Know - may Allaah direct me and you to every goodness and truth - that clouds do not cause except the herbage and greenery for the animals to grow. They do not cause except the seasonal herbage to grow. In fact if it rained upon a salt marsh or a swamp or if it rained at other than its proper time (for the land) it would not be of benefit. Therefore in those clouds there would be ruin and destruction.

This is in opposition to the water of the wells and springs since the people's thirst is quenched from it, land is cultivated by them and the region in which there are wells and springs is full of life most of the time. This is because the people in that area cultivate the land, and from it they drink and from it they reap their harvest and so on. Furthermore, the one who is resident as well as the traveller on his path is benefitted from the wells and springs. It is the same for their animals, their plants or even for making a provision for their journey by storing some water in their waterskins or their vesicles/containers.

So have you understood the difference?

For you is another story so that you may gain some insight about them:

One of them (the leaders) says, in the presence of those who have just started with them, to one of them who desires to seek knowledge of the Sharee'ah: Where are you going to O so and so? He will say: I will go to seek knowledge. The other one will reply to him: And for what purpose? He will say: So that I know the halaal from the haraam. The other one will reply: "Subhaanallaah! You do not know the halaal from the haraam? Have you not heard the saying of the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) : "Consult your heart even if people give you their opinion...." Subhaanallaah, until now you do not know the halaal from the haraam and yet many of the animals even know the halaal from the haraam. Do you not see that when you put your food in a place and then leave it the cat eats from it and when you return to it and you see the cat eating from it, if the cat sees you it will flee from you. On the other hand if you are sitting at a table and you place some food on your side it will come to you and eat besides you.

The first knows that it has fallen into the haraam and that is why it ran away from you and the second knew that it had obtained what was halaal and that is why it ate with you. O my brother with a sound and balanced intellect, differentiate between the halaal and the haraam, 'consult your heart even if people give you their opinion'.

O my brother, has this example and this glance (at them) made you satisfied?!!

The response to this story is left for you.

Take a third story:

One of them says to whoever is listening to him, with the intention of encouraging and exhorting him to go out with them on khurooj and to abandon his land, his family, his children and his wealth and other things besides them: O my brother, when you put some sugar in a cup and then pour some tea into it and then drink it without stirring the sugar you will not taste the sweetness of the sugar. When you stir it you will taste its sweetness. This is just like the eemaan in the heart of every human being, it is present and a person is not able to taste its sweetness until after it has been moved and stirred by going out on khurooj with the jamaa'ah.

My noble brother I think you will be quick in rejecting this story and this example by saying: Subhaanallaah, eemaan is present in the heart of every person, until it is present in even the Hypocrites, the Disblievers and the Apostates.

And you will also say: Subhaanallaah, if that is so then whoever does not go out (away from) the scholars, the students of knowledge, the callers to Allaah, the general people from among the men and women will not taste the sweetness of eemaan.

You will also say: Subhaanallaah. Did not the Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) say: "There are three qualities which if found in a person will taste the sweetnes of eemaan: That Allaah and His Messenger are more beloved to him than anything else besides them, that he loves a person not loving him except for the sake of Allaah and that he dislikes to return to kufr after Allaah has saved him from it just as he hates to be thrown into the Fire." [Muslim]