تعليم المتعلمal-ZarnūjīOn Reliance on Allah (Tawakkul)
ثُمَّthen لَاno بُدَّescaping لِطَالِبِfor the seeker of الْعِلْمِknowledge مِنَfrom التَّوَكُّلِreliance on Allah فِيin طَلَبِpursuing الْعِلْمِ،knowledge, وَلَاand not يَهْتَمُّshould he fret لِأَمْرِover الرِّزْقِprovision وَلَاnor يَشْغَلُbusy قَلْبَهُhis heart بِذَلِكَ.with that.
Then the student of knowledge must place his trust in Allah while seeking knowledge; he should not concern himself with earning a living nor occupy his heart with that.
وَرَوَىand he related أَبُوAbū حَنِيفَةَḤanīfa رَحِمَهُmay He have mercy on him اللهُAllah عَنْfrom عَبْدِʿAbd اللهِAllāh بْنِibn الْحَارِثِal-Ḥārith الزُّبَيْدِيِّal-Zubaydī صَاحِبِcompanion of رَسُولِthe Messenger of اللهِAllah صَلَّىbless اللهُAllah عَلَيْهِupon him وَسَلَّمَ:and grant peace: مَنْwhoever تَفَقَّهَattains fiqh فِيin دِينِthe religion of اللهِAllah كَفَاهُHe will suffice him اللهُAllah تَعَالَىMost High هَمَّهُhis cares وَرَزَقَهُand provide him مِنْfrom حَيْثُwhence لَاnot يَحْتَسِبُ.he reckons.
Abū Ḥanīfa, may Allah have mercy on him, related on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥārith al-Zubaydī, companion of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him: Whoever gains fiqh in Allah's religion, Allah Most High will lift his burdens and grant him provision from beyond his imagining.
فَإِنَّfor indeed مَنْwhoever اشْتَغَلَbusies قَلْبُهُhis heart بِأَمْرِwith الرِّزْقِlivelihood مِنَin الْقُوتِsustenance وَالْكِسْوَةِand clothing, قَلَّseldom مَا(does he) يَتَفَرَّغُbecome free لِتَحْصِيلِto acquire مَكَارِمِnoble traits of الْأَخْلَاقِcharacter وَمَعَالِيand great aims of الْأُمُورِ.affairs.
For when someone's heart is taken up with provision — food and clothing — he rarely finds leisure to acquire noble character and great objectives.
قِيلَ: دَعِ الْمَكَارِمَ لَا تَرْحَلْ لِبُغْيَتِهَاوَاقْعُدْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الطَّاعِمُ الْكَاسِي
It is said: / Leave lofty virtues — do not travel the land seeking them; / Stay seated, for you are already the fed and clothed.
قَالَsaid رَجُلٌa man لِابْنِto Ibn مَنْصُورٍManṣūr الْحَلَّاجِ:al-Ḥallāj: أَوْصِنِي،counsel me, فَقَالَso said ابْنُIbn مَنْصُورٍ:Manṣūr: هِيَit is نَفْسُكَ،your self, إنْif لَمْnot تَشْغَلْهَاyou occupy it شَغَلَتْكَ.it will occupy you.
A man said to Ibn Manṣūr al-Ḥallāj, "Give me counsel." Ibn Manṣūr said: "Your very soul: if you give it no task, it will give you tasks."
فَيَنْبَغِيso it is fitting لِكُلِّfor every أَحَدٍperson أَنْto يَشْغَلَkeep busy نَفْسَهُhimself بِأَعْمَالِwith works of الْخَيْرِgood حَتَّىuntil لَاnot يَشْغَلَdoes busy نَفْسَهُhimself بِهَوَاهَا،with his whim, وَلَاand not يَهْتَمُّshould fret الْعَاقِلُthe thinker لِأَمْرِover الدُّنْيَاthe world لِأَنَّbecause الْهَمَّworry وَالْحُزْنَand sadness لَاdo not يَرُدُّrepel الْمُصِيبَةَ،calamity, وَلَاnor يَنْفَعُhelp بَلْrather يَضُرُّthey harm بِالْقَلْبِthe heart وَالْعَقْلِ،and mind, وَيُخِلُّand spoil بِأَعْمَالِgood الْخَيْرِ،works, وَيَهْتَمُّand one should care لِأَمْرِfor الْآخِرَةِthe Hereafter لِأَنَّهُbecause it يَنْفَعُ.profits.
So each person should employ himself in good until his soul does not employ him in appetite; the wise man does not worry over this world, for grief and sorrow neither avert misfortune nor help — they harm heart and mind, undermine good works, and one should care for the Hereafter because it truly benefits.
وَأَمَّاas for قَوْلُهُhis words عَلَيْهِupon him الصَّلَاةُblessings وَالسَّلَامُ:and peace: إِنَّindeed مِنَof الذُّنُوبِsins ذُنُوبًاare sins لَاnot يُكَفِّرُهَاexpunge them إلَّاexcept هَمُّworry about الْمَعِيشَةِ،livelihood, فَالْمُرَادُthe intended sense مِنْهُof this قَدْرُis a degree of هَمٍّconcern لَاthat does not يُخِلُّharm بِأَعْمَالِgood الْخَيْرِworks وَلَاnor يَشْغَلُoccupy الْقَلْبَthe heart شُغْلًاwith distraction يُخِلُّthat ruins بِإِحْضَارِgathering الْقَلْبِthe heart فِيin الصَّلَاةِ،prayer, فَإِنَّfor ذَلِكَthat الْقَدْرَlevel مِنَof الْهَمِّresolve وَالْقَصْدُand intention مِنْbelongs to أَعْمَالِworks of الْآخِرَةِ.the Hereafter.
As for his, peace and blessings upon him, saying that among sins are sins that nothing lifts except anxiety about making a living — what is meant is a measure of concern that does not spoil good deeds nor occupy the heart in a way that spoils full attention to prayer; for that measure of earnest care and resolve counts among works for the Hereafter.
وَلَاnor بُدَّescape لِطَالِبِfor the seeker of الْعِلْمِknowledge مِنْfrom تَقْلِيلِlessening الْعَلَائِقِties الدُّنْيَوِيَّةِworldly بِقَدْرِaccording to الْوُسْعِ،capacity, فَلِهَذَاso for this اخْتَارُواthey chose الْغُرْبَةَ.estrangement.
The seeker of knowledge needs to narrow worldly attachments as far as possible; that is why they chose life away from home.
وَلَاnor بُدَّavoiding مِنْfrom تَحَمُّلِbearing النَّصَبِtoil وَالْمَشَقَّةِand hardship فِيin سَفَرِtravel for التَّعَلُّمِ،learning, كَمَاas قَالَsaid مُوسَىMūsā صَلَوَاتُblessings of اللهِAllah عَلَىon نَبِيِّنَاour Prophet وَعَلَيْهِand on him فِيon سَفَرِthe journey of التَّعَلُّمِ،learning, وَلَمْand it was not يُنْقَلْrelated عَنْهُfrom him ذَلِكَthat فِيin غَيْرِهِother مِنَof الْأَسْفَارِtravels [لَقَدْ[We met exhaustion from this journey of ours — Qur'anic phrase]. لَقِينَا[We met exhaustion from this journey of ours — Qur'anic phrase]. مِنْ[We met exhaustion from this journey of ours — Qur'anic phrase]. سَفَرِنَا[We met exhaustion from this journey of ours — Qur'anic phrase]. هَذَا[We met exhaustion from this journey of ours — Qur'anic phrase]. نَصَبًا].[We met exhaustion from this journey of ours — Qur'anic phrase].
One must accept exhaustion and difficulty on the study journey — as Mūsā, Allah's blessings on our Prophet and on him, said on the learning journey; that is not reported from him on other trips: "Indeed we have encountered fatigue from this journey of ours" (cf. Qur'an 18:62).
لِيَعْلَمْlet him know أَنَّthat سَفَرَtravel for الْعِلْمِknowledge لَاnot يَخْلُوis empty عَنِof التَّعَبِ،weariness, لِأَنَّbecause طَلَبَseeking الْعِلْمِknowledge أَمْرٌis a matter عَظِيمٌtremendous وَهُوَand it أَفْضَلُmore excellent مِنَthan الْغَزَاةِraiding عِنْدَin the view of أَكْثَرِmost الْعُلَمَاءِ،scholars, وَالْأَجْرُand reward عَلَىmatches قَدْرِthe amount of التَّعَبِtoil وَالنَّصَبِ،and strain, فَمَنْso whoever صَبَرَis patient عَلَىwith ذَلِكَthat التَّعَبِfatigue وَجَدَfinds لَذَّةَthe sweetness of الْعِلْمِknowledge تَفُوقُoutstripping [لَذَّاتِ[the pleasures of الدُّنْيَا].this world].
Let him know that the journey for knowledge is never without strain, for seeking knowledge is immense — nobler than battle in the eyes of most scholars — and reward is proportional to effort and fatigue; whoever perseveres in that toil finds the joy of knowledge surpassing worldly delights.
وَلِهَذَاand for this كَانَwould مُحَمَّدُMuḥammad بْنُibn الْحَسَنِal-Ḥasan إذَاwhen سَهِرَhe stayed up اللَّيَالِيَnights وَانْحَلَّتْand were untied لَهُfor him الْمُشْكِلَاتُthe knotty problems يَقُولُ:he said: أَيْنَwhere are أَبْنَاءُsons of الْمُلُوكِkings مِنْcompared to هَذِهِthese اللَّذَّاتِ؟delights?
That is why when Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan stayed awake through nights and difficult problems opened for him, he would say: Where are the sons of kings beside these pleasures?
وَيَنْبَغِيand it is fitting [لِطَالِبِ[for the seeker of الْعِلْمِ]knowledge] أَلَّاnot to يَشْتَغِلَbusy himself بِشَيْءٍwith anything [آخَرَ[else غَيْرَother than الْعِلْمِ]knowledge] وَلَاnor يُعْرِضَturn aside عَنِfrom الْفِقْهِ.fiqh.
It is fitting [for the seeker of knowledge] not to busy himself with anything [besides knowledge] nor turn away from fiqh.
قَالَsaid مُحَمَّدُMuḥammad بْنُibn الْحَسَنِal-Ḥasan رَحِمَهُmay He have mercy on him اللهُ:Allah: صِنَاعَتُنَاour craft هَذِهِthis مِنَfrom الْمَهْدِthe cradle إلَىto اللَّحْدِ،the grave, فَمَنْso whoever أَرَادَwishes أَنْto يَتْرُكَleave عِلْمَنَاour knowledge هَذَاthis سَاعَةًan hour فَلْيَتْرُكْهُlet him leave it السَّاعَةَ.that hour.
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Our craft runs from the cradle to the grave; whoever wants to leave our knowledge for an hour should leave it that very hour.
وَدَخَلَentered فَقِيهٌ،a faqīh, وَهُوَnamely إبْرَاهِيمُIbrāhīm بْنُibn الْجَرَّاحِ،al-Jarrāḥ, عَلَىto أَبِيAbī يُوسُفَYūsuf يَعُودُهُvisiting him فِيin مَرَضِthe sickness of مَوْتِهِhis death وَهُوَwhile he يَجُودُwas expiring بِنَفْسِهِ،with his soul, فَقَالَsaid أَبُوAbū يُوسُفَ:Yūsuf: رَمَىpelting الْجِمَارَthe pillars رَاكِبًاmounted أَفْضَلُbetter أَمْor رَاجِلًا؟on foot? فَلَمْand he could not يَعْرِفِrecall الْجَوَابَ،the answer, فَأَجَابَso he answered بِنَفْسِهِ.from himself.
A jurisprudent — Ibrāhīm ibn al-Jarrāḥ — visited Abū Yūsuf during his fatal illness as he gasped his last. Abū Yūsuf asked: Is stoning the pillars on horseback or on foot better? He could not recall the answer, and answered from his own reasoning.
وَهَكَذَاand so يَنْبَغِيit befits لِلْفَقِيهِthe jurist أَنْto يَشْتَغِلَengage بِهِwith it فِيin جَمِيعِall أَوْقَاتِهِhis times [فَحِينَئِذٍ][only then] يَجِدُhe finds لَذَّةًdelight عَظِيمَةًgreat فِيin ذَلِكَ.that.
Thus the jurist ought to be wrapped up in it at every moment; [then] he will find tremendous delight in that.
وَقِيلَ:it is said: رُئِيَwas seen مُحَمَّدٌMuḥammad [بْنُ[ibn الْحَسَنِ]al-Ḥasan] فِيin الْمَنَامِa dream بَعْدَafter وَفَاتِهِ،his death, فَقِيلَit was said لَهُ:to him: كَيْفَhow كُنْتَwere you فِيin حَالِthe state of النَّزْعِ؟the final struggle? فَقَالَ:he said: كُنْتُI was مُتَأَمِّلًاreflecting فِيon مَسْأَلَةٍa problem مِنْfrom مَسَائِلِissues of الْمُكَاتَبِ،the mukātab, فَلَمْand I did not أَشْعُرْsense بِخُرُوجِthe departure of رُوحِي.my soul.
It is said Muḥammad [ibn al-Ḥasan] was seen in a dream after his death and asked: How was your state during the final throes? He said: I was pondering a question on the freed slave by contract; I did not feel my soul leave.
وَقِيلَand it is said إنَّهُthat he قَالَsaid فِيat آخِرِthe end of عُمُرِهِ:his life: شَغَلَتْنِيthey distracted me مَسَائِلُproblems of الْمُكَاتَبِthe mukātab عَنِfrom الِاسْتِعْدَادِpreparing لِهَذَاfor this الْيَوْمِ،day, وَإِنَّمَاbut only قَالَdid he say ذَلِكَthat تَوَاضُعًا.from humility.
It is said that in his last days he said: Questions of the mukātab distracted me from preparing for this day — yet he said that only out of humility.