Why Mu'adh ibn Jabal Was Knowledge's Greatest Expert

Could be worse. Could just be in my ears only.

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Huh? Abu Hafs. Correct. And what's his nickname? Correct. And What year did Umar ibn al-Khattab pass away? 13? 20 23. So, 13 years after the prophet's death. Three two companions. So, we can calculate exactly how old how much older the prophet is from Abu Bakr and Because we said that was how many years? Two years and some months. And Umar's was how many years? Mhm? 13 and some months. Correct. And all of them died at 63 years old. So, that would place Abu Bakr as being 2 years younger than the prophet was selling. I mean Umar it was 13 years and change, meaning after the prophet's death. 10 years and change was the length of his life. So, we have Abu Bakr 2 years and change. Then we have Umar for 10 years and change. We're now at 23 after Asia. Then we have who comes in. And he had the longest, which was roughly 13 years. His life was. And then after him was Ali ibn Abi Talib and his was how many years? Four years and a bit. Which places us just at the cusp of 30 years. And that is the length of life as the prophet mentioned. Why am I saying all of this? Because one of the strategic placements of the narrators biographies, shortened biographies, the stories, some of the some of the virtues, some of the merits, some of the facts about the various companions and them are often strategically placed by the scholars in their books, which explain the the books of narration. So, if we were in for instance to take a detour and listen to some of the some of the life and times of Umar ibn al-Khattab and them. This doesn't really have anything directly to do with the chapter that we're in, right? Which is the theme of the chapter, which is the chapter. But it's an opportunity for us to get to know these various companions and narrators of Hadith. Now, we can take two methods here. We can either not really get into that and just focus on the narrations, or we can work that in to the reading of as we go through each companion that we haven't mentioned before, we mention some of his biography and life and times, some of his merits, some of his life, when he became Muslim, when he left when he departed from this world, when he passed away. And when we pass by that companion again, we can review those things that we mentioned. Or we can kind of ignore that, just get to know the names alone, and focus more on the narrations. Which Which one do you all feel you would prefer? The second one? Just overlook it? Which one? To mention? Yeah? How do you think so? Jamil? Is-haq? Yeah? Sabir? So, all the Africans agree.

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Them.

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Well, we have to We have to then We have to try to make sure that we try to soak it up and focus on it. Because in order for us to get a clear picture of narrations, get a a full image, we have to have some kind of idea as to when these men and women lived and when they died, and their interactions with the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam. One of the most disorienting things is not having a sense of time. Have you ever woken up having overslept, or lost track of time, or even just not been able to look at a watch, or be able to check the time for a bit? You know that feeling that you get of being completely disoriented, having no idea how long time has gone by, what point in time you are physically at the moment? This is one of the most important elements of knowledge, and in being able to put together this image in our mind's eye as to these men, when they lived, when they died, when they came and left the biography of the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam. So, their time of Islam, their time of death, or their date of death, etc. This is paramount. So, let's give it a shot. Let's see if we can take some get ourselves familiar with the companions radiyallahu anhu, and let's see if we can have some of this information stick. So, if I mention 100% of details, or let's say if you can remember at least 30 or 40% of the details that I mention, then that is actually a lot of detail. And the most important is when they accepted Islam, when they passed away, and you know, any main merits that they have in their in their lives. So, we can start with Mu'adh ibn Jabal radiyallahu anhu, because that's the narration that we're at now. There's a narration in Musnad al-Imam Ahmad. The Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam said,.

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Mu'adh ibn Jabal." He said Sallallahu alayhi wasallam, "The most knowledgeable man of my ummah with respect to halal and haram, lawful and unlawful, is Mu'adh ibn Jabal radiyallahu anhu." This is an incredible an incredible virtue, merit, and very significant. And this merit of Mu'adh it is one of the reasons why he had the appointments that he had by the Prophet Sallallahu alayhi wasallam. Mu'adh is considered to be one of the representatives of the Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu alayhi wasallam in that he was sent to a number of people to call them to Islam, entire tribes. And he was sent as well to Yemen to represent the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam in judgment, to invite and call the people of that area to Islam, to act as a judge, and to gather the zakat and the alms from the people of Yemen as as commanded by Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala. Muadh ibn Jabal is a very interesting young man, and I say young man because many of us, if not most of us here right now, are older than Muadh was when he passed away. Radiyallahu Anhu. He passed away as a very young man, and he passed away in the year 18 after Hijrah. And this is kind of very, very curious because usually a person cannot gather that kind of knowledge or embody that kind of knowledge without having spent a lifetime studying and a lifetime practicing. And there were others amongst the companions, Radiyallahu Anhum, who had spent more time with the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, who had been Muslim longer, far longer than Muadh ibn Jabal, Radiyallahu Anhum. However, Muadh ibn Jabal, he was the most knowledgeable of all of the companions with respect to al-halal wal-haram. Now, you might say, "More knowledgeable than Abu Bakr? More knowledgeable than Umar?" Naam. That is the meaning of the narration. Listen to this narration, which was collected by Imam Ahmad, it's an authentic narration. The Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said, "Ashaddu ummati rahmatan bi ummati Abu Bakr.

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Fi amrillah Umar.

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A'lamu ummati bil-halal wal-haram Muadh ibn Jabal.

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Radiyallahu Anhu." He said, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, that the most merciful man amongst my nation, of my nation, is Abu Bakr. And the most strict of them in the command and boundaries of Allah is Umar. And the truest of them in modesty is Uthman. And he goes on to say, "And the most knowledgeable of my ummah in halal and haram is Muadh ibn Jabal." The apparent aspect of this narration, were to take this narration at face value, Muadh ibn Jabal is more knowledgeable with respect to lawful and unlawful than any other companion of the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam. And that is the correct understanding. Now, when we say that the Prophet Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, and this is an important point when we get into the topic of the merits of the prophets, the merits of the companions, etc. There is something which is called al- tafdil al-mutlaq, right? Or mutlaq at-tafdil,.

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When it comes to merits, there are two types the scholars mentioned. The first type is general merit. The second type is specific merit. What does that mean? I want you to imagine with me the various prophets and messengers in the Quran. Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala tells us that he has given virtue to some prophets over others, correct? And that some of the messengers, some of the prophets are more virtuous than others. Who is the most virtuous prophet and messenger of all the prophets and messengers? Huh?

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Our prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam, this is called general virtue. He is generally more virtuous than every other prophet. However, if we were to say specifically in specific merits, then there are other prophets that excel even those who are a rank above them in general merit. So, for instance, when I when I ask you, who is the most virtuous prophet and messenger with respect to specifically patience? Not all general aspects, just in this one aspect, patience. Who comes to my mind? Ayyub alaihi wasallam. Now, if we were to say who comes to mind with respect to virtues in the length, the longevity of his dawah, the time that he called his people to Islam? Nuh alaihi wasallam, correct? If we were to say who is the most virtuous of prophets specifically speaking about appearance, his physical appearance? Huh? Yusuf alaihi wasallam. If we were to say who is most virtuous amongst the prophets with respect to revelation, the way that he receives revelation, who would that be? Musa alaihi wasallam. Why? Because he speaks, he is kalimullah subhanahu wa ta'ala, right? If we were to ask who is the most virtuous of prophets and messengers with respect to miracles that are mentioned in the Quran, specifically miracles in their youth, who would we say? Isa alaihi wasallam. He spoke when he was an infant, right? This is an incredible miracle. But these things, even though some of them, or for instance, if I say who is the most excellent of the prophets in worship, specific worship, salah and fasting, who would it be? Dawud alaihi wasallam. The prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam said that the most best, most beloved fasting to Allah is the fasting of Dawud, correct? The most beloved prayer to Allah in qiyam is the qiyam of Dawud alaihi wasallam. So, just because Dawud happened to fast more than Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam in that one aspect and that specific virtue, does that make him generally more virtuous in all things? No, just in that one specific area. Likewise, if we were to speak about appearance or beauty, Yusuf alaihi wasallam. If we were to speak about patience, Ayyub alaihi wasallam. If we were to speak about method of revelation, we speak about Musa alaihi wasallam. While in certain aspects, the prophets and messengers are not all the same. However, in a general sense, in a holistic sense, the most virtuous is Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasallam. After him is Ibrahim alaihi wasallam, or we could say after him is Ibrahim, and after Ibrahim is the rest of the five major messengers, right? After them are the ones mentioned in the Quran. After them, it is the messengers, and after them, the prophets in general. The same thing goes with the companions, radiyallahu anhu. The same thing goes with the companions. If we were to say that who is the most virtuous companion with respect to knowledge of halal and haram, we would say this is Muadh ibn Jabal. But if we were to say generally speaking who is the most virtuous companion, and after him, Omar. Just because Muadh happens to be more excellent in one aspect, doesn't mean that he is most the one of most virtue in general. So, remember this. There is general virtue and there is specific virtue. Right? General virtue means that they are generally more virtuous than anyone else. Specific virtue means that they are specifically in one or two categories or ways happen to be more virtuous than others, but in a general sense they are not. Right? This kind of understanding of merits and this kind of understanding of virtues is really important when we start to get into the various virtues of the companions of the prophets. Just because Abu Abu Hurairah happens to be the most memorized with respect to hadith and he is the most well versed in the hadith of the prophet sal Allah alayhi wasallam, doesn't mean that he is immediately more virtuous in a general sense. Just like the virtue that is held between the prophets and messengers and the highest ranking prophets and messengers. So, we will continue this inshallah tomorrow with respect to Muadh ibn Jabal and also Abu Dharr. We'll probably split it up into two days so that we don't confuse them. And then inshallah we'll make it the pattern that every time we come across a narrator that we haven't mentioned before, we will try to mention some of his merits, some of his biography, and interweave it with the rest of the prophet's biography. Nas al Allah subhanahu an yu'allimana ma yanfa'una wa an yanfa'ana bima allamana. Nas'aluhu subhanahu wa ta'ala wa an yaj'alana mimman yastami'una al qawla.

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