Lectures on Islamic Economics

For links to the complete course, and related reference materials, see: Islamic Economics 2019

To participate in the discussion, see: Islamic WorldView Blog – https://bit.do/aziwv

Principles of Islamic Education

1. Preliminaries
Because Islam is a complete religion, it offers us guidance on all departments of life. Our Prophet
Mohammad s.a.w. was sent as a teacher, and serves as the perfect model for us. Islam offers us
extensive, detailed and sophisticated guidelines about the process of an Islamic education. There is no
match, parallel, or analog of these teachings in the canons of Western knowledge. It should be obvious
that if we want to teach and learn Islamic Economics, this must by done by Islamic methods, rather than
western ones. In this first lecture, we will review Islamic teachings related to the process of the
acquisition of Knowledge.

1.1 Deen and the Struggle to Establish the Deen

5:3 This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favour upon you, and have chosen for you
Islam as your religion.

Some fourteen centuries ago, Allah T’aala completed his favor upon mankind by giving us the religion of
Islam, which provides perfect and complete guidance for all the problems of life. History is witness that
illiterate, uncivilized, and uneducated Arabs changed the tides of history after learning the teachings of
Islam and adopting them in their lives. The darkness of Jahiliyya was dispersed by the sun of Islam,
which created a civilization of splendor and glory which dominated mankind for a thousand years. As
Syed AbulHasan Ali Nadwi has shown, all of mankind, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, benefited from
the teachings of Islam.

It was prophesied that “An era will come in the near future when Islam will exist merely in name and
Quran will exist merely in its written form.” [That is, the spirit, meaning, and understanding will be
lost]. It was prophesied that “Islam came as a stranger, and will soon become a stranger. So good tidings
to the strangers.” It was prophesied that the Kuffar will achieve dominance over the Muslims when the
hearts of Muslims get infected by “Wahn – the love of Dunya and the fear of Akhira”. It was prophesied
that when the Muslims start valuing this worldly life over the life of the Akhira, the awe and importance
of Islam will vanish from their hearts.

Sad to say, this era is upon us. Today the governmental structure of Muslim countries is not patterned
upon the Khilafat-e-Rashida, but upon western structures developed by the Kuffar. The courts and laws
of most Muslim countries are based upon laws developed by the Kuffar. The educational system is
dominated by the teachings of the Kuffar, with only a small portion set aside for the teachings of Islam.
Institutions for business, banking, finance, insurance are all based on western patterns. Cultural and
social patterns also imitate ways of the Kuffar instead of the Sunnah of our Prophet s.a.w. The
resemblance between the dominant ways of thinking and the ways of the Jahilliyyah are striking.
1
Our prophet Mohammad sallallahoalaihewassallam brought us not only the Deen of Islam, but also the
method by which this Deen is to be brought into the lives of all human beings. The only way to dispel the
darkness of Jahilliyah is by making this effort of Deen, in the manner shown by the Prophet s.a.w. and
emulated by the Sahabah. By the grace and mercy of Allah, the way of Dawah and Tableegh has become
the source of spiritual transformation of many human lives throughout the world. As the noor of Eeman
comes into the hearts, Muslims become more and more uncomfortable with the patterns of life
prevailing in the environment, in all spheres of life, which are far from the Sunnah of the Prophet s.a.w.
The Muslim is required to struggle to change this environment and to put it in conformity with the spirit
and form of Islam. It is in the process of this struggle that Allah T’aala has promised to guide us to His
ways.

1.2 The Dual Nature of the Struggle for Establishment of Deen

The struggle that we are required to make must be on the pattern shown by the Prophet s.a.w. This
pattern is dual: requiring simultaneous work on two dimensions. Focus on only one dimension or the
either loses the required balance and makes the work unsuccessful – many have fallen because of lack
of balance. In Tableegh, our elders tell us of the importance of the efforts of the night as well as the
efforts of the day. Neither effort by itself is sufficient. This is the message of Surah Muzzamil, where the
Prophet s.a.w. is asked to spend his nights alone with his Lord. At the same time, the Surah testifies that
the days of the Prophet are spent in the unceasing efforts to spread the Deen of Allah to all of mankind.
Many of the stories in the Hayatus-Sahabe testify to the intensity of his daytime efforts.

The effort of the night is “individual” (infirady) while the effort of the day is collective (Ijtima’i). At one
level, we are all alone – we will face Allah alone, will be willing to sell out all others to ransom our souls
on the day of Judgement. At the same time, the sense of community and togetherness is the order of
Allah for us. Allah T’aala encourages us to struggle together for the sake of the Deen, as one solid
structure: 61:4 Verily, God loves those who fight in His cause in ranks, as though they were a building firm
and compact.

Ahadeeth refer to the Ummah as one body, where if one part is hurt, all parts feel pain. An important
element of the effort to establish Deen on the Earth is the effort to create the Ummah of believers. This
is one of the greatest treasures, a gift of Allah which is valuable beyond price:

8:63 whose hearts He has brought together: [for,] if thou hadst expended all that is on earth, thou couldst not
have brought their hearts together [by thyself]: but God did bring them together. Verily, He is almighty, wise.

Establishment of this collective identity of the Ummah is undertaken on many fronts, in all dimensions
of our lives. The family is the most basic unit of society, and Islam has a large number of rules and
guidance to make a solid family structure, which provides appropriate training to the children. Similarly,
students and teachers engaged in the process of learning, must struggle to bring collectivity and Islamic
ideals into the methodology of education.

The dual nature of the process means that on the one hand, we must make the maximum effort possible
to try to read, understand, and do the exercises required to acquire knowledge. At the same time, we
must realize that our struggles will not lead to knowledge – rather, Allah T’aala grants knowledge to
whomsoever He pleases. After having made the maximum struggle, we must make dua to Allah to grant
us from the treasures of His knowledge, with the understanding that:

2
‫ش ْيءٍ ِم ْن ِع ْل ِم ِه إِالَّ بِ َما شَاء‬ ُ ‫يَ ْعلَ ُم َما بَيْنَ أ َ ْيدِي ِه ْم َو َما خ َْلفَ ُه ْم َوالَ يُ ِحي‬
َ ِ‫طونَ ب‬
He knows all that lies open before men and all that is hidden from them, whereas they cannot
aquire any of His knowledge except that which He wills [them to have]
The second aspect of this duality is that studying must be done both individually and collectively. We
must struggle with trying to read, understand, and translate into practice in our lives whatever we learn,
both individually and collectively. “Individually” means that even if no one else is trying, and every one is
opposed to us, we must follow the right path and not get discouraged, or make the excuse that every
else is doing things differently. At the same time, “collectively” means that we must be concerned with
trying to get the whole class to approach the process of education in an Islamic manner.

What exactly is the Islamic etiquette of teaching and learning? That is the goal of this first lecture.

1.3 Purifying Our Intentions

Before we begin, it is important to clarify one point which is the source of much confusion. The goal of
all our struggles is to please Allah SubhanohuwaT’aala:

6:162 Say: "Truly, my prayer and my sacrifice (all my struggles and efforts), my life and my death, are (all) for
Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds:

Allah T’aala has asked us to be single-minded in his pursuit, to turn ourselves solely to Him, to cut all
relations and bind ourselves to Him. All our efforts, both of the night and of the day, on ourselves and
on others, individual and collective, are for the sole purpose of pleasing Allah SubhanahuwaT’aala.

An example is useful to clarify. It is an effective form of anaerobic exercise to push against the wall. This
strengthens the muscles of the arms. If someone mistakes the purpose and thinks that it is to move the
wall, he will soon get discouraged. He will evaluate the results of his efforts by checking to see if the wall
has moved or not, instead of assessing the strength of his muscles. Finding that the wall has not moved,
he will feel that his efforts are not getting the desired results. There is a Hadeeth to the effect that if you
are planting a seed, and the day of Judgment arrives, keep on planting. This shows clearly that our deeds
are performed for the pleasure of Allah subahuhu wa T’aala, and not because of expected outcomes.

In exactly parallel fashion, our struggle with the world is to increase our spiritual strength, which
measures the strength of our relationship with Allah. The analogy fails in that although we are
powerless to move the wall, Allah T’aala can choose to do so. Similarly, we are powerless to bring
guidance to others, but If Allah T’aala is please with our efforts, he can choose to give guidance simply to
make us happy. This is what He did for the Sahabah: he was pleased with them and made them pleased
with Him as well.

In our struggle to bring the Deen into the different departments of our life, we may or may not succeed
in the worldly outcome – this is purely in the hands of Allah. The results of our efforts will be displayed
in our hearts; if our connection with Allah is becoming stronger, and we are increasing in our Khushoo,
Khuzoo, constant remembrance of Allah, Tawakul, Taqwa and other desirable qualities, then our efforts
are receiving the reward that has been promised:

29:69 And those who strive in Our (cause),- We will certainly guide them to our Paths: For verily Allah is
with those who do right.
3
Whether or not the worldly outcome we struggle for occurs, is entirely in the hands of Allah.
Surrendering to the will of Allah, and accepting what has been written for us is part of the definition of
Islam. This point is further discussed in an appendix to this lecture.

2. Etiquette of Learning and Teaching:

51:56 I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me.

The purpose of our existence is the worship of Allah. All departments of our life must be transformed to
achieve this purpose. A minimal requirement is to avoid the Haram and stay within the Halal. However,
Allah T’aala has asked for more from us.

67:2 Who hath created life and death that He may try you, which of you is best in conduct; and He is the
Mighty, Forgiving,

Before the dawn of time, Allah T’aala took an oath from us (Meesaq-e-Alast) that we would recognize
him as our Lord. He has sent us to this Earth for a short time as test and trial. We will soon return to him
and answer for our deeds. To succeed in this test, we must struggle hard to do the best possible deeds.
Those who strive in the cause of Allah will be guided to His pathways.

It useful to differentiate between doing what is permissible, and doing something in the best possible
way. A common misunderstanding is that good deeds are evaluated in terms of the efforts required to
do them, or their impact on the world. There is a lot of material in Quran and Hadeeth to dispel this
confusion. The first three to be judged on the day of Judgment will be a martyr, a scholar and a
generous man. All three did big and important deeds which captured the attention and admiration of
many people. All three will be rejected because their intentions were not purely to seek the pleasure of
Allah SubhanahuwaT’aala. In contrast, a very small good deed, such as giving a date in charity, will be
multiplied until it becomes the size of the mountain of Uhud, due to the sincerity of the giver. One of the
companions who brought in a handful of dates as his contribution to the funds being collected for the
battle of Tabuk, was ridiculed for the meagerness of his contribution compared to that of others. The
Prophet s.a.w.rebuked the critics, and spread his dates over the entire collection of funds, and
suggested that they would bring barakat for the whole lot. Our elders teach us that there five
ingredients that go into making a good deed valuable.

1. The intention with which it is done.

2. The order of Allah which is being carried out.

3. The Sunnah of the Prophet is followed in the way the action is done.

4. The understanding and expectation of the rewards to be given for this deed.

5. The amount of struggle and sacrifice required for doing the deed.

2.1 Intentions for Our Study.

In this section, we deal with the first requirement. As stated in the first Hadeeth in Al-Bukhari, the value
of deeds depends on the intentions. Therefore, we must first clarify our intentions in this process of
learning and teaching Islamic Economics. It is useful to have multiple intentions, so that one deed can
earn multiple rewards. It is said that the intention of the Mo’min exceeds his actions.

4
2.1.1. Making the Right Intentions
By seeking knowledge, we make the intention to fulfill the command of Allah. The orders of Allah
pertaining to acquisition of knowledge are discussed in the next section.

It is narrated that Allah T’aala makes the path to Jannah easy for those who seek knowledge. So we can
seek knowledge with the intention that this will lead us to Jannah. The story of Rabia Basri, who sought
to burn down Jannah with her candle, and dowse the Hellfire with her water, has created some
confusion about this issue. Some have said that purity of intention requires seeking the pleasure of
Allah, without even the desire for Jannah. Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi has clarified this matter by saying
that Jannah is only for those who please Allah – the pleasure of Allah and Jannah are inseparable, like
the body and the spirit. To seek Jannah is to seek the pleasure of Allah and vice versa. The condition of
Rabia Basri was a special condition of the heart, and many such special conditions which are unique are
granted to the lovers of Allah, but are not intended as models for general conduct. A wrong analogy is
sometimes offered in this context: It would be offensive to the bride if she was sought for her dowry.
This is true because the bride and the dowry are two separate things; we can have one without the
other. Jannah is the physical expression of the (abstract) pleasure of Allah, and these two cannot be
separated. A more apt analogy would be to say that the bride is sought for her beauty; this is not
offensive to the bride, because the beauty cannot be separated from the bride.

As we struggle to acquire knowledge, we keep in mind that Allah T’aala has promise to guide those who
struggle to His pathways. Without His guidance and help, we can never acquire correct knowledge (wala
yuheeton be sheyim min ilmihiilla be ma sha’). Thus we study with the intention that we may be guided
to the ways of Allah.

It is a special duty of this Ummah to do Amr-bil-Maaroof and Nahi-anil-Munkar. We make the intention
to acquire the knowledge necessary to carry out duty. Then our acquisition on knowledge becomes a
part of AmrbilMaaroof.

87:14 But those will prosper who purify themselves,

Knowledge is necessary for this process of self-purification which Allah T’aala asks from us. We make the
intention to acquire the knowledge necessary for this purpose.

2:257 Allah is the Protector of those who have faith: from the depths of darkness He will lead them forth into
light

Knowledge is Noor, and Allah has promised it to those who believe. So we make the intention to
strengthen our Eeman, and to acquire knowledge so as to have this Noor in our Hearts. It is important to
do regular Istighfar, as a way of cleansing our hearts of the blackness of sins, for these will prevent the
acquisition of the Noor of knowledge.

It is important to make muzakara of these intentions from time to time. The value of our actions and
their effects and impacts depend on these intentions. Two men travel to Jeddah on an airplane. One is
planning to go for Umrah, while the second plans to make a business deal in Jeddah. Even though both
are doing the same action, the first is earning the rewards of a journey for Umrah, while for the second
there is no such reward. After landing, the businessmen decides that he will make Umrah while he is
here; from the minute, he makes the intention, he also starts earning the reward. Similarly, our efforts

5
to study the etiquette of Islamic business will be strongly affected by our intentions for this study. So it
will be important to revisit these intentions and renew them in our hearts from time to time.

2.1.2 Avoiding Wrong Intentions

Occasionally we discuss how following the orders of Allah leads to Baraka in forms of profits and
expansion of business. This is very true, but it must not be allowed to contaminate our intentions. The
cow is purchased for the milk, and there is no doubt that the cow-dung will also be present in plentiful
quantities. In addition to having the right intentions, it is very important to avoid making the wrong
intentions. Wrong intentions can completely destroy our deeds, and indeed, cause us great damage in
this world and the next, as shown by the Hadeeth about the Aalim, Generous Man, and the Shaheed.
Some specific wrong intentions which we have been instructed to avoid in the context of acquiring
knowledge are listed below.

It is narrated by Jabir R.A. that the prophet S.A.W. said: Do not seek knowledge to demonstrate your
superiority over the Ulema, or to argue with the ignorant, or to entertain audiences. The Fire is for those
who do this. Hadeeth 43, Muntakhib Ahadeeth, Ilm=o=Zikr

In another Hadeeth it is stated that those who acquire knowledge to attract attention of people towards
themselves, none of their deeds are accepted by Allah.

If knowledge is acquired following the correct etiquette, it induces humility instead of pride. The student
must realize that all knowledge is a gift from Allah, which is given without any merit on part of the
student. It can be taken away anytime by Allah. Unlike Qaroon, who felt that he had earned his wealth
because of his own merit and cleverness, the student knows that Allah has chosen to reveal some of his
knowledge to him, and feels humility and gratitude at this (undeserved) blessing.

Arguments are often carried out to prove one’s superiority in argumentation, and this is a result of
pride. Debates and arguments are to be avoided to the extent possible.

2.2 The Orders of Allah

With one word, Allah SubhanuhuwaT’aala created the entire universe. Thus the orders of Allah are
more precious than the entire universe. Today the disease of Wahn in the hearts of the Muslims have
reduced the value of the orders of Allah in the eyes of Muslims. It has become easy for us to break the
orders of Allah, or to see them being broken, without trembling in fear or sorrow. In fact the Muslim
should prefer that his body be broken rather than seeing the orders of Allah broken. We must retrain
our eyes to value the order of Allah above all things.

2:151 Even as We have sent unto you an apostle from among yourselves to convey unto you Our messages,
and to cause you to grow in purity, and to impart unto you revelation and wisdom, and to teach you that
which you knew not

So Allah T’aala sent the Prophet Mohammad s.a.w. to us for the purpose of teaching us the Deen of
Islam, which we did not know. In other words, it is the order of Allah that we should acquire knowledge
of the Deen. Allah T’aala also states the superiority of those who have knowledge over those who don’t
in many different places in the Quran. For example:

39:9 Say: Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed.

6
There are many Ahadeeth in support of this same message, that we have been ordered by Allah to
acquire the knowledge of the Deen.

It is narrated by Anas R.A. that our Prophet s.a.w. stated that it compulsory for every Muslim to acquire
knowledge (p62, Muntakhib Ahadeeth). In another Hadeeth, it is stated that we should seek knowledge
from the cradle to the grave.

The Prophet s.a.w, who is a perfect model for is asked to pray for more knowledge from Allah:

20:114 High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth! Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to
thee is completed, but say, "O my Lord! advance me in knowledge."

Thus it is the order of Allah to pray for knowledge, and also to struggle to acquire knowledge. Allah
T’aala also commands us to make room in our circles (of learning) for newcomers. This means that we
should seek to expand the circle of those who are learning the pathways towards Allah, and that we
should treat such learners with utmost courtesy and respect:

58:11 O ye who believe! When it is said, Make room! in assemblies, then make room; Allah will make way for
you (hereafter). And when it is said, Come up higher! go up higher; Allah will exalt those who believe among
you, and those who have knowledge, to high ranks. Allah is informed of what ye do

One of the characteristics of the early Muslims was their thirst for knowledge, that was the result of
their absorption of the teachings of Islam. The section of Fazail-e-Amal on how the Muslims were eager
to acquire knowledge provides extensive documentation of this. Historians who look at material causes
for the success of the Muslims have opined that it was this acquisition of knowledge that was one of the
reasons for the rapid rise of the Muslims in worldly power.

2.3 The Sunnah of the Prophet

Regarding “Knowledge,” Hazrat Maulana Mohammad Yousuf Kandhlvi writes in Muntakhib Ahadeeth:

To benefit directly from Allah Subahunuh wa T’aala, we must carry out the orders of Allah in the manner
of the Prophet S.A.W. We seek knowledge to learn how to do this: that is, to learn what Allah T’aala
wants of me in my current condition.

The object of this section is to learn some of the etiquette of teaching and learning on the patterns
showed by Prophet Mohammad S.A.W.

1. Knowledge is one of the greatest blessings of Allah, and we must be thankful to Allah for being given
the opportunity to learn.

4:113 God has bestowed upon thee from on high this divine writ and [given thee] wisdom, and has imparted
unto thee the knowledge of what thou didst not know. And God's favour upon thee is tremendous indeed

This Ayat is addressed to the Prophet Mohammad S.A.W. and explains the tremendous favor of Allah
towards him in giving him knowledge and wisdom. The more we thank Allah for whatever knowledge we
have been given, and for the opportunities to learn more, the more of this blessing we will receive.
Among all the blessings of Allah upon us, this blessing has been called a tremendous blessing by Allah
Himself, and we must be appropriately grateful and appreciate it to receive more.

7
2. We must pray to Allah to increase us in knowledge, recognizing that all knowledge comes from
Allah alone, and He gives it according to His Will.

The Prophet s.a.w, who is a perfect model for is asked to pray for more knowledge from Allah:

20:114 High above all is Allah, the King, the Truth! Be not in haste with the Qur'an before its revelation to
thee is completed, but say, "O my Lord! advance me in knowledge."

Thus, it is the Sunnah of the Prophet to pray for increased knowledge. In making dua to Allah for
increased knowledge, we follow the Sunnah of our Prophet S.A.W.

3. We must have tremendous concern in our hearts that this treasure, the knowledge of the ways of
Allah, should reach all mankind. And we must struggle and strive for this end with all our might.

The extreme degree of concern of the Prophet S.A.W. is conveyed in this verse of the Quran:

18:6 But wouldst thou, perhaps, torment thyself to death with grief over them if they are not willing to believe
in this message?

So understanding the tremendous value of this knowledge, and having this extreme degree of concern
for spreading it to all mankind is the Sunnah of our Prophet Mohammad S.A.W. It is also the Sunnah of
the Prophet S.A.W. to make dua for this purpose. That is, we must make dua for the increase of
knowledge of all other human beings, and especially for those near us, and those under our influence:

Hazrat Ibne-Abbas narrates that the Prophet S.A.W. embraced me and made dua for that O Allah, give
him the knowledge of the Book. (Quran)—Hadeeth 9, Ilm-o-Zikr- Muntakhib Ahadeeth

4. We must give tremendous importance and value to those who seek to learn the ways towards Allah.

Making room for newcomers in our circles for learning is so important that Allah T’aala has specifically
ordered this in (58:11) cited earlier. This shows the importance of treating students with courtesy and
respect. A Hadeeth offers a similar message:

Hazrat Ibne Abbas narrates that the Prophet S.A.W. stated that: Teach people, and treat them with ease,
and not with hardship. Hadeeth 18, Ilm-o-Zikr, Muntakhib Ahadeeth.

The Hadeeth that people are like mines of silver and gold (Hadeeth 16, Muntakhib Ahadeeth, Ilm-o-Zikr)
also points to the tremendous hidden potential within people, which can be developed by imparting to
them the knowledge of Islam.

The story of how happy the Prophet S.A.W. when the Jewish boy accepted Islam just before dying is in
the Hikayat. Similarly, how sad the prophet was at the Janazah of a Jew, because he had not accepted
Islam is well known. This shows how the Prophet s.a.w. valued each individual student of Islam, was
happy when they learned and advanced in knowledge, and was sad when they failed to do this.

5. We must have the intention of acting upon the knowledge which is learned.

One of the five questions on the day of Judgment will be about the extent to which we acted on what
we knew.

8
It is narrated by Jabir R.A. that the Prophet S.A.W. stated that Knowledge is of two kinds. One which
enters the hearts, and that is the useful knowledge. The other is only on the tongue (without action or
sincerety) and that is argument of Allah against the son of Adam A.S. Hadeeth 6 in Muntakhib Ahadeeth
Ilmo-Zikr.

The condition of the listener who is sitting with the intention to act on his knowledge is different from
the one who is just listening passively. This is illustrated by the Hadeeth where the Prophet S.A.W.
described how if we provide food for Iftar, we earn the Sawab of the Fast, without anything being taken
away from the one who is fasting. The Sahabah said that not of all are well-off and capable of providing
a full meal for Iftar. This statement (or question) arises ONLY when the audience is thinking about HOW
they will carry out the action being asked for by the Prophet. Immediately, they see a difficulty and ask
the Prophet about how to resolve this difficulty. The Prophet S.A.W. resolved the difficulty by indicating
that the Sawab did not depend upon providing a full meal, but even a single date or a piece of a date
would suffice. The point here is that thinking about how to fulfill the commands of Allah changes the
quality with which listening is done. To one who was listening without thinking about action, the
question would not arise.

6. We must be eager and enthusiastic to learn, and continue this pursuit for all our life.

It is narrated by Abu-Saeed Khudri R.A. the the Prophet S.A.W. stated that: the Believer is never sated
(with learning of knowledge). He keeps listening and learning (until death) until he enters Paradise.
Hadeeth 12, in Ilm-o-Zikr Muntakhib Ahadeeth

The Quran teaches us to worship our Lord until Death comes to us: (Hatta Ya’tiakul Yaqeen). In Hadeeth,
it is stated that we should seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave. . In another Hadeeth, the
prophet advised a Sahabi who said he is a believer is told to hold fast to this condition until death.

In order to achieve this goal, it is necessary to have and understanding of the rewards for the pursuit of
knowledge. Because man is by nature greedy, contemplating these rewards makes him eager to pursue,
and makes the difficulties in the path easy to bear.

2.4 Knowledge which Enters the Heart

The value of our deeds depends on the feelings in our heart. These feelings can be increased by learning
about the virtues of the deeds – this is how the Quran and Hadeeth encourage the performance of good
deeds, and also the method of Tagbleegh. This is why it very important to be knowledgeable and aware
of the consequences and virtues of good deeds. As the Quran states, it is only the condition of the heart
that Allah T’aala looks at:

22:37 Their flesh and their blood reach not Allah, it is only your God-consciousness that reaches Him.

Another ayat (Maidah 83) states that tears flow from the eyes of those who recognize the truth from
their Lord. Similarly a Hadeeth cited in the previous section states that useful knowledge is that which
enters the heart. Different conditions of the heart lead to different rewards for the same action.

One person who is fasting feels pangs of hunger and thirst, and weakness. He puts up with this with
patience, contemplating the rewards he is earning. The second person feels delight and pleasure at
these difficulties, because these are for the sake of Allah. Both are good and acceptable feelings of the
heart, but the second one is much more precious and rewarding. While most people pray to be

9
protected from the enemies of Islam, the Sahabah prayed to receive the Shahadat. One of the Sahabah
prayed that his ears and nose should be cut off so that he would have something to show for his ove of
Allah on the day of Judgment. When facing death by being thrown into a vat of boiling oil, one Sahabi
began to cry that he had only one life to sacrifice for the sake of Allah. He wished that he had as many as
the hairs on his head, so that all of them could be sacrificed for the sake of Allah. It is these feelings of
the heart which magnify the value of deeds many times.

One way to acquire these feelings is to contemplate the rewards for the actions that we perform. This is
why there are many Ahadeeth which detail the rewards and promise these rewards for the good deeds.
These encouragements are used to transform the feelings in our hearts from base desires towards
higher desires.

`Uqbah ibn `Aamir radiyal-laahu `anhu said that rasoolullaah sallal-laahu `alayhi wa sallam came to us
while we were on the suffah. He asked us, "Who would like to go to Buthaan or `Aqeeq every morning
and come back with two she-camels with fat humps without sinning and without being unkind to
relatives?" We said, "We would all like that, O rasoolullaah!" He said, "Then why don't you go to the
masjid in the morning and learn or teach two aayaat from Allah ta`aalaa's book? To learn or teach two
aayaat is better than two she camels, three is better than three, and four is better than four, and that
many camels.

Note the method used by the Prophet S.A.W. used to teach the virtues of knowledge. First he refers to a
feeling which is familiar to the Arabs in the audience, namely their love of camels. Next he invites the
Sahaba to convert this love to the love of knowledge. The Prophet S.A.W. differentiated between
knowledge on the tongue and the knowledge which enters the heart. The Sahabah had learnt to sit with
the intention of acting upon the knowledge. This Hadeeth has entered the heart when the pleasure one
derives from getting the camel as a gift is less than the pleasure derived from the opportunity to recite
an ayat of the Quran. To translate to a contemporary setting, contemplate our own happiness if we
receive the gift of a car from some wealthy relative or friend. If we derive even greater pleasure from
the recitation of the Quran, then the knowledge of this Hadeeth has entered our hearts.

There is a tremendous amount of material in the Quran and Hadeeth related to the virtues of
knowledge. All of this material is to motivate us to be enthusiastic in our acquisition of knowledge.

2:31 And He taught Adam all the names …

2:34 And when We said unto the angels: Prostrate yourselves before Adam, they fell prostrate, all save Iblis.
He demurred through pride, and so became a disbeliever.

Allah T’aala created Adam A.S. and gave him knowledge, which was one of the reasons for his
superiority to the angels. It was to acknowledge this superiority that the angels were ordered to
prostrate before Adam. It was the refusal to acknowledge this superiority that led to the rebellion of
Iblees. So knowledge is one reason why human beings are superior to angels.

Similarly, the Prophet Mohammad S.A.W. stated that the superiority of the person with knowledge over
the worshipper is like the superiority of the Prophet himself over an ordinary Sahabi. (Hadeeth 30,
Muntakhib Ahadeeth Ilmo Zikr).

Similarly, it is stated that Allah T’aala makes the path to Jannah easy for the seeker of knowledge. The
angels spread their wing in his honor. All the creature on Earth and the fishes in the sea seek forgiveness
10
for this seeker of knowledge. The superiority of the Alim over the Abid is like the superiority of the moon
of the fourteenth over the stars. The Prophets do not leave behind material wealth and possessions, but
their knowledge; whosoever learns the knowledge of Deen, inherits the treasure of the Prophets.
Hadeeth 25, Muntakhib Ahadeeth, Ilm o Zikr.

2.5 Making Efforts to Acquire Knowledge

Struggle and sacrifice are also required to acquire knowledge.

29:69 And those who strive in Our (cause),- We will certainly guide them to our Paths: For verily Allah is
with those who do right.

This makes clear that guidance is contingent on our efforts and struggles. Knowledge is generated in the
process of this struggle.

73:5 For We shall charge thee with a word of weight

Mufti Shafi writes that this Ayat points to the necessity of Tahajjud as a means of getting accustomed to
hardship. There are many testimonials to the hard work of the Prophet in the night; his feet would swell
up from his extended standing in prayer, and a sound like a boiling pot would come from his chest.
There are equally strong testimonials to his hard work in the daytime. When the Amr of Tableegh was
given to the Prophet, it is narrated that he said that my days of rest are over.

Hikayatus Sahaba lists many stories of the Sahabah and the hardships they endured for the sake of
knowledge. A person travelled from Damascus to Medina for the sake of learning a single Hadeeth from
Abu Darda R.A. Aboo Hurayrah radiyal-laahu `anhu was one of the Ashabus Suffa. He would sometimes
go without food for days together and sometimes would fall down like a lunatic, due to excessive
hunger, as we have already seen in Chapter III. In spite of such difficulties, he was all the time occupied
in memorizing the sayings of rasoolullaah sallal-laahu `alayhi wa sallam. Similarly, many stories of the
Tab’een and followers and their struggles and efforts to acquire knowledge are listed in the Fazail Amal.

In connection with struggle, it is very important to note that Allah T’aala loves those efforts which are
sustained in the long run.

2:185 Allah desireth for you ease; He desireth not hardship for you;

Moderation and balance are required in our struggles. Effort and sacrifice which is more than one can
bear in the long run are disliked. [Riyazus Saliheen, Jild 1, Bab 14, Hadeeth 142.] Some Sahaba decided
to do excessive sacrifices – one would pray all night, one would fast every day, while a third would
completely abstain from women. The prophet s.a.w. forbade them.

In exercise, the principle is that if it is too easy, then there is no gain. If it is too difficult, then there is a
loss to health. But at the right level, it builds strength. This same idea applies to moderation in our
efforts, which is the title of Chapter 14 in Riyazus Saliheen.

“Religion is very easy and whoever overburdens himself in his religion, will not be able to continue in
that way. So you should not be extremists, but try to be near to perfection and receive good tidings that
you will be rewarded; and gain strength by offering the Salat (prayers) in the mornings, afternoons and
during the last hours of the night.” (on the authority of the Allah’s Messenger – SAW – narrated by Abu
Hurairah in Sahih Al-Bukhari).
11
 Aisha (RA) narrated that once the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) came while a woman was sitting with me.
He (SAW) said, "Who is this woman?" I replied, "She is so and so," and told him about her excessive
praying. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) then said disapprovingly, "Do (good) deeds which is within your
capacity (without being over-burdened) because Allah does not get tired (of giving rewards) but (surely)
you will get tired, and the best deed (act of Worship) in the sight of Allah is that which is done
regularly." (Narrated by Aisha - RA- in Sahih Al-Bukhari, 1/2/ 41)/

APPENDIX:
The issue discussed in Section 1.3 about purity of intentions related to the Maqasid-ul-Shari’ah.
It is rather subtle, and often misunderstood. The Shar’iah consists of the orders of Allah. What is
the purpose of these orders? Knowing the purpose allows us to adapt the form of the order to
different situations without abandoning the purpose. It is very important to note that one must
tread very carefully in this area. Claiming the X is the purpose of Allah, when it is not, is to
ascribe to Allah what he has not said/commanded – a great sin.

Because the argument I am making is subtle, I will give many examples to illustrate and clarify
the point I am trying to make. There are many cases where it would be easy to make a mistake
about the purpose of God.

Example 1: Allah T’aala orders Ibraheem a.s. to sacrifice his son Ismail.

One apparent purpose of this order is to achieve the death of Ismail. Actual Purpose (among
others): To test the obedience of Ibraheem in a difficult situation.

How do we know this? Because Allah T’aala declared Ibraheem successful, even though Ismail
a.s. did not die.

Example 2: Allah T’aala orders the Anbiya to preach to their nations/tribes/cities.

The apparent purpose is that all people should receive the guidance from God.

The actual purpose is the training of the Anbiya as models for humanity, deliverance of guidance
to those whom God choses, and the fulfillment of the Hujjah of Allah on the rest. How do we
know this? Because Anbiya will be considered successful even if they did not succeed in
converting a single person in their Ummah. The other purposes are explicitly mentioned in other
places.

Example 3: Jihad, or actual battle against enemies of Muslims and Islam, is mandatory on
Muslims under certain circumstances. However, its seems quite clear that the objective of this
command is not victory against the enemy. Rather it is to test the willingness of Muslims to give
everything, including life, for the sake of Allah. There are many reasons why this seems clear.
Many Sahabah went into battle with a desire to be Shaheed. One of the characteristics of the
believers is the desire to die for the sake of Allah. Now becoming shaheed is not quite consistent
with obtaining victory. As General Patton observed, “one does not win a war by dying for ones
country, one wins by making the other fellow die for his.” In the story of Ashab-e-Ukhdood, the

12
believers were all burned up in the fire – they were not victorious against the unbelievers. They
were nonetheless successful.

Example 4: 36:47 (Asad) Thus, when they are told, “Spend on others out of what God has
provided for you as sustenance,” those who are bent on denying the truth say unto those who
believe, “Shall we feed anyone whom, if [your] God had so willed, He could have fed [Himself]?
Clearly, you are but lost in error!”

36:47 (Y. Ali) And when they are told, "Spend ye of (the bounties) with which Allah has provided
you," the Unbelievers say to those who believe: "Shall we then feed those whom, if Allah had so
willed, He would have fed, (Himself)?- Ye are in nothing but manifest error."

Here again, Allah T’aala can obviously feed the poor Himself. The manifest error of the Kuffar
lies in mistaking the purpose of the order of Allah. This is not the feeding of the poor, but the
purification of the heart achieved by spending wealth – which decreases love of wealth for one
thing. Obedience to Allah over obedience to the desires of the heart is another purpose of this
command.

Example 5: Here we give two examples from ordinary life to illustrate how easy it is to mistake
the purpose of an act, and to make errors because we mistake the purpose.

JOGGING: Suppose some person (Bakr) is jogging down the street. Another person (Zaid) rides
by on a car and notices that the person is jogging, so he says: “You seem to be in a hurry. Let me
give you a lift to wherever you want to go!” Zaid thinks that the purpose of Bakr’s jogging is to
get to some place in a hurry, so he offers to help him fulfill his objective by getting him there
faster. What will Bakr say? Bakr might say that I am jogging because the doctor has told me that
I must exercise every day to avoid heart attack. Riding in a car will defeat the purpose.

ISOMETRIC EXERCISE: This type of exercise is done without any motion. Stand near the wall,
place both hands on the wall and push as hard as you can. Now the physiotherapist Zaid tells
Bakr to do this exercise every day, but does not tell him why. Bakr gets the mistaken idea that
the goal of pushing the wall is to move the wall. Day after day, he tries very hard, but he notices
that the wall does not move even one centimeter as a result of his pushing. Finally, he gets
discouraged and gives up. He tells Zaid that I followed your instructions, and worked as hard as
was possible for me, but the wall did not move at all. Zaid will say that the object of the
exercise was to strengthen your muscles, not to move the wall.

To summarize, success lies in obedience to the order of God. It does not depend on the outcome.

APPENDIX: Orders of Allah apply equally to Men and Women:

33:35 (Asad) VERILY, for all men and women who have sur-rendered themselves unto God, and all believing men and
believing women, and all truly devout men and truly devout women, and all men and women who are true to their word,
and all men and women who are patient in adversity, and all men and women who humble themselves [before God], and
all men and women who give in charity, and all self-denying men and self-denying women, and all men and women who
are mindful of their chastity, and all men and women who remember God unceasingly: for [all of] them has God readied
forgiveness of sins and a mighty reward.

13