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The following is fully transcribed with edits for ease of reading using both AI and human editing. Please note any errors found in the comments below, inshaAllah

Reading Time

• Summary Transcript: ~5 minutes
• Full Transcript: ~20-25 minutes.

Learning Objectives

• Understand the background and purpose of “Mukhtasar Minhaaj al-Qasideen” by Ibn Qudamah.
• Identify the key differences between Ibn al-Jawzi’s and Ibn Qudamah’s approaches to the book.
• Recognize the significance of correct translation and interpretation in religious texts.
• Comprehend the concepts of tazkiyah and the importance of purification of the heart in Islamic teachings.
• Analyze the reasons behind the rejection of certain mystical practices in Islam.
• Memorize key ahadith and understand their relevance in Islamic jurisprudence and spirituality.
• Appreciate the importance of concise, comprehensive speech in Islamic scholarship.

Class Summary

In this session, the book “Mukhtasar Minhaaj al-Qasideen” by Ibn Qudamah is explored, covering its origins, structure, and purpose. This book is a summary of Ibn al-Jawzi’s “Minhaaj al-Qasideen,” which itself is an abridgment of Imam Al-Ghazali’s “Ihyaa Uloom al-Din.” Understanding the context and background of these works is crucial to fully appreciating their content.

Introduction and Purpose of the Book

Ibn Qudamah came across Ibn al-Jawzi’s book and found it highly beneficial and magnificent. The original text was too elaborate and contained many detailed jurisprudential issues (furooh) that were not central to the book’s main theme of spiritual purification (tazkiyah). Therefore, Ibn Qudamah decided to summarize it, aiming to preserve the book’s essence while making it more accessible and focused on spiritual guidance.

Honesty and Integrity in Summarization

Commitment to honesty and integrity in summarizing the book is emphasized. While some chapters are rearranged and different terminologies used to make the text easier to understand, the original messages or intentions of Ibn al-Jawzi’s work are not altered.

Ibn Al-Jawzi’s Contribution

Ibn al-Jawzi’s preface to “Minhaaj al-Qasideen” is included to give readers an understanding of his intentions. Addressing the reader as a sincere seeker of knowledge (al-mureed), Ibn al-Jawzi highlights the importance of avoiding distractions and focusing on purifying the heart and soul. He criticizes the popular book “Ihyaa Uloom al-Din” by Imam Al-Ghazali, pointing out that it contains fabricated hadiths and fanciful statements that lack value in traditional Islamic teachings.

Criticism of Certain Sufi Practices

Ibn al-Jawzi further critiques some extreme practices within the mystical movement in Islam, or Sufism. While the focus on tazkiyah (purification of the soul) is commendable, some practitioners go to extremes. These include:

• Annihilation of the Nafs: Concepts such as al-fanaa and al-baqaa, which suggest reaching a level of spirituality where one’s essence merges with God, are considered excessive and not in line with mainstream Islamic teachings.
• Starvation and Asceticism: Practices like extreme asceticism, including starvation and abandoning one’s family and hometown to wander aimlessly in search of spiritual truth, are criticized for deviating from the balanced approach of the Sunnah.

Ibn al-Jawzi warns against these extreme practices and emphasizes the importance of adhering to the Quran and Sunnah.

The Concept of Jawami’ al-Kalam

The concept of jawami’ al-kalam – concise, comprehensive speech – is a characteristic of the Prophet Muhammad’s (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam) teachings. This principle allows profound meanings to be conveyed in few words, as exemplified by many Quranic verses and hadiths. Examples of such concise and comprehensive speech from both the Quran and Hadith are provided, highlighting the importance of understanding and internalizing these teachings.

Introduction to Imam Ibn Rajab’s Book

Another book by Imam Ibn Rajab, which compiles wisdom from the Quran and the Prophet’s sayings, is introduced. This book aims to enhance the understanding of Islamic principles and character development. The study and memorization of key ahadith from this book, starting with Hadith Umar bin Khattab on intentions, are planned to deepen the connection with these timeless teachings.

Conclusion

The journey through these profound texts is not just an academic exercise but a transformative experience. By embodying the true essence of knowledge in both theory and practice, the goal is to enrich lives and the lives of those around us. Future sessions will delve further into the wisdom of Imam Ibn Rajab and continue the journey of memorizing and understanding the hadith, aiming to become better individuals and more devoted servants of Allah.

Full Transcription

Today, inshallah ta’ala, is our second session in the book “Mukhtasar Minhaaj al-Qasideen” by Ibn Qudamah, rahmatullahi ta’ala alayhi. Inshallah azawajal, we’re still going through the introduction, where he explains the story of the book itself, how it came about, and how he came across the book of Ibn al-Jawzi, rahmatullahi ta’ala alayhi. It is very important for us to understand the story behind the book itself.

Understanding the Book’s Background

When we start studying the topic, we should know exactly where it is coming from, inshallah ta’ala. So, we’re going to read from there, bismillah. As we go through the book, we will be reading word for word.

We will read the text itself, inshallah azawajal, from the words of Ibn Qudamah, rahmatullahi ta’ala alayhi. The author said, “One time, I came across the book Minhaj al-Qasideen by Sheikh al-Imam al-Alim al-Awhad, Jamaluddin al-Jawzi, rahmatullah. I saw that it was one of the most magnificent and beneficial books containing many benefits.

Commentary on the Translation

I came across it at a certain location and desired to obtain it and read through it.” Here are a few things I want to mention about the translation. Sometimes there is some misinterpretation in the understanding of the text itself.

So, I am going to fix it as we go through, bismillah azawajal. Make note of these mistakes in the translation. Hopefully, we can send them to the translator at some point to fix them, bismillah azawajal.

Explanation of the Original Text

The author, rahmatullahi ta’ala alaihi, begins by saying, فَإِنِّي كُنتُ وَقَفْتُ مَرَّةً عَلَى كِتَابِ مِنْهَاجَ الْقَاصِدِينَ, “Once, I came across the book Minhaj al-Qasideen by the Imam, rahmatullahi alaihi, Ibn al-Jawzi.” We spoke about who Ibn al-Jawzi was. He summarized the book of al-Ghazali, rahmatullahi alaihi, Ihya Uloom al-Din.”

He says, قَالْ فَرَأَيْتُ مِنْ أَجَلِ الْكُتُبِ وَأَنْفَعِهَا, “I found this book to be some magnificent and beneficial book. There is no doubt about it.” وَأَكْثَرَهَا فَوَائِدًا, “It contains so many benefits.”

Misinterpretation in Translation

فَحَصَلَ عِنْدِي مِمَوْقَعٍ, “The translation over here is unfortunate. It says, ‘And I came across it at a certain location.’ The translation of the word فَحَصَلَ عِنْدِي مِمَوْقَعٍ, actually, means it fell in a place in my heart.”

That’s what it means. فَحَصَلَ عِنْدِي مِمَوْقَعٍ, “It fell in my heart in a very soft spot. I fell in love with this book.”

That’s what he means by that. So he says, “I fell in love with that book, and eventually, I got attached to it, and that’s why I wanted to explain it to you.”

Second Contemplation of the Book

When I contemplated on it for a second time, I found more than what I had thought was in it. However, I found that the book was not simple, and thus I wanted to comment on it in this مختصر.

Another mistranslation here. I need to explain as well.

The author, رحمه الله تعالى, says, فَحَصَلَ عِنْدِي مِمَوْقَعٍ, “It fell in that spot in my heart. I got attached to this book.”

فَرَغِبْتُ فِي تَحْصِيلِهِ وَمُطَالَعَتِهِ, “I pursued teaching, studying it, and learning it.”

فَلَمَّا تَأَمَّلْتُهُ ثَانِيَةً, “When I got a chance to look into it again, for the purpose of studying it,” قَالَ فَوَجَدْتُهُ فَوْقَ مَا كَانَ فِي نَفْسِي, “It was even better than what I expected in the first place. Sometimes you see the cover and hear about a book, and you look into some of the chapters, you feel that this is a good book. As you go through the book, you realize it’s not just a good book. It’s magnificent.”

He says, لَكِن رَأَيْتُهُ كِتَابًا مَبْسُوطًا, “The translation says here, ‘and I found this to be a simple book.’ The word مَبْسُوطًا is not actually simple. It means spread out, which means I found this to be a very elaborate, long book.”

Decision to Summarize

He says, “I then decided to summarize the book for you. It is not about being simple, as it says here in the translation, ‘so that I found that the book was simple.’ No, actually, I found the book to be expansive. The book is spread out, and it is a lengthy discussion, very elaborate. And that’s why I decided to make it مختصر.”

Maintaining the Book’s Essence

Which will contain most of its intense, important aspects and benefits, whether it be clear issues mentioned in the beginning related to فروع, as these are the famous matters in the books of fiqh and known among the people, as the intent of the book is not to deal with these matters. The author says, رحمه الله تعالى, that he will keep the essence of the book itself. Most of the chapters that the author intended to keep, he will keep them.

He will make sure that the essence of the book remains there. However, he said that, unfortunately, some of the books have a lot of مسائل الفروع. The word فروع in Arabic means from the word فرع, and الفرع is a technical term for what the ulema call الفقه. For example, when you talk about الوضوء being wajib, for example, الوضوء is considered شرط لصحة الصلاة. It is an obligatory aspect of salah, a condition for the acceptance of salah. That’s considered فرع, which is some of the aspects of fiqh. He says, “The book was not meant for these things. The book was meant for something else, and that is for تزكية, basically, for the purification of the heart, the purification of the نفس.”

He said, “Therefore, I found this to be irrelevant to what the theme of the book is going to be, and I decided to take out most of these مسائل الفروع, because you can find them in other books of fiqh. If anyone wants to learn about طهارة, صلاة, and other أحكام الفروع, you can find them in books of fiqh. Here, I want to focus on the purification of the heart.”

Rearrangement and Terminology

“I do not adhere to preserving the arrangement of the book and its specific terminologies. Rather, I mention some of them in a way and meaning, so it to be brief.”

What does that mean to us today, جماعة? What do you call this from the author, رحمه الله تعالى? Thematic? What else? In terms of professionalism, what do you call that? It is basically like honesty. He is telling you, “Look, I know this is not my book, so I’m not trying to steal it. It’s not plagiarism.”

He knows it’s not his book. He is just telling you, “This is not my book. That’s the book of Ibn al-Jawzi, رحمه الله تعالى. My job is to summarize the book. I am going to keep the essence of the book. However, I’m not going to maintain the order of the chapters as the author originally maintained them. I am going to switch certain orders, so don’t think that I’m going to mess it up with the author’s material.” He said, “Also, I changed some alfaz. I used different words. Obviously, in every generation, we’re going to see the words of Ibn al-Jawzi in comparison to Ibn al-Qudamah, رحمه الله تعالى. Ibn al-Jawzi, because he was about a few decades before Ibn al-Qudamah, his language was more classical, very sophisticated. Ibn al-Qudamah made it very easy for the public. That’s why I used different terminologies for people to understand the language.”

Prayer for Acceptance

“I may have mentioned a hadith or something else which was relevant to it, and Allah knows best. I ask Allah, the Most Kind, to bring benefit from reading, listening, and looking at it, and to make it sincerely for Allah’s sake, and to seal it with good for us, and to grant us success to whatever statements and actions please Him. May Allah overlook our shortcomings and negligence, and He is sufficient for us and the best trustee of affairs.”

Subhanallah. This is one of the beautiful things about ulama. Whenever they write about their books, they eventually make sure that you understand that it is just a human effort. All they are asking for is that Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala puts barakah in it. Nowadays, whenever you read some of the books written in this culture in our time, the author brags about his authorship, talks about how their book is magnificent, and how there’s no book like it. They brag so much about their topics. Here, the ulama still put such a gold mine in this book, subhanallah, but they humble themselves and make du’a to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala to accept it from them and make it easy on them.

Missing Page from the Translation

One thing about that translation is that it goes straight into the chapter on knowledge. However, the Arabic text has an entire page that is missing from the translation. I will have to go through it because you don’t have it in the English translation.

I will translate that for you, inshallah. I find it important because Ibn Qudamah, before he begins with his own material in the book itself, wanted, just like he spoke about what he did in his book, to also bring Ibn al-Jawzi, the original author of Minhaaj al-Qasidin, to explain to us what he intended to put in his book. So, he’s telling us, “Look, this is what I did in my مختصر, but hear from Ibn al-Jawzi, the original author of Minhaj al-Qasidin, what he did in his book as well.”

Ibn Al-Jawzi’s Contribution

So, here’s what we hear from Imam Ibn al-Jawzi, rahimahullah wa ta’ala. Ibn Qudamah says, qala al-musannif, the author, Ibn al-Jawzi, rahimahullah, said, ba’da faraghi min hadhihil khutbah, “After giving the same introduction, which is the etiquette of the ulama, whenever they start something, they always start with the name of Allah, salawat upon the Prophet, and then they proceed with the topic.” qala amma ba’d, “Proceeding, Before we start, words of Ibn al-Jawzi, I want to remind you, Ibn al-Jawzi, if you remember, we talked about him last week, we said that he was one of the most eloquent speakers in terms of wa’ad.”

When we say wa’ad, wa’ad means admonitions, reminders, heart softeners. That was his expertise. When he speaks, thousands of people would listen to him.

People would pursue him from around the globe, in that time at least, to come and listen to Ibn al-Jawzi, rahimahullah, because his way was so effective that it penetrates the heart immediately. That’s why people wanted to come and listen and learn from him. As we’re going to read from the Arabic text, for those who understand Arabic, you’re going to see that the language is at a higher level of sophistication in terms of the choice of words.

Address to the Mentee

He said, “I’ve seen you,” he’s speaking to you right now, “I have seen you, al-mureed, the one who is intending to be on the journey to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.” Like the mentee, basically. “I’ve seen you, oh mentee, the truthful mentee.”

The one who made the intention, made it serious, like you’re serious and you’re determined to be on this path. You made yourself free from any of these extravagances of this dunya. Like you basically kept yourself free from all these distractions of this dunya.

And you made it your intention to dedicate your time for the hereafter. علما منك أن مخالطة الخلق توجب التخليط, “Because you know that when you intermingle with people, you’re going to mix up everything, dunya with akhira.”

It’s very concerning to you. Living this life is very concerning to you. وهمال المحاسبة للنفس أصل التفريط, “And if you ignore putting yourself to the account, this is the biggest negligence.”

Life, your age, your time, if you don’t pay attention to it, it will just pass away so quickly from you. Like you will lose it. You’re going to immediately lose it. By the way, if you can move those kids in the back, we’d appreciate that.

Jazakumullah khair. If you don’t catch up with that time, that time is going to slip away from your hand. And the stages of, like he said, your breath, like when you inhale and exhale, what does that mean? He says it brings you closer to the station of what? Of certainty, which is death.

Breathing brings you closer and closer to the Akhirah. As you can see, the way he uses these words and expressions, the metaphors he uses here in his words, Ibn Al-Jawzi was magnificent in that regard.

Choosing the Right Book for Seclusion

I started looking around to find which of the most beautiful companionships of books, amongst books, will be the best for your seclusion. Like when you want to spend some time alone, which is the best companion book you should have in your hand? So I said, I was looking for you. I’m searching for you.

And you start listening to it, meaning when you read it, when you go silent. When you go silent and start reading, it starts speaking to you. Do you want someone to be with you alone? When you go quiet, it’ll speak to you.

That’s what he means by this book. I found that you prefer, among all the books, the book of Ihyaa Uloom Al-Din, which is by Imam Al-Ghazali, rahimahullahu ta’ala, the original of the abridged version that Imam Ibn Al-Jawzi put on it. He said, “I found that you guys prefer to go after the book of Ihyaa Uloom Al-Din.”

وَتَزْعُمُونَ فِي رَادَهُ فِي جِنْسِهِ, “And you claim it is unique in its kind.”

وَنَفَسَتُهُ فِي نَفْسِهِ, “And it is very, very special.”

He said, “I want to remind you that in the book of Ihyaa, there are Aafat, like big mistakes, big errors, big faults.” No one recognizes them except for the scholars. The ulama pay attention to it; they can tell you about them. وَأَقَلُّهَا, “The least, الْأَحَدِيثُ الْبَاطِلَةُ الْمَوْضُوعَةُ وَالْمَوْقُوفَةُ, Some of the Ahadith are considered Batila, which means they’re not even Hadith to begin with. Some are Mawdu, They’re supposed to be words, statements of the Sahaba. Maybe the ulama after the Sahaba.”

Errors in the Book of Ihyaa

But Ibn Al-Ghazali, rahimahullah, mixed them up together and put a Hadith that is not Hadith and is otherwise. He said, “There are a lot of errors and mistakes.” وَالْإِغْتِرَارُ بِلَفْظٍ مَصْنُوعٍ, “And he quotes a lot of fancy statements, fancy phrases that don’t have value in our tradition. That’s what he means.”

This is Ibn Al-Jawzi, rahimahullah, definition or assessment of Kitab Al-Ihya. That doesn’t mean Ibn Al-Ghazali, rahimahullah, loses value for what he has done. He’s left an amazing legacy in Usul, in Fiqh, even in matters of Saluk.

But he has his own understanding of Al-Wu’adh. We come to soften the heart. It’s okay if we use some popular statements, popular phrases, as long as they’re not very harmful and so on.

It’s okay to bring them out to the public. But Ibn Al-Jawzi, rahimahullah, had a whole different story. No, no, no.

You cannot use any of these Batilat, any of these false statements or tales. Make sure that everything is authentic. How do you want me? How do you expect me to allow you? How do you expect me to accept for you? That you go, you spend your day and your night in Ibadah, like taking this book and studying your deen from that book, when you’re not going to find an ayah or hadith in it that is true. How do you expect me to allow you to do that without connecting to the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam? How do you want me to accept for you to listen to words Ibn Al-Jawzi said from al-Mutasawwifah, al-Mutasawwifah which is basically the mystical movement in Islam, in which there is so much focus on tazkiyah, meaning the purification of the nafs and so forth, but some of them went extreme. There is ghuloo in this matter. Some of them go so far that they speak too much about al-fanaa wa al-baqaa, these are terminologies used in tasawwuf, specifically in high ranking of ghuloo sometimes, that means the annihilation of the nafs into the essence of God, like you reach that level of spirituality that you and your God are almost one to that level, audhubillah.

Extreme Practices in Mysticism

So he’s basically saying, “I’m not going to accept that for you.” Sometimes they ask you to go hungry and go starving as an act of exercise of asceticism. They ask you to leave your family, leave your hometown, and travel around the world aimlessly in the name of finding the truth about God. That was a practice people used to do back then. Some of them say, “I’m going to go through the desert and depend on Allah azza wa jal for my rizq.”

They say, “This is the level of trust in Allah azza wa jal. Just throw yourself in the desert and you will be fine.” He says, “I’m not going to accept that for you. That’s not the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam. Those are kalam of them, tasawwifah, and I’m not going to accept that to be yours.”

Referring to Talbis Iblis

He says, “And many other things that I’ve exposed to you in my other book, Talbis Iblis.” How many of you have heard of the book Talbis Iblis? That’s the Arabic title for it. Okay, Talbis Iblis is one of the books of Ibn al-Jawzi rahimahu wa ta’ala, in which he exposes all these deviations in the mystical path of Islam.

Any of these people who join some Sufi tariqahs and paths. Some of them, alhamdulillah, are on the Sunnah in terms of looking for the purification of the nafs and the soul and focusing on the ibadah and ta’a according to the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam, but they put themselves on a path of asceticism and minimalism in this dunya. Others go to extremes, audhubillah, that sometimes take them far away from Islam.

Deception of the Shaitaan

He says, “I explain all Talbis Iblis, the deception of the Shaitaan on the people of ibadah in my book Talbis Iblis. It’s a very beautiful book. I recommend if anyone wants to read even more and further more on this subject, another book by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Ighatat al-lahfan min masaid al-shaitaan.

Rescuing al-lahfan, the one who is distressed from the snares of the Shaitaan. He also explained the same thing, the deception of the Shaitaan on the people who are on the path of tazkiyah to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. It is very easy for people to slip away from the sunnah because it’s very emotional.

You feel emotional, you feel broken, you need that moment of weakness, vulnerability for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. In that moment you become very vulnerable for the Shaitaan. If the Shaitaan comes to tell you to do something that makes you feel better, you will do it.

Why? Because it makes you feel good. Sometimes people, in the path of mysticism, shake their heads back and forth and rock their bodies and so on. When you ask some people, they say, “It makes me feel good.”

Yeah, but that’s not what the Prophet sallallaahu alaihi wa sallam did. But just because it makes us feel good, we do it. It’s not supposed to happen.

He says, “I am going to make this book good for you, and empty from these errors, and I’m not going to deprive you of the benefits from the original book. The benefits are going to stay there, but I will remove the faults and errors. I will go with the most authentic narration that he chooses to put in his book.”

Importance of Knowledge and Sincerity

He says, “If your intentions are true and genuine, that you’re going to take the Haqq of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala from yourself by going into seclusion, go into some sort of private space and private time, and go alone, away from people. If you’re going to be doing that, make sure you take knowledge with you. You cannot take the path of asceticism and minimalism and seclusion without knowledge. You have to take the knowledge with you to rely on it on this path.”

Make sure that you scrutinize the nafs, the desire, because sometimes even when you pursue knowledge, the shaitan comes in and ruins everything for you. Sometimes we come to these halaqat for one reason. Why do we come to these halaqat? I come because it’s fancy. It’s in Valley Ranch, mashallah. Right? Or I come here because it’s cool. I come here because I want people to see. I come here for whatever intentions. Even on the path of seeking knowledge, shaitan will come in your way. So be careful.

As you have the knowledge and you’re pursuing it for the right intention, don’t let the shaitan deceive you. Your desire might get in the way that even the noblest thing that you’re doing is ruined. Your ibadah that you’re doing for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, you’re doing it for the sake of this ummah and this deen, will be ruined because the shaitan comes with that intention and ruins everything for you.

So be careful, he says. I want you to be careful because the ilm is extremely important. Don’t be like one of those two people.

Types of People to Avoid

Someone who became knowledgeable in fiqh, and in terms of debates, he’s the master. Or someone who went even higher in judiciary, became the judge and everybody saying, “Salam alaikum, supreme judge.” He got the fame and the stage for it.

Or somebody became so popular, like what we call today celebrity shuyuk, for example. You have that name and fame because everybody follows your account and words. But then his eyes narrowed because he’s so happy with that.

So he doesn’t understand the meaning of that knowledge. He is not practicing it himself. He says, “Don’t be like this person. This person has knowledge, but he doesn’t have the amal with it. He does not have the practice that is supposed to be as a result of this knowledge.”

Or the second category, somebody who is a devoted worshiper, someone who dedicates himself to the worship of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala by abandoning this dunya. However, he has no knowledge.

He’s doing it because he fancies what he’s doing. He thinks it’s beautiful. It’s sweet. He’s enjoying that moment.

That’s it. He doesn’t have any real ilm. He’s doing it out of his own opinion. He is jahil. He thinks that when people come to him and kiss his hands and take blessings from him, he thinks this is good.

He’s referring to some of the Sufi sects as well. When people elevate the status of their shuyukh to the level where they kiss their hands and feet and seek barakah from their garments and bodies. That’s supposed to happen only for the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.

We have this. He says, “Don’t be like these people.” He’s going after his own desires, not following the example of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.

These two people are astray from the straight path. You need to worry about your amal, but that amal has to come with ilm first. When you follow a path, whether you want to become religious, a student of knowledge, a true worshipper, whatever you want to do, whether you want to travel for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, anywhere you go, if you plan to make this an act of worship, it should come with knowledge.

Which is what Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala mentioned in the beginning of surah al-fatiha, when he said, “the straight path, those whom you bestowed your blessing upon them.” Who are these people? They have the knowledge, but they don’t practice that knowledge. They don’t practice what they know. Those who practice things without proper knowledge are just doing it because it’s fancy for them.

Unfortunately, today, we have this in abundance. Knowledge is everywhere. Books are printed online, you have videos, everything is everywhere.

You have the knowledge. But how much of what we know are we practicing? That’s difficult.

The other one today, because we gave the power to the users, and our younger generation, specifically, they’re used to the fact that it’s all about the user, user-friendly services, and everything is about the control given to you. You have the comment section now, so it becomes more powerful than the actual text itself. Which means a lot of us would like to practice the deen, but in a way that is meaningful to us.

Not from where it’s supposed to be. You hear statements like, “come as you are, grow as you wish.” Come as you are, which is true. When it comes to Allah, come back to Allah as you are. No problem with that. We want you as you are. But don’t grow as you wish.

Grow as He wills. You grow as He wills. I need to grow as Allah wills in the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.

What if what Allah wills is too hard for me because the 21st century has a lot of temptations, and generations are different and so on? I would go with what Allah subhanallah needs from me. That’s exactly what Imam Ibn Qudamah brought this book for, in order to bring to us the meaning of tazkiyah, which is the purification of the heart and the soul, and the nafs. All of this is supposed to be based on proper knowledge.

I’ll give you one minute to switch these books and be prepared and get ready. We start from the introduction, Imam Ibn Rajab alhamdulillah, what is his introduction? So, our second book is the book of Imam Ibn Rajab alhamdulillah. It is more of a collection of wisdoms from the Quran and the sunnah of the Prophet, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, an explanation of the ahadith of Imam An-Nuri, rahimahullah ta’ala. Today, I wanted to go over his introduction before we start talking about the ahadith, because I would like you to participate with us by memorizing the ahadith. Every night, we would like to finish one hadith, if we can.

Memorizing Ahadith

So, next week, inshallah, we’re going to take hadith number one, which is hadith Umar bin Khattab, radiyallahu ta’ala, innamal a’malu binniyat. Try to memorize the hadith in Arabic, if you can, if not, at least in English. But, in Arabic, if you can, with the translation as well.

But, just like we did with the first book here, we need to understand the background of the book itself. So, we need to hear from Ibn Rajab himself. What did he do in this book? What was his intention for this book? So, let’s begin with the introduction of Ibn Rajab.

Introduction of Ibn Rajab

Imam Ibn Rajab, alhamdulillah, introduction. Praise belongs to Allah who perfected the deen for us and made the blessing on us complete and who made our umma, and to Allah belongs the praise. He sent among us a messenger from ourselves reciting his ayat to us, purifying us and teaching us the book and the wisdom. Here if you notice that this is almost the exact same introduction that was given by Al-Imam Ibn Qudamah.

Why is that? Because our ulema, they are on the same level of understanding of what this knowledge is supposed to be about. They praise Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala first and foremost because all the blessings that we have are coming from Him. He is worthy of all praise subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Then they send salawat upon the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam because he is our guide. He is the one who led us to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Then they praise Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala for sending us this man Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam with what? He says bi-ayatihi.

Purpose of Knowledge

He sent the ayat, the verses of the Quran. For what? Yuzakkina. You see, my dear brothers and sisters, when it comes to the concept of ilm that we study, whether you’re studying fiqh or aqidah, whether you go to any organization, any institute that you study knowledge with them, what is the purpose of that knowledge? What is it supposed to be? He said it over here, qal wa yuzakkina.

The purpose of this is tazkiya. Tazkiya means the purification of the heart, purification of the nafs, training yourself to hold yourself accountable at all times so that you don’t err and go far away from the path of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Today, in our time, unfortunately, many of us focus on what? Focus on the actual ilm itself, which means the theoretical aspect of it.

So you memorize the ayah, you memorize the hadith, you go ahead and you memorize what the ulama say, and you learn and study the different opinions and interpretations. You study all of that stuff. But then, how does that translate into your personal life, into your personal life? You see, because the word tazkiya yuzakkina over here says that he is to purify us.

What’s the meaning of that? Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala made the entire purpose of this revelation to purify the people. When Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala spoke about Musa alayhi salam, when he sent him to Fir’aun, what did he say to him? He said, “Go to Fir’aun. He has transgressed.”

Ask him, “Should you not purify yourself?” Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala summarized the message of Musa to the greatest tyrant of all time to be about what? To purify yourself. That’s the purpose of it. So whether you’re studying fiqh, seerah, aqeedah, anything, if it doesn’t translate into purifying yourself, you’re missing the point from what you’re learning.

Purification and Knowledge

The same thing, when Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala sent the Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, what did he say? “He is the one who sent for the ummiyyin, which means the illiterate people, for amongst themselves, a messenger. For what reason? Teaching them the book. And he is teaching them and he is purifying them.”

The book was sent for the purpose of purifying the people. My dear brothers and sisters, if you go to a halaqah, if you go to some organization or a group or a program, whatever that is, if that program that you’ve been going to for so long is not resulting in purifying yourself, not resulting in elevating yourself, your nafs, to a higher level of spirituality, you need to question yourself. You need to question yourself one of two things.

Either the knowledge that I’m getting from them is useless or I’m not getting what I’m supposed to be getting from them, maybe they’re not delivering it the right way, or unfortunately, I’m not benefiting from it with the right intention. I’m going there for the wrong intention. I’m just going for the company.

I’m just going for the feel. I’m just going for the excitement. But I’m not going there to make serious changes in my life.

This is very important here. He says over here, “He sent to us this message of sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam to teach us the ayat and tazkiyah.” So once again, whatever we study over here together, I just want to emphasize this one more time.

You’re here in order to make yourself a better person. You’re here because the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam says, “I was sent to perfect people’s character.” The whole purpose of this deen is to make you a better person, a better believer, a better human being.

If that’s not changing the way you behave, the way you speak, the way you deal with people, whether they’re relatives closest to you or strangers that do not relate to you, if that’s not changing the way your akhlaq are changing for the sake of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala, question yourself. You’re not benefiting from what you’re learning. That is very dangerous on the path of tazkiyah and the path to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Seeking Intercession

This is called tawassul, meaning I’m seeking intercession with Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala through what? Through my shahada, like my Lord. I need protection from you through you.

So I want to make my best shield from your wrath is my testimony to you that you’re the one and only one who deserves to be worshipped. Like I’m asking you, my Lord, to protect me from you. That’s what it means.

I witness that Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam is his slave and his messenger whom he sent as a mercy to all creatures. When we admit that the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam Muhammad Rasulallah, we say he is his slave and his servant, right? The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam was honoured with this title. He is honoured with this title.

Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala named him like this as such at the beginning of surah al-Isra, he said that he is the one who took his slave, his servant, on that magnificent journey during the night. So it’s an honour for the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam to be a servant of Allah azza wa jal. Just like it’s an honour to each and every one of us to be accepted as his servant subhanahu wa ta’ala and to admit that we are his slaves.

Purpose of the Prophet’s Message

He made it obligatory for him to explain that he had been sent down to us and so he elucidated all the important matters for us. This is exactly the purpose of sending the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. The book of Allah, the Quran, has all these principles.

But now how to put it into action, it was through the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. Which is why in the Quran Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala commanded us in many many ayat in the Quran to do what? وَأَطِعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِعُوا الرَّسُولُ وَمَا أَتَاكُمْ الرَّسُولُ فَخُذُوهُ وَمَا أَنْهَاكُمْ عَنْهُ فَانْتَهُ That obey Allah and obey the Messenger. Whatever comes to you from the Prophet, take it.

Whatever he asks you to abstain from, stay away from it. So we listen to the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam because in obeying the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam there is obedience to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Concise, Comprehensive Speech

He singled him out with concise, comprehensive speech. Repeat that one again. He singled him out with concise, comprehensive speech.

Those words, concise, comprehensive speech, is what we call in the Arabic language, جوامع الكلم. جوامع الكلم is what the Prophet, he said about himself. قَالْ إِنِّي أُوتِيتُ جَوَامِعَ الْكَلِمِ Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has given me جوامع الكلم which means these precise, concise, comprehensive statements.

What do they mean exactly? You express with few words, you make great meanings. That is one of the miracles of the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam’s speech. When he speaks, he speaks with few words, but they’re very profound in their meanings.

Which is why many of the ulama put these collections of ahadith, what they believe to be the most concise and comprehensive statement in few words. So that he often expressed separate pieces of wisdom and sciences in one phrase or in half a phrase. May Allah bless him and his companions with a blessing which will be a light for us in every darkness and may He grant him much peace.

Wisdom in the Prophet’s Speech

Ameen. Allah, glorious is He and exalted, sent Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam with concise, comprehensive speech.

He singled him out to receive astonishing wisdoms as has been narrated in the two Sahih books from Abu Huraira radiallahu anhu, from the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam that he said, I was sent with concise, comprehensive speech, as Zuhri radiallahu anhu said. Concise, comprehensive speech, according to that which has reached us, is that Allah, exalted is He, united many issues for him. Issues which used to be written in books before him, separately, in one or two issues and so on.

Interpretation by Imam Zuhri

That is one of the interpretations of Imam Zuhri radiallahu anhu, which is one of the great salaf, radiallahu anhu. He says that the meaning of jami’ kalam, what used to be elaborated on in chapters, in paragraphs, in the people before the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, the Messenger of Allah would say a few words and would be comprehensive to all these meanings. That’s very unique about language.

When it comes to the language, the most sophisticated language is when you use few words, instead of having lengthy speeches, few words means a lot. It’s definitely an art that needs to be excelled, but you’re going to have to have depth in the language itself, so you can use, making sure that the choice of words are significant. Imam Ibn Rajab rahimallah will continue to prove to you and I, why he chose to study this book, and why he chose this hadith in addition to Imam al-Nawawi rahimallah ta’ala.

He brings all the proof from the Quran and the sunnah of the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.

Six Unique Things Given to the Prophet

Imam Ahmed rahimallahu alayhi, narrated the hadith of Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As, radiallahu anhu, that he said, the Messenger of Allah sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, came out to us one day, and it was as if he were someone saying farewell.

He said, I am Muhammad, the unlettered Prophet, saying it three times, and there is no Prophet after me. I have been given the first parts of speech, and its conclusions, and its comprehensive concision. What does that mean, the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, he said that I’ve been given, means the beginning of all speeches.

Which is basically like you said, from the beginning of the time of Adam, Allah had given the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam the summary of everything. I’ve been given everything from the very beginning. He also said, I was given the end of everything, because he was the last Messenger sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.

So that’s why he spoke about what? He spoke about the Dajjal, he spoke about Yajuj and Majuj, and he gave an elaborate description that no other Prophets came before him, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. He said, all these principles were given to you in a few words. He mentioned the rest of the hadith.

Comprehensive Concision in Speech

Abu Ya’la al-Mawsili narrated the hadith of Umar ibn al-Khattab, from the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, that he said, I have been given concise, comprehensive speech, and its conclusions and speech has been made extremely concise for me. Before we go to this chapter, this hadith, continuing the previous hadith that he mentioned, and he mentioned the remaining of the hadith, when the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam came out, as if he was bidding them farewell, and he said to them, “Look, I’ve been given the beginning of the speech, and the end of it, and also the Jumu’ah.” So the continuation of the hadith is in Musa Imam Ahmed. He said, “I’ve been informed how many are the guardians of Jahannam, and how many are carrying the throne of Allah.”

Allah says, “Allah made me like an intercession to my Ummah, and my Ummah was protected because of me. I was also, alhamdulillah, protected because of my Ummah.” Now he’s giving them his final advice. “Listen, and obey. As long as I’m with you, listen to me, and obey me. If I’m gone, hold on to the Book of Allah.”

“Make sure when Allah made it halal in the Quran, you follow it. When Allah made it haram, you stay away from it.” Very precise message, very simple, very profound, very powerful.

He said, “Look, everything, all the khair that you’re going to have in dunya and the akhira is there. Just follow it. Look what is halal and follow it, what is haram, stay away from it. Don’t try to make excuses.”

The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam was given concise, comprehensive speech with its conclusions. He said, “I forbid you every intoxicant which intoxicates and holds you back from prayer.”

Practical Example

So basically he’s given now an example of what’s the meaning of saying jawami al-kalim. Precise and concise, few words, but deep meanings. Today, for example, we live in the 21st century, 1400 years after the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam has spoken these words.

If people debate about what’s the meaning of saying if this drink is halal or haram, for example, what do we say? We say, “Look, the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam says, ‘I forbid you from drinking anything that will make you intoxicated, that would prevent you from making salah.'” What does that mean? It means as long as it’s fermented, as long as it becomes intoxicant, it becomes haram. So, are you allowed to drink juice? Yes.

What kind of juice? How about grape juice? Are you allowed to drink grape juice? Yes. Why are you so hesitant? Are you allowed to drink grape juice? Yes. But what if you leave it outside, for example, you put it in the backyard, for instance, for a few days or a few weeks? Can you drink it? If it becomes, of course, intoxicant right now.

How do you know that? Smell it. If you can smell the alcohol, then it’s haram. Don’t say, let me try it first.

If you smell it, it becomes haram. Stay away from it. So, as long as it’s still considered juice, that’s fine.

But if it becomes toxic, of course, stay away from it. How about kombucha? Are you allowed to drink kombucha right now? Some people, yes, some people are like, please don’t say no, right? Again, it goes to the same thing. This is what the meaning of this hadith here.

The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam was asked about some drinks that the sahaba, the people, the Arabs used to use, and they keep it in certain containers, and they’re not sure if it’s okay to drink it or not. So the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam said, “Look, drink it as long as it doesn’t become intoxicant. Once it becomes intoxicant, stay away from it.”

So any drink, it doesn’t matter what kind of drink it is. If it doesn’t have alcohol, or the alcohol is natural to it, but it doesn’t intoxicate the person, then it’s still okay in that fashion. Just like these, again, kombucha and other forms of drinks.

If the alcohol becomes intoxicant, you stay away from it completely. Hisham ibn Abmar related in the book of Al-Mab’ath, with a chain of transmission from Abu Salim al-Habashi, that he said, “I was told that the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam used to say, ‘I have been preferred over whoever of the prophets was before me with six things, without boasting.'” So these six things, one of them he mentioned is what? Among those he mentioned was concise, comprehensive speech.

He said, “I was granted concise, comprehensive speech. The people of the book used to make it a portion which they recited during the night until the morning, and my Lord expressed it for me in one ayah.”

The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam is making an example. He said, “Look, the people of the book from before me, they used to spend the whole night reciting it. It was given to me in one simple ayah. They required an entire night to cover what we cover now in one ayah.”

Which is an example of this ayat, sabbaha lillahi ma fissamawati wal ardi wa huwa al azizul hakeem. So that’s the ayah that he mentioned as an example, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. What are these six things that the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam was preferred over the other prophets from before him? Number one, jawam al-kalam. He was given the precise, concise speech and language, like he expressed sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.

Number two, qan nusurtu bil-ru’ub, masirat al-shah. Which means, I was given victory with fright. What does that mean? Just hearing his name or hearing the Muslim to be there, people will flee and run away.

That was just, their mere presence was enough to deter people from fighting him at that time. Number three, huhillat li al-ghana’im. War spoils became allowed for him, sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam, to take in.

Because before the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam and the nations of Bani Israel, they used to gather all the war spoils and burn them. Why? Because back then they wanted the fight to be completely pure. So you don’t depend on, no alternative motive to go into the battlefield.

But now, Allah sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam allowed them to use this as part of their income. Number four, waju’ al-yadli al-ardhu masjidan wa tahura. The earth was made masjidan tahura.

Which means, it’s pure, it’s purifying, and you can pray anywhere. The Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam added another narration, qal fa ayyu ma rajulun min ummati adrakatu as-salah, fal yusalli tham. Anyone from my ummah, they catch the time for salah at any time, they should make their wudu, their tayammum, their dry ablution from the ground, and just pray there.

You don’t have to go to a special house of worship, or you don’t have to build a special house of worship for that. You can pray anywhere, alhamdulillah rabbil alameen, as long as it’s tahir. Number five, qal wa ursultu ilal khalqi samuti, or kaffa.

He said, I was sent to the entire human race. Everybody. As a matter of fact, the khalq means also the jinn as well too.

qal wa khuti mabiyan nabiyyun, and I was the seal of the prophethood. No prophet will come after the prophet Muhammad sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. This hadith was mentioned in Sahih Muslim and also in Sunan al-Tirmidhi.

Types of Jawaami’ al-Kalam

Imam Ibn Rajab, we will conclude with this. He mentioned two types of jawaami’ al-kalam. What are they? Go ahead.

Everything in the heavens and the earth glorifies Allah. He is the Almighty and the All-Wise. That’s the translation of the ayah.

The concise comprehensive speech with which he was singled out is of two kinds. First, that which is in the Quran, such as his words, exalted is he.

Allah commands justice and doing good and giving to relatives. He forbids indecency and doing wrong and tyranny. This ayah is an example.

Imam Ibn Rajab chose it for us to see the example of jawama al-kalim in the Quran. Allah says in the Quran, Read the translation again, please. Allah commands justice and doing good and giving to relatives.

He forbids indecency and doing wrong and tyranny. Look what Imam al-Hassan al-Basri says about this ayah. If you look at this ayah, it has everything you need, really.

Inna allaha ya’amuru bil-adli. Justice. Justice in everything.

In your relationship with Allah, in your relationship with the people. Even with yourself, be fair to yourself. Stay away from the haram, from the harmful things.

Everything that is evil, stay away from it because that’s part of justice as well. Go beyond justice. You need to go way beyond and do even better than that.

Everything that is evil and false and harmful, stay away from it. Like what else do you need more than this? It explains everything for you. So that’s an example of the comprehensive speech in the Quran.

Comprehensive Speech in the Quran and Hadith

The second example. The men of knowledge compiled collections of his comprehensive words. In the Quran, that’s one example.

Then we have the comprehensive speech of the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam which can be found in many, many books of ahadith. Some ulama exclusively singled out what they believe to be among the most precise speech of the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam. He mentions a few examples.

Hafeez Abu Bakr Abdullah ibn al-Sunni compiled a book which he called Like he mentioned a few examples from the ulama and the books that they authored in regard to the subject. One of them he mentioned here, Kitab al-Imam al-Sunni, rahimahullah wa ta’ala. Another Kitab by Imam Abu Abdillah al-Quda’i, al-Shihab, al-Hikam wa al-Adab.

Another Kitab by al-Khattabi al-Gharib al-Hadith, rahimahullah wa ta’ala. He mentions many other examples in this introduction. Later on, Imam Ibn Rajab, rahimahullah, is going to select a few ahadith that he believes to be very profound, which explains why he added them to the collection of Imam al-Nawawi, rahimahullah wa ta’ala, to the end of his introduction.

Study Plan for Hadith

Starting next week, inshallah, we’re going to be taking one hadith at a time. We are not going to be able to read everything in the text over here in this book. Rather, we will study the hadith itself and then select certain paragraphs where we believe a profound statement from Imam Ibn Rajab, rahimahullah, that we can explain to you.

But I recommend for you every night when we come to the class, read that chapter. The chapter is assigned for us to read it completely, fully. So when we come to talk about the hadith, at least we have the meanings of it ready for us.

Test Yourself

Q1: What is the book “Mukhtasar Minhaaj al-Qasideen” about?
A1: The book “Mukhtasar Minhaaj al-Qasideen” by Ibn Qudamah is a summarized version of Ibn al-Jawzi’s work, focusing on the purification of the heart and soul, and providing essential teachings of Islamic spirituality.

Q2: Why is it important to understand the story behind the book?
A2: Understanding the story behind the book helps to grasp the context and purpose of its teachings, which is essential for proper comprehension and application.

Q3: Who is the original author of the book that Ibn Qudamah summarized?
A3: The original author is Ibn al-Jawzi, who wrote “Minhaj al-Qasideen.”

Q4: What did Ibn Qudamah find beneficial about Ibn al-Jawzi’s book?
A4: Ibn Qudamah found the book to be magnificent, beneficial, and containing many valuable teachings.

Q5: What issue did the speaker highlight regarding the translation?
A5: The speaker pointed out misinterpretations and inaccuracies in the translation of certain Arabic terms and phrases.

Q6: What does the phrase “فَحَصَلَ عِنْدِي مِمَوْقَعٍ” mean according to the speaker?
A6: It means that the book fell in a special place in the author’s heart, indicating deep attachment and appreciation.

Q7: What did Ibn Qudamah decide to do after contemplating the book for a second time?
A7: He decided to summarize the book due to its elaborate and expansive content.

Q8: What did Ibn Qudamah aim to preserve in his summary?
A8: He aimed to preserve the essence and important aspects of the original book while removing irrelevant details and complex jurisprudential issues.

Q9: Why did Ibn Qudamah change the order and terminology of the original book?
A9: He changed the order and terminology to make the content more accessible and understandable for the general public.

Q10: What do the ulama ask for when writing their books?
A10: They ask Allah for barakah (blessing) and acceptance of their efforts, acknowledging their human limitations.

Q11: Why is it important to read the missing page from the translation?
A11: The missing page contains essential information about Ibn al-Jawzi’s intentions and contributions, providing a complete understanding of the book.

Q12: What expertise was Ibn al-Jawzi known for?
A12: Ibn al-Jawzi was known for his eloquent admonitions, reminders, and heart-softening speeches.

Q13: Who is Ibn al-Jawzi addressing in his speech?
A13: He is addressing the truthful mentee who is dedicated to the path of spiritual purification.

Q14: Which book did Ibn al-Jawzi find suitable for seclusion and why?
A14: He found “Ihyaa Uloom Al-Din” by Imam Al-Ghazali suitable because of its unique and special content.

Q15: What criticisms did Ibn al-Jawzi have about “Ihyaa Uloom Al-Din”?
A15: He criticized it for containing fabricated hadiths, fancy but valueless phrases, and other significant errors.

Q16: What mystical practices did Ibn al-Jawzi reject?
A16: He rejected extreme practices such as unnecessary starvation, abandoning families, and traveling aimlessly in search of spiritual truth.

Q17: What does the book “Talbis Iblis” by Ibn al-Jawzi discuss?
A17: “Talbis Iblis” exposes deviations in the mystical path of Islam and the deceptions of Shaitaan on worshippers.

Q18: Why is it easy for people on the path of tazkiyah to slip away from the sunnah?
A18: The emotional vulnerability in the path of tazkiyah can make individuals susceptible to Shaitaan’s deceptions.

Q19: What is essential to accompany the path of asceticism and seclusion?
A19: Knowledge is essential to accompany asceticism and seclusion to ensure correct practices and beliefs.

Q20: What are the two types of people Ibn al-Jawzi warns against?
A20: He warns against knowledgeable individuals who do not practice their knowledge and devoted worshippers who lack proper knowledge.

Q21: What are the two types of jawama al-kalim mentioned by Imam Ibn Rajab?
A21: The two types are concise comprehensive speech found in the Quran and that found in the speech of the Prophet sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam.

Q22: What is the study plan for the hadith in the sessions?
A22: The plan is to take one hadith at a time, study it in depth, and read the assigned chapter fully before each class.