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Questions on Preparing to Go and Study: Ḥajj or Seeking Knowledge, Which Comes First? Aiding Parents or Studying?

Al-ʿAllāmah Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Banná

Some beneficial answers to questions for the beginner student of knowledge who wishes to set out upon the path of ʿilm.

Our brother began the tele-link with our noble Shaykh, Muḥammad Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Banná́ by first sending him the salāms. Then he, our brother, ‘Abdallah continued by introducing himself to the shaykh, and with that he mentioned that he was in The Reign Of Islamic Daʿwah Centre in Toronto, Canada. Our brother ‘Abdallah then told the Shaykh that we have 3 questions to ask him, the shaykh barakallahu fīkum said ‘tafaḍal’ ask your questions.

[Q1] Is it Permissible for a Brother to Marry a Righteous Muslim Sister Despite His Father’s Disapproval?

[Q2] The Shaykh hafiẓahullāh before answering the question asks his own question in order to understand the situation better. He says, “This sister that you want to marry, how is her dīn and akhlāq (manners)?. ‘Abdallah tells him that she is a possessor of good character and she’s is a Salafī sister.

The Shaykh then says then, “He should marry her.” He then asks, “Is his father a Muslim and if so, is he practicing?.” ʿAbdullāh says, “Yes he is a Muslim but not practicing.”

The Shaykh then continued and said. “Tell your father that you are under his feet and command but he should not punish you for simply choosing to follow the advice of the Messenger (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) when he told us to marry the one who has dīn.” The noble Shaykh then continued in his advice and said, “Tell your father you are under him, except in matters where there’s contraḍīction to the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam), then do not punish me for verily the obedience of Allāh and his Messenger is far and above any other form of obedience. As for tribalism then that is taʿaṣṣub from jahiliyyah and the Lord of the land has made it forbidden on the earth. Allāh said in Sūrah al-Ḥujurāt,

“O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you with Allāh is the believer who has at-taqwá (piety). Verily Allāh is All-Knowing, All-Aware.”
[Sūrah al-Ḥujurāt, 49:13]

The Messenger (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said, ‘An Arab in not better than a non-Arab except with taqwá.’ Akhī, you should be kind to your father and try to soften his heart and do not allow him to die angry with you.”

[Q2]: Shaykh, The brother wants to go to Yemen to seek knowledge there at the same time he wants to make ḥajj but he only has money sufficient for one trip, where should he go to first?

[A2]: The Shaykh said, “Ḥajj is fard (obligatory) and Allāh has made it so in His saying,

“And due to Allāh from the people is a pilgrimage to the house for whoever is able to find thereto a way. But whoever disbelieves then indeed Allāh is rich free from need of the worlds.”
[Sūrah Āl-ʿImrān, 3:97]

From this āyah we see that one should move quickly in order that he may perform the ḥajj.

[Q3]: But what if he went to Yemen to seek knowledge then from there he went and performed the ḥajj is this not better Shaykh?.

[A3]: The Shaykh said, “There’s much good in Yemen because we have the likes of Muḥammad Ibn ʿAbd al-Wahhāb al-Waṣṣābī. From what I see to be correct is that the fard (obligatory) should be carried out first, and in the meantime you can seek knowledge where you are until Allāh gives you the opportunity to come to one of the Muslim countries to further you studies.

[Q4]: The brother ‘O Shaykh has saved some money in order that he may travel but his mother tell him that he must give her some of that money that she may pay bills. We know ‘O Shaykh that his mother is now married and the husband should take care of her. Adding to this she tells him that when he wants to leave this country that he must give her a large sum of money when in reality he can’t, what should he do?

[A4]: “If his mother is in need of the money then he should give it to here in order to help her. We all know of the youth who was going to jihād and the Messenger (sallāllāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) asked him if his parents were alive? He said, ‘yes’ thus the Prophet (sallāllāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) told him to go back to them and serve them. A man must serve his parents even if they were Yahūdī or Naṣranī (Jewish or Christian). Allāh, The All-Mighty said, “And be companions to them ie. Parents in the dunyā in all that is good and khayr.”

Published: September 25, 2004
Edited: September 5, 2022