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Tags: Islam, History, Lang:en
Summary
Amazing points of Islamic guidance are laid out in this
brief study of a beautiful Chapter of the Quran: Soorah
al-'Ankaboot, by by Shaykh Saalih ibn 'Abdil-'Azeez Aal Shaykh
(may Allah preserve him). Translation and notes by Moosaa
Richardson. The topics covered in this book include: Translator's Foreword
Shaykh Saalih Aal Shaykh said: "...Another kind of fitnah is when the people have knowledge
and the society knows what is correct, but they do not act
according to their knowledge. An ignorant man can be taught.
Yet, when knowledge has spread in a society and people know the
legislated limits [of Allah] and they have some insight, and
yet they still contradict what they know, is that not a
fitnah?!
And [remember the destruction of] ‘Aad and
Thamood! That has been made clear to you, from [consideration
of] their [ruined] places of residence [how they were
destroyed]. The Devil beautified their actions for them and
kept them away from the Path, whilst they were people of
insight. (29:38) The Devil beautified their actions for them, and then kept
them away from the Path, whilst they were people of insight!
Were they ignorant? No! Were they deficient in some of their
knowledge? No! They had knowledge, but the Devil beautified
their actions for them, and thus he kept them away from the
Path! All of this while they had good insight and clear
vision. This is a tremendous fitnah, that a man has knowledge but he
obeys the Devil instead, leaving behind the knowledge that he
has received from his Lord, the Mighty and Majestic, and from
His Messenger (may Allah raise his rank and grant him
peace)..." Moosaa Richardson, the translator, adds the following advice
in his footnotes to the text: "We suffer from this greatly in the West, and to Allah is
our complaint and our plea for help against our own selves!
Often, the real problem a person struggles with is not his
ignorance of correct Islamic beliefs and practice. The problem
is so commonly his lack of application of what he knows. It is
perhaps the result of information overload, when knowledge is
available in abundance, so much that it overwhelms a person,
and then he spends his life collecting and passing on knowledge
without practicing it! We need to be reminded that knowledge
without practice is like a tree without fruits. It was the way
of those who have earned Allah's Anger, and we seek refuge with
Allah from this evil path every time we read Soorah
al-Faatihah! We need to be reminded that the Quran will be a proof for or
against us on the Day of Judgment. (Saheeh Muslim, no.223) It
is a proof in our favor when we learn and implement it, yet a
proof against us if we contradict what we know of it! We need to be reminded that our feet will remain in their
places on the Day of Judgment, and we shall not budge, until we
are asked a number of questions. We will be asked about our
knowledge and what we have done with it! (Jaami' at-Tirmidhee,
no.2417) We need to be reminded that our Prophet (may Allah raise his
rank and grant him peace) used to seek refuge with Allah from
knowledge without benefit! (Saheeh Muslim, no.2722)" **
The Overall Theme of Soorah al-'Ankaboot
Life is But a Series of Trials
The Fitnah of Disbelieving Parents
The Fitnah of Being in the Minority
The Fitnah of Seeing Disbelievers Live Long, Prosperous Lives
The Fitnah of Passions and Desires
The Fitnah of Disobedience Upon Knowledge
The Fitnah of Argumentation
The Fitnah of Materialism
The Fitnah of Safety and Security
Knowledge has not been a blessing for them, rather it has only
been a fitnah. Allah, the Mighty and Exalted, mentions that the
tribes of ‘Aad and Thamood were people of knowledge. They
knew and had insight. Yet, with all of that, they rebelled and
disobeyed. Allah, the Exalted, has said: