَدٍ

So whoever Allah has gifted blessings, must recognize Allah’s blessings upon him.
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, as in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree from Ibn Abbaas, may Allah be pleased with them both:

Two blessings many people lose out on: health and free time.

نعمتان مغبون فيهما كثير من الناس: الصحة والفراغ.

So whoever Allah has granted health and well-being, and has free time must use this life, and this free time in obeying Allah, Exalted He is.
Using life well is by doing righteous deeds, and these righteous deeds, along with faith, are the path to a good life.
So whoever wants to live a good life, a life with no misery, a life with no fear or grief, whoever wants the path to a good life, then it comes from faith and righteous deeds.
What is the proof for this?
Allah, Exalted He is, said:

Whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer, We will surely give him a good life.

من عمل صالحا من ذكر أو أنثى وهو مؤمن فلنحيينه حياة طيبة

This is a promise from Allah, and Allah does not break His promise.
So we must learn faith, and know what the righteous deeds are, so that we live a good life in this world, and live a good life in the Hereafter.
Faith and righteous deeds cannot be known, except through knowledge.
We must have beneficial knowledge, O brothers, we must learn this faith, and learn righteous deeds.
Because seeking knowledge is an obligation, just as prayer is an obligation, zakah is an obligation, fasting is an obligation.
Seeking knowledge too is an obligation.
This came from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, as in the hadeeth of Anas, and other companions, from several companions:
the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.

طلب العلم فريضة على كل مسلم

Narrated by ibn Maajah and al-Bayhaqee.
Al-Haafith ibn Abd al-Barr gathered its chains in his book *Jami' Bayaan al-Ilm wa Fadhlih*, and said the hadeeth is sound, and is authentic.
Shaykh al-Albaany also authenticated it in *Saheeh at-Targheeb*.
So this is a great hadeeth showing us that seeking knowledge is an obligation.
We must strive, you and us together, in seeking knowledge.
May Allah bless you.
Allah, Exalted He is, raises you through this knowledge,
as He said:

Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge by degrees.

كما قال الله يرفع الله الذين آمنوا منكم والذين أوتوا العلم درجات

And the angels do not lower their wings for a president nor a minister;
they only lower them for the seeker of knowledge.
As the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

The angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge, pleased with what he seeks.

الملائكة تضع أجنحتها لطالب العلم رضا بما يطلب

So feel this, O seeker of knowledge:
when you seek knowledge, even by listening to these lessons, you are considered a seeker of knowledge.
The angels lower their wings for you.
You are considered among the best of people, for the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

The best of you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.

خيركم من تعلم القرآن وعلمه

And he said, peace and blessings be upon him:

For one of you to go to the mosque and learn two verses, is better for him than two she-camels; three is better than three; four is better than four..and so on.

لأن يغدو أحدكم إلى المسجد فيتعلم آيتين خير له من ناقتين وثلاث خير له من ثلاث، وأربع خير له من أربع، وبأعدادهن

And the proofs of the virtue of knowledge are many.
May Allah reward you with goodness.
So, we want to make every day a short lesson in the matters of creed that concern Muslims and that Muslims must learn.
If Allah wills, we will start from today with this light lesson.
Whoever wants to write it in a notebook, take these benefits and review them—in time, if Allah wills, they will gain much good, by Allah’s permission.
The main thing is not to get bored—one must not get bored of knowledge, nor be distracted from it by worldly matters.
So let’s begin directly, if Allah wills, and we will make it in the form of points, so it is easier for the listener.
We said we must learn the religion, learn the religion of Islam.
So, the first question, the first point, is:
What is the greatest hadeeth in this topic—the levels of religion and learning them?
Which is the greatest hadeeth regarding this?
and the answer to that is: That the greatest hadeeth in this topic, the topic of the levels of religion, is a hadeeth called: the long hadeeth of Jibreel.
The long hadeeth of Jibreel.
Most of you probably know this hadeeth:
the hadeeth of Umar ibn al-Khattaab, may Allah be pleased with him.
He said:

While we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, one day, there appeared before us a man with extremely white clothes, extremely black hair.
No sign of travel was seen on him, and none of us knew him.
He came and sat before the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and put his knees against his knees, and placed his hands on his thighs

meaning, he sat as a knowledge seeker, on his knees, his palms on his thighs, facing the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him,

and said: O Muhammad!

and the companions are listening, and they don't know this man.

He said: "O Muhammad, tell me about Islam".

So this is the first thing, tell me about Islam.

So the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
"Islam is to bear witness that there is no deity except Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,
to establish prayer,
to give zakah,
to fast Ramadhaan,
and to perform pilgrimage to the House if you are able to".
He said, "You have spoken the truth."
So we were amazed—he asks him, then says, "You have spoken the truth,"

How does one ask another, then says: "You have spoken the truth"? Meaning he already knows the answer.

Then he said, "And tell me about faith".
He said: "Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day. And to believe in the Devine Decree, its good and its bad".
He said, "You have spoken the truth".
Then he said, "And tell me about excellence"
He said: "Excellence is to worship Allah as though you see Him; if you do not see Him, He sees you".
He said, "Tell me about the Hour".
He said: "The one asked knows no more than the questioner".
He said, "Tell me about its signs".
He said: "That a slave-woman gives birth to her mistress, and that you see the barefoot, naked, destitute shepherds competing in building tall buildings".
He said: He then he left, and I [Umar] waited a while, then the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
"O Umar, do you know who the questioner was?"
I said: "Allah and His Messenger know best."
He said: "It was Jibreel; he came to teach you your religion".

Look! He said "your religion".
So *this* is religion, it is these levels: Islaam, Eemaan (faith), and Ihsaan (excellence).
So this hadeeth, this great hadeeth, called the long hadeeth of Jibreel, is the greatest hadeeth regarding the levels of religion, because it clarifies them: Islam, then Eemaan (faith), then Ihsaan (excellence).
And if Allah wills, we will later explain these matters in detail.
But this lesson’s point is: who narrated this hadeeth?
Because one must know who narrated a hadeeth and its authenticity—it’s not for anyone to just say, "The Messenger of Allah said…", you have to know who narrated it and its status.
So: This hadeeth was narrated by several companions. First, by Umar ibn al-Khattaab in Saheeh Muslim; also by Abu Hurayrah in al-Bukhaaree and Muslim; and by five other companions mentioned by Ibn Hajar in *Fath al-Baaree*:
Abu Tharr, Ibn Umar, Anas, Jareer ibn Abdullaah, Ibn Abbaas, and Abu Aamir al-Ashari—and this is outside the two Saheehs. The hadeeth is authentic and is a great hadeeth.
Imam Muslim began his Saheeh with this hadeeth.
As for al-Bukhaaree, the first hadeeth in his Saheeh is the hadeeth of Umar:

Actions are only by intentions.
إنما الأعمال بالنيات

Imam an-Nawawee, in his *Forty hadeeths*, began with *Actions are only by intentions*, and then made the second hadeeth the long hadeeth of Jibreel.
Al-Baghawi did the same in *Misabaah as-Sunnah*. He made this hadeeth, the hadeeth of Umar bnu al-Khattaab: *Actions are only by intentions* the first, then the second, the long hadeeth of Jibreel.
So we know this hadeeth is a great hadeeth.
This is today’s benefit: the greatest hadeeth on the pillars of Islam, Eemaan (faith), and Ihsaan (excellence) is the long hadeeth of Jibreel, narrated by Muslim from Umar, and by al-Bukhaaree and Muslim from Abu Hurayrah.
This is today’s benefit and today’s lesson.
We ask Allah, Exalted He is, to benefit us and you with what we have heard.
We ask Allah, Exalted He is, to grant us and you success in what He loves and is pleased with.
And all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.

Published on: 

4th of Rabee' al-Awwal 1447 AH