Shaykh Sulaymaan Ar-Ruhaylee was asked:

Question:

Asalaamu Aleykum, May Allaah preserve you, Explain to us the difference between The Jinn, The Shaytaan and Iblees, and may Allaah reward you with good.

Answer:

Wa Aleykum Asalaam wa Rahmatullah:

What would it harm you if you were to be ignorant of this, what would it harm you if you were to be ignorant of this? And what would it benefit you in your religion and your deeds if you were to have knowledge of this?

Oh Brothers, from the foundations in Knowledge with the Salaf is that the person asks conecerning that which benefits and that he does not ask concerning the Fudool of knowledge (i.e. Inquisitive and time-wasting affairs) which do not yield Eeman nor actions.

And hence it was mentioned concerning Imam Malik that a man asked him (a question), so he (Imam Malik) never answered him, and then others asked him (questions), so he replied (to them), then the (first) man asked him, and (again) Imam Malik did not respond to him.

So the Man said:

Oh Aba Abdillah, why do you not respond to me? Meaning, why do you reply to the people and you leave me? Do you belittle me?

So he (Imam Malik) replied:

Were you to ask concerning that which benefits you, I would have responded! Were you to ask concerning that which benefits you, I would have responded!

And I (Sheikh Suleymaan), have a reply to the question (which was asked), but I see that for the sake of encouraging good mannerisms and cultivation, that I (deliberately) refrain from providing the answer to the question in order to teach the brother and those who are listening that we ask (only) concerning that which benefits.

My brother, I have arrived from Medinah. I teach in the University and I teach in the Masjid of The Prophet SalAllahu Aleyhi wa Sallam, and I’ve come to you here, ask concerning that which benefits you.

Why do you ask concerning that which does not increase you in Eeman? And if you were to be ignorant of it, it does not cause any harm to your Eeman, nor your deeds?

So this is an affair which we should discipline ourselves with, because it is from the Mannerisms of the Salaf Us-Salih may Allaah be pleased with them.

And Allaah knows best.

[End of the Sheikh’s speech]

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Translated by

Abu Mu’aawiyah Abdullah Hassan

غفر الله له ولوالديه

جمادى الأولى 4| 1438هـ
1st February 2017