معالم إرشادية لصناعة طالب العلم (الجزء الأول)
MA'ALIM IRSHADIYA LI SANA'AT TALIB AL ILM (Part 1 : Author, About The Book, and Introduction).
Shaykh Muhammed Awwama:
He is known as one of the best scholars of Hadith today. He has spent his life studying and learning in the field. He learned from well-known teachers like Fattah Abu Ghuddah and Shaykh Abdullah Sirajuddin for over sixty years.
Born in Aleppo, Syria in 1940, from the descendants of the family of Rasulullah Sallallahu Allahi Wasallam through Hadhrat Hussein Ibn Ali رضي الله عنه.
During his career, he has made important contributions to Hadith studies. He is known for his work in preserving and bringing back old texts. He has written many books and has helped in reprinting old works like 'Rawfaut Takmil', 'Ajwatul Fadhila', 'Rislatul Murshideen', 'Fahul Babul Inayah', and 'Muqamatul Hujjah'. Even though 'Muqamatul Hujjah' is credited to Fattah Abu Ghuddah, it is known that Shaykh Muhammed Awwama helped write it while Abu Ghuddah was in prison.
Apart from his collaborative efforts, he has also written his own successful works. Some of his popular books include 'Musnad Amir al-Mu'minin Umar bin Abdul Aziz', 'Dirasah Hadithiyyah', and 'Ma'alim Irshadiya li Sana'at Talib al Ilm'. His work has been highly regarded in academic circles for its quality and depth of knowledge.
Served as a lecturer at Madrasa al-Sha'baniyya and at the Islamic Center of Masjid al-Rawda in Aleppo.
Established the Islamic Center of Research at the Islamic University in Madinah Munawwarah and the Center for Serving the Sunnah and the Sirah.
Taught at Jamiah Imam Muhammad Bin Sa'ud in Riyadh and Jamiah Malik Abdul Aziz in Madinah Munawwarah.
Known for his writings, including "Athar al-Hadith ai-Sharif" and "Adab al-Ikhtilaf Fi Masa'il ai-lim Wal Deen".
Received the Hassan Ali Nadwi Award in Lucknow and has deep affiliation with the Ulamah of Deoband.
Notable contributions include research on Hadith collections like "Musnad 'Umar Ibn 'Abdul Aziz" and editing works like "AI-Musannaf by Ibn Abi Shayba".
About the book:
This book is a guidance for any students who want to delve into any of the Islamic Sciences
It contains advice and tips on how a student can derive the most benefits out of their time as a student of knowledge.
It also elaborates on how a person should teach, and how he should conduct himself once he becomes a scholar.
In conclusion, it covers the entire life of a Talib e Ilm from the time he commences with his Ilm till he becomes a scholar.
Introduction :
He starts his book by praising Allah (SWT) and sending salutations to all the prophets. Lastly, he ends it by sending salutations to Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم. He then highlights two great merits of Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم:
Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم was sent as a teacher
He was sent to make things easy for the people.
He then sends salutations to Nabi صلى الله عليه وسلم’s family, his companions, and all of his followers who follow him until the day of Qiyamah.
He goes on to say that knowledge, in itself, is the most honorable thing to seek, and the honor of a science is honored by the subject matter of that science. The Sharee knowledge, with all of its supplementary and auxiliary sciences, is the best and most honored science to delve into. When a believer attains knowledge and acts upon it, his faith increases, his good actions multiply, and his character becomes beautiful.
In conclusion, complete happiness and fulfillment can only be achieved through knowledge, whether it is religious studies or secular studies. Any person who seeks knowledge will certainly attain something, even for a short period of time, even by simply being present there. By seeking knowledge, one exposes oneself to it, acquiring the tools and benefits that are essential for the attainment of knowledge.
He emphasizes that no person can attain complete knowledge until they actively seek it. To be successful, it is essential to seek knowledge in a correct and intelligent manner to fulfill one's goals effectively. Following the footsteps of successful individuals in both a literal and technical sense is crucial for a student to reach their level of success (the predecessors).
Similarly, it is vital for both experienced scholars and elder scholars to illuminate the path for the younger scholars. They should serve as role models for the students who come after them, guiding them to avoid repeating past mistakes and ensuring that the upcoming scholars do not stumble into the same pitfalls as them. Ultimately, the essence of religion lies in sharing good advice.
The author then discusses the reasons behind writing this book, mentioning that he felt the need for a guiding tool for himself and his fellow students of knowledge. He notes the absence of modern language books that could effectively address this need, and emphasizes the importance of combining critical and intricate learning methods with modern, easier educational approaches to do justice to the topic.
He recalls sharing his thoughts with his teacher, Shaykh Abdul Fattah Ghuddah, and requesting him to present a gift to students, as he had done in his previous works ("Safahat min Sabr Ulama" and "Qimat Us Zaman Inda Ulama"). However, due to circumstances, he was unable to fulfill this request.
The author then quotes a proverb, "whatever cannot be attained in its entirety, should not be left out entirely," explaining that since his teacher couldn't do it, he decided to write something concise, drawing from his previous works. He seeks forgiveness for any shortcomings and states that the book is intended to be a guiding resource for students. He introduces five chapters with respective subtopics to provide an overview of the content.
والله ولي التوفيق وهو الغفور الرحيم جزاك الله خيرا على القراءة…