Dought & clear - Ruling on watching movies and serials that portray the Prophets and the Sahabaah

There are movies that portray the Prophets forthe purpose of teaching
children; is it permissible to let our children watch cartoon movies
about the Prophets or those movies that portray Bilaal or Maryam, such
as ar-Risaalah (The Message) or as-SayyidahMaryam? I use these movies
to teach childrenbecause they get confused about the stories of
various Prophets and I also teach them how the Prophets put a great
deal of effort into conveying their messages.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
The contemporary scholars are unanimously agreed that it is haraam to
depict the Prophets (peace be upon them) ingeneral and our
ProphetMuhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in
particular.
Fatwas stating that this is haraam have been issued by the Standing
Committee for Issuing Fatwas in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a
statement to this effect was made by the Islamic Fiqh Council that met
in Makkah al-Mukarramah.
There is no doubt that depicting the Prophets isa kind of disrespect
towards them, because people have a great dealof respect towards them
and hold them in high esteem, but depicting them detracts from that
respect, especially if theyare depicted in cartoons.
What Allah has told us of their stories in the Qur'an is
sufficient."Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of
understanding. It (theQur'an) is not a forged statement but a
confirmation of Allah's existing Books (the Taurat (Torah), the
Injeel(Gospel) and other Scriptures of Allah) and adetailed
explanation of everything and a guide and a Mercy for the people who
believe" [Yoosuf 12:111].
It says in a statement of the Islamic Fiqh Council:… Depicting him,
whetherit is an animated drawing or otherwise, whether it is a
three-dimensional image or not – all of that is haraam and is not
permissible according toIslam.
It is not permissible to do that or approve of it for any purpose or
aim whatsoever, because it leads to very serious consequences.
Those who are in positions of authority and those who are in charge of
media and publications should prevent any depiction ofthe Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), whether three-dimensional
or otherwise, in stories, reports, theatrical plays, children's books,
movies,TV shows and so on. Thatmust be denounced and any such
productions should be destroyed.
The ruling that applies to the Prophet (blessingsand peace of Allah be
upon him), also applies to all of the Messengers and Prophets
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon them); what is haraam in the
case of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) is also
haraam in their case.
End quote from Statements of the IslamicFiqh Council, 8thsession,6thstatement.
Based on the above, it is haraam to watch such movies, whether they
are portrayed by real actors or in cartoons.
Secondly:
It is not permissible to depict the Sahaabah at all, according to the
correct scholarly opinion.
A fatwa to that effect was issued by the Council of Senior Scholars in
the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and a statement to that effect was issued
by the IslamicFiqh Council of the Muslim World League.
See the answer to question no. 163107
In that regard there is no differentiation between the senior Sahaabah
and those of lesser standing, or between the Rightly Guided Caliphs
and others, because that detracts from their status and the high
esteem in which they are held.
They had the honour of accompanying the Messenger of Allah (blessings
and peace of Allah be upon him), striving in jihad with him, defending
the faith,being sincere towards Allah and His Messenger and His
religion, and conveying this religion and knowledge to us, which
dictates that they should be held in high esteem and greatly
respected.
Undoubtedly portraying them will detract from the high esteem in which
they are held by people, and viewers maybegin to think of them in the
image of the actors who play their roles. [?]
This is in addition to what many of these serials and movies contain
of distortion andfabrication of events according to what is dictated
by the medium.
In a fatwa of the Standing Committee (1/712) it says: Portraying the
Sahaabahor one of them is forbidden, because it is disrespectful
towards them, lowers the esteem in which they are held and exposes
them to criticism, even if it is thought that this serves a purpose,
because the negative consequences to which it leads outweigh any
benefits, and anything of which the negative consequences outweigh the
positive is definitely forbidden. A statement was issued by the
Council of Senior Scholars stating that this is forbidden. End quote.
To further emphasize this point, we shall quote the statement of the
Council of Senior Scholars on which all its members were unanimously
agreed, thetext of which follows:
1.Allah, may He be glorified and exalted, praised the Sahaabah and
affirmed their high status. Presenting the life story of any one of
them in the form of a play or movie is contraryto Allah's praise of
them and detracts from the high status and honour that Allah, may He
be exalted, granted them.
2.Depicting any one of them may expose them to mockery and belittling
by people whofor the most part are notrighteous and are far removed
from piety and Islamic conduct in their public lives, in addition to
the fact that those who produce such plays and serials do it for the
purpose of material gain.
No matter how careful they are, they will still include lies and
backbiting. Moreover, depicting the Sahaabah (may Allah be pleased
with them) will make people lose respect for them and begin to look
down on them; their trust in the companions of the Messenger
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon them) will be shaken and the
esteem in which Muslim viewers hold them will decrease. This may lead
Muslims to doubt their religion and will open the door to arguing
about the Companions of Muhammad (blessingsand peace of Allah be upon
him). Some of the actors would inevitably have to play the parts of
Abu Jahl and his ilk, which means that they would utter words reviling
Bilaal and reviling the Messenger (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him) and what he brought of Islam, and this is undoubtedly wrong.
It will also be taken as a means of confusing the Muslims about their
religion, the Book of their Lord and the Sunnah of their Prophet
Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him).
3.What is said about serving interests – such as highlighting noble
characteristics and good manners, whilst making sure that facts are
presented accurately on the basis of authentic reports of the seerah,
and not compromising any of that in any way, in order to convey the
right message and teach lessons – is mere assumption and hope. Anyone
who knows howactors are and what theyaim for will realize that this
kind of acting is contrary to the reality of these actors and others
who work in that field, and how they really live and behave.
4.One of the established principles in Islam is thatanything that
leads to purely negative consequences, or of which the negative
consequences outweigh the good, is haraam. Even if we assume that
there is some benefit in acting the roles of the Sahaabah, its
negative consequences outweigh the positive. Therefore in order to
protect the public interests of the Muslims and block the means (that
may lead to evil), and to protect the dignity of the Companions of
Muhammad (blessings and peace of Allah be upon them), this must
beprevented.

Dought & clear - Critique of the book Fadaa’il al-A‘maal by Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi

Is it true that the book Fadaa'il al-A'maal by Muhammad Zakariyya
al-Kandahlawi contains a number of things that imply shirk?
Praise be to Allah.
The bookFadaa'il al-A'maal– the original title of which was Tableeghi
Nisaab– by Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi is a collection of
chapters about various virtuous deeds. It was written by the author to
be a reference for the group Jamaa'at al-Tableegh. This book became of
great importance for them, which they read intheir gatherings and
study in their schools and mosques. It is written in Urdu, which iswhy
it did not become widespread in the Arab countries; rather it is
widely known in the countries in which Jamaa'at al-Tableegh is
widespread, such as India, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Shaykh Hammood at-Tuwaijri said inal-Qawl al-Baleegh(p. 11):
The most important book among the Tableeghis is Tableeghi Nisaab (also
known asFadaa'il al-A'maal), which was written by one of their leaders
whose name is Muhammad Zakariyya al-Kandahlawi. They pay a great deal
of attention to this book, which they respect as Ahl as-Sunnah
respectas-Saheehaynand other books of hadeeth.
The Tableeghis have made this book the mostimportant reference work
for the Indians andother non-Arabs who follow them. It contains a
great deal of matters of shirk, innovation (bid'ah), myths, and
fabricated (mawdoo') and weak (da'eef) hadeeths. In fact it is a book
of evil, misguidance and confusion (fitnah). End quote.
Shaykh Shams ad-Deen al-Afghaani said in his bookJuhood 'Ulama'
al-Hanafiyyah fi Ibtaal 'Aqaa'id al-Qubooriyyah(2/776):
The leading imams of the Deobandis have books which are venerated by
the Deobandis, but they are filled with the myths of grave-worshippers
and Sufi idolatry, such as – and he mentioned a number of books,
including Tableeghi Nisaab, i.e., Nisaab at-Tableegh, and
Manhajat-Tableegh. These Deobandis did not openly disavow these books
or warn against them, and they did not put a stop to the printing and
sale of these books. The markets of India and Pakistan and elsewhere
are full of them. End quote.
It says inFataawa al-Lajnah ad-Daa'imah(vol 2, 2/97):
Question: I am a Muslim man living in Britain, and I want to follow
the path of Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah in all aspects of my life. On
that basis I am trying to read religious books in Urdu. Whilst reading
some religious books written by the famous and prominent Indian
scholar who belongs to the Deobandi Jamaa'at at-Tableegh, whose name
is Shaykh Muhammad Zakariyya Kandahlawi, the shaykh of hadeeth, I
found in his bookTableeghi Nisaab(p. 113), in Chapter 5, a story
quotedby the author from a book entitledRawnaq al-Majaalis. This is
the story of a merchant who died and his estate was shared between his
two sons. In addition to a great deal of wealth, thedeceased had left
behind a hair from the head of the Prophet (blessings and peace of
Allah be upon him). The younger son kept the hair from the head of the
Messenger (blessingsand peace of Allah be upon him) and gave up the
wealth to which he was entitled from his father's estate, giving it to
his older brother. What happened was that the one who took the wealth
soon became bankrupt, whilst the onewho took the hair became rich.
After the death of the younger brother, in whose possession was the
hair from the head of the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be
upon him), one of the righteous saw the Prophet (blessings and peace
of Allah be upon him) in his dream, and the Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him) said to him: "Whoever has any need should
go to the grave of this younger brother and call upon Allah, may He be
glorified and exalted, at his graveside so that He might answer his
prayer." This is quoted from the bookTableeghi Nisaab.
I also read another bookcalledTareekh Mashaayikh Juththatby the same
author, ShaykhMuhammad Zakariyya Kandahlawi. On p. 232, he mentions
Shaykh HajiImdaadullah Muhaajir Makki, when he was in his final
illness and was visited by one of his followers who was grieved by his
state. The shaykh realised that he was feeling sad for him and he
said: "Do not grieve, for the ascetic (zaahid) worshipper does not
die; rather he moves from one place toanother, and he meets people's
needs when he is in his grave as he usedto meet their needs when he
was alive." Thisis quoted from the bookTareekh Mashaayikh Juththat.
I would like to hear yourwise opinions about the above and also about
the following matters:
(a)Is he – the author – and the one who narrated this story still a
Muslim in the light of this belief which is reflected in his books and
his words? Please explain to us with evidence from the Qur'an and
Sunnah.
(b)If he is no longer a Muslim, what is the evidence from the Qur'an
and Sunnah that he is beyond the pale of Islam?
The answer was:
What is quoted in these books, such as the example mentioned in the
question, comes under the heading of reprehensible innovation and
myths that are not based on any sound Islamic principle and have no
basis in the Book of Allahor the Sunnah of His Prophet (blessings and
peace of Allah be upon him). No one says or believes this except one
who is confused and blinded to the truth, andhas gone astray from
thestraight path.
The claim that a hair of the Prophet still exists, and brings riches
to the one who keeps it, and the claim to have seen the Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) in a dream telling people
to offer supplication at the graveof this man – all of that islies and
fabrications for which there is no evidence. It is narrated in a
saheeh report that the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon
him) said: "The Shaytaan cannot appear in my form." Agreed upon. So
how could the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)
instruct people to call upon Allah at gravesides when he forbade such
actions during his lifetime and warned against it in the strongest
terms, and he forbade exaggerating about the Prophets and righteous
people and seeking to draw close to Allah (tawassul) by virtueof them
after their death? He (blessings andpeace of Allah be upon him) did
not die until Allah had perfected His religion by means of him(the
Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him)) and completed His
favour or blessings. So nothing can be added to or taken away from
what He prescribed. The beliefthat supplications offered at gravesides
will be answered is an innovation for which there is no basis in
Islam,and it may lead a personto major shirk if he calls upon the
occupant of the grave instead of Allah or alongside Him, or if he
believes that the occupant of the grave has the power to bring benefit
or cause harm, because the only One Who can bring benefit or cause
harm is Allah, may He be glorified.
Similarly, the belief that the ascetic (zaahid) worshipper does not
die, rather he moves from one place to another, and that he canmeet
people's needs from his grave as he used to meet their needswhen he
was alive, is also a false belief; it is one of the beliefs of the
deviant Sufis. There is nobasis for that; rather what is indicated by
the verses and saheeh hadeeths is that every person in this world will
die. Allah, may He be exalted, says (interpretation of the meaning):
"Verily, you (O Muhammad SAW) will die and verily, they (too)will die"
[az-Zumar 39:30]
"And We granted not to any human being immortality before you (O
Muhammad SAW), then if you die, would they live forever?"
[al-Anbiya' 21:34]
"Everyone is going to taste death, and We shallmake a trial of you
with evil and with good, and to Us you will be returned."
[al-Anbiya' 21:35].
The saheeh hadeeths also indicate that when a person dies, all his
deeds come to an end except three: beneficial knowledge, a righteous
son who will pray for him, or ongoing charity (sadaqah jaariyah). The
deceased in his grave has no power to harm orbenefit himself, and it
is more apt to say that one who is in this state has no power to do
that for anyone else. It is not permissible to seek to have one's
needs met by anyone except Allah alone with regard to that over which
no one has any control except Allah; seeking such needs from the dead
is major shirk. Anyone whobelieves anything other than that has
disbelieved in the sense of major kufr and has gone beyond the pale
ofIslam – Allah forbid – because of his rejecting the proven evidence
to that effect from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Prophet
(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). He has to repent sincerely
from that, resolve not to go back to that evil deed, and to follow the
path of the righteous early generations of Ahl as-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah
in order to attain the pleasure of Allah and His Paradise, and to be
safe from His punishment. End quote.
It says inal-Mawsoo'ah al-Muyassarah fi'l-Adyaan wa'l-Madhaahib
wa'l-Ahzaab al-Mu'aasirah(1/322):
In their gatherings in Arab countries they – i.e., Jamaa'at
at-Tableegh – focus on reading fromRiyadh as-Saaliheen, but in
non-Arab countries they focus on reading fromHayat
as-SahaabahandTableeghi Nisaab; the latter book is full of myths and
da'eef (weak)hadeeths. End quote.
To sum up, the scholars continue to warn against the bookTableeghi
Nisaab, otherwise known asFadaa'il al-A'maal. It is not permissible
for any Muslim to read it; rather they should focus on the books of
the saheeh Sunnah, books whose authors follow the path of Ahl
as-Sunnah wa'l-Jamaa'ah. As for books that contain myths and lies,
they should not have any place in the heart or mind of the Muslim.
And Allah knows best.

Dought & clear - • She is not allowed to wear hijab, so how can she go out to work and meet her needs?.

My question is about hijab. Women here are forbidden to wear hijab and
they are treated badly in addition to the fact that they are not
allowed to enter their workplaces or other places such as police
stations, so they have nochoice but to take off their hijab. What is
the solution, especially sincewe have to meet our own needs and
especially at work?.
Praise be to Allaah.
For a woman to wear hijab in front of non-mahram men is an obligation
that is indicated in the Qur'aan and Sunnah and by scholarly
consensus. It is not permissible for anyone to enjoin otherwise or to
prevent those who want to follow this command, otherwise he is going
against the command and laws of Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of
the meaning):
"It is not for a believer, man or woman, when Allaah and His
Messengerhave decreed a matter that they should have any option in
their decision. And whoever disobeys Allaah and His Messenger, he has
indeed strayed into a plain error"
[al-Ahzaab 33:36]
"And whoever contradicts and opposes the Messenger (Muhammadصلى الله
عليه وسلم( after the right path has been shown clearly to him, and
follows other than the believers' way, We shall keep him in the path
he has chosen, and burn him in Hell — what an evil destination!"
[al-Nisa' 4:115]
"But no, by your Lord, they can have noFaith, until they make you (O
Muhammadصلى الله عليهوسلم( judge in all disputes between them,and find
in themselves no resistance against your decisions, and accept (them)
with full submission"
[al-Nisa' 4:65]
Secondly:
It is not permissible for awoman to be careless about this obligation
or to go out of her house with any part of her body uncovered, unless
she is forced to do so in a case of necessity that makes that which is
haraam permissible, such as if she is summoned to a police-station,
and she cannot avoid going there because that would result in harm to
herself or her property.
As for going out to work,if she does not have to do that because what
she is given by her husband or father or other relative who is obliged
to support her issufficient for her, then it is not permissible for
herto go out to work if that will result in her taking off her hijab.
The Muslims have to cooperate with regard to this matter and ensure
that Muslim women are independentof means so that they are not
compelled to go out in ways that involve sin. That may be achieved by
calling on fathers and relatives to spend generously on them and to
provide some useful work that women can do in their homes, so that
they will have no need to go out for any reason that may lead to them
taking off their hijab and exposingthem to harm because ofwearing it.
This depends on convincing the men that hijaab is obligatory, because
many of them do not care about that, and some of them are keen for
their wives and daughters to go out and work, and some of them will
not agree to marry awoman who does not work, even if her work means
that she has to take off the hijaab. This ignorance and shortcoming on
the part of the men is one of the greatest causes of this problem, and
one of the reasons why the matter is not being resolved. We should
strive to spread this knowledge, remind people of it and train them to
follow it, so that every man will bekeen to protect his family and
dependents, and will realize that he will be questioned tomorrow about
this trust – did he take care of it or not? The Prophet(peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "There is no personto whom
Allaah entrusts the care of others and he does not take care of them
sincerely, but he will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise."
Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7150) and Muslim (142).
In fact, Muslims are individually obliged to strive to remove this
evil,and to adopt all the necessary means of achieving that, through
organizations and associations etc., so as torelieve their women of
hardship and enable every Muslim woman to wear her hijab. They should
not despair and give up on doing this duty. How many rights have been
restored to people by means of patience, effort and striving.
Thirdly:
If a woman is in dire straits and cannot find any alternative to going
out to work because she has no one to support her, and she is also
forced to take off the hijab, then if she is able to migrate to a land
where she will be able to practise her religion openly and obey the
commands of her Lord, she is obliged to do so.
Ibn al-'Arabi said inAhkaam al-Qur'aan(1/612):
Migration (hijrah) from dar al-kufr (kaafir lands) to dar al-Islam
(Muslim lands) is obligatory.
And from a land where innovation is widespread. Imam Maalik (may
Allaah have mercy on him) said: It is not permissible for anyone to
settle in a land in which the salaf are reviled.
And from a land in which haraam things areprevalent, for seeking
halaal is an obligation for every Muslim.
But not everyone may beable to migrate, and it cannot be regarded as a
solution for all Muslim women.
If a women really needs to go out of her house towork or do some
errands etc, and the matter is limited to uncovering the face only,
then we hope that there is nothing wrong with her doing that.
But we must strive to solve this problem completely, as stated above,
by advising thosewho are in positions of responsibility and askingthem
for this religious and personal right. The daa'iyahs who call people
to Allaah and the scholars have to explain to the people that hijab is
an obligation that Allaah has enjoined upon the Muslim women.
It is very strange that wesee this intense war against hijab, the
symbolof chastity and purity, and at the same time wesee that the door
is wideopen for immoral and promiscuous women.
Be patient, O believing women, for the reward of Allaah is precious
and there will come a day in which the religion of Allaah will prevail
over all other religions.
"It is He Who has sent HisMessenger (Muhammadصلى الله عليه وسلم(
withguidance and the religion of truth )Islam(, to make it superior
over all religions even thoughthe Mushrikoon)polytheists, pagans,
idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allaah( hate )it("
[al-Tawbah 9:33]
"And Allaah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of
men know not" [Yoosuf 12:21
We ask Allaah to guide this ummah so that people of obedience willbe
honoured and peopleof disobedience will be humiliated, , and to help
you and all the Muslim women to adhere to hijab and give up wanton
display and unveiling.
And Allaah knows best.

Foundation of religion Islam, is on knowledge (Ilm) and Noble Character(Akhlaq)

Foundation of religion, Islam is on knowledge (Ilm)and Noble
Character (Akhlaq). When we study the life and times of our beloved
Ahlul Bayt (as), we notice that the main weapon they used in carrying
out their mission of spreading the message of Allah (SWT), was
knowledge on one hand and Noble Character on the other.
Our 6th Imam, Imam JafarSadiq (as) narrates that,"Anyone who is devoid
of knowledge (Ilm) and Noble Character (Akhlaq)is like an orphan who
has lost both his parents."
Our Fuqaha (scholars) areapt examples of the height of character one
can attain. It has been narrated about the spiritual station of our
great Marja, Ayatullah Muhammad Husein Burujerdi (d.1961), that he had
made a vow (Nadhr)that if he ever uttered inappropriate words when
angry, he would fast for a whole year (to train his soul). Indeed, he
had a very lofty station because of his excellent character. He
himself has said,"Before I came to Qom, I used to hear the voices
ofangels." He was a Marja whose credentials as a supreme authority had
been endorsed by Amir al-Mu'mineen, Imam Ali (pbuh) himself.
Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: I seek refuge in Allah (SWT) from
knowledge that brings no wisdom, from a heart that lacks kindness,
from desires that bring discontent, and from supplications that go
unanswered.
Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: "Teachers andstudents both share in
rewards but other peopleare deprived of them."
Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: "He who searches for knowledge is
similar to a person whofasts during the day and keeps vigil at night
and isbusy worshipping. If a person acquires a branchof knowledge, it
is betterfor him than possessing as much gold as the height of Abu
Qubais Mount which he would distribute in the way of Allah (SWT)."
Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: "The virtue ofknowledge is more
beloved with Allah (SWT) than the virtue of worship."
Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: "The Noble Qur'anis Allah's (SWT)
university; so, learn as much as you can in this university."
Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: "Fie upon that Muslim who does not
allocate (at least) oneday a week to the study of the details of his
religion and to explore (the affairs) of his religion."
Imam Hassan (as) said:"Teach your knowledge to others and (try to)
learn yourself the knowledge of others."
Imam Baqir (as) said: "Tryto learn knowledge because learning it is a
good action and study is itself a worship."
Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "Be careful of your knowledge and see from
whom you get it."
Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "Try to obtain knowledge and ornament it
with patience and dignity; andbe humble for the one who learns
knowledge from you."
Knowledge (Ilm) and Wealth in the eyes of Imam Ali (pbuh):
It is related that once ten learned men approached Imam Ali (pbuh),
and wanted to know how knowledge was better than wealth. They
requested that each one of them be given a separate answer. Imam Ali
(pbuh) answered them as follows:
01. Knowledge is the legacy of the Prophets; wealth is the inheritance
of the Pharaohs. As the Prophets are superior to the Pharaohs, so
knowledge is better thanwealth.
02. You have to guard your wealth, but knowledge guards you.
Therefore, knowledge is better than wealth.
03. When knowledge is distributed it increases. When wealth is
distributed it decreases. As such knowledge is better than wealth.
04. A man of wealth has many enemies, while a man of knowledge has
many friends. Therefore knowledge is better thanwealth.
05. A learned man because of his wider outlook is apt to be generous
while a rich man because of his love for money is apt to be miserly.
As such knowledge is better thanwealth.
06. Knowledge cannot bestolen, while wealth is constantly exposed to
thedanger of being stolen. Accordingly knowledge isbetter than wealth.
07. With the lapse of time, knowledge gains indepth and dimensions.
Hoarded coins get rusty, or cease to be legal tender. Therefore
knowledge is better thanwealth.
08. You can keep accountof wealth because it is limited, but you
cannot keep account of knowledge because it is boundless. That is why
knowledge is better thanwealth.
09. Knowledge illuminates the mind, while wealth is apt to blacken it.
Therefore knowledge is better thanwealth.
10. Knowledge is better than wealth, because knowledge induced the
humanity in the Holy Prophet to say to God"We worship Thee as we are
Thine servants", while wealth engendered in Pharaoh and Nimrod the
vanity which made them claim Godhead.
Imam Ali (pbuh) was the only one who declared 'Saluni, Saluni Kabla an
Tafkiduni' - 'ask me, ask me, before you do not find me amongst you.'
Imam Ali (pbuh) says regarding knowledge and acting on it:
O you who carry knowledge around with you; are you only carrying it
around with you? For surely knowledge belongs to who ever know and
thenacts accordingly, so that his action corresponds to his knowledge.
There willbe a people who will carry knowledge around with them, but
it will not pass beyond their shoulders. Their inner most thoughts
will contradict what they display in public and their actions will
contradict what they know.
Imam Ali (pbuh) says regarding the purity and nobility of knowledge:
When a dead person is placed in his grave, four kinds of fire will
cover him, but then the prayer will come and put one of them out, and
the fast will come and put another one of them out,and then charity
will come and put another one out, and knowledge will come and put the
forth one out, and it will say: 'If I had come sooner, I would a have
put all of them out, and given you delight for I am with you now, and
you'll not see anything else distressing.'