Sayyid Abdullah Would Muhammadou Would al-Rabbani (h.a.) was a majestic knower of Allah and a reciter and teacher of the Noble Qur’an. He was born around 1926 in the area of Agl in the Mauritanian province of Rkiz. He memorized the Noble Qur’an at the hands of his father, Muhammad Al- Rabbani (r.a.), and studied the linguistic and religious sciences before dedicating himself to teaching the Noble Qur’an with his father and his brother Muhammad Mahmud (r.a.) in Medina Baye in the 1930s under the order of Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse.
THE GREAT CANADIAN SCHOLAR & SAINT, Shaykh Muhammad al-Kabir Toure passed away, in this holy month. From Gambia originally, he was a learned Maliki scholar and Tijani saint. He inspired many over the years, in Toronto and beyond. May he be united with his beloved Rasul ﷺ who he often saw in dreams!
Ruhul Adab
The Commentary of Imam Hassan Cisse
24. Knowledge as a basic requirement
Seeking knowledge is necessary for a Muslim, because knowledge necessarily precedes every other action. The Prophet ﷺ said in a sound Hadith: “Seeking knowledge is obligatory on every Muslim, male and female”.
Allah SWT had said in Holy Hadith: “Know Me before worshiping Me, for if you don’t know Me then how do you worship Me?” in the books of Fiqh, it is agreed that starting any act of worship without the Knowledge of the laws of Allah SWT concerning that action is forbidden. Allah says in the Qur’an 29:43 “And by this parable do We show man examples, but none understands it except the knowledgeable”.
Allah also said in the Qur’an 3:190 “Indeed, in the creation of the firmament and the earth, and the differences of night and day are signs for the people of understanding”. Just as seeking Knowledge is obligatory in Islam, ignorance and remaining so, is forbidden. Allah asks in the Qur’an 3:66 “Why do you argue concerning what you have no knowledge about”. He further emphasizes the position of seeking knowledge in Islam, as the basis and the beginning of all work. The first admonition of Allah in His great revelation to the Prophet ﷺ was the command: “Read”, Qur’an 96:1. Shaykh Hassan therefore advises us here that knowledge should be sought. He has further broken down all knowledge of importance into four types, as explained below.
25. Kinds of Knowledge
Shaykh has advised that for a Muslim to be complete, four subject areas must be studied:
- Ma’ârifa (i.e. The Experiential Knowledge of Allah)
- Shari’at (i.e. The Knowledge of the laws concerning the worship of Allah)
- Haal (i.e. The Knowledge of the different conditions and states of the heart, soul and spirit)
- Humility (i.e. The Knowledge of characteristics that lead to making a man humble).
Each of the above types of knowledge must be studied thoroughly and practiced properly. A brief explanation on each of these subjects is presented below.
To be continued in sha Allah…
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