Lessons we can learn from the Lives of the 4 Imaams
3-27-2024
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IMAAM ABU HANIFA (R)
https://divinespeechblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/13/abu-hanifa/
WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF IMAAM ABU HANIFA (R)?
It is never too late to start learning about the religion
There is no problem with using logical reasoning and rationale so long as it does not go against the Qur’an, the Sunnah and the ijmaa’ of the scholars
There is nothing wrong with establishing yourself in this dunya and earning a livelihood, so long as it does not come at the expense of your religion and is not a haraam livelihood
Honesty within business is of utmost importance, if something is defective, sell it known as defective, do not cheat the people, Allah is watching!
That travelling in pursuit of knowledge is from among the best of actions and there are many hadith to this effect
There is nothing wrong with taking knowledge from those who are younger than you, even if they are just a child! Correct knowledge is a guidance from Allah (SWT) and can come through anybody, whether a child or an alcoholic
Knowledge should be used with the fear of Allah, i.e. in the correct manner, not used as a weapon to corrupt and influence people. Knowledge should keep you humble and make you realise how little you know, not make you arrogant and think you know everything. One of the most common phrases these four great Imaams used when asked a question was “I don’t know”!
You can be extremely religious but if you have an extreme, barbaric and ugly character, this will not be accepted from you, as was the case with the khawaarij
That we should visit the sick, the poor, spend time with our family and spend time on our own with our studies
Not to blindly follow a madhhab! All of the Imaams stated that they are fallible and that if the correct teaching is found then abandon their ruling on that issue and follow the correct teaching. This is not to abandon the madhhab in its entirety, but to get closer to the Sunnah, which is the only infallible source besides the Qur’an
IMAAM MALIK (R)
https://divinespeechblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/15/malik/
WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF IMAAM MALIK (R)?
All of these four Imaams, as well as the Prophets and Companions, had a beard. All four madhhabs state it is haraam to shave the beard though the Shafi’I madhhab allows it only with a valid medical reason. Many use an apparent permissibility in the Maliki madhhab to fulfil their understanding that shaving is permissible, but the strongest opinion within the Maliki madhhab seems to be that even trimming the beard in such a way that alters a person’s natural facial features is not allowed
There is nothing wrong with wearing nice clothing as long as there is no extravagance as Allah (SWT) loves beauty
The importance of the mother… The unborn child has rights; the right to have righteous parents, pious and God-fearing parents who will bring the child up with the correct teachings of Islam. So though it is permissible to marry for beauty, wealth or status, it is best to marry for piety and righteousness, as a good wife/mother will mean a good next generation. Obviously the men have to play their part too!
That we should aim to improve our character and our manners as much, if not as a priority, over the seeking of further knowledge
That we should try to remain independent and avoid borrowing money from people
That we should respect our teachers no matter how young or old they may be, they are teaching us our religion
The importance of time. These great scholars wouldn’t even waste the time spent on journeys without aiming to seek knowledge at the same time, whereas many of us leave the salaah and get into our cars and then listen to music
That we should not prioritise the education of our male children over our female children as we do not know which of our children Allah (SWT) has planned to succeed in which field
That we should always speak the truth as we are ultimately accountable to Allah (SWT) and that we should not give special treatment to those who are in a position of power over us
IMAAM ASH-SHAFI’I (R)
https://divinespeechblog.wordpress.com/2013/09/29/ash-shafii/
WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF IMAAM ASH-SHAFI’I (R)?
There is nothing wrong with having extensive knowledge in areas other than Islam, as long as this is not useless knowledge. It is of extreme shame that most of us could name more football players from one team than Companions of the Prophet (SAW)
Staying healthy and keeping in shape are important qualities as our bodies are a gift from Allah (SWT), not to be abused. But being able to bench 140kg in the gym should not become the goal of our lives. It is said that children have the right to have parents who are fit enough to run around and play with them
There is nothing wrong with correcting the mistakes of those who are more knowledgeable, but this should be done in a respectful manner
That we should not wish others to be wrong and making mistakes
That there is nothing wrong with having a sense of humour, as long as it is not vulgar and does not involve lying and so on
That in order to save one’s life it is permissible to ‘bend the truth’/deceive (for want of a better word)
IMAAM AHMAD IBN HANBAL (R)
https://divinespeechblog.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/ahmad-ibn-hanbal/
WHAT LESSONS CAN WE LEARN FROM THE LIFE OF IMAAM AHMAD IBN HANBAL (R)?
The great reward to be found in travelling for the pursuit of knowledge
That dignity is to be found in financial independence and that it is better to do work that may be seen as menial by others in order to fund oneself than ask others for money
The importance of the mother
How to have a good relationship between husband and wife – the husband wants respect, the wife wants love. That shouting and arguing gets us nowhere
How to have a good relationship with your children – the fact that his two sons wrote about their father almost everything we know about him means they must have been with him a lot – can we imagine having our children with us everywhere we go? Would we be able to handle it or would it drive us mental?
That even though it is of course permissible, all the four Imaams never took more than one wife at once – their reasons for this may not necessarily be known, but it is known that being fair and just with two or more wives is very difficult and multiple marriages should not be taken lightly
That we can and should make duaa in salaah for those who have given us benefit and so on
The importance of voluntary acts of worship such as nafl salaah and voluntary fasting
The power of duaa of the righteous (living) people
That we should remain steadfast upon the truth if we are able to withstand any punishment that is thrown our way
That guidance is from Allah (SWT) and can come from anywhere – a Bedouin or an alcoholic
That we should forgive those who have wronged us – Imaam Ahmad (R) said “What benefit will it bring us on the Day of Judgement seeing our brothers and sisters burning in Hellfire?”
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