:salam2:
Just finished listening to Shk Saeed's khutbah from the other thread, and mashaAllaah what a thought provoking khutbah that was. I had to listen to it twice to squeeze more benefit from it.
Before it was finished, I was struck by this powerful thought: those who speak without knowledge cause more harm than any of us imagine. I am going to make a list of the evil consequences of speaking without knowledge when it comes to matters of religion:
1. If an individual were to say what is incorrect, they would subject themselves to the wrath of Allaah.
2. If a person were to say something incorrect, and someone were to hear it and pass it on, that person would now be credited with two sins. Lets say this goes on for centuries, and is eventually written in a book. Do they realize how much sin they will receive? Allaah says:
"But they will surely carry their [own] burdens and [other] burdens along with their burdens, and they will surely be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about what they used to invent."
3. When the one who lacks knowledge speaks out, people start asking questions. What happens then? The scholars are flooded with the same question: "is this Halaal? But so and so said it is halaal!?" Now you have muslims all over the world confused over the legality of issues that are clear cut! (ie. interest!) And when this "fatwah" comes from someone who may have had some credibility or is in a position of leadership, it becomes even harder for the scholars to justify why that person said what they said.
4. This is the final and most important of points, and the one that lead me to put this post up. I have to be very careful with the wording here..
Rather than speaking of things that are so beautiful in Islaam, the harsh issues and the issues of bida3 and haraam are discussed and splashed on every front page. What kind of impression does that give?
To illustrate the fourth point: An uneducated individual gets on the news and says stoning of the adulterer is not part of Islaam. The knowledgeable scholars respond with a great deal of flawless evidence. The weak among us continue to discuss this issue and bring more spotlight to it than is necessary. The scholars work harder now to make those who are weak understand why such a ruling is in place, and what it requires to be carried. And so on.
What has just happened? A big mess. Rather than the scholars focusing on spreading how family is important in Islaam, how Muslims are the best when it comes to dealing with others, how Islaam teaches us to respect everyone and everything, how the Prophet Muhammad (SAAWS) was the greatest mercy to mankind, how the Prophet Muhammad (SAAWS) treated children, how Islaam promises great reward to those who help the ones in need, how Islaam praises the one who raises orphans, etc etc etc. This list can go on for a long time. But you get my point I hope.
Do you understand the frustrations we face? The amount of harm that is caused by uttering a single word about this religion without knowledge cannot be quantified. SubhanaAllaah it is astounding. And what happens in the end? People look at Islaam and say, "what kind of religion is this, EVERYTHING is haraaam!", "what kind of religion is this, it is SO violent!".
My advise to my muslim brothers and sisters, please, please, I am begging you, do not talk about matters that you have no knowledge of. Do not give those who are "taafih", as the messenger of Allaah (SAAWS) called them, the opportunity to waste your time, and do not dignify anything they say with an answer!
One of the greatest and least applied haadith of our time:
"It is enough lying for a man to speak of everything that he hears."
[Muslim in al-Muqaddimah, 6; Saheeh al-Jaami, 4482]
May Allaah SWT silence those who teach without knowledge, silence those who work to spread misinformation intentionally, and silence those who get in the path of spreading this religion. May Allah SWT educate us and teach us from His infinite knowledge and wisdom, grant us the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and strengthen our faith and understanding of this religion, Al-Islaam.
Ameen!
Just finished listening to Shk Saeed's khutbah from the other thread, and mashaAllaah what a thought provoking khutbah that was. I had to listen to it twice to squeeze more benefit from it.
Before it was finished, I was struck by this powerful thought: those who speak without knowledge cause more harm than any of us imagine. I am going to make a list of the evil consequences of speaking without knowledge when it comes to matters of religion:
1. If an individual were to say what is incorrect, they would subject themselves to the wrath of Allaah.
2. If a person were to say something incorrect, and someone were to hear it and pass it on, that person would now be credited with two sins. Lets say this goes on for centuries, and is eventually written in a book. Do they realize how much sin they will receive? Allaah says:
"But they will surely carry their [own] burdens and [other] burdens along with their burdens, and they will surely be questioned on the Day of Resurrection about what they used to invent."
3. When the one who lacks knowledge speaks out, people start asking questions. What happens then? The scholars are flooded with the same question: "is this Halaal? But so and so said it is halaal!?" Now you have muslims all over the world confused over the legality of issues that are clear cut! (ie. interest!) And when this "fatwah" comes from someone who may have had some credibility or is in a position of leadership, it becomes even harder for the scholars to justify why that person said what they said.
4. This is the final and most important of points, and the one that lead me to put this post up. I have to be very careful with the wording here..
Rather than speaking of things that are so beautiful in Islaam, the harsh issues and the issues of bida3 and haraam are discussed and splashed on every front page. What kind of impression does that give?
To illustrate the fourth point: An uneducated individual gets on the news and says stoning of the adulterer is not part of Islaam. The knowledgeable scholars respond with a great deal of flawless evidence. The weak among us continue to discuss this issue and bring more spotlight to it than is necessary. The scholars work harder now to make those who are weak understand why such a ruling is in place, and what it requires to be carried. And so on.
What has just happened? A big mess. Rather than the scholars focusing on spreading how family is important in Islaam, how Muslims are the best when it comes to dealing with others, how Islaam teaches us to respect everyone and everything, how the Prophet Muhammad (SAAWS) was the greatest mercy to mankind, how the Prophet Muhammad (SAAWS) treated children, how Islaam promises great reward to those who help the ones in need, how Islaam praises the one who raises orphans, etc etc etc. This list can go on for a long time. But you get my point I hope.
Do you understand the frustrations we face? The amount of harm that is caused by uttering a single word about this religion without knowledge cannot be quantified. SubhanaAllaah it is astounding. And what happens in the end? People look at Islaam and say, "what kind of religion is this, EVERYTHING is haraaam!", "what kind of religion is this, it is SO violent!".
My advise to my muslim brothers and sisters, please, please, I am begging you, do not talk about matters that you have no knowledge of. Do not give those who are "taafih", as the messenger of Allaah (SAAWS) called them, the opportunity to waste your time, and do not dignify anything they say with an answer!
One of the greatest and least applied haadith of our time:
"It is enough lying for a man to speak of everything that he hears."
[Muslim in al-Muqaddimah, 6; Saheeh al-Jaami, 4482]
May Allaah SWT silence those who teach without knowledge, silence those who work to spread misinformation intentionally, and silence those who get in the path of spreading this religion. May Allah SWT educate us and teach us from His infinite knowledge and wisdom, grant us the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood, and strengthen our faith and understanding of this religion, Al-Islaam.
Ameen!