Seeking Knowledge for the over 40 crowd

Advice from Shaykh Abdullah Bukhari

Question: Our Shaykh, may Allah bless you and benefit us with your knowledge.
The questioner says: These days I am beginning my quest for knowledge while I
am over forty years old. Thus what do you advise me with? May Allah reward you.

Shaykh Bukari: We ask Allah the Exalted to give him firmness and assistance. Thus
let him purify his intentions for Allah the Exalted, and be diligent and zealous. And
whoever purifies his intentions for Allah and seeks help from Allah the Exalted,
Allah will help him, and give him understanding, and inspire him, and guide him,
and grant him assistance upon everything that is difficult for him.
 And there is no criticism (for seeking knowledge at this age) Imaam Al Bukari,
may Allah have mercy upon him, mentioned that most of the Companions, or
many of the Companions sought knowledge while they were older in age. So
there is no problem with this. Seek help from Allah, and take the general advice
that we mentioned. And let him progress gradually, and devote himself to
studying. And there is nothing wrong with this, rather this is good. And whoever
Allah wants good for He gives him an understanding in the religion. We ask Allah
to make us and him firm upon the truth.

Translated by Rasheed ibn Estes Barbee
http://mtws.posterous.com/seeking-knowledge-for-the-over-40-crowd

The Easiest Way to Memorize the Noble Qur'aan

The Easiest Way to Memorize the Noble Qur’an – salafyink.com
By: Shaikh ‘Abdul Muhsin Bin Muhammad Al Qaasim an Imaam and Khateeb in
the Masjid of Prophet (sallAllaahu alaihi wa sallam).

“Similarly, utilize this method for every page of the Qur’an, however do not exceed eight verses in a day (or one page) so that the portion memorized will not increasewhich may result in a weakening of the memorization of said portion…”

Fasting The Day of Ashooraa–Imaam Abdul Azeez Bin Baaz

Fasting The Day of Ashooraa–Imaam Abdul Azeez Bin Baaz

Written by The Salafi Centre of Manchester on November 18, 2012. Posted in Calling To Islam - 'Da'wa', Muharram and Ashoorah

Question:

What is the ruling on fasting the day of Ashoora? Is it better to fast the day which is before or the day after it or to fast all of them together or fast the day of Ashooraa alone?

Answer:
Fasting the day of Ashooraa is a Sunnah due to what has been established in the authentic narrations of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) in indication to that.  And it (Ashooraa) was a day which the Jews fasted because it was the day in which Allah saved Moosaa (عليه السلام) and his people and destroyed Firawn and his people; so our Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) fasted it as (an act of) gratefulness to Allah.  He (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) authorized fasting (the day of ashooraa) and legislated for us to fast a day before or after it.  To fast the 9th along with the 10th is better, and if the 10th is fasted along with the 11th then that is sufficient to oppose the Jews.  And if you fast both of them (9th & 11th) alongside the 10th then there is no problem in that due to what has been transmitted in some reports, “Fast a day before it and a day after it”.  As for fasting Ashooraa by itself, then it is disliked.  And Allaah (alone) is the Guardian and Owner of all success.

---

Source: http://www.binbaz.org.sa/mat/617
Translated by Abu Abdir-Razzaaq (Amjad Khan)

Shaykh Ahmad al-Subay'ee: A Beautiful Admonition to a Person of the Sunnah Against Being Fooled By the Trickery of the People Who Desert (Ahl al-Sunnah)

النهي الحسن الجميل لصاحب السنة أن تنطلي عليه حِيَلُ أهل التخذيل A Beautiful Prohibition to the Person of Sunnah against Being Fooled by the Trickery of the People of At-Takhdheel (Those Who Do Not Aid the Truth & its People) [1]
تأليف فضيلة الشيخ أبي محمد أحمد حسين السبيعي حفظه الله
Written by the noble Shaykh Ahmad Hussain as Subay'ee[2] may Allaah preserve him

All praise is due to Allaah, may the peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allaah and his family, to proceed: The Prophet (Salallaahu alayhi wa salam) came out to the Sahaabah whilst they were discussing poverty and (how) they feared it - as is reported in the hadith of Abi Dardaa (Radhyi Allaahu 'anhu) reported by Abu Dawud and others - so he (Salallaahu alayhi wa salam) said,

آلفقر تخشون؟! فوالله لتفتحن عليكم الدنيا، ثم لَتَصُبَّنَّ عليكم صبّاً حتى لا يزيغ قلب أحدكم إلا هي؛ لقد تركتكم على مثل البيضاء

Is it poverty that you fear?! By Allaah, the world will be opened for you, then its abundance will be poured upon you and nothing will cause the heart of anyone of you to go astray except that. Indeed I have left you upon a clear and white path. [3]

So from the great benefits (derived) from this narration: That the Muslim may fear something and try to protect himself from it. And the harm upon him is in other than that which he seeks protection from.
Many of the people in these times (due to them being overcome with desires and ignorance being widespread) fear and scare others about falling into extremism and harshness, though being correct in and of itself, it has however become from the truths by way of which falsehood is intended.
And the evil that is prevalent and excessive but has been missed by some of the people of knowledge, is the evil of at-Takhdheel (not aiding the truth and its people). It has come with all its cavalry and might upon the youth of Ahlus Sunnah. They have become weak in their conviction and their clinging to the Sunnah and its foundational principles. They are weak in having good thoughts of the Scholars of the Sunnah, weak in connecting with them and returning back to them.
And when the Prophet (Salallaahu alayhi wa salam) clearly and manifestly mentioned that the Saved, Aided group would remain, he established a proof and made an affair clear. He (Salallaahu alayhi wa salam) established a similarity between those who openly oppose the truth in their harming the call to the Sunnah, and between those who do not aid the call to the Sunnah. Just as the Prophet (Salallaahu alayhi wa salam) said:

لا تزال طائفة من أمتي على الحق ظاهرين، لا يضرهم من خذلهم ولا من خالفهم حتى يأتي أمر الله

There will not cease to be a group from amongst my nation, apparent (manifest) upon the truth. They will not be harmed by those who do not aid them, nor by those who oppose them. Until the affair of Allaah comes. [4]

So these words serve as a reminder for the one whose heart possesses life, and he has steadfastness in his clinging to the Sunnah - that perhaps it may aid the heedless to return, and the intelligent to submit.
1: At-Takhdheel (not aiding the truth and its people): is deterring from the Path of Allaah (the Mighty and Majestic) and deterring from the Path of Allaah (the Mighty and Majestic) is from the characteristics of the disbelievers, Allaahýs refuge is sought. This occurs much in the Qurýaan, as in the Saying of Allaah, (the Mighty and Majestic):

الَّذِينَ يَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجاً وَهُم بِالآخِرَةِ كَافِرُونَ

Those who deter (men) from the Path of Allaah, and would seek to make it crooked, and they were disbelievers in the Hereafter [al-A'raaf: 45]

And Allaah the Most High Said:

الَّذِينَ يَسْتَحِبُّونَ الْحَيَاةَ الدُّنْيَا عَلَى الآخِرَةِ وَيَصُدُّونَ عَن سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَيَبْغُونَهَا عِوَجاً أُوْلَـئِكَ فِي ضَلاَلٍ بَعِيدٍ

Those who prefer the life of this world to the Hereafter, and deter (men) from the Path of Allaah and seek crookedness therein - they are far astray [Ibraheem: 3]

2 - At-Takhdheel (not aiding the truth and its people): Is from the characteristics of the hypocrites, and this is (mentioned) much in the Qurýaan, as in His ý The Most Highýs ý Saying:

لَوْ خَرَجُواْ فِيكُم مَّا زَادُوكُمْ إِلاَّ خَبَالاً ولأَوْضَعُواْ خِلاَلَكُمْ يَبْغُونَكُمُ الْفِتْنَةَ وَفِيكُمْ سَمَّاعُونَ لَهُمْ وَاللّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِالظَّالِمِينَ

Had they marched out with you, they would have added to you nothing except disorder, and they would have hurried about in your midst (spreading corruption) and sowing sedition among you - and there are some among you who would have listened to them. And Allaah is the All-Knower of the wrong-doers [at-Tawba: 47]

3 - At-Takhdheel (not aiding the truth and its people): Is abandonment of the obligatory legislated support for and aid of the truth and its people, which Allaah has made a sign of the truthfulness of eemaan, Allaah - The Most High - Said:

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ وَهَاجَرُواْ وَجَاهَدُواْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللّهِ وَالَّذِينَ آوَواْ وَّنَصَرُواْ أُولَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ حَقّاً لَّهُم مَّغْفِرَةٌ وَرِزْقٌ كَرِيمٌ

And those who believed, and emigrated and strove hard in the Cause of Allaah, as well as those who gave (them) asylum and aid - these are the believers in truth, for them is forgiveness and a generous provision (i.e. Paradise)[al-Anfaal:74]

Allaah - The Most High - Said:

فَالَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ بِهِ وَعَزَّرُوهُ وَنَصَرُوهُ وَاتَّبَعُواْ النُّورَ الَّذِيَ أُنزِلَ مَعَهُ أُوْلَـئِكَ هُمُ الْمُفْلِحُونَ

So those who believe in him (Muhammad (Salallaahu alayhi wa salam border=0>, honour him, help him, and follow the light (the Qur'aan) which has been sent down with him, it is they who will be successful [al-A'raaf:157]

4 - At-Takhdheel (not aiding the truth and its people): Is oppression upon the people of truth, and lead to an increase in trials and afflictions.
5 - At-Takhdheel (not aiding the truth and its people): Is a mighty sin. The Prophet (Salallaahu alayhi wa salam) equated it to having enmity towards the truth and opposing it.
6 - At-Takhdheel (not aiding the truth and its people): In its origin does not afflict a truthful believer, because his motivation towards eemaan and truthfulness will cause him to act in a manner that is contrary to takhdheel. And for this reason at-Takhdheel has not been warned against on its own. As for extremism, it may be caused by anger for the sake of Allaah, (The Might and Majestic) and zealousness upon avoiding that which He forbade, and a desire to aid His religion. Extremism can come about when all this is accompanied with ignorance and is not referred back to the scholars.
7 - At-Takhdheel (not aiding the truth and its people): Necessitates that a person follows his desires. This is because the person of at-Takhdheel strives to prevent all refutations, and does not act with justice as is obligatory. If he was acting justly, he would reject only the part of the refutation which may have some excessiveness in it, if any at all, and he would accept the Truth contained in the refutation, which is its foundation. This, as an example, is like how the Prophet (Salallaahu alayhi wa salam) ordered that the rulers should be fought alongside, whether they are righteous or sinful (so we reject the sins clearly, but maintain obedience to the ruler); as was stated by Shaikhul-Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah.
8 - At-Takhdheel (not aiding the truth and its people): Is caused by sicknesses of the heart, such as weakness of conviction, instability of the heart, having doubts, cowardice, fear, impatience and covetousness for the dunya. 9 - At-Takhdheel (not aiding the truth and its people): From its calamities is that its evil is not apparent, so he (the one who does not aid the truth and its people) manifests the Sunnah. And he claims to be compassionate and giving sincere advice. So he resembles a snake that is smooth to the touch; that hides within a garment.
10 - At-Takhdheel (not aiding the truth and its people): Makes the conflict we see today between Ahlus Sunnah and those who oppose them appear to be one of mere mistakes and ijtihadaat (positions that are taken in the absence of a clear text), that does not necessitate splitting, or abandonment. Then these people (those who do not aid the truth and its people) accuse the people of knowledge of following their desires, then the [actual] people of desires become the people of knowledge [with them]; and not those being refuted.
11 - At-Takhdheel (not aiding the truth and its people): Contains within it a complete resemblance to the innovated groups and parties, in regards to its defense of its leaders and its ways.
1: Its people are eager to confine the conflict to being mistakes not innovations. 2: Its people describe the people of truth with extremism and harshness 3: They call for cooperation with the innovated groups and parties, or belittle the differences between them.
So is it conceivable, that this complete conformity of concepts and methods; doesn't have in it an indication of their resemblance to the innovated groups and parties in the concepts that they hold? If not, why then did the Prophet (Salallaahu alayhi wa salam) say,

من تشبه بقومٍ فهو منهم

Whosoever resembles a people, then he is from them.

So be warned O person of Sunnah! Lest you oppose the call of the Sunnah, or you become one who is with the Mukhadhileen, those who do not aid the truth and its people.
And the topic [at hand] is not the condition of one or two men. Indeed it is a huge continuation of the conflict concerning the fundamentals of the Sunnah, with numerous names (individuals), efforts and writings. These oppositions to the foundations of the sunnah are found in various individuals: [with] 'Alee Hasan, and Mustafah Ismaýeel Abil Hasan, and Adnaan Ar'oor. So do not restrict yourself to an individual in your mind. And do not let an issue enter upon you, and you are pulled in to an opinion, way or statement that has gone to far extents in betraying the Sunnah.
Be mindful of Allaah, again, be mindful of Allaah regarding the honour of the major scholars of Sunnah, and its well known scholars, such as Shaykh Rabee' ibn Haadee (may Allaah preserve him) and Shaykh 'Ubayd al-Jaabiree (may Allaah preserve him). And beware of placing yourself on the same side of the scales of the leaders of whom they have aimed the criticism and advice. And do not forget the striving that the two of them undertook, and do not forget their virtue and the praise of the people of knowledge for them.
And do not let some of the doubts and ambiguities lead you or push you to aid the enemies of the Sunnah, such as 'Alee Hasan, and Abul Hasan, and 'Adnaan Ar'oor and their like.
So beware of both of these groups: al-Mukhalifeen (those who oppose) and al-Mukhadhileen (those who do not aid the truth and its people). And if you are not strong in understanding, and you are unable to comprehend, then which of the two is more befitting to blindly follow - if it was permissible at all? Would it be 'Alee Hasan, 'Adnaan Ar'oor, the callers to gathering numbers and playing with the Sunnah or the known manifest advisors [upon the Sunnah] such as Shaykh Rabee' and Shaykh 'Ubayd?!
And do not allow yourself to be shaken or allow your intellect or heart to be taken [by the belief] that consideration [and holding on to] the men [the scholars] during times of trial and afflictions is considered fanaticism of the scholars. Rather, it is a must that the Sunnah has upright, trustworthy men that carry it, in every time and every place. Imaam al-Laalikaali rahimahullaah said:

There were those within Islaam from whom this path was taken, an enumerable number of men, I mention their names at the beginning of this book, so that you may know them, and you may increase in sending [salutations of] mercy upon them and making duýaa for them. This is due to them preserving for us this way (the Manhaj of the Salaf), and it was them that guided us to the way of the Sharee'ah.

So you are in front of two groups, two paths. The path of the people of knowledge and Sunnah, such as Shaykh Rabee' ibn Haadee and Shaykh 'Ubayd al Jaabiree (may Allaah preserve them) and those who aid them upon their great efforts from amongst the people of knowledge. And the [second] methodology of 'Alee Hasan, and Abul Hasan al Maýribi and 'Adnaan Ar'oor and their like. This is the origin of the affair, and that which stems from it by way of names, topics, writings and subjects, all follow on from this battle between the Sunnah and the bitaanatul-Jamaa'aat (those upon the way of the innovated groups and parties, but in a concealed and hidden way). So seek guidance from Allaah and humble yourself to Him, that you may tread the path of the Sunnah and aid it. And do not tread the path of opposition or the path of abandoning the people of the truth.
And if you were to say, "I prefer seclusion", then I say, you have made a better choice than to choose the path of 'Alee Hasan and those who preceded him and [those who] followed him. Because if you were to seclude yourself in clinging to the Sunnah, searching for the truth, returning to the trustworthy scholars of the Sunnah then perhaps you will have time to think over and the opportunity to acquaint yourself with becoming accustomed to return to the truth and aid it.
As for remaining alongside the one who is treacherous in regards to the Sunnah, helping and aiding him; throwing yourself into the doubts of the bitaanatul-Jamaa'aat (those upon the way of the innovated groups and parties, but in an unapparent and hidden way), then you are one that is close to destruction; if you are not already destroyed.

والله وحده الهادي إلى سواء السبيل

And Allaah, Alone, is The One who guides to the straight path.
NOTES
1) [TN] Original article posted on Sahab.net, dated 4th September 2012. [URL="http://www.sahab.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=131929"]Sahab.net[/URL]
2) [TN] He is Abu Muhammad Ahmad Hussain as-Subay'ee. He currently resides in Kuwait, his country of birth. He has studied under many of the mashaykh prominently in the country of Saudi Arabia, namely, Ash-Shaykh Abdul Aziz ibn Baaz, ash-Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al 'Uthaymeen, ash-Shaykh Muhammad Amaan al-Jaamee, ash-Shaykh Hamaad al Ansaari, ash-Shaykh Rabee' bin Haadee al Madkhalee, Ash-Shaykh Taariq as-Subay'ee (Shaykh Ahmad's brother) may Allaah have mercy on those who have died and preserve those who remain.
Ash-Shaykh Rabee' al Madkhalee حفظه الله said regarding those who speak against Shaykh Ahmad as-Subay'ee, Shaykh Taariq as-Subay'ee, Shaykh Muhammad al 'Anjaree and Shaykh Khaalid Dhufairee, he said, "We seek refuge in Allah and we ask Allah for safety and security. These individuals are from the most excellent sincere Salafis in calling to the da'wah of the Salaf, may Allah bless you. So they are the first people to take knowledge from and to take the minhaj of the Salaf from. I don't believe that a Salafi would prevent someone from studying with them and if there is someone who opposes them then let him fear Allah and do not block the people from the path of Allah and from taking the minhaj of the Salaf from its proper people. And I urge the brothers to be serious and diligent in studying because verily the people are yearning for this minhaj of the salaf and this 'aqeedah of the Salaf therefore gain an understanding of it so you can call to the path of Allah the Blessed and Exalted and with it you can establish all of your worldly affairs.
3) [TN] Also reported by Ibn Majah (Hadith number 5) with similar wording, see Silsilahtul ahadeethus Saheehah of al-'Allaamah al-Albaani Rahimahullaah (688), that narration continues with Abu Darda (RadiyAllaahu anhu) saying, "By Allaah, the Messenger of Allaah - Salallaahu'alayhi wa Salam - spoke the truth, by Allaah, he left us upon a clear, white path, its night is like its day."
4) Reported in the Musnad of Imaam Ahmad and by al-Bukhaari and Muslim with variant wordings.
5) Reported in Sunnan Abi Dawud and others.

http://www.manhaj.com/manhaj/articles/ojkgo-shaykh-ahmad-al-subayee-a-beautiful-admonition-to-a-person-of-the-sunnah-against-being-fooled.cfm