Adab al-Mufrad

Benefits and Issues:

➊ As long as a person is alive, he performs righteous deeds himself, but when his eyes close and his soul departs, this chain of actions comes to a halt, and the addition of good deeds to his record of deeds ceases. Death is an undeniable reality, and so is the cessation of deeds! All of a person’s plans are left behind, all desires remain in the heart, and he departs for the abode of the Hereafter. Whether Muslim or disbeliever, righteous or wicked, rich or poor—the destination for all is the grave, and after that, the paths diverge: either to the Fire or to Paradise. The decision as to which path—Paradise or Hell—we will take must be made in this very life. Life is short, but the journey of the Hereafter is extremely long, and its valleys are very difficult to traverse. Between the traveler and the destination are darknesses and obscurities. If we light the lamp of righteous deeds in this life, this light will benefit us on the Day of Resurrection. Allah does not waste the reward of any good deed done in life, but there are some deeds so great that their reward continues to reach a person even after death. Wise people engage in such a business that the capital remains safe and profit continues for a long time. Therefore, we should choose such deeds that benefit us both in life and after death. The aforementioned hadith mentions such deeds.

➋ The first deed mentioned in the hadith is ongoing charity (sadaqah jariyah). This refers to any act from which Allah’s creation continues to benefit, such as: building a mosque, a school, a travelers’ lodge, or a hospital; arranging for water to be provided; digging a well; installing a tube well; planting shade-giving trees along the road so travelers can rest; dedicating land or property for public benefit. All these are forms of ongoing charity, the reward for which continues to reach a person after death as long as people benefit from these charitable works. Another form of ongoing charity is enjoining good and forbidding evil (amr bil-ma‘ruf wa nahi ‘anil-munkar). Shaykh al-Albani rahimahullah has written, quoting Imam Subki, that authoring and compiling books is the best and most enduring form of ongoing charity. (Sharh al-Adab al-Mufrad)

➌ The second thing that becomes ongoing charity for a person and whose reward continues to reach him is beneficial knowledge. The virtue of knowledge is well established. Allah, the Lord of Might, revealed to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam:

﴿فَاعْلَمْ اَنَّهٗ لَآ اِِلٰهَ اِِلَّا اللّٰهُ﴾ (Muhammad: 19)
“Know that there is no deity except Allah.”

Similarly, Allah the Exalted says:

﴿یَرْفَعِ اللّٰہُ الَّذِیْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مِنْکُمْ وَالَّذِیْنَ اُوْتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ﴾ (al-Mujadilah: 11)
“Allah will raise those among you who believe and those who have been given knowledge by degrees.”

The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

((فَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَی الْعَابِدِ کَفَضْلِيْ عَلٰی أَدْنَاکُمْ)) (Jami‘ al-Tirmidhi, al-‘Ilm, Hadith: 2685)
“The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like my superiority over the lowest among you.”

He also said:

((مَنَّ عَلَّمَ عِلْمًا فَلَهٗ أَجْرُ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهٖ لَایُنْقَصُ مِنْ أَجْرِ الْعَامِلِ شَیْئٌ)) (Sunan Ibn Majah, al-Muqaddimah, Hadith: 240)
“Whoever teaches knowledge, he will have the reward of whoever acts upon it, without that diminishing the doer’s reward in the least.”

There are countless hadiths regarding the virtue of knowledge and the people of knowledge, the mention of which would be lengthy. Beneficial knowledge refers to such knowledge upon which the success and salvation of a person’s worldly and hereafter life depends. It is necessary for every Muslim to know what is lawful and unlawful and the fundamentals of Islam; however, there must be a group among the people of knowledge who have deep understanding and expertise in religious sciences.

Any religious guidance that benefits people even after one’s death is the greatest charity for a person, which will increase his record of good deeds.

In the present era, religious sciences are not given importance. People give more importance to other sciences and arts, perhaps due to concerns about their economic future. The people of knowledge are often subject to economic worries, so people find it difficult to enter this field.

Imitating the West has further aggravated this crisis. On the other hand, the race to raise the standard of living has compelled every individual to advance in the economic field, to the extent that even scholars have joined this race. All these matters have their place, but if only the virtue of knowledge mentioned in this hadith is kept in view, then all the worldly glory and grandeur become insignificant. No matter how economically stable a person is, in the end, everything will be left behind. If one has adopted the path of teaching and learning, Allah does not waste it in this world either, and the reward in the Hereafter will be known on the Day when deeds are weighed. Therefore, whoever is granted ability by Allah should certainly begin the process of teaching and learning. Moreover, it is not necessary that a person can only attain this virtue through this path; rather, by supporting the people of knowledge and sincerely covering the expenses of mosques and schools, one can become a partner in this reward with the scholars.

➍ Sometimes a person possesses knowledge, but it is not beneficial, so one should seek refuge from such knowledge. “Or knowledge from which benefit is derived” is a point of reflection for those students in religious schools who, after acquiring knowledge for years, waste their lives and neither benefit themselves by correcting their practical lives nor benefit others. Such knowledge can be a cause of destruction rather than elevation of ranks. After acquiring knowledge, passing it on is what can benefit a person, so that the chain of students continues and the person’s righteous deeds increase.

➎ Knowledge can only be beneficial when a person finds good students; for this, in the present era, one should choose a good institution where there are intelligent and hardworking students.

➏ Beneficial knowledge does not depend solely on effort and striving, but only when Allah’s special favor is present can knowledge be truly beneficial. The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to seek refuge from knowledge that is not beneficial. He would supplicate:

((اَللّٰهُمَّ اِنِّیْ أَعُوْذُبِكَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ لَا یَنْفَعُ وَمِنْ دُعَاءٍ لَا یُسْمَعُ وَمِنْ قَلْبٍ لَا یَخْشَعُ وَمِنْ نَفْسٍ لَا تَشْبَعُ)) (Sunan Ibn Majah, al-Muqaddimah, Bab al-Intifa‘ bil-‘Ilm..., Hadith: 250)
“O Allah! I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit, from a supplication that is not heard, from a heart that does not fear, and from a soul that is not satisfied.”

➐ From this it is understood that some types of knowledge are not only unbeneficial but harmful, such as the knowledge of magic, through which people are harmed. It is possible that the one who learns magic may gain some worldly benefit, but in the end, it is still loss. Similarly, sometimes a magician treats someone afflicted by magic, which certainly benefits a Muslim, and benefiting a Muslim is a good deed. But if something is not lawful in itself, then its benefit is also not correct. Therefore, since the act of magic is itself absolutely forbidden, benefiting through it cannot be beneficial for the magician.

➑ Beneficial knowledge will only benefit a Muslim; a disbeliever will remain deprived of it, because the one who does not recite (la ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah) is given the reward of his good deeds in this world only.

➒ The third thing whose benefit continues to reach a person after his death and which becomes a means of forgiveness of sins and elevation of ranks is the supplication of righteous children.

Children are a person’s earning. If they are properly raised and their rights are observed, saving them from being lost, they become a means of happiness for a person in this world and the Hereafter. In old age, they become a support in this world, and in the Hereafter, a means of elevation of ranks. Every good deed of the child is beneficial for the parents; however, it is encouraged that children should supplicate and seek forgiveness for their parents.

The restriction of “righteous” in “righteous child” indicates that only if the child is righteous will he supplicate. And he will only be righteous if the parents have made efforts for it. This is also supported by the fact that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam ordered that children be accustomed to prayer at the age of seven and to be disciplined at the age of ten if they do not pray. Similarly, making children aware of religious values and teaching them Islamic manners is also a religious duty of parents. After the parents’ efforts, if the children do not incline towards religion, the parents are absolved, but they should make every possible effort and supplication.

➓ After death, these are the only means for attaining reward and elevation of ranks. Apart from these, self-invented practices such as the fortieth-day gathering, recitation of the Qur’an, and other innovations have no connection with the religion, nor do they benefit the deceased. In fact, if the deceased himself used to commit these innovations and wished that such things be done after his death, it is not unlikely that he will be deserving of punishment and warning.

⓫ From this, the virtue of marrying with the intention of having righteous children is also understood, and encouragement for having many children, because the more righteous children one has, the greater the means for elevation of ranks. Therefore, the formula “two children are enough” reflects a disbelieving mindset, whose purpose in life is only this temporary world. A Muslim is intelligent and prudent; he should be concerned about his future. And because of having many children, if he works harder, then even a morsel he feeds his children is not wasted, but becomes charity for him.

⓬ Our time is limited and the list of tasks is long. Life is limited and desires are unlimited, so one should begin with the most beneficial knowledge, i.e., in the first opportunity, acquire those sciences that will benefit in the Hereafter as well.

⓭ This hadith also encourages choosing a wife of good character so that she may raise the children well and make them righteous, and they may prove beneficial for the person.

⓮ Every Muslim should arrange for all three types of deeds mentioned in the hadith before leaving this world, or at least do one of these three, so that the chain of deeds does not break after death.