Khutbah #20 - 13/11/98

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim

Alhamdulillahi rabbil'alamin wa salaatu wa salaamu ala Rasulihi  

So you travel the world in search of knowledge, but what kind of knowledge do you seek? Do you see your academic studies as an integral part of your Islam? Do you give the sources of specifically Islamic knowledge anything like the intellectual application that you apply to perhaps more mundane backwaters of the sea of knowledge? If not, you will almost certainly find your Islam unsatisfying in comparison to your main focus of attention. As with most things, you get out what you put in.

And the understandings and inspirations that you do gain from the Islamic context of your knowledge - do you pass them on? Or do you keep your treasures for yourself?

'Abd Allah Ibn Mas'ud reported the Prophet as saying 'There shall be no envy among muslims except for two desires for emulation: The person whom Allah has given wealth and the power to spend it in the service of Truth, and the person whom Allah has granted knowledge of things and he judges by it and teaches it to others'.

Maulana Muhammad Ali comments on this "The desire to have knowledge is here made akin to the desire to possess wealth, which is a natural desire in every human heart, and thus it is made clear that the acquisition of knowledge is as important as that of wealth, and every human being should acquire both."

"The desire to possess either, however, is made subject to a further condition: the possessor of wealth spends it in the cause of Truth, and the possessor of knowledge teaches it to others, so that the benefit of humanity is the real end in view."

In the Holy Qur'an, knowledge is spoken of as the greatest wealth: "And whoever is given knowledge, is indeed given abundant wealth" (2.269)'

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Last week I quoted a few excerpts from Al-Ghazali - 'The Jewels of the Qur'an. Some of you seemed to like it, so I thought I would give you another taste, this time from a Chapter considering 'Why the Verse of the Throne is Considered the chief of the Qur'anic verses.'

Al-Ghazali writes: "Concerning the Verse of the Throne, I should ask you: Do you have the ability to think of the reason why the Verse of the Throne is named the chief of the Qur'anic verses? If you are unable to discover it by your independent thought turn back to the divisions (of Qur'anic verses) which we have already discussed and to their grades which we have already set in order."

"We have mentioned to you that knowledge of God, His essence and attributes is that which is the ultimate aim of the Qur'anic sciences, and that all other divisions are sought because of it, while it is sought for itself and not for anything other than itself. Thus this knowledge is that which is sought, and all other things are its followers. This knowledge is the chief form of cognition which comes first, and towards which the faces of the followers and their hearts are directed; so they imagine it and follow the example of it and the aim of it. The Verse of the Throne (is named the chief of Qur'anic verses because it) is concerned with the divine essence, attributes and works only; it contains nothing other than these."

"Thus the word 'God', Allahu, indicates His essence."

"His words 'There is no god but He' are an indication of the unity of His essence."

"God's words 'The Ever Living, the Self-subsisting and All-sustaining' indicate the attribute of His essence and His glory, for the meaning of Self-subsisting and All-sustaining is One Who sustains Himself, while all other things are sustained by Him; so His normal state is not connected with anything, and the state of everything is connected with Him; this is the ultimate (state) of glory and greatness."

"God's words 'Neither slumber nor sleep seizes Him' describe His freedom from the attributes of accidents which are impossible in His case. Freedom from what is impossible in His case is not one of the obscure divisions of knowledge (of Him); rather it is the clearest of them."

"God's words 'To Him belong whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth' indicate all His works, and that all of these have their origin in Him and return to Him."

"The words of God 'Who is he that will (be able to) intercede with Him except by His permission' indicate His being alone in sovereignty, authority and command and that whoever will have the right of intercession will possess it only because God ennobles him and permits him - a thing which is the negation of partnership with Him in sovereignty and command."

"God's words 'He knows what lies before them and what is after them, and they cannot comprehend anything of His knowledge except that which He pleases' are an indication of His attribute of knowledge, of the detailing of some of the things known, and of His being alone in knowledge so that no one other than Him has any knowledge by himself - if he has any knowledge it is through God's gift and according to the measure of His will."

"God's words 'His throne comprises the heavens and the earth' indicate the greatness of His sovereignty and the perfection of His power. In this lies a secret the disclosure of which is not made possible by its condition, since knowledge of the throne (of God), of its attributes and of the wideness of the heavens and the earth is a noble and obscure knowledge with which many other forms of knowledge are bound up."

"The words of God 'The preserving of them does not weary Him' indicate the divine attributes of power and its perfection, and freedom from weakness and imperfection."

"God's words 'He is the Most High, the Most Great' indicate two great principles of divine attributes. The explanation of these two attributes would take a long time. That part of them which is possible to explain we have explained in the work The Supreme Aim in the Beautiful Names of God. Seek it from that book."

"Now when you reflect on all these meanings and then recite all other verses of the Qur'an, you will not find all these meanings - divine unity, sanctification, and explanation of high attributes - gathered together in a single one of them. This is the reason why the Prophet (may God bless him and greet him!) said 'The Verse of the Throne is the chief of the verses of the Qur'an'."

Al-Ghazali then goes on to compare and contrast the Verse of the Throne with other chapters and verses - but that you will have to investigate for yourselves.

O God, forgive us, and have mercy on us, and guide us, and grant us security, and grant us sustenance.