لا يكلف الله نفسا الا وسعها... فدائما نسعي الي رضا الله

أفضل ما تمنحه لعدوك هو العفو، ولمنافسك، الاحتمال
ولصديقك، قلبك، ولطفلك ، قدوة حسنة، ولوالدك، الطاعة،

ولوالدتك، سلوك يجعلها تفخر بك، ولنفسك، الاحترام، ولجميع البشر، المحبة .

الكمال في الحياة هو هدف لا يمكن تحقيقه .

كن أفضل ما تستطيع ، وهذا يكفي .

Golden Naseehah To The Seekers of Knowledge

Advices Regarding Seeking Knowledge

by Shaykh Fahad Al Fuhayd حفظه الله
on November 19th, 2005

 

Have Patience whilst Seeking Knowledge

The first advice is for you to have patience while seeking knowledge because seeking knowledge is an act of worship. This act of worship becomes hard on many people. A lot of people don't have the ability; it is not easy for them to memorize, not easy for them to attend the gatherings of knowledge, not easy for them to do their homework, not easy for them to read and recite; it is not easy for many people to listen to the People of Knowledge. Therefore, it is very important for us to have patience, because patience is from righteous actions. I incite you and I encourage you to be patient while seeking knowledge and don't stay away from these gatherings and don't be lackadaisical when you are able to come to these blessed gatherings of knowledge. 


Purify Your Intention

You should all know that there is not a single deed except that you want to gain the pleasure of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى by doing it, and that it has to be done solely for Him because Allaah سبحانه وتعالى does not accept deeds except those done and performed only for His Sake. Therefore, Allaah does not accept the deeds which contain Riyaa’ (showing off), or shirk, or a deed which was done with the intention of performing it for other than Allaah سبحانه وتعالى. 

Let your seeking of knowledge be that which draws you closer to Allaah سبحانه وتعالى because He will be pleased with you if you seek knowledge. All of you are seeking the Pleasure of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى, so therefore learn that which will aid you in understanding Islaam: its Legislation, the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and acting upon that which you learn. Your seeking knowledge in this way will help you to benefit your brothers in Islaam, protect them, give them sincere advice, teach them, and disseminate good amongst them. 

Whoever’s intention was like this (purely seeking the Pleasure of Allaah), then it was sincerely for Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and from that which pleases Allaah سبحانه وتعالى. So, purify your intention by sincerely seeking the Pleasure of Allaah, and constantly ask Allaah سبحانه وتعالى to grant you Tawfeeq - to grant you success, and to keep you from falling into showing off or shirk because indeed Shaytaan is an open enemy to mankind and he is diligent and eager to corrupt the deeds of the servant and render your actions useless. But, if the Believer seeks refuge with Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and struggles against the whispers of Shaytaan and seeks help from Allaah سبحانه وتعالى, He will make a way out for him from every difficulty, and He will grant him success in making his eebaadah (acts of worship) sincere – not just in seeking knowledge, but in all his acts of worship. 


Be aware of the Obstacles

My dear beloved brothers and sisters, knowledge is very noble and the People of Knowledge and their students are the best of people in the Muslim community. We should know as well, that whenever one of you wants to climb high in seeking knowledge, the things that may take you away from knowledge will also become greater. This is because nothing becomes precious and expensive except that the things which will take you away from attaining it – the obstacles and the hardships, they become greater in numbers as well; so you have to pay attention to this. 


Follow the Path of the Rightly Guided Predecessors

From the most obligatory things upon the Student of Knowledge, whether male or female, is to follow the path of your rightly guided predecessors and be aware of innovations and newly invented matters in this Deen. Likewise, be aware of the people of innovation and the people of desires. Do not take knowledge from them. Do not sit with them. Do not listen to them. This is because they disseminate their poison without your paying any attention to it (so you may be caught unaware). When seeking knowledge you must be upon the path of the rightly guided predecessors; the Companions of the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم and whoever followed their path. You should know that the first thing that will face you, the first problem and difficulty that will face you along this long path of seeking knowledge is that you have to face the people of desires and opinions and fitan (trials), so therefore be extremely aware of them and their evil. 


Avoid Hasad (Envy)

The Muslim in general and the one who is seeking knowledge should be aware of hasad (envy) i.e. having envy of his brothers and sisters. For example; if you see one of your brothers or sisters to whom Allaah has given a great memory so he memorizes a lot, or understands the issues easily, you should praise Allaah سبحانه وتعالى and ask Him for His bounty, and for Him to make you like that individual. Do not envy them and do not be jealous because of that which Allaah سبحانه وتعالى has given them. 


Do not be Arrogant

Also from the things that one should be aware of while on the path of seeking knowledge is to avoid being arrogant to your brothers and sisters because of that which Allaah has given you. Do not be from those people who think that they are better than others, and do not be proud and look up at yourself. Rather, be modest regarding that which Allaah has given you, and be modest around your brothers and sisters. 


Do not be Hasty

Likewise do not be hasty, do not be from those people who are hasty. Rather, seek knowledge little by little, step by step, as one of the statements says:"Whoever was hasty and wants to learn everything at one time will be punished by not learning anything at all." Rather, the Student of Knowledge has to choose from the easiest of the mutoon (texts) - whether in Fiqh or the like of this. Start with those which are easy, then go to those at the second level and choose from the text in Hadeeth, Fiqh, 'Aqeedah and all the other fields of the Legislation; and don't be hasty. Rather, what you have to be mindful of is that you understand what you read and what you are studying. Your main concern should not be that you finish the book in the shortest time. 


Do not be Lackadaisical or Lazy

Also, be aware of being lackadaisical or lazy. Don't leave off acting upon that which you know, or acting upon that which Allaah سبحانه وتعالى has taught you. 

These are the things and guidelines which we all need to take advantage of, and implement while we are seeking knowledge: We should not envy one another, we should not be arrogant, and we should not be proud because of that which Allaah has given us. We should not be hasty, rather we have to be gentle and patient, and we should act upon that which Allaah has taught us. Indeed this is the path of the scholars from the past as well as those in the present time; we have to follow their path in seeking knowledge.


Have Respect for the Scholars

From the major mistakes that many people fall into while seeking knowledge is that they show no respect for the People of Knowledge. They show no respect to the scholars of this Deen. Perhaps they may differ with the People of Knowledge on an issue and they take that which they think is right; this is a great danger upon them. Undoubtedly, this is a fatal disease which we should all be aware of. Rather, while seeking knowledge we have to show respect and have good manners with the People of Knowledge. 

I will mention to you a book which will be of great benefit to you in learning the Adaab, the good etiquette that the Student of Knowledge should have when learning from the Scholars. It is the book Hilyatu-Taalibil 'Ilm (The Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge) by Shaykh Bakr Ibn 'Abdullaah Abu Zayd حفظه الله. This book has been explained by our beloved Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al 'Uthaymeen (رحمه الله تعالى). It is available on cassette and now it may also found as a book. 


Have Good Manners and Etiquette

Therefore, we have to learn manners and good etiquette. Learning etiquette and having an understanding of good manners while seeking knowledge was from the ways of the Salaf and they were diligent in learning etiquette while they were seeking knowledge. One of the people of knowledge said that he heard Imaam Ahmad رحمه الله تعالى saying that the people should learn Aadaab (etiquette) while they are seeking knowledge. Another person said that he stayed with Imaam Ahmad رحمه الله learning from him for four years, and he didn't ask Imaam Ahmad except one or two times out of esteem for him. So it is from good manners that we should be moderate. We should not be from those people who do not pay attention to these things, nor show respect to the People of Knowledge. Neither should we be from those who mix between having good etiquette and being diligent but not asking the People of Knowledge and the likes of this. Therefore, it is very important upon the Student of Knowledge to seek knowledge while displaying and learning the etiquette of seeking knowledge and dealing with the People of Knowledge.


Prepare, Review and Try to Memorize the Texts to be Studied

With respect to the Mutoon (texts) which you are about to study with the Mashaayikh, (Noble Scholars) then you must read them, prepare them, and check them before the classes. Read them once or twice and try to understand them. First try to have a general idea of the text, then while the Shaykh is giving the explanation pay attention to what he says. Then after the class, review your notes; review what the Shaykh said. Following that, you may take a notebook and write down the things which you still have a problem understanding in order to ask the Shaykh these things at the next class. 

Likewise, from the things that are going to help you attain great benefit from these classes is reviewing the class with your brothers so that you can check with them what you may have missed. 

Also, what will help you benefit greatly from these classes is trying to memorize the text of the books if possible. 


Organize Your Time

Additionally, organize your days i.e. organize your time in a day. Allocate time for the Qur'aan - memorizing, reciting, and contemplating it; time for the hadeeth of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم – memorizing, reviewing and trying to understanding them; and time for reviewing the texts and classes that you have with the noble scholars. 


Supplicate to Allaah

Also make du’aa and supplicate to Allaah سبحانه وتعالى to grant you beneficial knowledge, as Allaah سبحانه وتعالى gave this command to the Prophet Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم (who is the best of all creation) when He said:

وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

{..and say: “O my Lord increase me in knowledge." } [TaaHaa 20:114]

So ask Allaah to grant you beneficial knowledge and righteous actions. 


Conclusion

I conclude by making du’aa for you and asking Allaah سبحانه وتعالى to grant you success and that He preserves you by your understanding and applying Islaam; and that He preserves Islaam by your understanding it. May He make you from those people who call to Him upon knowledge so that perhaps because of what you have learnt, memorized and understood, you may save and protect those who fall into error and misguidance, bringing them by the will of Allaah, to the path that is straight and upright. May Allaah rectify the affairs of the Muslims and may He remove that which befalls them from calamities and trials. I incite you to hold on firmly to the Sunnah of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and be with the Jamaa'ah – with the group of Muslims who are upon the Book and the Sunnah. 

I ask Allaah بحانه وتعالى to protect us and safeguard us from innovations and division. May Allaah rectify the affairs of the Rulers of the Muslims. I ask Allaah سبحانه وتعالى to grant the brother who is translating the best of rewards for this translation. Likewise, I ask Allaah سبحانه وتعالى to grant good to all those brothers who are behind this great effort, those who are providing the opportunity for the Muslims to learn from these blessed classes. I make du’aa to Allaah to grant good to all of you who are participating in this event, in these blessed classes by listening. May Allaah grant success to all of you and safeguard you. Assalaamu 'alaykum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.

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