Haatibul Lail (Gatherer of Wood in the Darkness of The Night) – Sayings from Imam Al-Shafi’i (Rahmatullahi alaih)

Haatibul Lail

Imaam Shaafi’ (Rahmatullahi alaih) said: “One who acquires knowledge haphazardly (thoughtlessly and without order) is like a person collecting firewood in the dark of the night (haatibul lail). There is possibly in the bundle a snake which bites him.”

“All humans are dead except those who have knowledge; and all those who have knowledge are asleep, except those who do good deeds; and those who do good deeds are deceived, except those who are sincere; and those who are sincere are always in a state of worry.”

This sagacious advice of Hazrat Imaam Shaafi’ (Rahmatullahi alaih) is rather pertinent to those who seek their ‘knowledge’ from the internet by jumping from one deviate website to another donkey site picking up snakes and najaasat from every tom, dick and harry who professes knowledge of Islam. True Ilm can only be acquired from the Ulama who fear Allah Ta’ala inwardly and outwardly. The sign of such Ulama is that by keeping their company and studying their writings the yearning for Allah and the Aakhirat increases and detestation for this life on earth grows in the heart.