In this two-part lecture, Abū Khadījah goes through some important principles concerning the necessity of seeking knowledge and its importance as it relates to marriage, as well as a highly beneficial question and answer session. The many beneficial points mentioned are:
- The importance of seeking knowledge and benefitting from the scholars and those who possess knowledge.
- The religion of all of the Prophets is one. The religion of Prophet Muḥammad is no different to the religion of Jesus, Abraham and Moses.
- No matter what harm reaches us we should not stray from this path and the Prophetic guidance, striving to call the people to the dīn.
- Allāh has blessed those who have been guided to the Prophetic tradition, who stick to the Jamaʿah.
- The way in which we can differentiate and distinguish between truth and falsehood is by seeking knowledge. The first path we tread upon is the path of knowledge: knowledge of Allāh, His Names and Attributes, so that the more you know Him, the more you Fear, Love and have Hope in Him. In Knowing Allāh we will do deeds that are pleasing to Him and stay away from those acts which are displeasing to Him.
- Avoid sin and transgression by way of shirk and fasād, and worship Him upon Tawḥīd. You do not worship any besides Him, and we do not speak about Allāh and His Religion except upon knowledge.
- Prophet Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhī wa-sallam) was sent to the whole of mankind, and this religion is not just for the Arabs. Imām al-Bukhārī brings a chapter heading: “Chapter: Knowledge precedes speech and action.” It is a religion of knowledge not a religion of ignorance or one which propagates ignorance. Even the seeking of forgiveness is done upon knowledge. Imām Bukhārī collected over 6000 narrations.
- The importance of asking the people of knowledge if one does not know, as Allāh has commanded in the Qurʾān. The religion is not based upon intellect, but rather upon knowledge.
- The Qurʾān is the Speech of Allāh uncreated.
- There is no religion upon the earth that is more precise in its collection of the Prophetic traditions. It is specific to the nation of Muḥammad (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhī wa-sallam).
- Messenger said, indeed the scholar the possessor of knowledge, everything in the heavens and earth seeks forgiveness for him, even the fish in the ocean. That knowledge is not an esoteric knowledge, we do not believe that this knowledge is only accessible to a few, rather this knowledge is present and accessible to all, and whomsoever Allāh wishes good for, gives him an understanding of the religion.
- The example of the scholar is like the brightness of the full moon on a cloudless night compared to the twinkling of the planets.
- The Prophets do not leave behind dinar or dirham as inheritance, rather they leave behind knowledge whomsoever takes from it has indeed taken a great amount
- When you are guided to the Sunnah, and upon the truth and fundamentals of al-Islām, that which shows that the people that stick to the prophet tradition are people of truth if you were to look at their writings from the first to the last of them, even if they live in different times and lands, and abodes, you will find them upon a singular mode and way and not deviating from the aqidah, and their speech is a singular speech and their narrating is a singular narrating, and you will find no separation in their belief no matter how small it may be.
- Wealth and worldly possessions and positions will be of no avail on the Day of Judgement and will not be the measure of entry into Paradise, rather your belief and creed and how close it is to the Messenger’s Creed and his Companions followed, if you are upon what they were upon then you will be granted entry into paradise.
- Many possess an abundance of knowledge concerning worldly secular affairs, but are ignorant concerning the Ṣīrah of the Prophet and the names of the Companions
- Allāh’s Messenger has given guidance concerning marriage. Do not rely on merely the beauty of a woman/man, since beauty is only skin deep. That is not to say that it should not be taken into consideration, but it should not be the only concern.
- Once married the man and woman have entered into the family also, one should ask about the background and family of a prospective partner. Take into consideration their cultivation, manners and upbringing.
- The prospective spouse should be asked about their knowledge of Islām, how are they concerning their parents, and how they view children.
- We marry because society is built upon strong families.
- Once married how should the wife be to the husband and vice versa, look to the example of the Prophet and his affection towards his wives.
- Many think that the best way to treat your wife today is to be harsh and brutal to them.
- Men should approach the wife from the direction of wisdom, the woman is created from the rib Adam, so do not straighten her, for indeed to straighten her is to break.
- The woman has been created differently, therefore the man should not treat the wife as he treats a man. Be patient with her, however, that does not mean that the religion is to be compromised if she is disobedient.
- The woman has been promised paradise if she is obedient and pious and behaves righteously towards her husband.
- Both should enjoin one another with good and forbid from evil. The wife should be righteous and obedient and shows affection towards the husband, and the husband should be kind, loving and merciful towards the wife and provide for her and clothe her.
- The husband should have honour and jealousy for his wife, in that he does not allow her to go out unclothed or clothed in a dishonourable way and neither allow her to free mix and converse with strange males.