Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
The Twelve Qualities of the True Ulama – Seventh Quality
Always Being Concerned About One’s Self-Reformation
The seventh quality of the true Ulama who are concerned about the Aakhirah is that they show great importance and are very concerned about sulook (their self-reformation). They are always engaged in the struggle to correct and purify their souls and hearts, as they realize that self-reformation and correction is the means for them progressing in acquiring the knowledge of deen. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) said, “The one who practices on his knowledge, Allah Ta‘ala will give him the knowledge of things which he has not even studied.”
It is mentioned in the kitaabs of the previous Ambiyaa (‘alaihimus salaam) (that Allah Ta‘ala addressed their nations saying):
“O Children of Israa’eel! Do not say that knowledge is in the skies above and there is nobody to bring it down to us. Do not say that knowledge is underground, so who will bring it up for us? Do not say that knowledge is across the seas, so who will cross the sea and bring it back for us? The fountains of knowledge spring from within your own hearts. If you live your lives observing the proper etiquettes and manners of the pious before Me, and if you choose the ways of the Siddeeqeen (extremely pious buzrugs), then I shall cause fountains of knowledge to pour out from your hearts, so much so that you will be covered and enveloped in knowledge.”
Experience shows that Allah Ta‘ala gives such knowledge and understanding to His pious servants which will never be found in any books, no matter how much you may search for it.
Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alaihi wasallam) says that Allah Ta‘ala has said, “My servants cannot find any way of getting closer to Me and which is more beloved to Me than completing their faraa’idh (i.e. obligatory actions such as salaah, zakaat, fasting, hajj, etc. Through fulfilling the fardh actions in the proper manner, such closeness and proximity of Allah Ta‘ala is acquired which cannot be acquired through other actions).”
Allah Ta‘ala says, “My servant continues to come closer to Me through carrying out nafl actions (extra optional ibaadaat of salaah, sadaqah, etc.) until I make him My beloved, and when I make him My beloved, then I become his ears with which he hears, his eyes with which he sees, his hands with which he holds, and his feet with which he walks. And, if he asks Me for something, I will grant it to him, or if he asks for protection against anything, I will bless him with My divine protection against it.” (Bukhaari)
The meaning of this Hadith-e-Qudsi (the statement of Allah Ta‘ala not mentioned in the Qur’aan) is that (when a man becomes the beloved of Allah Ta‘ala, then) his walking, seeing and hearing, and everything he does all conform to the pleasure of Allah Ta‘ala. In some narrations, the following addition is also mentioned, “The one who shows enmity to any one of My friends, he has declared war against Me.”
Since the great buzrugs are always whole-heartedly busy in thinking about and remembering Allah Ta‘ala, the deeper meanings of the Qur’aan Shareef are shown to them, and the mysteries of Allah Ta‘ala are opened up to their hearts – especially the hearts of those who are always busy in the remembrance of Allah Ta‘ala, they are blessed with this special favor. Each person can acquire a share of this special knowledge, according to the effort he makes and how much he is blessed by Allah Ta‘ala.
In a lengthy narration reported by Haafiz Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullah) in Miftaahu Daaris Sa’aadah and Haafiz Abu Nu’aim (rahimahullah) in Hilyatul Awliyaa, Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) explains the qualities of the Ulama of the Aakhirah. In this narration, Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) says, “Hearts are like containers, and the best hearts are those which contain all that is good. It is better to increase your knowledge than to increase your wealth, because knowledge gives you protection while wealth needs to be protected. Knowledge increases as you use it, while wealth decreases by spending. The benefits of wealth get finished after it has been spent, but the benefits of learning continue forever (i.e. people continue to benefit from the teachings of an Aalim even after his death).”
Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) then sighed deeply and said, “In my chest, I possess a lot of knowledge of deen, but I wish I could find people who are worthy of receiving this knowledge. It is a pity that either I find men who serve Deen with the intention of acquiring the world, or I find people who are engrossed in worldly comforts and enjoyments and are tied up in chains of seeking sensual pleasures, or people who are chasing after worldly wealth.”
(The entire narration of Hazrat Ali (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) is quite lengthy, so to keep it short, I have only mentioned a few sentences from his lengthy advices).
(Fazaa’il-e-Sadaqaat [English] pg. 448-448, [Urdu] pg. 490-492)
