Story of the Man Who Was Given Signs

1. Story of the Man Who Was Given Signs IIICN SISTERS DARS 2-26-13

2. The Gift of Knowledge • Fulfilling an obligation • “Seeking knowledge is compulsory on every Muslim.” • Allah has praised knowledge • “Whoever Allah wants good for He gives him understanding of the religion.” • Allah showed the superiority of human beings through their knowledge and intellect • What’s the proof of this? • What is one of the only things Allah commanded the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم to ask for more of in the Quran? • Allah said “And say O my Lord increase me in knowledge” Taha:114

3. Blessings of Knowledge • Increases a person in the fear and love of Allah سبحانه و تعالى • إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ • Only those who have knowledge among his slaves that fear Allâh. Al-Faatir 28 • The benefit of the knowledge remains even after a person passes away • Evidence? • Who is better a person of knowledge or a worshipper?

4. Al-Araaf Ayah 175 • وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِي آتَيْنَاهُ آيَاتِنَا فَانْسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ • And recite to them the story of him to whom We gave Our Ayat, but he threw them away; so Shaytan followed him up, and he became of those who went astray • IbnKatheerرحمه الله said it is well-known that this honorable Ayah was revealed about a man from the Children of Israel in ancient times • Others have said that it is a man from Yemen • Others said that it was UmmayahibnAbi Salt • The strongest opinion is that it applies to anyone who follows what the person did

5. Allah blessed him with ayaat • Scholars differ in regards to what this means • Some said it meant that Allah blessed him with knowledge • Knowledge of who Allah is and His greatest name • The ability to read, understand, memorize, and explain verses • Others said that he was blessed with the acceptance of his duas • Others say it was the ability to worship Allah سبحانه و تعالى

6. “He threw them away” • He had been given many gifts, but he did not take care of them and because of neglect those gifts were taken away • ShaykhTantawi in his tafseer said this is the example of a person who does not act upon his knowledge • He quoted another mufassir as saying the following: • “This is like the example of a person Allah has blessed with knowledge of his verses he is a scholar who has memorized the rules and principles and has the ability to explain them and defend them, but he has not been given the ability to act upon them. • In reality his actions actually contradict his knowledge, so the knowledge he has been stripped of this knowledge. Knowledge which is not acted upon does not remain. This is like a snake that sheds its skin or when a person takes off his clothes in the end he has no connection with his former clothes and he remains naked.” • Al-Jazairee said it means that the man committed kufr, through the book of Allah behind his back, and distanced himself from it

7. Warnings of not acting according to teachings • أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنْسَوْنَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ (44) • Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not reason? • يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ (2) كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ (3) • O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? • It is very hateful in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do.

8. What are the consequences of neglecting the blessings of Allah? • Shaytaan catches and takes hold of such a person • Shaytaan justifies a persons actions and then the person remains off the path of guidance • Knowledge is a form of protection • It teaches us about our purpose in life and about morals and values • He used to be amongst the guided and now he is amongst the misguided • A person can go from the best of the best to the worst of the worst and vice-versa • This is a person who preferred to do things his own way rather than follow the guidance of Allah

9. Why did this happen? • ﴿وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَـهُ بِهَا وَلَـكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الاٌّرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ﴾ • And had We willed, We would surely have elevated him through the ayaatbut he clung to the earth and followed his own unproductive desires.) • ShaykhSaadiرحمه الله said this means that Allah would have given him the ability to act upon his knowledge, but the man gave preference to the world over the hereafter and decided to obey his own desires over the laws and commands of Allah سبحانه و تعالى • ﴿فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَث﴾ • So his example is like that of a dog: if you drive him away, he pants, or if you leave him alone, he (still) pants.)  No matter what is presented to him he will always prefer the dunya over the aakhirah. Warning a person like this will make no difference

10. Activity • ذَلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ • That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will give thought. • Derive at least ten benefits from this story

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18. Ibn al-qayyimرحمه الله reflecting on the previous verses • Allah attributed the gift to himself when he said “we had given him our signs” • Turning away from knowledge is major because the only one who can provide it is Allah سبحانه و تعالى • The person chose misguidance over knowledge and kufr over imaan and he did it intentionally • He left Imaan in such a complete way that there was no returning to it • Allah described it as انسلخ the same word used when snakes shed their skin, they can never go back into the same skin • Shaytaan overcame him, gained power over him, and devoured him • Knowledge is either an evidence for you or against you

19. Some more benefits • The believers should always strive for the best • He was satisfied with the temporary pleasures of this world at the expense of eternal pleasures in the hereafter • He made his desires his imam (leader) and guide rather than revelation • فَإِنْ لَمْ يَسْتَجِيبُوا لَكَ فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّمَا يَتَّبِعُونَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ وَمَنْ أَضَلُّ مِمَّنِ اتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ بِغَيْرِ هُدًى مِنَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ (50) • But if they do not respond to you - then know that they only follow their [own] desires. And who is more astray than one who follows his desire without guidance from Allah ? Indeed, Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people • In Allah comparing him to a dog there are lessons • The dog has weak determination • It is very stingy • Easily satisfied

20. Ibn Al-Qayyimرحمه الله Commenting on “evil scholars” • They sit on door steps of jannah and they call people to jannah through their words but they call people to the fire through their actions • Every time they say through their words come closer • Their actions tell the people do not listen to them • On the surface they are guides • But in reality they are bandits and robbers that take advantage of people • “How many people reminding others about Allah truly forget Allah • How many people calling to Allah are running away from Allah? • How many people bringing others closer to Allah are distancing themselves from Allah? • How many reciters of the verses of Allah are stripping themselves from the book of Allah?

21. Warning • Do not give into the whisperings of shaytaan and say that who am I to correct what is wrong and teach people when I myself have so many deficiencies • If people waited to become perfect then no one would be able to do anything • Work on your mistakes, but at the same time call others to what is right • Even if you are engaged in a sin, acknowledge the sin and discourage others from acting upon that same action