Alhamdulillah, Toronto is a City of Knowledge. Apart from financial stability, emotional support, companionship and marriage, Muslims in Toronto are also seeking knowledge. Its true, many young Muslims are escaping from the rat race at work and meaningless university degrees to a life oriented towards learning Islam, purifying their hearts and enlightening their minds. Alhamdulillah, Toronto is the place to sit at the feet of scholars, to pour out one's old self and drink up knowledge, to become anew. Toronto is where the souls radiate with emaan (faith), taqwa (such remembrance of Allah that it hinders from sin) and ahsaan akhlaq (most beautiful character). Alhamdulillah, it is a blessing to live in Toronto but also a fitnah (test). In the our zeal to learn, we Torontonians have fallen prey to many sins. One may ask, how can seeking something so fulfilling and beautiful like Islamic knowledge be a fitnah? How can such hard working, sharp and intelligent students of knowledge commit sins?
By far, the biggest disappointment and frustration for students of knowledge is disorganized and unwelcoming Islamic Schools and Masajids. There are hundreds of Study Circles and Musalahs in Toronto, but a vast majority of them do not teach the Classical Texts or maintain a state of coherence. Moreover, Muslim instructors and imaams do not live up to the ideals and standards they teach and expect others to follow. Because of this, many students give up their aspiration to study. Nevertheless, nothing of true value comes without pain and effort. Do not depend on any institute or person to give you knowledge. Rather be active and determined in learning Islam independently. Alhamdulillah, there are many opportunities to learn Islam online through www.kalamullah.com, www.farhathashmi.com, and http://www.halaltube.com/
Indeed, learning Islamic knowledge is from the most eminent of all purposes in life and the most significant of all occupations. However, it is only for the sincere and the serious, not those who are yearning to quickly become Mashaikh and Muftis.
By far, the biggest disappointment and frustration for students of knowledge is disorganized and unwelcoming Islamic Schools and Masajids. There are hundreds of Study Circles and Musalahs in Toronto, but a vast majority of them do not teach the Classical Texts or maintain a state of coherence. Moreover, Muslim instructors and imaams do not live up to the ideals and standards they teach and expect others to follow. Because of this, many students give up their aspiration to study. Nevertheless, nothing of true value comes without pain and effort. Do not depend on any institute or person to give you knowledge. Rather be active and determined in learning Islam independently. Alhamdulillah, there are many opportunities to learn Islam online through www.kalamullah.com, www.farhathashmi.com, and http://www.halaltube.com/
Indeed, learning Islamic knowledge is from the most eminent of all purposes in life and the most significant of all occupations. However, it is only for the sincere and the serious, not those who are yearning to quickly become Mashaikh and Muftis.
It is said that, “`Ilm [beneficial knowledge] is jealous: when you give some of yourself to it, it does not give you much in return, but when you give all of yourself to it, it reveals the best of itself to you.” Think about someone you would consider a scholar or expert in the fields of history, engineering or medicine, and then consider how many years it took them to achieve that state. In the same way, it takes many years of study and dedication to reach a level of expertise and scholarship in Islam.
Some people attend a few lectures (in person or on youtube) and maybe skim through a few pages of a book only to assume that they are now in a position in the arena of Islamic discourse and debate. Such people are in fitnah, i.e. under the false impression that they are fully qualified to give opinions on Islam - Fiqh, Aqeedah, Da'wah and Shari'ah. We need to be realistic and keep in mind that an appropriate level of proficiency in Islamic sciences does not come after a few weeks or even months of studying. Granted that it it may not be so difficult or even very time consuming to learn Arabic, memorize the Qur'an or study a particular specialized topic. However, this in itself does not make one a shaykh or a shaykha, teaching others a myriad of Islamic issues and writing articles. Giving all of yourself to knowledge means excelling to your utmost ability in your studies, by having the best of focus and discipline, and by giving life to the information you learn by feeling/perceiving it deeply with the heart and then implementing it with your limbs. It is only then that that one can fully internalize the knowledge one has attained, and build on it and grow.
Another fitnah for the students of Islam are poor life choices. Anger, arrogance, greed, lying, backbitting, illicitly talking to the members of the opposite sex etc are traits that would make any person unattractive. But these characteristics are even uglier and loathsome when they emanate from those who wear the mantle of knowledge. One does not become a learned person by volunteering at conference and serving scholars. Islamic knowledge comes at the cost of spiritual struggle: getting rid of long-held, deeply ingrained bad habits. By doing this, one shows to Allah his/her sincerity and seriousness to the path of knowledge.
Finally, the fitnah of getting lost - students are caught up in the varies methodologies and Schools of Thoughts. For example, there is a lot of emphasis put on Taqleed (blindly following) and commemorating dead saints while others promote impassioned and unyielding understanding of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah). There is emphasis on folding hands on the navel and the chest, to fast in Shab-e-Baraat and not to fast. Overall, Toronto has become a center of fitnah: confusion, vitriolic debates and division. The obvious downside to this is that many students of knowledge are now reinventing Islam with their weak opinions and false evidences. Thanks to them, many strands of shirk and many types of bid'aah are practiced without hesitation, Islamic-attire is thrown at the back burner as unnecessary and some major sins such as listening to music, taking interest and eating haram foods is made halal. Toronto needs a holistic, broad-minded understanding of Qur'an and Sunnah in the context of implementing and practicing it in the West.
Allah calls the Ahl al Kitaab the worst and the most evil of His creation because they deviated from the true Islamic practices despite having knowledge of them. They purposely produced heretical teachings and interpretation of the Divine Scriptures revealed to them thereby disfiguring Islam and conflicting the religious community (Qur'an, 98). The Prophet (s.a.w) said, "Verily the Jews differed until they became seventy-one sects. And verily, the Christians differed until they became seventy-two sects. And this Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects, and all of them will be in the Fire except one." The companions (r.a) asked, "Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He (s.a.w) said, "Those who are upon what I and my companions follow." - Al Qurtubi, At-Tirmidhi.
I hope that my article will not offend anyone. I feel that every blessing comes with a fitnah. Even knowledge presents many trials upon its students. We should be careful and not heedless, cautious but hopeful.
Some people attend a few lectures (in person or on youtube) and maybe skim through a few pages of a book only to assume that they are now in a position in the arena of Islamic discourse and debate. Such people are in fitnah, i.e. under the false impression that they are fully qualified to give opinions on Islam - Fiqh, Aqeedah, Da'wah and Shari'ah. We need to be realistic and keep in mind that an appropriate level of proficiency in Islamic sciences does not come after a few weeks or even months of studying. Granted that it it may not be so difficult or even very time consuming to learn Arabic, memorize the Qur'an or study a particular specialized topic. However, this in itself does not make one a shaykh or a shaykha, teaching others a myriad of Islamic issues and writing articles. Giving all of yourself to knowledge means excelling to your utmost ability in your studies, by having the best of focus and discipline, and by giving life to the information you learn by feeling/perceiving it deeply with the heart and then implementing it with your limbs. It is only then that that one can fully internalize the knowledge one has attained, and build on it and grow.
Another fitnah for the students of Islam are poor life choices. Anger, arrogance, greed, lying, backbitting, illicitly talking to the members of the opposite sex etc are traits that would make any person unattractive. But these characteristics are even uglier and loathsome when they emanate from those who wear the mantle of knowledge. One does not become a learned person by volunteering at conference and serving scholars. Islamic knowledge comes at the cost of spiritual struggle: getting rid of long-held, deeply ingrained bad habits. By doing this, one shows to Allah his/her sincerity and seriousness to the path of knowledge.
Finally, the fitnah of getting lost - students are caught up in the varies methodologies and Schools of Thoughts. For example, there is a lot of emphasis put on Taqleed (blindly following) and commemorating dead saints while others promote impassioned and unyielding understanding of Tawheed (Oneness of Allah). There is emphasis on folding hands on the navel and the chest, to fast in Shab-e-Baraat and not to fast. Overall, Toronto has become a center of fitnah: confusion, vitriolic debates and division. The obvious downside to this is that many students of knowledge are now reinventing Islam with their weak opinions and false evidences. Thanks to them, many strands of shirk and many types of bid'aah are practiced without hesitation, Islamic-attire is thrown at the back burner as unnecessary and some major sins such as listening to music, taking interest and eating haram foods is made halal. Toronto needs a holistic, broad-minded understanding of Qur'an and Sunnah in the context of implementing and practicing it in the West.
Allah calls the Ahl al Kitaab the worst and the most evil of His creation because they deviated from the true Islamic practices despite having knowledge of them. They purposely produced heretical teachings and interpretation of the Divine Scriptures revealed to them thereby disfiguring Islam and conflicting the religious community (Qur'an, 98). The Prophet (s.a.w) said, "Verily the Jews differed until they became seventy-one sects. And verily, the Christians differed until they became seventy-two sects. And this Ummah will divide into seventy-three sects, and all of them will be in the Fire except one." The companions (r.a) asked, "Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?" He (s.a.w) said, "Those who are upon what I and my companions follow." - Al Qurtubi, At-Tirmidhi.
I hope that my article will not offend anyone. I feel that every blessing comes with a fitnah. Even knowledge presents many trials upon its students. We should be careful and not heedless, cautious but hopeful.
ps. I didn't discuss the fitnah of free-mixing in MSAs and conferences. I think it goes without saying that this is disallowed in Islam. If a sister is bent on asking a brother for something or a brother insists on consulting with a sister on something then they aren't really learning Islam - are they? Allah says, Bali al-insanu AAala nafsihibaseera. Walaw alqa maAAatheerah (Qur'an,75:14-15). Every human being is a witness upon themselves. We know when we are wrong and sinful even though we give lie to others and give excuses. It is enough for a action to be sin if it pricks our conscious and we are ashamed for it to be exposed in public. Brothers, do you feel a pinch of guilt when you are stalking a sister? Sisters, would your parents be proud if they knew you were in close contact with a brother? Allah is Watching. He is all Knowing, All Hearing. How do you think Allah will judge you if you were to entrust your affairs to Him?
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