Email on “Why one should pursue formal Alim / Alimah programs”

Assalamualaikum,

Many people approached with this email have responded positively alhamdolillah, however this faqeer realizes that there are some who are probably interested but just reluctant because they are unsure how they will be able to manage this course with responsibilities of work and family. For that I wanted to clarify a few points.

1. By becoming students of knowledge we not only enroll our name among the heirs of the Prophets (al ulamao warathatul ambiya-hadith), we also include ourselves in the special duas of our mashaikh that they make only for those who are formal students of knowledge. These two things, i.e. inheritance of Prophets and dua of mashaikh, are powerful enough to help us get through hurdles in our lives.

2. The correct niyyah of doing such part time alim programs is not so that we may guide people, but actually to make us taste the flavor of sacred knowledge so that we may truly appreciate the value of our teachers who are the real Ulama. This appreciation is in itself a guarantee of our success in this world and the Next, which is the actual goal.

3. In this day and age, we either don’t have mashaikh who have residential khanqahs where we can go and stay for extended periods of time to get our Islah done, or we do not have the luxury of time to take out for such stays even if khanaqahs were available. These part time study programs are in fact an alternate form of our external and internal Islah that the mashaikh have prescribed for us today. Alhamodolillah our mashaikh are well aware of the plethora of demands that a normal professional individual has upon his time hence they are very accommodating for us, so we should also have good opinion about their judgment.

4. And last but the most important, this faqeer believes that becoming a part of such programs is not just a luxury but a need for us because in this time of fitnah in which our Iman and Iman of our families is on direct firing range of the Shaytan, these engaging study circles can serve as protective fortresses for our Iman. If we do not become busy in such activities, the Shaytan is certainly going to engage us in futile, rather many times dangerous discussions about current events etc. that can be disastrous for our Iman. Hence this should be considered a means of keeping ourselves closely connected to these islands of safety for our Iman.

As requested before, we need requested documentation from Pakistani students very soon as deadline for registration for next year exams is very close. Fyi, first board exams will be in Shaban 1437, around May 2016.

May Allah (swt) give us correct understanding and make it easy for us to act upon it.

wassalam ma’al ikram

Requesting your duas in your moments of solitude with Allah

Faqeer Syed Kashif Karim
January 18, 2015