# Is studying religious knowledge better than voluntary prayer?

*Learning over voluntary worship: 'the paths to God are many'*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/10/
- Date: 2023-03-10 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: The Legendary Imam Malik Ibn Anas | Mufti Abu Layth (42:25–46:44)
- Status: latest answer on its topic; general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhqVM47pNS0&t=2545s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/

**Topics:** Imam Malik; How to study Islam

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Imam Malik taught that devotion to learning is not lesser than voluntary worship, the paths to God being many, and Mufti Abu Layth urges not underestimating it.

**Checked position (checked by two independent reviews, not by the channel):** Mufti Abu Layth says one should not underestimate the value of devotion to learning, or think voluntary prayer is somehow more valuable to God.

**Evidence, his words at 45:25:** “there is something about the Legacy about being devoted to learning that don't don't don't don't as underestimate its value” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhqVM47pNS0&t=2725s)

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth says Malik divided his life into thirds, learning, learning and giving back, then giving back, and was criticised for not being seen in voluntary prayers or fasts, and for his meat and fine clothes. He relates Malik's reply to a critic: he respected the man's worship, but they were both upon goodness, Malik teaching and discussing religion, and what the critic did was not necessarily better, for the paths to God are many. He relates that when Malik's Egyptian student Ibn Wahb, who spent three decades with him, closed his notes to get up for a voluntary prayer, Malik told him not to assume what he was going to was better than what he had been doing. He says one should not underestimate the value of devotion to learning.

## Sources and names cited

- Imam Malik
- Ibn Wahb
- nafl (voluntary worship)

## Transcript (machine tier, 42:25–46:44)

[41:45] the only method of the the of Islam that had so much diversity throughout the globe from Spain to the Middle East to Central Africa I mean that's wow Nomad have did that no matter reached that kind of uh geographical diversity so yeah that that's about his um his mother but coming back to him Imam Malik he as a person he spent his early portion of his life

[42:24] learning knowledge like he says his life could have in hindsight been divided into three he spent the first third learning the second third learning and giving back and the last third primarily just giving back and yeah he was criticized by people for not being seen as someone who was very um immersed in worship so he would not I mean he would pray his and his daily prayers but he wouldn't pray many nothing you wouldn't see him praying

[43:03] many nothing you wouldn't see him fasting voluntary fasts you wouldn't see this kind of worship uh from him so he was criticized about this a very famous uh incident but Imam Malik responds by saying look somebody says to him why don't I ever see you praying nafal why don't I ever you know you indulge in meat and you have expensive clothes and you you know what is this this is not Islam and Imam Malik's reply to him is actually very beautiful he says that he doesn't diss him he says look I respect what you do

[43:43] you immerse yourself in worship but he says look we are all upon goodness you worship I teach people I discuss with people I have religious religious discussions I convey the living tradition I expand on ideas religious ideas with people he said look we we all he said it's not that what you are doing is better necessarily than what I'm engaged in

[44:21] that let us be each to their own the paths to God on manifold and this is once you know there's an incident that Imam Malik was he was sitting there in his student IBN wahab was saying there and it was almost the Adan had gone and Imam and ibrahab was uh he is an Egyptian student he's from the main the main Egyptian students from Imam Malik or Abdullah

[44:55] these are the main um uh misery and they spent decades with Malik by the way at least two two they spend about two decades and IBN wahab spends three decades with him so closes the book he was making notes and stuff he closes the book to get up to pray nothing and Imam Malik says he says easy there tiger tiger

[45:25] he says he says he's not stopping him but he says don't be mistaken in assuming that what you're going to do is somehow better than what you were doing huh nothing see those who know it can understand it that there is a there is something about the Legacy about being devoted to learning that don't don't don't don't as underestimate its value don't think somehow going towards nothing is some how more

[46:03] valuable in the eyes of God than this sure if you want to do it do it he's not stopping him but yeah so this was his lifestyle he had such you know one thing about Imam Malik is he had this that this bewildering love for the prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam that once he would not tolerate any disrespect towards the prophet and this isn't about a kind of intolerance this was his love he just

[46:43] felt he felt once somebody cracked a joke about um something about the prophet's cloak an Imam Malik's reprimanded him that look don't this to us to he said this is the most beloved of people like why are you doing that how could you think that that would be funny to us he declared in Islam that Medina because it's the resting place of the Prophet salallahu alaihi it is the most of the little book it is the

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment VhqVM47pNS0/s/10. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/vhqvm47pns0/s/10/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.