You can benefit people unless they become fanatic-Part 3/4

You can benefit people unless they become fanatic-Part 3/4

The advice of Imam Al-Ghazali

Imam Al-Ghazali was a great scholar who lived in the fifth century, and numerous scholars praised him for his knowledge and intelligence. Below is a translation of what he said in Ihya` 'Ulumu-Din. The exact Arabic text is available at the bottom for those who want to read in Arabic. Whatever is written in '[ ]' is a translation and wherever you see '() ' is an emphasis or a clarification. I will have little input and where I do I will close the bracket ']' and start it by writing 'Note'. My notes are minimum in-order to avoid prolonging this part. However, in the last part 4/4 coming up next, I will give some advice relating to the cure of fanaticism.

Book: Ihya` 'Ulumu-Din-The Book of Knowledge- End of Section 3)
Imam Al-Ghazali said:

[As to theology ('Ilmul-Kalam), it is solely designed to safeguard the articles of faith which are conveyed by Ahlusunnah among the righteous Salaf. Anything beyond this would be an attempt to reveal the truth of things in other than its proper way. The aim is to preserve the Sunnah (i.e the way of Allah's messenger) through a concise and summarized creed. This is equivalent to the contents of the book on the article of faith we have stated in this book. The moderate degree would equal about a hundred pages represented in the contents of our work, al-iqtisad fil-`I'tiqaad, and it is indispensable, in debating innovators and answering their innovation with what will remove and destroy their influence from the heart of laymen. This will benefit laymen only before their fanaticism becomes extream. But, once the innovator had learned to debate, even if it's little, then talking to him is of little benefit. Because even if you silence him in arguments, he would not relinquish his idea but would protest his inability to argue, asserting that others (knowledgeable once) can (refute and) answer you, but he himself is incapable of it because you are confusing him by the strength of your debating (skills).

Furthermore, when the laymen have been diverted from the truth through some kind of an argument, it is quite possible to bring them back through similar arguments, if their fanaticism for what they desire isn't strong. But, if Fanaticism becomes rooted in their hearts their redemption becomes hopeless because fanaticism fastens believes deeply in oneself. And, This is one of the damages of bad scholars, for they exaggerate in their fanaticism for the truth, and they look to those who oppose them in belittlement and disdain. This encourages their opponents to respond and to seek victory through false pretense. As a result, their interest in holding fast to their position is thereby strengthened.]

Note: This is a very powerful statement from Imam Alghazali, that is when those opposing you resort to fabricating things about you, it will further strengthen you to hold to your position, regardless if its' right or wrong, and your affiliation to a movement (or a particular shaykh) will strengthen. However, in areas where you need to be corrected, it will be difficult to accept and here it's very important to have sufficient knowledge of suluk (tassawuf) for it emphasizes accepting the truth regardless of who's saying it, and teaches you to be wise and more adherent to the truth rather than to your affiliation. It's like what Imam Ar-Rifa' said in Alburhan Al-Mu`ayad:
لا تقطعوا الوصلة مع العلماء جالسوهم خذوا عنهم لا تقولوا فلان غير عامل خذوا من علمه واعملوا به ودعوه وعمله إلى الله الأولياء رضي الله عنهم يأخذون الحكمة لا يبالون من أي لسان ظهرت وعلى أي حجر كتبت وبواسطة أي إنسان وصلت
"Do Not sever your ties with the scholars, sit (in their session) with them, take (and learn) from them, don't say so and so doesn't apply (what his teaching), take his knowledge and apply it (for yourself), and leave him and his deed to Allah. The Awliya`, may Allah be pleased with them, take the wisdom regardless of which tongue it came out from, or which rock it was written upon, and from the means of which person it reached them"

Our beloved prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
"الْكَلِمَةُ الْحِكْمَةُ ضَالَّةُ المُؤْمِنِ فَحَيْثُ وَجَدَهَا فَهُوَ أَحَقُّ بِهَا"
Which means:
"The wise statement is the lost property of the believer, so wherever he finds it, then he is more worthy of it." narrated by At-Tirmidhi/ chapter of knowledge #2687

Sadly, when a person reaches fanaticism he's blinded from understanding such meanings.

Al-Ghazali said
[If, instead, these fanatics would approach their opponents privately in a spirit of kindness, sympathy, and advice without being extreme and without having contempt they might have succeeded in their effort. But, whereas prestige requires a following and nothing attracts a following more than fanaticism, damning, cursing of the opponents, they have adopted fanaticism as their rule of conduct and their method of approach. And, they call this 'defending the religion' and 'protecting the Muslims', while in fact, it results in nothing but the destruction of the people and it firmly establishes the (bad) innovation in their minds.

As for these controversies that have sprung up in these recent times and on which they have written masterpieces of publications, compositions, and argumentations the like of which have neither been seen nor heard by the Salaf Beware, of coming near them. Avoid them as you avoid deadly poison for they are like a destructive illness. It was these controversies that have driven all scholars after rivalry and boasting which will be discussed later together with their hazards and evils.]

Note: Al-Ghazali is warning and speaking of scholars who have fallen victims to this predicament, and today we have people who are not worthy of being labeled students of knowledge debating and arguing while they don't have one-tenth of the knowledge of those Al-Ghazali is criticizing.

Al-Ghazali Said: [You may hear it said: “Men are the enemies of things they do not know.” Do not think so, rather, accept this advice. For you have stumbled upon one who's an expert]

Note: he's telling you don't make excuses and accept his advice because, you're reading it from the one who Mastered it, for Al-Ghazali was a scholar who mastered the art refutation wrote books, and people came from far distances to learn from him.

Al-Ghazali continues talking about himself and writes

[from one who has wasted his life (i.e. in controversies) and surpassed the ancients in composition, research, argumentation, and exposition until Allah inspired him with righteousness and made it known to him the flaws therein. Consequently, distanced himself from controversies and turned his attention to himself. Do not be deceived by the words of those who say giving the fatwa (legal opinions) is the pillar of the law (Shari'ah), and principles are not known except through the science of argumentation. The principles within a school of thought (madhhab) are stated in (the books the particular) madhhab (school of thought) and that which is extra is nothing but wranglings which neither the ancients nor the Companions, who were better versed in the principles of Fatwa (legal opinions) than any other group, had known. These wranglings are not only useless for the science of religion but are also harmful and corrupting to one’s taste and judgment in jurisprudence. Thus, in most cases, it is usually not possible to have a decision, backed by the opinion of a judge whose good taste in legal matters is established on rules of debating. He who's inclined to argumentation will submit to the rules of debater rather than follow legal taste. Only those who seek reputation and prestige use as an excuse that they are striving after the principles of religion by pursuing controversy in which they spend their life without making the (proper) effort towards the science of religion.

Be safe of the devils of the Jinn, and beware of human devils who have relieved the devil amongst the Jinn of tempting and misleading people (i.e. because of human misleading other humans )

What is pleasing (way of thinking) among the wise is to assume that in the universe you are alone and there is no one, but Allah, and before you, there's death, resurrection, judgment, paradise, and hell. Consider then what concerns you most and ignore the rest. A certain Sheikh saw in a dream one of the scholars and said to him, “What has happened to those sciences in which you used to argue and debate?” The scholar stretched the palm of his hand open, blew over it, and said: “It has all vanished like scattered dust I have not benefited except from two prostrations which I have performed in the middle of the night.” And, in a hadith, the Prophet said, “People who have once been guided do not astray except if they become afflicted with disputation.” He then read from the Qur’an

ما ضربوه لك إلا جدلا بل هم قوم خصمون

(which means) "They did not present the comparison except for (mere) argument. But, (in fact), they are a people prone to dispute"(Az-Zukhruf/58)

According to a hadith that explains the saying of Allah's the Exalted

فأما الذين في قلوبهم زيغ

(which means) "those who have perversity in their hearts " (Al-'Imran/7)

(Allah's Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم said) "These are people of argumentation of whom Allah warned by saying, “Beware of them!” "

One of the Salaf declared that at the end of time there will be a people whom the gate of working (for the hereafter) will close for them and the gates dispute will open. Another tradition says, “You are in the midst of a time wherein you are blessed with work (for the hereafter) but a people will appear who will be prone to disputation,” while in the well-known tradition we read that “Allah abhors most those who are given to bitter enmity.” Another tradition declares that “no people are ever given Mantiq (a tongue for logical and debate) but that they will be deprived of working (putting the effort to work for the hereafter)" and Allah knows best]

To be continued...

Imam Al-Ghazali's saying in Arabic

وأما الكلام فمقصوده حماية المعتقدات التي نقلها أهل السنة من السلف الصالح لا غير وما وراء ذلك طلب لكشف حقائق الأمور من غير طريقتها ومقصود حفظ السنة تحصيل رتبة الاقتصار منه بمعتقد مختصر وهو القدر الذي أوردناه في كتاب قواعد العقائد من جملة هذا الكتاب والاقتصاد فيه ما يبلغ قدر مائة ورقة وهو الذي أوردناه في كتاب الاقتصاد في الاعتقاد ويحتاج إليه لمناظرة مبتدع ومعارضة بدعته بما يفسدها وينزعها عن قلب العامي وذلك لا ينفع إلا مع العوام قبل اشتداد تعصبهم وأما المبتدع بعد أن يعلم من الجدل ولو شيئا يسيرا فقلما ينفع معه الكلام فإنك إن أفحمته لم يترك مذهبه وأحال بالقصور على نفسه وقدر أن عند غيره جوابا ما وهو عاجز عنه وإنما أنت ملبس عليه بقوة المجادلة

وأما العامي إذا صرف عن الحق بنوع جدل يمكن أن يرد إليه بمثله قبل أن يشتد التعصب للأهواء فإذا اشتد تعصبهم وقع اليأس منهم إذ التعصب سبب يرسخ العقائد في النفوس وهو من آفات علماء السوء فإنهم يبالغون في التعصب للحق وينظرون إلى المخالفين بعين الازدراء والاستحقار فتنبعث منهم الدعوى بالمكافأة والمقابلة والمعاملة وتتوفر بواعثهم على طلب نصرة الباطل ويقوى غرضهم في التمسك بما نسبوا إليه ولو جاءوا من جانب اللطف والرحمة والنصح في الخلوة لا في معرض التعصب والتحقير لا نجحوا فيه ولكن لما كان الجاه لا يقوم إلا بالاستتباع ولا يستميل الأتباع مثل التعصب واللعن والشتم للخصوم اتخذوا التعصب عادتهم وآلتهم وسموه ذبا عن الدين ونضالا عن المسلمين وفيه على التحقيق هلاك الخلق ورسوخ البدعة في النفوس

وأما الخلافيات التي أحدثت في هذه الأعصار المتأخرة وأبدع فيها من التحريرات والتصنيفات والمجادلات ما لم يعهد مثلها في السلف فإياك وأن تحوم حولها واجتنبها اجتناب السم القاتل فإنها الداء العضال وهو الذي رد الفقهاء كلهم إلى طلب المنافسة والمباهاة على ما سيأتيك تفصيل غوائلها وآفاتها وهذا الكلام ربما يسمع من قائله فيقال الناس أعداء ما جهلوا فلا تظن ذلك فعلى الخبير سقطت فاقبل هذه النصيحة ممن ضيع العمر فيه زمانا وزاد فيه على الأولين تصنيفا وتحقيقا وجدلا وبيانا ثم ألهمه الله رشده وأطلعه على عيبه فهجره واشتغل بنفسه فلا يغرنك قول من يقول الفتوى عماد الشرع ولا يعرف علله إلا بعلم الخلاف فإن علل المذهب مذكورة في المذهب والزيادة عليها مجادلات لم يعرفها الأولون ولا الصحابة وكانوا أعلم بعلل الفتاوى من غيرهم بل هي مع أنها غير مفيدة في علم المذهب ضارة مفسدة لذوق الفقه فإن الذي يشهد له حدس المفتي إذا صح ذوقه في الفقه لا يمكن تمشيته على شروط الجدل في أكثر الأمر فمن ألف طبعه رسوم الجدل أذعن ذهنه لمقتضيات الجدل وجبن عن الإذعان لذوق الفقه وإنما يشتغل به من يشتغل لطلب الصيت والجاه ويتعلل بأنه يطلب علل المذهب وقد ينقضي عليه العمر ولا تنصرف همته إلى علم المذهب

فكن من شياطين الجن في أمان واحترز من شياطين الإنس فإنهم أراحوا شياطين الجن من التعب في الإغواء والإضلال وبالجملة فالمرضى عند العقلاء أن تقدر نفسك في العالم وحدك مع الله وبين يديك الموت والعرض والحساب والجنة والنار وتأمل فيما يعنيك مما بين يديك ودع عنك ما سواه والسلام وقد رأى بعض الشيوخ بعض العلماء في المنام فقال له ما خبر تلك العلوم التي كنت تجادل فيها وتناظر عليها فبسط يده ونفخ فيها وقال طاحت كلها هباء منثورا وما انتفعت إلا بركعتين خلصتا لي في جوف الليل وفي الحديث: (( ما ضل قوم بعد هدى كانوا عليه إلا أوتوا الجدل))[113] . ثم قرأ: ]ما ضربوه لك إلا جدلا بل هم قوم خصمون[ (الزخرف: 58) وفي الحديث في معنى قوله تعالى: ] فأما الذين في قلوبهم زيغ [ الآية (آل عمران: 7) (( هم أهل الجدل الذين عناهم الله بقوله تعالى ((فاحذرهم))[114]. وقال بعض السلف: يكون في آخر الزمان قوم يغلق عليهم باب العمل ويفتح لهم باب الجدل. وفي بعض الأخبار: (( إنكم في زمان ألهمتم فيه العمل وسيأتي قوم يلهمون الجدل))[115]. وفي الخبر المشهور: (( أبغض الخلق إلى الله تعالى الألد الخصم))[116]. وفي الخبر: ((ما أتى قوم المنطق إلا منعوا العمل))[117] والله أعلم.