presents
Ilm Intensive Courses
Living Islam:
A commentary on the “book of assistance”
by Imam al-Haddad
Presented by Mln Abdurragmaan Khan
INTRODUCTORY CLASS
• Welcoming
√
• Merits of seeking knowledge
• Knowledge of the inner aspects of worship
• Biography of the author
• Introduction of “The Book of Assistance”
MERITS OF SEEKING KNOWLEDGE
Allah subhanahu wata‘ala says,
• "Say: 'My Lord! increase me in knowledge”
• "Say: 'Are they the same – those who know and those who
do not know?"
• "Allah will raise in rank those of you who believe and those
who have been given knowledge,"
• "Only those of His slaves with knowledge have fear of
Allah."
MERITS OF SEEKING KNOWLEDGE
• Mu'awiya radiyaLlahu anhu stated that RasuluLlah
sallaLlahu alayhi wasallam said, "When Allah desires good
for someone, He gives him correct understanding in the
deen." [Agreed upon]
• Abu Hurayra radiyaLlahu anhu said, "I heard the
RasuluLlah sallaLlahu alayhi wasallam say, 'This world is
cursed, and everything in it is cursed, except for the
remembrance of Allah Almighty and obedience to Him,
and a scholar or a teacher.'" [at-Tirmidhi]
INTRODUCTORY CLASS
• Welcoming
√
• Merits of seeking knowledge
√
• Knowledge of the inner aspects of worship
• Biography of the author
• Introduction of “The Book of Assistance”
KNOWLEDGE OF THE INNER
• Our jurists divided Tahara or cleanliness into two:
cleansing of the body and cleansing of the heart.
• Imam Gazzali said, “knowledge of its definitions/names,
causes and cures is fard ayn and thus compulsory upon
each individual to study”
• All acts of worship have an inner and outer, discussed in
“The Book of Assistance”
INTRODUCTORY CLASS
• Welcoming
√
• Merits of seeking knowledge
√
• Knowledge of the inner aspects of worship
• Biography of the author
• Introduction of “The Book of Assistance”
√
BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Imam AbduLlah
ibnauthor??
Alawi al-Haddad
Who is the
• A sayyid from the Prophetic Household
• A jurist of high rank
• A spiritual master
• Compiler of the famous Ratib al-Haddad
INTRODUCTORY CLASS
• Welcoming
√
• Merits of seeking knowledge
√
• Knowledge of the inner aspects of worship
• Biography of the author
√
• Introduction of “The Book of Assistance”
√
The Book of Assistance - Introduction
• Imam al-Haddad’s objective and similarly ours.
In his own words, “I was moved to write it by the wish to obey
the command of Allah and that of His Prophet sallaLlahu
alayhi wasallam, and the desire for that which has been
truthfully promised to those who give guiding directions,
invite to goodness and spread knowledge.”
The Book of Assistance - Introduction
ِ ‫ون ِِبلْ َم ْع ُر‬
‫ون‬
َ ‫وف َويَ ْْنَ ْو َن َع ِن إلْ ُم ْن َك ِر َو ُأولَ ِِ ََ ُ ُُ إلْ ُم ْف ِل ُح‬
َ ‫ون إ ََل إلْ َخ ْ ِْي َويَأْ ُم ُر‬
َ ‫َولْ َت ُك ْن ِمنْ ُ ُْك ُأ َّم ٌة ي َ ْد ُع‬
ِ
Let there be a community among you who call to the good, and enjoin
the right, and forbid the wrong. They are the ones who have success.
[3:104]
ِ َّ ‫إَّلل عَ ََل ب َ ِص َْي ٍة َأَنَ َو َم ِن إت َّ َب َع ِِن َو ُس ْب َح َان‬
ِ َّ ‫قُ ْل َه ِذ ِه َس ِب ِيِل َأ ْد ُعو إ ََل‬
‫ْش ِك َي‬
ِ ْ ‫إَّلل َو َما َأَنَ ِم َن إلْ ُم‬
ِ
Say: ‘This is my way. I call to Allah with inner sight, I and all who follow
me. Glory be to Allah! I am not one of the idolaters!’ [12:108]
Introduction - Objective behind authorship
‫« َم ْن َدعَا إ ََل هُدً ى ََك َن َ َُل ِم َن إ َأل ْج ِر ِمثْ ُل ُأ ُج ِور َم ْن تَ ِب َع ُه َال ي َ ْن ُق ُص َذ ِ َِل ِم ْن ُأ ُج ِور ِ ُْ َشيْئًا َو َم ْن َدعَا إ ََل‬
ِ
ِ
»‫ضَ َال َ ٍَل ََك َن عَلَ ْي ِه ِم َن إال ْ ِْث ِمثْ ُل أ ََث ِم َم ْن تَ ِب َع ُه َال ي َ ْن ُق ُص َذ ِ َِل ِم ْن أ ََث ِمِ ِْ ْ َشيْئًا‬
ِ
If anyone calls others to follow right guidance, his reward will
be equivalent to those who follow him (in righteousness)
without their reward being diminished in any respect, and if
anyone invites others to follow error, the sin, will be
equivalent to that of the people who follow him (in
sinfulness) without their sins being diminished in any respect
Introduction - Objective behind authorship
Hen then says, “I seek Allah’s forgiveness and do not claim
that my intention in writing this treatise is confined to these
good religious purposes; how may I do so when I am aware of
the hidden desires, egotistic passions and worldly wishes that
I harbour.
“I do not claim innocence for my self; the self / ego is indeed
an inciter to evil, save when my Lord shows mercy”
The ego is an enemy that should never be trusted
Introduction
-
“You must do”
I have begun each chapter in this treatise by saying, “You
must do …” this being addressed particularly to my own self,
my brother who was the cause for writing this treatise and
generally to every Muslim who reads it. This expression has
an effect on the heart of those who it is addressed to, and I
hope that, having used it, I will escape the reproaches and
threats directed against those who say but do not do, and
who know but do not act …
Introduction
-
“You must do”
… for if I address myself saying, “You must do this” this
indicates that the thing has not yet become a reality through
my practicing of what I know, and that I am still at the stage of
prompting myself to practice what I preach. In this manner, I
will neither be deceiving the believers nor forgetting myself,
for this is how Allah has described those who have no
understanding: “Do you exhort people to goodness and forget
yourselves, and you recite the Book?
understanding?”
Have you no
Introduction
-
The name
Imam Haddad thus names the book:
‫رساَل إملعاونة وإملؤإزرة ملريدي ساليك طريق إألخرة‬
The Book of Assistance, Support and Encouragement for
Such Believers as Desire to Follow the Way of the Afterlife
INTRODUCTORY CLASS
• Welcoming
√
• Merits of seeking knowledge
√
• Knowledge of the inner aspects of worship
• Biography of the author
√
√
• Introduction of “The Book of Assistance”
√
Abu Hurayrah radiyaLlahu anhu reported that
RasuluLlah sallaLlahu alayhi wasallam said,
"Anyone who calls others to guidance will have
the same reward as those who follow him,
without that decreasing their reward in any
way." [Muslim]