Written By: Saad Mahmood
Edited By: Muhammed Tahmid Ahmed
The below are notes from a reminder delivered by Shaykh Kehlan al-Jubury during a gathering amongst students of knowledge on Monday, the 22nd of May 2023, during an Umrah trip in the holy city of Makkah.
The Importance of Good Companionship
The Shaykh highlighted how surrounding oneself with serious and committed friends can shape one’s character and goals. He shared a story about two of his friends from his university days. One of his friends was hardworking and achieved high grades in his class at university, but he was also very learned and introduced him to the foundations of Islamic knowledge and various Islamic works. The other friend however, whilst he was very knowledgeable and even someone the Shaykh considered a genius (for instance, he once wrote a poem encompassing various aspects of fiqh), did not make much effort towards finding a stable source of income or a job in his youth and thus ended up in a lot of debt and poverty, which he is still in to this day. May Allah ﷻ make things easy for him and relieve him of his burdens.
Engaging with Society and the Dunya
The Shaykh went on to emphasise that being part of a community and engaging with the world are essential in order to learn how to be sociable and give dawah. He referred to the hadith of the Prophet ﷺ:
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ الرَّقِّيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ وَثَّابٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ “ الْمُؤْمِنُ الَّذِي يُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ وَيَصْبِرُ عَلَى أَذَاهُمْ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لاَ يُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ وَلاَ يَصْبِرُ عَلَى أَذَاهُمْ ”.
The believer who mixes with people and is patient with their harm has a greater reward than the believer who does not mix with people, nor is patient with their harm. [Sunan Ibn Majah 4032]
He also mentioned Salman al-Farisi’s (RA) advice to Abu Ad-Darda (RA) regarding the balance between one’s religious and worldly duties, emphasising the importance of fulfilling the rights owed to oneself, others, and Allah ﷻ.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ عَوْنٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْعُمَيْسِ، عَنْ عَوْنِ بْنِ أَبِي جُحَيْفَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ آخَى النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَيْنَ سَلْمَانَ وَأَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ. فَزَارَ سَلْمَانُ أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ فَرَأَى أُمَّ الدَّرْدَاءِ مُتَبَذِّلَةً فَقَالَ لَهَا مَا شَأْنُكِ قَالَتْ أَخُوكَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ لَيْسَ لَهُ حَاجَةٌ فِي الدُّنْيَا. فَجَاءَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ فَصَنَعَ لَهُ طَعَامًا فَقَالَ كُلْ فَإِنِّي صَائِمٌ. قَالَ مَا أَنَا بِآكِلٍ حَتَّى تَأْكُلَ. فَأَكَلَ، فَلَمَّا كَانَ اللَّيْلُ ذَهَبَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ يَقُومُ فَقَالَ نَمْ. فَنَامَ، ثُمَّ ذَهَبَ يَقُومُ فَقَالَ نَمْ. فَلَمَّا كَانَ آخِرُ اللَّيْلِ قَالَ سَلْمَانُ قُمِ الآنَ. قَالَ فَصَلَّيَا فَقَالَ لَهُ سَلْمَانُ إِنَّ لِرَبِّكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَلِنَفْسِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، وَلأَهْلِكَ عَلَيْكَ حَقًّا، فَأَعْطِ كُلَّ ذِي حَقٍّ حَقَّهُ. فَأَتَى النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرَ ذَلِكَ لَهُ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ صَدَقَ سَلْمَانُ ”. أَبُو جُحَيْفَةَ وَهْبٌ السُّوَائِيُّ، يُقَالُ وَهْبُ الْخَيْرِ.
Narrated Abu Juhaifa: The Prophet ﷺ established a bond of brotherhood between Salman and Abu Darda’. Salman paid a visit to Abu ad-Darda and found Um Ad-Darda’ dressed in shabby clothes and asked her why she was in that state.?” She replied, “Your brother, Abu Ad-Darda is not interested in the luxuries of this world.” In the meantime Abu Ad-Darda came and prepared a meal for him (Salman), and said to him, “(Please) eat for I am fasting.” Salman said, “I am not going to eat, unless you eat.” So Abu Ad-Darda’ ate. When it was night, Abu Ad-Darda’ got up (for the night prayer). Salman said (to him), “Sleep,” and he slept. Again Abu- Ad-Darda’ got up (for the prayer), and Salman said (to him), “Sleep.” When it was the last part of the night, Salman said to him, “Get up now (for the prayer).” So both of them offered their prayers and Salman said to Abu Ad-Darda’,”Your Lord has a right on you; and your soul has a right on you; and your family has a right on you; so you should give the rights of all those who have a right on you). Later on Abu Ad-Darda’ visited the Prophet ﷺ and mentioned that to him. The Prophet ﷺ, said, “Salman has spoken the truth.”
A Balanced Attitude
The Shaykh stressed the need for balance in approaching matters, explaining that not everything is black and white, and many issues lie in a nuanced grey area.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّاءُ، عَنْ عَامِرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ، يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ “ الْحَلاَلُ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُشَبَّهَاتٌ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الْمُشَبَّهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِيِنِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ، وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ كَرَاعٍ يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى، يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَهُ. أَلاَ وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى، أَلاَ إِنَّ حِمَى اللَّهِ فِي أَرْضِهِ مَحَارِمُهُ، أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ. أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ”.
Narrated An-Nu’man bin Bashir: I heard Allah’s Messenger ﷺ saying, ‘Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.
He further highlighted that young people often approach things with zeal and rigid views which can lead to mistakes. A balanced teacher is key – someone focused on teaching and guiding, not creating followers or cliques. The Shaykh advised that students seek teachers from those who are experts in their fields, dedicated to their subject, not caring too much about politics, etc. He added that a teacher’s main concern should be the actual knowledge and passing it on.
Consistency in Effort
The Shaykh shared the importance of consistency, mentioning his own daily class, citing the hadith:
حَدَّثَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ لَهِيعَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ الأَعْرَجُ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ : “ اكْلَفُوا مِنَ الْعَمَلِ مَا تُطِيقُونَ فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْعَمَلِ أَدْوَمُهُ وَإِنْ قَلَّ”.
Abu Hurairah narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Take on only as much as you can do of good deeds, for the best of deeds is that which is done consistently, even if it is little.”
He likened the process to building a business, where success requires steady effort, starting small, and gradually building up. Similarly, with knowledge, one cannot expect overnight mastery. He outlined the four stages of seeking knowledge:
- Thinking you know everything.
- Realising there is much you do not know, but believing you still know most of it.
- Understanding that what you do not know far outweighs what you do.
- Accepting that you know very little.
Memorising the Qur’an and Time Management
Though briefly mentioned, the Shaykh emphasised the importance of both for the student of knowledge.
And Allah ﷻ knows best.