[1] I say to anyone who wishes to have the gates of knowledge{1} opened for him, \ and be outstanding in comprehension:

Comments:

{1} “Knowledge” in this context refers to knowledge of Islaam, and that revolves around the Qur’aan, the Sunnah, and correctly understanding the teachings of the Qur’aan and Sunnah pertaining to beliefs, words, and deeds. (Fath al-Baaree 1/141, Kutub wa Rasaa’il ‘Abdil-Muhsin 5/21).

[2] You must observe taqwaa of Allaah{1} and adhere to the teachings of His Messenger (may Allaah mention Him with commendation and grant him protection), \ and you must remain far away from people of notoriety and turmoil.

Comments:

{1} “Observe taqwaa of Allaah” means protect oneself from Allaah’s punishment by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions. (Jaami‘ al-‘Uloom wal-Hikam 1/398).

[3] You must ensure that the path you follow is the one traversed by the foremost generations of Islaam{1}, \ and you must avoid what those who came later on{2} invented and then claimed to be part of the religion.{3}

Comments:

{1} “Foremost generations of Islaam” are called “Salaf” in Arabic and they are considered the best of people since the Prophet (may Allaah mention him with commendation and grant him protection) said, “The best of people are my generation, then those who follow them, then those who follow them.” (Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, no. 2652; Saheeh Muslim, no. 2533).

{2} “Those who came later on” are called “Khalaf” in Arabic and, in this context, they refer to the people who came after the Salaf and contravened their course. (at-Tuhfah al-Mahdiyyah 1/26; as-Sifaat al-Ilaahiyyah, pg. 215, 219).

{3} “Invented and then claimed to be part of the religion” includes all beliefs, statements, and actions that have no legitimate basis in Islaam’s teachings, but are alleged to be part of the religion. Such matters are referred to in Arabic as “bid‘ah”. (al-I‘tisaam (1/51; Fath al-Baaree 5/302, 13/254; Jaami‘ al-‘Uloom wal-Hikam 1/177, 2/127-128).

[4] All goodness lies in following the course traversed by the foremost generations of Islaam, \ while all ills lie in adopting what those who came later on invented and then claimed to be part of the religion.

[5] I say to anyone who desires to lead others \ in knowledge, spreading its goodness to all:

[6] You must remain sincere to your Lord and keep your aspirations high. \ When you do that, you will find yourself gifted with aptitude.

[7] The effort required has to come from you, and then the opening of the gates \ comes from your Lord, the All-Acquainted Watcher who bestows profuse blessings.

[8] He promised His guidance to those who struggle in His path, \ as He stated, “We will most certainly guide them,”{1} so seek direction from this.

Comments:

{1} “We will most certainly guide them” is a reference to the meaning of Allaah’s statement in Soorah al-‘Ankaboot (29):69, “And as for those who struggle for Us, We will most certainly guide them to the paths which lead to Us.” Some scholars explained this to mean: as for those who act in compliance with the knowledge they already have, Allaah will guide them to what they do not yet have knowledge of. (Iqtidaa’ al-‘Ilm al-‘Amal, no. 25). Other scholars explained it to mean: as for those who struggle to acquire knowledge of Islaam, Allaah will most certainly guide them to the paths of acting in compliance with that knowledge. (Ma‘aalim at-Tanzeel 6/256). Some scholars also commented that the aayah alludes to the fact that if an individual is diligent in striving to acquire knowledge of Islaam, the guidance and assistance that Allaah would grant him are beyond what he can accomplish based on just his own effort. That guidance and assistance would facilitate acquiring knowledge for him, since seeking knowledge of Islaam is part of struggling in Allaah’s path. (Tayseer al-Kareem ar-Rahmaan, pg. 635).

[9] However, you must also recognize that your efforts alone will be futile \ if they are not brought to completion by the opening of the gates which comes from Allaah.

[10] May Allaah, the Most Generous, have mercy upon anyone who \ devotes himself in a time like this

[11] to seeking the honoured knowledge of Islaam, turning away \ from all distraction, and rejecting the lowly;

[12] remaining diligent, kneeling down as he sits \ before the possessors of guidance, listening attentively,

[13] making note of every point he hears \ which is to his advantage,

[14] and then memorizing what he wrote and revising it \ with his esteemed peers of sound guidance.

[15] That is the person who will have the gates opened for him \ by his Lord, who removes all barriers.

[16] O Allaah, You alone are the One we beseech to bless us \ with knowledge, taqwaa, and Jannah which is the abode of happiness.

[1] My dear one, you must know that \ when it comes to this discipline, it is imperative for you to gain proficiency in it

[2] by regularly attending the gatherings of those who have preserved its knowledge, \ remaining respectful towards them without any disdain;

[3] memorizing, understanding, always observing taqwaa, \ and maintaining humility towards every Muslim;

[4] revising with comprehension along with others of sound guidance, \ and avoiding individuals who are foolish and destructive.

[5] If you find none to revise with, then you must continue \ poring over the statements of the well-versed scholars.

[6] Indeed, anyone who has been blessed to peruse \ their words, with both memorization and comprehension,

[7] shall certainly have the gates opened for him \ by his Lord, who removes all barriers.

[8] O Allaah, we implore You alone to enable us \ to achieve our aspirations in this expansive field.