Hayatus Sahabah - The Lives of the Sahabah - Part 3

21 8 THE LlVES OF THE SAHABAH wm (Val-3)
see people learning the Qur'aan before lmaan and while they have read from
Surah Faatiha up to the end of the Qur'aan, they have no idea about what the
Qur'aan instructs and what it prohibits. They also do not know where it is
appropriate to stop and scatter the verses about like unwanted dates." ('I
Hadhrat Jundub bin Abdullaah ~ , - said, "We were youngsters almost
coming of age when we learnt Imaan before the Qur'aan with Rasulullaah
w. When we then learnt the Qur'aan, our Imaan grew even stronger." (21
Hadhrat Ali !&G%IGj once said, "Whenever a Surah, a verse or a few verses were
revealed during the time of Rasulullaah @%, it would serve to strengthen the
Imaan and submission of the Mu'mineen and if it contained a prohibition, they
-
would immediately abstain." (3)
. How the Sahabah would not Learn another Verse of the Qur'aan until
they had Learnt how to practise on the Previous verse
Hadhrat Abu Abdur Rahmaan Sulami says, "The Sahabi %!3GB!& who taught us
mentioned that when they learnt ten verses from Rasulullaah w, they would
not proceed to another ten verses until they had learnt everything about the
previous ten verses and how to practise on them. He would also say, 'Our
knowledge consisted of both theory and practice.'"(4)
Another narration adds that the Sahabi !&%&i also said, ''We used to learn the
Qur'aan as well as how to practise on it. There shall however come people who
will inherit the Qur'aan after us who will drink up the Qur'aan like water without
it passing by their collarbones. In fact, it will not even pass here." He then placed
his hand on his throat. (5)
Hadhrat Abdullaah bin Mas'ood !8,GiWl said, "Whenever we learnt ten verses of
the Qur'aan from Rasulullaah @&, we would not proceed to learn the next ten
verses until we had learnt whatever was in them." when someone asked a
narrator named Hadhrat Shareek whether this referred to practising the ten
verses . . first, he replied in the affirmative. (6)
Acquiring That Much of Deeni knowledge
that One Needs
The Words of Hadhrat Salmaan ~,~ to a man
from the Banu Abs Tribe in this Regard
Hadhrat Hafs bin Umar Sa'di narrates from his uncle that Hadhrat Salmaan
%,- once said to Hadhrat Hudhayfah %JSW4, "0 member of the Banu Abs! .
While knowledge is abundant, life is short. You should therefore acquire only
that much of Deeni knowledge that you need and leave out that which does not
(1) Tabraani, reporting from reliable sources as confirmed by Haythami (Vol. 1 Pg. 165).
(2) Ibn Maajah (Pg. 11):
(3) Askari and Ibn Mardway, as quoted in Bnzul Ummaal(Vol.1 Pg.232).
(4) Ahmad (Vo1.5 Pg.410). Haythami (Vol. 1 Pg.232) has commented on the chain of narrators.
(5) Ibn Sa'd (Vo1.6 Pg. 172).
(6) Ibn Asaakir, as quoted in Bnzul Ummaal Wol. 1 Pa.232).