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š Question: What is your educational background? Where did you first learn about Islam?
š Answer: Alhamdulillah, as a Filipino who was born in eastern Saudi Arabia, I studied from nursery until 7th grade at some Arabic schools - from grades nursery / kindergarten to 6th grade at Al-Yamamah National School for girls then transferred to a public / Saudi government school in 7th grade (awwal mutawassit). Then I studied at Manarat Al-Riyadh Schools (English Section) for only a number of months before deciding to discontinue since I was facing some difficulty trying to adjust to the transitioning of studying at Arabic medium schools to a school in which the subjects, particularly math and chemistry, are generally taught in English language.
After discontinuing 8th grade at Manarat Al-Riyadh Schools (English Section) in Riyadh city, my dear parents (Allah yarhamhuma. Ameen.) registered me to take some regular Islamic Studies and Arabic classes for adults at Daar Adh-Dhikr or Darul Dhikr for Qur'an memorization. Alhamdulillah I was able to learn more about Islam and Arabic language there besides the Tawheed, Fiqh and Tajweed subjects etc. I learned at the Arabic schools I went to.
Then in 8th grade my dear parents (Allah yarhamhuma. Ameen.) enrolled me at Middle East International School (IGCSE section) then sent me to Al-Rowad International Schools for 9th and 10th grade. Since they preferred that I follow the Philippine curriculum that time (until 4th year high school, back when the K-12 system wasn't introduced or implemented here in the Philippines), my dear parents (Allah yarhamhuma. Ameen.) encouraged me to study online and major in Islamic education at their virtual university which they established, with Allah's Will and Mercy, that time whilst they were still alive together with MSU in Marawi (Mindanao State University). My dear mother (Allah yarhamha. Ameen.) who was the first doctor of education (EdD) at MSU if I'm not mistaken together with my dear father (Allah yarhamhu. Ameen.) who earned his PhD Doctorate Degree at the University of Westminster in London UK believed that it's for my own well-being that I studied online instead of traveling abroad without a mahram and majoring in psychology at a university far away from them. So Alhamdulillah I attained master's degree in Islamic Studies at their online college MSU-WINT (Mindanao State University - Wisdom International) https://www.msu.edu.ph/about-msu-history.php and still continue to learn more about Islam whenever I can.
Apart from the frequent classes I attended at Daar Adh-Dhikr institute for Qur'an memorization, I remember regularly attending several conferences at WAMY women's headquarters (World Assembly Of Muslim Youth) and occasionally listening to my parents' lectures when they delivered their talks at numerous events. They've also had several of their books published at Darussalam Islamic Bookstore and used to manage a printing press home-based business at Tandang Sora in Quezon city (if I'm not mistaken about the location).
The other places where I sought knowledge of Islam include some evening classes conducted for non-Arabs and through listening to some Fatawa programs often broadcasted Live on Saudi channels one and two (in Arabic language and in English) as well as Huda TV channel, and I recall sometimes sending in a number of questions via email and fax machine, and some of the sheikhs or shuyookh invited to the programs, one of them being grand mufti sheikh AbdulAziz Aal-Sheikh (if I'm not mistaken) actually answered my questions specifically related to the wearing of the niqaab (face veil).
Some years later Alhamdulillah I gradually discovered about the Salafi Manhaj and the importance of having the correct 'Aqeedah belief, and why it's imperative to do our best to properly adhere to the Sunnah of the beloved Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam according to the understanding and methodology of the pious predecessors / salaf as-saalih.
Although it took some time for me to fully grasp and comprehend the meaning of Salafiyyah or 'Aqeedat as-salaf as-saalih, Alhamdulillah I eventually stopped listening to certain speakers (including all so-called "nasheed artists") when I realized the significance of being very careful concerning where we derive Islamic knowledge from.
š Some of the English-speaking Salafi/Sunni speakers who call towards the Qur'an and Sunnah of the noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam. Try to research and listen to their lectures on YouTube or SoundCloud attentively:
Abbas Abu Yahya
Abdul Hakeem Mitchell
Abdulillah Lahmami
Abu Adam Jameel Finch
Abu Hafsa Kashiff Khan
Abu Hakeem Bilal Davis
Abu Humayd Saalim
Abu Idrees
Abu Iyaad Amjad Rafiq
Abu Khadeejah Abdul Wahid
Abul Hasan Malik
Abu Muadh Taqweem Aslam
Abu Muhammad Al Maghribi
Abu Talha Dawud Burbank
Abu Uways
Anas Waters
Anwar Wright
Hamza Abdur Razzaq
Hassan Somali
Moosaa Richardson
Mustafa George
Raha Batts
Rasheed Barbee
Rayaan Barker
Sa'eed Rhana
Umar Quinn
Uways At-Taweel
š List of Arabic-speaking scholars of today whose Islamic lectures we can benefit from:
- ImÄm Abdul-Aziz Ibn BÄz
- ImÄm Muhammad Nasiruddin al-Albani
- ImÄm Muhammad Ibn 'UthaymÄ«n
- ImÄm Muqbil bin HÄdÄ« Al-WÄdi'i
- ImÄm Ahmad An-NajmÄ«
- Shaykh SÄleh Al-Fawzan
- Shaykh Hassan ibn 'Abdul-WahhÄb Marzooq Al-BannÄ
- Shaykh SÄlih Al-LuhaydÄn
- Shaykh 'Abdul-Muhsin Al-'AbbÄd
- Shaykh Rabi' ibn HÄdÄ« Al-MadkhalÄ«
- Shaykh 'Ubayd Al-JÄbiri
- Mufti Shaykh 'Abdul-'AzÄ«z Äl-ush-Shaykh
- Shaykh SÄlih Äl-ush-Shaykh
- Shaykh 'AbdullÄh Al-Bukhari
Alhamdulillah my brothers, Ahmad, AbdurRahman and I are currently taking some online courses at Markaz Ibn Al-Qayyim Center which is supervised by shaykh Dr. Khalid ibn Dahwi Adh-Dhafiri. While we believe we're not yet qualifed to deliver formal talks to a large audience, we try our best to enjoin right and forbid wrong whenever we can instead of selfishly concealing the knowledge which Allah the Most Wise has granted us and which we still continue to seek until we return to Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala.
I also believe that it's not absolutely mandatory to obtain fancy titles or credentials for any Muslim to share the truth for Allah's sake. The noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam, the best and most revered of all human beings, was illiterate - are you going to claim that he's not notable because he SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam didn't acquire any academic degree? AstaghfurAllah Al-'Atheem. No. He SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam will always be better and more esteemed than all of the world's professionals and executives combined.
What matters is we Muslims sincerely persevere in seeking authentic Islamic knowledge through reliable sources (based on the Noble Qur'an and Sunnah of the beloved Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam) and our real intention of sharing Islamic reminders online and offering advice to other Muslims is genuinely to please Only Allah Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala, instead of desperately aspiring to appear "famous" and wanting to be consistently asked to give public speeches while we all need to study the fundamentals of Tawheed and review the basics of our Deen religion.
~•~
š Abdullah Ibn Amr RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "What comes over my nation will surely be what came over the children of Israel, step by step until if one of them fornicated with his mother, one from my nation would do the same. Verily, the children of Israel split into seventy-two sects and my nation will split into seventy-three sects. All of them will be in Hellfire except for one sect." They said, “Who are they, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Those who follow my way and my companions."
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2641
Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to Al-Albani
š Ka'b Ibn Malik RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Whoever seeks knowledge to impress the scholars, to argue with the foolish (or to quarrel with the ignorant), or to attract the attention of the people, Allah (The Almighty) will admit him into Hellfire."
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2654
Grade: Hasan (Fair) according to Al-Albani
š Anas Ibn Malik RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: "Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim."
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 224
Grade: Sahih
š Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said: "Whoever travels a path in search of knowledge, Allah (The Almighty) will make easy for him a path to Paradise. People do not gather in the Houses of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala), reciting the Book of Allah and studying It together, but that tranquility will descend upon them, mercy will cover them, angels will surround them, and Allah will mention them to those near Him (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala)."
Source: Sahih Muslim 2699
Grade: Sahih
š Ibn Mas’ud RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "The son of Adam (every human) will not be dismissed from his Rabb (Allah the Almighty) on the Day of Resurrection until he is questioned about five issues: his life and how he lived it, his youth and how he used it, his wealth and how he earned it and how he spent it, and how he acted on his knowledge."
Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2416
Grade: Sahih (Authentic) according to Al-Albani
š Abu Huraira RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "Look at those below you and do not look at those above you, for it is the best way not to belittle the favors of Allah (Subhaanahu wa Ta'aala)."
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 6125
Sahih Muslim 2963
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim
š Abdullah Ibn Mas'ud RadhiAllahu 'anhu narrated: Allah's noble Messenger Muhammad SallAllahu 'alaihi wa sallam said, "There is no envy but in two cases: A man whom Allah (The Most Wise) has given wealth and he spends it rightly (for Allah's sake), and a man whom Allah has given wisdom and he judges and teaches others with it."
Source: Sahih Al-Bukhari 73
Sahih Muslim 816
Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (Authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim