In the name of Allah; O My Lord, make it easy and help! Note: The addressees of this manifesto are solely the students of the sciences of Shariah. Allah Almighty has designated Shariah knowledge as a "heavy word" (Qawlan Thaqeela). It is a very weighty matter. It neither suits everyone, nor is everyone capable of holding it. Its light is for the entirety of humanity, but the mines and sources of this light are a few specific chests. The right of this knowledge is that its awe and majesty be preserved, and it must not be allowed to be humiliated. When Al-A'mash saw Shu'bah teaching Hadith to some unappreciative individuals, he said: "Woe to you! Are you threading pearls around the necks of swine?!" As time grew distant from the light of Prophethood, the impostors encroaching upon the prophetic inheritance also increased. One day, the Imam of Madinah, Rabi'ah bin Abdur Rahman, wept. He said that these impostors who unjustly cross the borders of knowledge deserve imprisonment more than ordinary thieves and pickpockets. Yet, that was an era when an Alim (scholar) spoke, he was faced by an Alim, and the talk of the elite remained among the elite. Now, however, the trial of a scholar is that among his well-wishers are medicine sellers and tooth-powder sellers, book merchants and pen merchants, land sellers and sellers of conscience, the principal of a madrasah and the manager of a studio. How severe is the estrangement of the scholar!! After the advent of the screen, wishing for the protection of the sanctity of knowledge is impossible. In fact, it is considered a crime even to say, "For God's sake, leave knowledge to the people of knowledge." Some simple-minded intellectuals will term this as "papacy" (clericalism), while some fragile thinkers will view it as arrogance. Thus, the custom of the world and the current norm dictate that even the private matters intended for those associated with knowledge must be proclaimed openly upon the walls. In short, brothers, as a student of knowledge, the sooner you understand this, the better: in this world of colors and fragrances, not everyone who comes before you is your peer or competitor. All these engineers, doctors, speakers, and journalists are the general public whose Shariah obligation is to come to your doorstep to seek medicine for their spiritual ailments, but the poor souls have opened up their own clinics instead. However, you must recognize your own worth and never compromise or downgrade your status. If you understand these few points, bind them to your soul: 1) Know the truth, you will know its people (اعرف الحق تعرف أهله): When a student looks at the truth through the lens of specific personalities, his aspirations are inevitably shattered, because after the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), every person is prone to error. If he slips, will you slip too?! Therefore, strive to know the truth itself; you will automatically recognize the people of truth. Study Islamic creed (Aqeedah), open books, wear out your shoes for the sake of knowledge, and abandon laziness. "That he who perished might perish upon a clear proof, and he who lived might live upon a clear proof." Otherwise, you will remain trapped thinking that calling debates contrary to the way of the Pious Predecessors (Salaf) is an invention of Madinah University graduates, that boycotting an innovator is not found in the Book and Sunnah, that elephants can fly, that humans used to be monkeys, and that truth lies wherever the most expensive camera is pointing. Etc., etc. 2) Explain the Sunnah and do not dispute over it (بين السنة ولا تخاصم عليها): Present the methodology (Manhaj) of Ahl us-Sunnah and refrain from argumentation. The scholar of Hadith, Al-Albani, used to say: "Speak your word and walk away." How many people can you satisfy? With whom will you lock horns? A goat can bleat better than you, and a bull can gore better than you; are you going to sit down to teach methodology to a goat or a bull?! When a student becomes accustomed to bickering, he falls into darkness, his journey halts, and what was supposed to be said purely for the sake of Allah turns into a battle for self-vindication and ego. 3) Whoever makes his religion a subject of disputes will frequently change stances (من جعل دينه غرضا للخصومات أكثر التنقل): He who understands religion through the prism of disputes and daily bickering becomes like a rolling stone with no base. Do not be ungrounded; stand firm on solid feet. This religion existed even when Facebook did not. Woe to that student of knowledge who is in the front row during debates and arguments but is nowhere to be seen during actual teaching and learning. An intellectual once said to Imam Malik (may Allah have mercy on him), "I want to debate you. If I win, you adopt my stance; if you win, I will adopt your opinion." The Imam replied, "If tomorrow an even bigger intellectual comes and defeats us, shall we follow him instead?! What kind of religion is this? The religion of Allah is but one, containing no superficial theatrics!" 4) What is for Allah will remain (ما كان لله يبقى): This is the fundamental principle of principles (Asl al-Asool) and the ladder to attainment (Sullam al-Wusool). It is the beginning and the end: be sincere with Allah. After that, it matters not whether you are refuting someone or defending them, whether you are addressing a gathering of millions or sitting in a small mud mosque of a village teaching the basic Arabic alphabet (Noorani Qaida). For this knowledge is the name of a transaction with Allah. Al-Razi said to Shahabuddin Ghori: "Neither your sovereignty will remain, nor the deceptive presentation of Al-Razi, and indeed our return is to Allah!" Neither empire nor video views will be of avail; only sincerity (Ikhlas) and adherence (Mutaba'at) will have value. "And let every soul look to what it has sent forth for tomorrow." (Abdul Aziz Nasir) ____________📝📝____________ Transcribed / Copied. Selection: Islamic Tube Pro App ____________📝📝____________