Ibn al-Qayyim (Allah amrehemu) alisema:

Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have Mercy on him) said:

Heshima ya elimu inalingana na heshima ya kile kinachojifunzwa kupitia hiyo, jinsi ushahidi wake ulivyo imara na thabiti, jinsi elimu hiyo ilivyo ya lazima, na jinsi inavyokuwa na manufaa.

“The nobility of knowledge is in accordance with the nobility of what is learned from it, how strong and firm its proofs are, how necessary such knowledge is, and how beneficial it is.

Hakuna shaka kwamba somo lenye hadhi na kubwa zaidi la elimu ni Allah – ambaye hakuna anayestahili kuabudiwa isipokuwa Yeye, Mola wa walimwengu, Mlezi wa mbingu na ardhi, Mfalme, Haki iliyo wazi, Yule anayeelezwa kwa ukamilifu kamili, Yule aliye mbali na kila kasoro na upungufu, na aliye mbali na kufanana na kitu chochote katika ukamilifu Wake – na hakuna shaka kwamba elimu ya Allah, Majina Yake, Sifa Zake, na matendo Yake ndiyo elimu yenye heshima na hadhi zaidi, kama vile Yeye ndiye Mtukufu zaidi ikilinganishwa na kitu chochote kingine kinachoweza kujulikana na kusomwa. Kama vile elimu juu Yake ilivyo elimu tukufu kuliko zote, Yeye ndiye msingi wa elimu yote. Kama vile kila kitu kilichopo kinavyotegemea Mfalme, Haki iliyo wazi, kwa ajili ya kuendelea kwake na kuwepo kwake, kila aina ya elimu inamtegemea Yeye kwa namna hiyohiyo. Kwa hiyo, elimu juu Yake ndiyo msingi wa elimu yote, kwa kuwa Yeye ndiye Mola, Mmiliki, na Mlezi wa kila kitu.

And there is no doubt that the loftiest and greatest subject of knowledge is Allah - besides Whom none deserves to be worshipped, the Lord of the worlds, the Sustainer of the heavens and the Earth, the King, the Clear Truth, the One described with complete perfection, the One free of all fault and deficiency, and free of all resemblance in His perfection – and there is no doubt that knowledge of Allah, His Names, Attributes, and actions is the noblest and loftiest of knowledge, just as He is the Noblest of all in comparison to anything else that can be known and studied. Just as knowledge of Him is the noblest of all knowledge, He is the basis of all knowledge. Just as everything in existence depends on the King and Clear Truth for its own survival and existence, every type of knowledge depends on Him in a similar fashion. So, knowledge of Him is the basis of all knowledge since He is the Lord, Owner, and Sustainer of everything.

Hakuna shaka kwamba ujuzi kamili wa kitu kilichoumbwa unahitaji ujuzi wa yule aliyekiumba, kama vile ujuzi wa kitu kilichopatikana unahitaji ujuzi wa kile kilichokifanya kipatikane. Kila kilichopo isipokuwa Allah kinategemea kuwepo kwake kwake Yeye - kama vile bidhaa inavyotegemea mtengenezaji wake, na tendo linavyotegemea yule anayelitekeleza. Basi, kumjua Allah, Sifa Zake, na matendo Yake kunamfanya mtu ajue moja kwa moja yaliyopo isipokuwa Allah. Hii ni kwa sababu Yeye ndiye Mola na Mmiliki wa kila kitu, na ujuzi wake ndio msingi na chanzo cha ujuzi wote mwingine. Kwa hiyo, anayemjua Allah atajua yasiyo Allah, na asiyemjua Allah atakuwa hajui chochote kisichokuwa Yeye, kama Allah Alivyosema:

There is no doubt that complete knowledge of something created requires knowledge of the one who created it, just as knowledge of something that was brought about requires knowledge of what brought that thing about. Everything that exists besides Allah depends for its existence on Him - just like a product depends on its producer, and an action depends on the one carrying out the action. So, knowing Allah, His Attributes, and actions means that one will automatically come to know what exists besides Allah. This is because He is the Lord and Owner of everything, and knowledge of Him is the basis and source of all other knowledge. So, the one who knows Allah will know other than Allah, and whoever is ignorant of Allah will be ignorant of anything besides Him, as Allah Said:

{“Wala msiwe kama wale waliomsahau Mwenyezi Mungu, naye akawafanya wajisahau nafsi zao…”}119

{“And do not be like those who forgot Allah, and He then caused them to forget themselves…”}119

Tafakari aya hii utagundua kuwa ina maana kubwa na tukufu, nayo ni kwamba yeyote anayemsahau Mola wake ataishia kujisahau mwenyewe, hatajua hakika ya nafsi yake wala maslahi yake. Atafanywa asahau kile kinachomletea afya na mafanikio maishani, na ataishia kuwa mnyonge na mpotevu, kama mnyama wa porini. Kwa kweli, wanyama huenda wakawa na ufahamu zaidi kuliko yeye kuhusu kile kilicho na maslahi yao, kwa sababu wao hubaki imara juu ya kiasi cha uongofu walichopewa na Muumba wao. Yeye, kwa upande mwingine, aliasi fitra aliyoumbwa nayo, akamsahau Mola wake, na hivyo akafanywa kujisahau mwenyewe, nafsi yake, sifa zake, kinachoikamilisha, kinachoitakasa, na kinachoridhisha wakati wa uhai wake. Na Allah Anasema:

Reflect upon this verse and you will find that it contains a great and noble meaning, and this is that whoever forgets his Lord will end up forgetting himself, and will not know the reality of himself or his interests. He will be made to forget what leads to his health and success in life, and will end up becoming incapacitated and lost, just like a wild animal. In fact, the animals might even be more aware of what is in their interests than him due to the fact that they remain firm upon the bit of guidance that was provided to them by their Creator. He, on the other hand, rebelled against the fitrah that he was formed on and forgot his Lord, and was thus made to forget himself, his soul, its characteristics, what completes it, what purifies it, and what satisfies it during its life, and Allah Said:

{"…wala usimtii yule ambaye moyo wake tumeufanya kuwa mzembe wa kumkumbuka Kwetu, akafuata matamanio yake mwenyewe, na jambo lake limepotea.”}120

{“…and do not obey he whose heart We have made heedless of Our remembrance and who follows his own lusts, and whose affair has been lost.”}120

Alimsahau Mola wake, na kwa sababu hiyo akapoteza jambo lake na moyo wake. Basi, hawezi kufahamu lililo maslahi yake, wala lile linalokamilisha na kutakasa moyo wake na nafsi yake. Badala yake, moyo wake umegawanyika, na amechanganyikiwa, amepotea, na amepotoka.

He forgot his Lord, and therefore lost his affair and his heart. So, he is unable to grasp what is in his best interests, or what completes and purifies his heart and soul. Instead, his heart is divided, and he is confused, lost, and misguided.

Hoja ni kwamba kumjua Allah ndiyo msingi wa elimu yote, na ndiyo msingi wa mja kujua kitakachomfurahisha, kumkamilisha, na kumtimizia maisha yake haya na ya Akhera. Kutomjua Yeye humfanya mtu asijijue nafsi yake, maslahi yake, yale yanayomkamilisha na kumtakasa, na yale yanayomwongoza kwenye mafanikio. Basi, kumjua Yeye ni furaha kwake, na kutomjua Yeye ni maumivu na huzuni.

The point is that knowledge of Allah is the foundation of all knowledge, and it is the foundation for the slave knowing what will make him happy, complete, and fulfilled in this life and the next. Ignorance of Him leads to one being ignorant of himself, his interests, what completes and purifies him, and what leads him to success. So, knowledge of Him is happiness for him, and ignorance of Him is pain and anguish.

Na hakuna kitu chochote kilicho bora zaidi, kitamu zaidi, au chenye kutuliza zaidi na kumfurahisha moyo na riziki ya mja kuliko kumpenda Muumba wake, kumkumbuka Yeye daima, na kujitahidi kumridhisha Yeye. Hii ndiyo ukamilifu ambao mja hawezi kuufikia kwa njia nyingine, na ndiyo sababu Viumbe viliumbwa, Wahyi uliteremshwa, Mitume ilitumwa, mbingu na ardhi vikasimamishwa, Pepo na Moto vikawekwa wazi, sheria zikawekwa, Nyumba Tukufu ikajengwa na kufanywa mahali pa hija – ambayo ni dhihirisho la kumpenda na kuridhika na Yeye na kumridhisha – na ndiyo sababu Jihadi iliamrishwa, shingo za wale waliokataa na kumtanguliza wengine juu Yake zikakatwa, na makao ya adhabu na mateso ya milele yakaandaliwa kwao. Na jambo hili kubwa ndilo sababu Itikadi ilianzishwa, Qiblah ikawekwa, na ndilo jambo ambalo mambo yote ya Viumbe yanalizunguka.

And there is nothing for the slave that is better, sweeter, or more relaxing or delightful to his heart and livelihood than loving his Creator, constantly remembering Him, and striving to Please Him. This is the completeness that the slave cannot achieve otherwise, and this is why the Creation was Created, the Revelation was revealed, the Messengers were sent, the heavens and Earth were established, Paradise and Hell were put forth, laws were legislated, the Sacred House was built and made a place of pilgrimage – which is a manifestation of loving and being pleased and pleasing to Him – and this is why Jihad was commanded, the necks were struck of those who rejected and preferred others to Him, and an abode of eternal punishment and torture was prepared for them. And this great matter is why the Creed was established, the Qiblah was ordained, and it is what all the affairs of the Creation revolve around.

Hakuna njia ya kuingia katika haya yote isipokuwa kupitia mlango wa elimu, kwa kuwa mapenzi kwa kitu ni matokeo ya kujua kitu hicho, na wale wanaompenda Allah zaidi ni wale wanaomjua Yeye vizuri zaidi. Basi, yeyote anayemjua Allah atampenda, na yeyote anayeijua dunia hii na watu wake atapoteza hamu nao. Kwa hiyo, elimu ndiyo inayofungua mlango huu mkuu, ambao ni siri ya Uumbaji na Qadar.121

There is no way to enter all of this except through the door of knowledge, as love of something is an extension of knowledge of it, and those who love Allah most are those who know Him best. So, whoever knows Allah will love Him, and whoever knows this dunya and its people will lose interest in them. So, knowledge is what opens this great door, which is the secret of the Creation and Ordainment.”121

Kwa hiyo, mwanafunzi wa elimu anapaswa kuanza na kile ambacho yeye ni, na daima atakuwa, mwenye haja zaidi nacho: elimu ya Allah, Majina Yake, Sifa Zake, na matendo Yake. Hivyo, akishapata sehemu yake ya elimu ya Allah, basi aende kwenye elimu ya Qur'ani na Sunnah kwa mbinu ya kizazi cha kwanza cha Ummah huu (Allah awe radhi nao), ili aweze kupokea vizuri kutoka kwa Mtume wa Allah ﷺ.

So, the student of knowledge should start with what he is and always will be most in need of – knowledge of Allah, His Names, Attributes, and actions. So, if he receives his share of knowledge of Allah, he is then to move on to knowledge of the Qur’an and Sunnah upon the methodology of the first generation of this Ummah (may Allah be Pleased with them), so that he would be able to properly relay from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).

Ibn al-Qayyim pia alisema:

Ibn al-Qayyim also said:

Kunukuu kwa niaba ya Mtume wa Allah ﷺ kuna aina mbili: kupitia mpatanishi, na bila mpatanishi. Masahaba – wale waliotangulia – walichukua elimu yao bila mpatanishi, nao walisimama imara mbele ya mtihani wa wakati. Kwa hiyo, hakuna mtu yeyote katika Ummah anayeweza kutumaini kuwafikia. Hata hivyo, mwenye kufaulu ni yule anayefuata njia ile ile iliyo sawa waliyokuwamo, anayepitia mbinu yao thabiti, na kujiepusha na kila kitu kinachoweza kumvuta mbali na njia hii upande wa kushoto au wa kulia, kwa kuwa hilo litamsababishia kupotea kwa hasara jangwani lililojaa mitego hatari. Basi, ni jambo gani jema linalowezekana ambalo watu kama hao wasiwe wa kwanza kulikimbilia?

“Relaying on behalf of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) is of two types: through a mediator, and without a mediator. The Companions - those who were foremost – took their knowledge without a mediator, and they withstood the test of time. So, nobody from the Ummah can ever hope to catch up to them. However, the successful one is he who follows the same straight path they were on, traverses their firm methodology, and stays away from anything that can drag him off of this path left or right, as this will cause him to wander in loss in a desert of deadly traps. So, what possible good thing can such people not be the first to rush to?

Kwa Allah, walinywa maji bora kabisa, matamu na safi kabisa kutoka chemchemi ya uhai, nao wakaunga mkono misingi ya Uislamu. Hawakuacha jambo lolote lisilofafanuliwa kwa wale waliokuja baada yao. Walifungua nyoyo za watu kwa uadilifu wa Qur'ani na imani, na wakashinda mikoa kwa panga na mikuki ya Jihadi, na wakawapitishia Tabi'in yale waliyoyapokea katika hali safi kutoka nuru ya Unabii. Isnadi yao katika hili ilikuwa kutoka kwa Nabii ﷺ, kutoka kwa Jibril, kutoka kwa Mola wa viumbe vyote, nayo ilikuwa isnadi ya juu kabisa kwa ubora na uhakika. Walisema: "Hii ni amana ya Nabii wetu aliyotuachia, nasi tumewapa amana hii, na hii ndiyo ambayo Mola wetu amemkabidhi na kumlazimisha Nabii wetu na sisi, nasi tutaikabidhi na kuwalazimisha ninyi."

By Allah, they drank the best, sweetest, and purest water from the fountain of life, and they supported the foundations of Islam. They did not leave anything unexplained for those who came after them. The opened people’s hearts with the justice of the Qur’an and faith, and they conquered regions with the swords and spears of Jihad, and they transmitted to the Tabi’in that which they received in pure form from the light of Prophethood. Their isnad in this was from the Prophet (peace be upon him), from Jibril, from the Lord of the worlds, and it was the highest isnad in quality and authenticity. They said ‘this is the trust of our Prophet left with us, and we have given you this trust, and this is what our Lord has entrusted and obligated upon our Prophet and us, and we will entrust it and obligate it upon you.

Basi, hao Tabi'in waliwafuata kwa wema kwa msingi wao thabiti, nao wakafuata nyayo zao katika njia iliyonyoka. Kisha, wafuasi wao wakapita katika njia hiyo hiyo ya uongofu, wakaongozwa kwenye maneno bora kabisa na sifa zinazostahiki sifa. Ikilinganishwa na waliotangulia, walikuwa kama alivyosema Mkweli Mkuu:

So, those Tabi’in followed them in good upon their firm methodology, and they followed in their footsteps upon the straight path. Then, their followers traversed the same path of guidance, and were guided to the best words and praiseworthy traits. In comparison to those who came before them, they were as the Most Truthful Said:

{"Kikundi kikubwa cha hao watakuwa kutoka katika vizazi vya mwanzo, na kikundi kidogo cha hao watakuwa kutoka katika nyakati za baadaye."}122

{“A multitude of those will be from the first generations, and a few of those will be from the later times.”}122

Kisha wakaja wanazuoni wakuu kutoka karne ya nne iliyobarikiwa, kulingana na mojawapo ya riwaya mbili zilizopokewa kwa usahihi kutoka kwa Abu Sa'id, Ibn Mas'ud, Abu Hurayrah, 'A'ishah, na 'Imran bin Husayn. Hivyo, walifuata nyayo zao katika kila jambo, wakirithi kutoka kwenye nuru yao iliyong'aa; na dini ya Allah ilikuwa ya thamani kubwa mno mioyoni na nafsini mwao hata wakaweza kuiwekea juu yake maoni ya kimantiki, taqlid ya upofu, au kiasi. Hivyo wakajulikana duniani kote kwa sifa njema zaidi, na Allah akawapa ulimi wa kweli miongoni mwa watu wote.

Then came the leading scholars from the fourth blessed century, according to one of the two narrations authentically related from Abu Sa’id, Ibn Mas’ud, Abu Hurayrah, ‘A’ishah, and ‘Imran bin Husayn. So, they followed in their footsteps in everything, inherited from their shining light, and the religion of Allah was too valuable in their hearts and souls for them to put over it a logical opinion, blind following, or analogy. So, they became known the world over in the best light, and Allah gave them a truthful tongue amongst all other people.

Kisha, kizazi chao cha kwanza cha wafuasi kilifuata nyayo zao na kusimama juu ya mbinu yao thabiti na iliyoongozwa kwa uongofu. Hawakuonyesha kupendelea watu fulani, walitosheka na hoja na ushahidi, wakisafiri katika jahazi la haki kokote lilikoelekea, na wakishikamana na maoni sahihi popote yalipopatikana. Ikiwa hoja iliyo wazi iliwagusa, walikimbilia kwake, mmoja mmoja na kwa makundi. Mtume alipowaita kwenye jambo, walimsikiliza kwa makini kamili wala hawakuomba maelezo zaidi, na maneno yake yalikuwa ya thamani sana mioyoni mwao hivi kwamba hawangeweza kuweka mbele yake kauli ya mtu yeyote, wala kuipinga kwa maoni au kwa kulinganisha.123

Then, their first generation of followers proceeded in their footsteps and rose up upon their firm and rightly guided methodology. They showed no interest in partisanship to individuals, were satisfied with proofs and evidences, traveling on the boat of truth wherever it sailed, and sticking with the correct opinion wherever it roamed. If a clear proof worked its wonders on them, they flew to it as individuals and groups. If the Messenger called them to something, they paid full attention and did not ask for further clarification, and his words were so dear to their hearts that they would never put in front of it the word of a single person, or contradict it with an opinion or comparison.”123

Kwa hiyo, kama mtafutaji wa elimu, unapaswa kuelekeza umakini wako wote kwenye elimu ya Qur'ani na Sunnah, kwa sababu elimu yake ndiyo elimu ya kweli, na kutojua chochote kingine hakutakudhuru sana.

So, as a seeker of knowledge, you should turn all of your attention to the sciences of the Qur’an and Sunnah, as knowledge of them is the real knowledge, and to be ignorant of anything else will not really harm you.

Hiki ni ushauri wa rafiki mwenye wasiwasi, anayekutumia akiwa ameuvaa na kuufunika kwa hamu yake ya kukuona ukipata mema, na kwa maneno yenye ufasaha na mvuto wa hali ya juu kabisa. Ibn al-Qayyim anasema:

Here is the advice of a concerned friend, who sends it to you clothed and shaded in his desire to see good for you, and in the most eloquent and magical of words. Ibn al-Qayyim says:

Ewe unayetaka kujiokoa, * sikiliza maneno ya mshauri mwenye upendo; Katika mambo yako yote, shikilia kwa nguvu Wahyi * Wala si kwa ndoto za kupendeza zisizo na msingi; Na toa ushindi kwa Kitabu cha Allah na Sunna * Zilizotoka kwa yule aliyetumwa mwenye Furqan ﷺ; Na mpige kila mkanaji kwa upanga wa Wahyi * Kama vile Mujahid anavyopiga juu ya ncha za vidole; Na endelea kwa bidii ya kweli * Kwa njia ya wenye ikhlasi na ushujaa waliojitoa kwa Allah; Na simama imara kwa subira chini ya bendera ya uongofu * Na ukidhurika njiani, ni kwa Radhi ya Mwingi wa Rehema; Na fanya Kitabu cha Allah na Sunna sahihi silaha zako * Na imarisha nafsi yako; Ni nani atakayepigana na kujitokeza * Au kushindana katika medani za vita?

O you who seeks to save himself * Listen to the words of a loving advisor; In all of your affairs, hold tightly to Revelation * And not to desirable hallucinations; And give victory to the Book of Allah and the traditions * That came from the one sent with the Criterion; And strike every denier with the sword of Revelation * Just like the Mujahid would strike over the fingertips; And carry on with truthful zeal * The way of the sincere and brave who are dedicated to Allah; And remain firm with patience under the banner of guidance * And if you are harmed in the process, it is for the Pleasure of the Merciful; And make the Book of Allah and authentic traditions your weapons * And strengthen your soul; Who will fight and present himself * Or compete on the battlefields?

Hadharini kwa uwazi yale aliyokuja nayo Mjumbe, na usiogope ukosefu wa wasaidizi; Na jiepushe na mavazi mawili ambayo wavaaji wake * watalaumiwa na kuangamizwa; Vazi la ujinga linalokuja pamoja na * vazi la ushabiki – ni mavazi ya kutisha kiasi gani! Na jipambe kwa uadilifu na haki * ambayo ni vazi bora la kupamba kifua na mabega; Na fanya kauli yako mbiu kuwa kumcha Allah na ushauri wa Mjumbe ﷺ * na utetee mambo haya mawili; Na shikamana imara na kamba Yake na Wahyi Wake * na mtegemee Yeye kama Anavyostahiki… Na Allah amrehemu ash-Shafi'i, alipo sema:

Openly preach what the Messenger came with * And do not fear the lack of helpers; And avoid two garments whose wearers * Will be censured and destroyed; The garment of ignorance that comes with * The garment of partisanship – what terrible clothes! And decorate yourself with fairness and justice * The best garment to beautify the chest and shoulders; And make your motto the fear of Allah and advice of the Messenger * And champion these two matters; And hold firmly to His rope and Revelation * And depend on Him as He deserves… And may Allah have Mercy on ash-Shafi’i, as he said:

Kila elimu isipokuwa Qur'ani ni mambo yanayovuruga akili * Isipokuwa Hadithi na Fiqhi; Elimu ni kila kinachoanza kwa 'Ilisimuliwa kwetu…' * Na kila kingine ni minong'ono ya Shetani… Na Ibn al-Qayyim alisema:

Every knowledge other than the Qur’an is a distraction * Except for Hadith and Fiqh; Knowledge is whatever begins with ‘It was narrated to us…’ * And everything else is the whispering of Satan… And Ibn al-Qayyim said:

Elimu ni kile ambacho Allah, Mjumbe Wake * na Maswahaba walichosema, kwa kuwa wao ndio wenye ujuzi zaidi; na elimu si mapingamizi ya kipumbavu * dhidi ya Mtume kwa maoni ya mtu… Basi, yeyote anayetafuta elimu ya kweli nje ya kile kilicho katika Qur’an na Sunnah, anatafuta jambo lisilowezekana. Yeyote anayetafuta kuridhika kwa kuchukua kutoka kwa kitu kingine chochote, amepotea njia. Hizo ndizo njia ya kujiweka huru na kujiponya kutokana na ujinga, na Allah amrehemu ‘Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim, kwani alisema:

Knowledge is what Allah, His Messenger * And the Companions said, as they are the most knowledgeable; And knowledge is not foolish oppositions * To the Messenger with the opinion of a person… So, whoever seeks true knowledge away from what is in the Qur’an and Sunnah, he is seeking the impossible. Whoever seeks satisfaction by taking from anything else, he has strayed from the path. They are the way to free and cure yourself from ignorance, and may Allah have Mercy on the ‘Allamah Ibn al-Qayyim, as he said:

Ujinga ni ugonjwa unaoua, * na tiba yake iko katika mambo mawili yanayosaidiana: * Aya kutoka katika Qur'ani au Sunnah, * na mwanachuoni mlezi anayeyafanya yawe matamu. * Na elimu ni ya aina tatu, wala si ya nne; * na ukweli ndio unaobainisha hilo: * Elimu ya Sifa na matendo ya Mungu, * na Majina ya Mwenye Rehema; * na amri na makatazo ambayo ndiyo dini yake; * na malipo atakayotoa Siku ya Kukutana. * Na haya yote yamo katika Qur'ani na Sunnah * zilizotoka kwa yule aliyetumwa na Al-Furqan. * Na kwa Allah, hakuna mtu anayezungumza kwa kutumia kitu kingine isipokuwa hivyo, * isipokuwa kwamba yeye anaota ndoto… Na jinsi ilivyo kubwa kauli hiyo:

Ignorance is a deadly disease * And its cure is in two complimentary things; A text from the Qur’an or Sunnah * And a nurturing scholar to sweeten them; And knowledge is of three types, with no fourth * And the truth is what clarifies; Knowledge of the Attributes and actions of the Deity * And the Names of the Merciful; And the commands and prohibitions that are His religion * And the reward He gives at the Meeting Day; And this is all in the Qur’an and Sunnah * That came from the one sent with the Criterion; And by Allah, nobody speaks with other than them * Except that he is hallucinating… And how great is the saying:

Ewe mwenye kuamka kutafuta elimu! Elimu yote ni mtumwa wa elimu ya Mjumbe ﷺ; Wewe unatafuta tawi ili kusahihisha msingi, Vipi unaweza kughafilika na msingi mkubwa zaidi?

O you who wakes up to seek knowledge! * All knowledge is a slave to the knowledge of the Messenger; You seek the branch to correct a principle * How can you be heedless of the greatest of principles?

Kwa hiyo, kiini cha elimu yote ni Kitabu cha Allah na kile kilichokuja katika Wahyu wa pili, nalo ni Sunnah ya Mtume ﷺ. Basi shikamaneni nayo yote mawili kwa nguvu zenu zote, kwani ndiyo njia ya usalama, utamu na utulivu, kivuli siku ya joto kali, na zawadi na thawabu bora kabisa.

So, the crux of all knowledge is the Book of Allah and what came in the second Revelation, and that is the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him). So, stick as firmly as you can to them both, as they are the path to safety, sweetness and relaxation, the shade on a hot day, and the best prize and reward.

Mwanafunzi wa elimu anapaswa kujitahidi kumchagua shaykh.

The student of knowledge should make an effort to choose a shaykh.

"Anapaswa kuchagua yule aliye mwenye elimu zaidi, mwenye tahadhari, na mwenye hekima, kama alivyofanya Abu Hanifah (Allah amrehemu) alipomchagua Hammad bin Sulayman. Baada ya kufikiri na kutafakari, alisema: "Nilimwona kuwa ni shaykh mwenye akili kali, moyo laini, na subira." Naye alisema: "Nilikaa na Hammad bin Sulayman, nikaendelea sana katika elimu yangu.""124

“He should choose the one most knowledgeable, cautious, and wise, just as Abu Hanifah (may Allah have Mercy on him) chose Hammad bin Sulayman. After thinking and pondering, he said: “I found him to be a sharp, soft-hearted, and patient shaykh.” And he said: “I stayed with Hammad bin Sulayman, and I became advanced in my knowledge.””124

Katika utangulizi wa kitabu chake cha ‘Sahih,’ Muslim alipokea hadithi kwamba Muhammad bin Sirin alisema: “Elimu hii ni dini. Basi, tazameni ni nani mnayemchukulia elimu yenu.”125

And in the introduction to his ‘Sahih,’ Muslim reported that Muhammad bin Sirin said: “This knowledge is religion. So, look to who you take your knowledge from.”125

Ibn Jama'ah alisema:

Ibn Jama’ah said:

Mwanafunzi anapaswa kutazama mbele na kumshauri Allah kuhusu nani wa kujifunza kutoka kwake, na anapaswa kutafuta kupata adabu na tabia njema kutoka kwa yeyote amchaguaye. Akiweza, amtafute mtu aliyehitimu kikamilifu kufundisha, anayejali wanafunzi wake, anayeonyesha uanaume, anayejulikana kuwa safi, mwenye sifa nzuri, mwenye mbinu nzuri ya kufundisha, na anayeeleweka kwa urahisi. Mtafutaji wa elimu hapaswi tu kumtafuta yule aliye mjuzi zaidi, ambaye huenda akakosa tahadhari, uchaji Mungu, na adabu njema. Baadhi ya Salaf walisema: “Elimu hii ni dini. Kwa hiyo, angalieni mnachukua dini yenu kutoka kwa nani.” Pia unapaswa kujihadhari kujizuia kwa wale tu walio maarufu, kwani al-Ghazzali na wengine waliona hilo kuwa ni kiburi dhidi ya elimu, na wakalichukulia kuwa ni miongoni mwa tabia za chini kabisa. Hii ni kwa sababu elimu ni tunu ya muumini, naye anapaswa kuichukua popote anapoipata, na kupokea baraka kutoka kwa yeyote anayetaka kumpa. Anakimbia ujinga kama anavyokimbia simba, na anayekimbia simba atakubali msaada wa yeyote atakayemwonyesha njia ya kutoroka.

“The student should look forth and consult Allah in regards to who to learn from, and he should seek to gain good manners and character from whoever he chooses. If he can, he should find one who is completely qualified to teach, concerned with his students, displays manhood, is known to be pure, has a good reputation, has a good teaching style, and is easily understood. The seeker of knowledge should not just seek out the one who is most knowledgeable, and who might lack caution, piety, and good manners. Some of the Salaf said: “This knowledge is religion. So, look who you take your religion from.” You should also beware of restricting yourself to those who are famous, as al-Ghazzali and others counted this as arrogance towards knowledge, and considered it to be from the lowest of traits. This is because knowledge is the prize of the believer, and he should take it from wherever he finds it, and should take the blessing from whoever wants to give it to him. He runs from ignorance just as he runs from a lion, and the one running from a lion will accept help from whoever offers him a way to escape.