Reflections • Seeking Knowledge

Two Hundred Word Tidbits

by Shazia Ahmad
February 29, 2012
2 min read

http://www.flickr.com/photos/weaselmcfee/3888410638/sizes/l/in/photostream/A series of beneficial points from various classes each written in two hundred words or less.

Two Hundred Word Tidbits: Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V

The Benefits of Hearing Stories of the Scholars and the Righteous:

  1. To be inspired by others who have struggled to get close to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He). Imam Abu Hanifa radi allahu `anhu (may God be pleased with him) said, “The stories of the scholars are more beloved to me than much of jurisprudential knowledge (fiqh).”
  2. To bring freshness to one’s heart and increase one in faith. Imam Junayd said, “Such a story is like a warrior from the warriors of God; through it, God makes firm and steadfast the hearts of the righteous.”
  3. To help one get in touch with the history and scholarly tradition (hadara) of Islam.
  4. To show adab (proper etiquette) to the great people who came before us whose knowledge, sacrifices, and efforts we benefit from, by mentioning them and praying for them.  Imam ibn Muhammad at-Taymiy said, “It is detestable that you benefit from us but do not ask for mercy on us—in so doing you are stingy.”
  5. To increase in love for the righteous and to be with them in Paradise. A hadith (prophetic narration) teaches that in the hereafter you will be with whom you love, but how can you love whom you don’t know?  Hearing about righteous people helps us to get to know them, increase in love for them, and is, God willing, a means for us to be with them in Paradise.

From a class on Risalat al-Mustarshideen by Imam Suhaib Webb

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About the author

Shazia Ahmad

Shazia Ahmad was born and raised in upstate New York. She graduated from the State University of New York (SUNY) Albany with a Bachelors in Psychology and History. During her time in university, Shazia was involved in the Muslim Students’ Association, community and interfaith work, and a local radio show entitled ‘Window on Islam.’ She has studied with Dr. Mokhtar Maghraoui and is a long time contributor to jannah.org and themadina.com. After graduating, Shazia spent two years in Syria, studying briefly at the University of Damascus and then at Abu Nour University where she completed an Arabic Studies program for foreigners (Ad-Dawraat) and a program in Islamic Studies (Ma’had at-Taheeli). She also studied in a number of private classes and attained her ijazah in Qur’anic recitation from the late Sh. Muhiyudin al-Kurdi (rahimahullah). While in Syria, Shazia composed a blog of her experiences entitled Damascus Dreams. She currently resides in Cairo, Egypt with her husband and one-year old son, and is seeking to further her education through private lessons and study. She currently blogs at Cairo Caprices.

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