Question:
I used to study in Yemen for the duration of...
Obtaining knowledge while having a corrupt niyyah
Question 356:
Narrated Abu Hurairah that the Messenger of Allah (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam ) said:
“Whoever takes a path upon which to obtain knowledge, Allah makes the path to Paradise easy for him.”
حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ غَيْلاَنَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ مَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَلْتَمِسُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ ” . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ .
How do we understand this hadeeth with the fact that scholars and students alike have deviated while they took a path to seek knowledge ?
Would it be because they had a corrupt niyyah so they became exposed and led astray ?
Answer :
Any act that takes a person to the Jannah, it will take him to Jannah only if he does that for the sake of Allah, and if he is truthful to Allah in that. If he does that for showing off to others, or if he does that with hypocrisy, or for sake of world then that doesn’t benefit him.
Answered by : Shaykh Abu Bilal Al Hadhrami
Translated the summary of the Answer by : AbdunNoor Al Hindi
Translator’s note :
A beautiful story that shows the pleasant result of being truthful to Allah.
It was narrated from Shaddad bin AI-Had that a man from among the Bedouins came to the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and believed in him and followed him, then he said: “I will emigrate with you.” The Prophet(Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) told one of his Companions to look after him.
During one battle the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) got some prisoners as spoils of war, and he distributed them, giving him (that Bedouin) a share. His Companions gave him what had been allocated to him. He had been looking after some livestock for them, and when he came they gave him his share. He said: “What is this?” They said: “A share that the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) has allocated to you.” He took it and brought it to the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) and said: “What is this?” He said: “I allocated it to you.” He said: “It is not for this that I followed you. Rather I followed you so that I might be shot here – and he pointed to his throat – with an arrow and die and enter Paradise.” He said: “If you are sincere towards Allah, Allah will fulfill your wish.”
Shortly after that they got up to fight the enemy,then he was brought to the Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam); he had been shot by an arrow in the place he had pointed to. The Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Is it him?” They said: “Yes.” He said: “He was sincere towards Allah and Allah fulfilled his wish.” Then the Prophet(Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) shrouded him in his own cloak and put him in front of him and offered the (funeral) prayer for him. During his supplication he said:
“O Allah, this is Your slave who went out as a emigrant (Muhajir) for Your sake and was killed as a martyr; I am a witness to that.”
An-Nasaii – 1955, Shaykh Al Albani graded this as Sahih.
Related Fatāwa
Question:
In some of the Muslim countries make it binding upon...
An Advice from our Shaykh Muhammad Hizaam al-Ba’daani (حفظه الله) on the...