Shaykh Uthman Dan Fodio:
From his Tariq`al Jannah
(Path of
Paradise)
"I
say and success is from Allah, my brothers first it is obligatory
upon you to seek knowledge. This is due to the fact that all things
are dependent upon knowledge. Realize that knowledge (
al-`ilm) and
worship (
al-`ibāda) are two essential fundamentals. It is due to
knowledge and worship that the heavenly books were revealed and the
Messengers were sent. Therefore, it is incumbent upon the servant to
possess some share of each of these two important matters. However,
sound worship (
al`ibāda) can never occur except by means of
knowledge (
al-`ilm).
It is for this reason that it is necessary to give
beneficial knowledge (
al-`ilm an-nāfi`) preference over worship.
After this you must know that anyone who seeks knowledge in order to
turn the faces of people towards him, then his trade has become
unprofitable. Therefore, purify your hearts from hatred (
ghillin),
envy (
hasad), pride (
kibr), showing-off (
riya‘), conceit (
`ujub), and
love for this world (
hubb ad-dunya); this is in order that you can
truly gain beneficial knowledge.
O brothers - Verily the knowledge which is obligatory upon
every Muslim to seek after are three:
[1] the science of divine unity
(
`ilm at tawhīd);
[2] the science of the law (
`ilm ash-shari`a); and
[3] the science of secrets (
`ilm as-sirr).
What we mean by
the science of secrets are those sciences which relate to the heart
and its spiritual endeavors. We will, if Allah desires, clarify what
is obligatory to know from each of these sciences.
The obligations which are incumbent upon you from the science
of tawhīd is to know as much as is necessary to help you understand
the foundations of the deen (
usūl ad-dīn). However, the knowledge
of the branches of tawhīd and its minute details are not obligatory
upon you to know.
The obligations which are required for you to perform are thus
incumbent upon you to know. This is in order that you may accomplish
them properly. These obligations include purification (
tahāra),
fasting (
sawm), and prayer (
salāt). As for as pilgrimage (
hajj),
the poor-due (
zakāt), and struggle (
jihād) are concerned - these sciences are only
incumbent upon you to know at the time they become obligatory for you
to perform. Again, this is in order to accomplish them properly.
However, when they are not obligatory upon you to perform, then
knowing them is also not obligatory.
The knowledges which are obligatory upon you to know from the science
of secrets are those knowledges which are obligatory (
wajab) upon the
heart and those which are forbidden (
nuhiya) for it - in order to
acquire esteem for Allah, sincerity, sound intention, and the
soundness of action. In general, it is this knowledge which will be
discussed in this abridged book.
This is the delineation of what is incumbent upon the servant to
acquire from knowledge. There are many who can aquire all that is
obligatory upon them from knowledge in a short time, while others
continuously waver in that for more than seventy years.
So realize
that the whole matter of seeking knowledge is
in the hands of Allah
`izza wa jalla.
[Reference: tariqulislam and Saifulhaqq group]
vs.1.1
from: Sat, Oct 16, 2004
upd.: Sun, Sep 4, 2005
