the ethics of ilm'

it is a good reminder to oneself that everytime before preparing to receive new knowledge, to be reminded that the source of knowldege is Allah, and only Allah. He created every single thing in this universe, and thus only the creator holds the ultimate knowledge of His creations.

it is also reminded that, knowledge, once received, should be preserved by the receiver.

in Surah Az-Zumar (The Troops) verse 9, Allah said;

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not'' It is only men of understanding who will remember.

this verse highlighted the difference between the man of knowledge and the one who do not have knowledge.

one of my personal favorite about what The Imam said was about how the fishes in the sea are always praying for those with knowledge, for the man of knowledge will know how to treat his surroundings (environment) properly.

the Imam also mentioned,the way you treat your environment,reflects your relationship with Allah.

as a student of knowledge, we should always put our effort to seek knowledge from a master (teacher), not from Syeikh Google. a teacher who pass the knowledge down to you not only pass the contents, but also the way (akhlaq and 'adab) you are supposed to treat the knowledge. this is something you don't get when your knowledge is coming from online sources. the evidence is clear. we can see how knowledge are treated with disrespect nowadays.

the Quality of a student of knowledge

1. to be sincere when seeking knowledge.
2. to set the intention right, to learn for the sake of Allah.
3. to practice what you have learn
4. to show humility.

The Prophet (s.a.w) once said; 'the knowledge is a secret between the servant and Allah. whoever broadcast it, let him go to hell'

(it should be noted that the hadith above is a da'eef)

in this age when information is available just a click away, we should be careful with the type of information we are receiving.

the Imam also mentioned about the paying zakat (alm) for the knowledge you received. in this case, the alm will be to practice the knowledge. we are also advised to make sunnah prayer before and after receiving knowledge.

It was narrated that the Prophet s.a.w become more and more generous after being visited by the angel Jibrail a.s.

explanation: Jibrail a.s visits the Prophet with the purpose of giving him the wahyu' from Allah. thus, what was demonstrated here is that we should be kinder to people around us when we have more knowledge. knowledge is suppose to make us wiser and thus we should act more kinder to everyone else. knowledge certainly raises you in your darjat, but always stay humble! for arrogance is a trait of the fallen kind.

a Muslim should also always remember, that every good deed that he does, it is a reflection of the Prophet's s.a.w personality. subhanallah!

thus, think twice before doing anything, one Muslim act reflects another. do we want to potray our Prophet incorrectly when he was the greatest man who had ever walked upon this earth?!