Allah, the Exalted, has honoured us with a magnificent badge of honour. It is ‘the seeking of religious knowledge’ Seeking knowledge is a an extremely magnificent badge of honour. Why? Because it is an honour that is unending, bequeathed, transferred enduring, continuous, through statements, actions, writings, compilations exactly how it was. That which I studied from my teacher while listening, who heard from his teacher, then from his teacher, up to Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, then the Prophet ﷺ. This is only the case for ‘ilm (religious knowledge) and only for the noble message.
This message that is conveyed through books whether it is Fiqh, Hadith, Tafseer, History etc. The first generations preserved it meticulously. They trained in it and exercised it. They exerted themselves in it. Then those who came after them did similar, then those who came after them, and those who came after them until it reached us. After being scrutinised thousands of times. Ground, compressed, fortified, written, recited and debated. Then it finally came to us clean and pure.
Because of that when we hear words of knowledge and our ears become pure, and our hearts faithful, the heart will absorb it readily because the body and soul is desperate for it. That is why, when an attentive, intelligent individual would listen to the speech of the scholars, they would submit to it. They would submit to it, because it is something important. It was not given hastily nor was it given leisurely Nor was it given out of arrogance. Rather, it was given through meticulousness, integrity, verification. That is why we are the custodians of the message. Custodians of this message of knowledge.
We will take an example in Fiqh or in Hadith, we will take Fiqh by paying attention to the skill of Ijtihaad. The Quran, Sunnah, and Hadith are well known. With Fiqh, we will take an example from Ijtihaad. When Imam Malik said some words it was held on to by those there very well. I’m sure, my brothers and teachers know that Imam Malik, whenever he would speak, he would speak with passion and all of his heart. He didn’t speak while he was lying down, half asleep and yawning. He spoke diligently, meticulously, with energy and intelligence because they (early scholars) delivered real meanings and that is why his students became like thirsty sponges, taking this message. That is why they became accustomed to this knowledge in a very short time because they were honoured. Meaning, the transmission and reception that are in these devices (like phones etc.). It was in their hearts and minds, instantly. That is why they memorised the message from him.
This message which Imam Malik, Imam Abu Hanifah, Imam Shafi’i and Imam Ahmad, may Allah be pleased with them, spoke of, were extracted, then debated by their students, then their students, and so forth. Then some of them clarified their research by adding a provision and for some of them, (clarification) of their research through the addition of a preposition and some of them (regarding some discussion) asserted that it was not a principle that encompassed every minor ruling. They excluded what was more appropriate to include And they included in it what was not appropriate to include. Like what is said by the Logicians regarding a definition. At times it (a definition) would be complete and comprehensive and at times it would not be. Consequently This message was acquired with who’s intellect? The intellect of the senior people of knowledge and understanding and piety and religion and trust. They debated it meticulously. Such that when it reached us, it reached us accurately like the writing of words on a seal made for a great king. Skilfully, gracefully, precisely, beautifully, signed, authentic, traceable, intact and honourably. Why? Because 1300 years worth of minds hammered away at this message. They solidified it.
So we are trustees of this message. If we take Arabic Grammar as an example. When the Arabic language was codified, the custodians of the Arabic language shouldered it like Khalil Ibn Ahmad Al-Farahidi. Then his student Sibawayh, then Yunus Ibn Habib, and so forth. Like that they carried it with precision by memorising poetry and strove earnestly in creating books. They memorised it perfectly until case after case accumulated then they formed maxims or principles. If they occurred repeatedly and were uniform, they formed a principle. If there remained a principle in only a single chapter, they called it a maxim only for the chapter. Meaning this rule is exclusive to this chapter, it does not cross over the entire science. It is like this in the remaining sciences