Aslam

(3) The sciences which are praiseworthy up to a certain limit are those which have been narrated at the time of discussion of Farze-Kafayah. Each has got three limits-first limit up to necessity, second up to moderation and third up to excessive quantity and there is no end of it during life. Beware of the two persons. Either be busy with yourself or be busy after finishing your work with others. Be careful of correcting others before you correct yourself. If you keep busy with yourself, be busy with acquisition of knowledge which is compulsory according to your need, for instance, knowledge of open deeds such as prayer, fast etc. More importance however is the science which everybody neglects, It is the science of heart. Know which of these sciences are bad and which are good as there is nobody who is safe from envy, hatred, pride, self-conceit and such other destructive faults. Performance of these outward deeds is like the external application of ointment to the body when it is stricken with scabies and boils while neglecting to remove the pus by means of surgery. The learned men lay stress upon the outward actions and the learned men of the hereafter remove the impurities of mind.

So you should not engage yourself in Farze Kefayah duties till you are pure in heart and acquire strength to give up open and secret sins. Give attention first to the Holy Quran, then to the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet, then to Tafsirs of the learned men and then to other learnings. Don't engage your life to the learning of only one branch of education as life is short but the learnings

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are many. The acquisition of these learnings are weapons for the hereafter. There is no learning which has got no limits of necessity, moderation and perfection. This is applicable also to Hadis, Tafsir and Fiqh.

A certain saint asked a learned man in dream: Tell me the condition of learning about which you held disputation. He said:
It has all vanished like scattered dust, Only two rak'ats of prayer at the latter part of night has done me benefit. The Prophet said:
No people are misguided after guidance except disputation.
Then he read the following verse: They did nothing about you but disputation. Rather they are a contentions people. About a verse- T3ut they in whose hearts there is perversity'OiS:) the Prophet said that they are a contentious people about whom God said: Beware of them. The Prophet said: You are living in an age when you receive inspiration for actions but soon a people will appear who will be given to disputation. The worst men to God in creation are given to bitter disputes. He also said: Those. who has been given to disputation have not been given actions.

SECTION-4

HARMS OF THE SCIENCE OF POLEMICS AND EVILS OF DEBATES AND DISPUTATIONS.