Translation: Aboo Aamaal Misbaah Olagunju
The author: Ash-Shaykh, Ad-Daktūr Abdullaah bin Abdul'Azeez Al-Anaqriy says:
All praise is due to Allah the Lord of the Worlds, and may the exaltation of Allah, His peace and His blessings be upon His slave and messenger, our prophet Muhammad, and upon his household and the entirety of his companions,
To proceed : These are indeed Counsels to myself and to my brothers and sisters who are students of knowledge, I beseech Allah by His names and attributes to make it a proof for (and not against) the speaker and the listeners.
The First Counsel (O Student of Knowledge) is
إخلاص العمل لوجه الله تبارك وتعالى
SINCERITY IN DEED TO SEEK THE FACE OF ALLAH FROM WHOM BLESSING IS SOUGHT, THE EXALTED
The meaning of IKHLAAS is cleansing of deeds and refining it from impurities, such that the aim of the doer is nothing but the face (favour) of Allah the glorified.
And the impurities which contaminates deeds are numerous, from them are: seeking after honour and seeking after fame, and these two are the most feared for students of knowledge; and it has came in an hadith that the prophet said:
“the highest number of hypocrites in my ummah are it’s reciters", we seek Allah’s refuge from that.
And from the impurities are: making legislative or religious knowledge into worldly merchandise with which wealth is acquire, and for that reason the statements of the people of knowledge directed towards learners regarding ridding off the objective solely for Allah —the exalted—, are numerous; because religious knowledge is from the best of deeds, moreover some of the people of knowledge considers it to be the best of deeds in generality.
Therefore a slave busying with learning legislative (religious) knowledge, solely seeking Allah’s face —the blessed and exalted—, is a really dignified righteous deed, and it is inheriting the prophets; as it came in an hadith, the prophet —Allah raise his rank and grant him peace— said:
“The prophets did not leave behind dinar or dirham to be inherited, rather they left behind knowledge” – (Sunan Abee Daawud: 3641)
So be aware O student of knowledge, of the enormity of the merchandise you are labouring acquire; for it is a transaction with Allah —the exalted—, and what other trade is better? Then be careful of smearing it with miserable lowly objectives, because the fascination of this world is but trifle, as Allah —the exalted— had clarified, therefore intend the face of Allah with your learning, and wrestle your soul upon purification of intention for Allah —the exalted— (alone).
And the companions —Allah be pleased with them all— used to fear duplicity (in their intention), as mentioned by Ibn Abee Mulaykah:
“I met thirty (30) of the prophet's companions, all of them feared hypocrisy for their souls."
And what was intended by this kind of hypocrisy is: the minor hypocrisy only, it doesn’t imply that they feared becoming hypocrites with major hypocrisy similar to the hypocrisy of Abdullah bin Ubayy bin Saluun and others similar to him amongst the disbelievers, rather what they implied is that they feared for their soul from all these numerous objectives (which sully deeds).
And whenever a student of knowledge arrives at a sitting (expecting) gazes to be turned to him; so people can say: this is a Faqeeh (jurist), this is a Muhadith (scholar of hadith), this is a Daa'ee (preacher), this is a khateeb (sermoner). And it has came in a report, that the prophet —Allah raise his rank and grant him peace— said:
“whoever acquires knowledge to show-off to the foolish or argue with the scholars or to attract people’s attention, Allah will make him enter the fire", or similar to what he said.
And that means knowledge is the reason for people’s attention turned towards the student of knowledge, and their enthusiasm towards him; this is why you will find that the regard given by the Muslims to the student of knowledge is great whenever he arrives at a gathering or when he sees the common Muslims, because they are honouring him and rushing to greet him, and desiring to display their happiness by putting him forward.
And lots of things have entered the mind of the student of knowledge due to that; therefore it is compulsory O brothers to aspire to get delivered from these intents; and I beseech Allah by His names and attributes to designate us upon that which is sincere amongst them.
Then know O brothers that: from the easiest of things to do is speaking about Ikhlaas, however every situation with different concerns, the concern here is that this speech is effective for our condition, if not, speeches on Ikhlaas and warning against Ar-Riyaa (duplicity/show-off) in poetry, publication and sermon are from the easiest of affairs, however different concerns for different situations, the concern is to make it genuinely relevant.
And we turn towards Allah —the exalted— for Him to bestow upon us sincerity and truthfulness along with it —the one from who blessing is sought, the exalted—, and cling on to this great prayer:
“Allahumma inni audhubika an ashraka bika wa anna aalam, was'taghfiruka limaa laa aalam"
“O Allah I seek refuge with you from knowingly associating partners with you, and I ask for your forgiveness in associating partners with you without knowing”
For indeed this is a propthiic prayer instructed by the prophet —Allah raise his rank and grant him peace— to be said, and in it by Allah’s permission is Ikhlaas from minor and major shirk (polytheism)
Al-Wasaayaa Litulaabil Ilm (5-9) — Ash-Shaykh Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul'Azeez Al-‘Anaqriy
