Learning Arabic language, essential to worship Allah, Scholar counsels Muslims

 

(Right Path set to hold 2nd Qur’an graduation March 25)

 

An Islamic scholar, Ustadh Yunus Al-Imam, has advised Muslims to shun seeking hidden knowledge (Baateen) and go in search of only knowledge that will be beneficial to them in their worship of Allah.

 

Al-Imam who is the director, Right Path Arabic Institute, Lagos, gave the advice at the pre-event conference held last Sunday as a prelude to the school’s second graduation ceremony holding on March 25.

 

In his emphasis on the importance of seeking knowledge, Al-Imam said that Islam is best practised with adequate knowledge and understanding of the religion and not on human reasoning.

 

He stated that for every Muslim, understanding the glorious Qur’an is essential, adding that, “it is only with this the purpose for which Allah created us can be achieved.

 

“One of the many advantages of seeking Qur’anic knowledge is that it exposes the mind of the worshipper to the knowledge requires to live a better and fulfilled life. It softens the heart of the believer and establishes in it the fear of Allah. Islam thrives on knowledge and not on human reasoning”.

 

Al-Imam further stated that it is only when Muslims have adequate knowledge about the nature of Allah that they will be able to worship Him according to His dictate.

 

He said: “So, how do we achieve this? It is by learning and understanding the letters of Arabic language. Seeking Arabic knowledge is very important than the worship of Allah because it is the language with which the Qur’an was revealed to Prophet Muhammad.

 

“It is also the language Muslims use in praying, that is why learning is very essential for all Muslims. I therefore want to implore all Muslims to seek Arabic knowledge even if it is basic to complement whatever knowledge they might have.”

 

Speaking on the kind of knowledge Muslim should seek, he said: “It is forbidden for Muslims to seek knowledge that will be destructive to him, his neighbours and mankind in general.

 

“Muslims should seek knowledge that will bring him closer to Allah and increase him in faith and be of benefit to him in this world and in the hereafter.

 

“Muslims are forbidden to seek hidden knowledge because all things hidden are known to only Allah alone therefore the future is known to only Allah.”

 

While commenting on the recent postponement of the public hearing on the Firdaus Amasa hijab case and the Nigerian Law School by the House of Representatives committee on justice, Al-Imam said: “Using hijab is a fundamental right of every Muslim just as the constitution guarantees its usage.

 

“Also, the Nigerian constitution guarantees the right to fair hearing of every Nigerian. From this end, the House of Representative committee should have given Firdaus right to fair hearing rather than the unwarranted postponement of the public hearing. For me, this is an act of hypocrisy and injustice which urgently need to be addressed.”

 

On the right path’s second graduation, he said the school has recorded great success over the years in terms of the students being graduated.

 

He said the number of graduating students this year will be more than the last year because three categories of students would be graduated unlike last year when only students in advanced class graduated.

 

“We give thanks to Almighty Allah that the Right Path Arabic School is waxing stronger despite some hitches. This year’s graduation ceremony will be different because we are graduating three classes of students – The Foundation, the Intermediate and the Advanced. While the students in foundation will be graduating to intermediate, the intermediate will be graduating to advanced class and those graduates in advanced class can proceed to pursue their university education in Medinah, Saudi Arabia.