Madrasah Al-Hikmah

Tuesday, 4 October 2011

Rich or Knowledgeable? (good story)

Once, 10 wise men came to Hadrat Ali (r.a) and posed this question: “Why is knowledge better than wealth?” Each of these men, demanded a separate answer. In return, Hadrat Ali (r.a) gave the following answers:

1. Knowledge is better because you guard wealth whereas knowledge guards you.

2. Knowledge is better because the wealthy have enemies and the learned have many friends.

3. Knowledge is better because it is a legacy bequeathed by prophets (a.s), and the wealth is a heritage of the pharaohs.

4. Knowledge is better because it increase with distribution whereas wealth decreases.

5. Knowledge is better because wealth generally brings miserliness.

6. Knowledge is better because unlike wealth, it cannot be stolen.

7. Knowledge is better because the wealthy have to give an account of their wealth on the Day of Qiyaamah.

8. Knowledge is better because it does not deteriorate, while wealth does.

9. Knowledge is better because the mind is illuminated by it, whereas wealth tarnishes it.

10. Knowledge is better than wealth because the pharaohs, the wealthy and the disbelievers claimed divinity on account of wealth.

The important role of mother in child education

A mother has significant, basic role in education. This is evident in the following points:

1. The family influence in education

-The family is the first tier in the process of social upbringing. It is the family that instil in the child the standard by which he or she judges everything he or she later receives from all social institutions.

2. The child is influenced by mother’s condition at pregnancy

-The mother dominates a stage of the child’s life all by herself with nobody else sharing her role. An embryo in its mother’s womb is influenced by several things. One of these things is nourishment. The type of food an embryo received from its mother affects it in various ways.

3. A mother’s role in early childhood

-Early childhood is a very important state in the raising of the child, and the role of the mother at that stage is greater than of anybody else. While the baby is still nursing, she has the greatest contact with it. For a great purpose that Allah Ta’ala made, the only nourishment of the baby at this stage is by nursing from it’s mother.

4. A mother’s role with her daughters

-If a mother is the closest person to children in their early childhood, this closeness is greater and continues longer in the case of daughters. It is very necessary for a mother to live with her daughters and be close to them. A girl is more likely to be open with her mother than her father. It is necessary for the mother to fill the emotional void her daughters suffer from.

5. A Mother Should Know the Private Details in the Life of Her Children

-A mother takes care of the clothes of her children and the housework of the house, as well as intimate details that concern her children. A mother represents one half of the household, and a father can by no means meet the full responsibility of raising his children. Nor can the school alone have the full responsibility. The combine efforts of all concerned parties should work in harmony towards the same end.

Seek Jannah by Seeking Knowledge

The goal in our life should be, "I want to go to Jannah (Paradise)." It should be written in bold letters so that it serves a constant reminder for us. Prophet Muhammad (saw), who is the best of the creation, said," Whoever goes down a path/road searching for Knowledge, Allah Ta’ala will make easy for him the road to Paradise." [Saheeh Muslim, Vol.3 Hadith No. 99]

The Prophet (saw) did not leave behind any money, rather his inheritance was Deeni (Islamic) knowledge. The high status of knowledge has been established very strongly in Islam through explicit texts in the Qur'an and the Hadith as well as in the writings of the scholars of Islam. Allah Ta’ala said in Surat Al-Mujadalah, Ayah 11:

يَرْفَعِ اللهُ الَّذِينَ ءامَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ

“Allah Ta’ala raises the ranks of those among you who believe and those who were granted the knowledge”.

The Prophet (saw), in his hadith related by at-Tirmizi, said:

فَضْلُ العالِمِ على العابدِ كفَضْلِي على أدناكُم

“The virtue of the scholar over the worshiper is like my status over the status of the lowest Muslim”. The difference in virtues between the Prophet and the lowest Muslim is extremely great and likewise is the difference between the scholar and the worshiper.

Travelling on the path to knowledge refers both to walking or driving along an actual road/pathway, such as going to Conferences, Conventions and going to local Masajid whenever there is a scholar speaking. Searching also entails a metaphysical road, such as studying and memorising Qur’an and Hadeeth. Not merely memorising it, but also understanding it and then acting in accordance to it.

Knowledge brings a great reward. The one who points the way to some thing good is like the one who does it. When the knowledgeable person dies, his reward with Allah Ta’ala does not cease when he dies, rather it continues to increase so long as people benefit from his knowledge. The Prophet (saw) said: “When a man dies, all his deeds come to an end except for three things: an ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge or a righteous child who will pray for him”. (Muslim)

Knowledge is the ROAD to Paradise, and Islam is the vehicle that takes you to this destination of Paradise. Just like you get in a car to go from one destination to another, but how? By finding out the directions to get there, either by seeing a map or asking someone. Similarly, our Qur’an and Hadeeth are our maps, and our scholars are the people who give the directions from this map to get to our ultimate destination, Paradise.

In conclusion, we need to get our "cars" (Islam) fixed and focused on the right direction to our destination of Paradise. We need to pick up the "maps" (Qur’an & Sunnah) and ask knowledgeable people (scholars/imams) for directions (road/path) to Paradise.

Based on the aforementioned, we should encourage each other to commit ourselves to the sessions and circles of the Islamic Knowledge, to listen, learn, comprehend and put it to practice.

Sunday, 2 October 2011

Program ended

May Allah Ta'ala reward you all for taking some time out of your busy schedule to attend our Ladies Program this year. If you missed out on anything during the program, don't worry because InsyaAllah we will be posting the summary of the :

1) 1st Tazkirah (Iman)

2) 2nd Tazkirah (Knowledge is Light) here.

And the contents from the newsletter will also be posted here soon, specially for those who couldn't make it today, and for others too. We hope to meet everyone again next year InsyaAllah.