Words of Advice to the Muslim Student
by ash-Shaykh Wasiullaah ibn Muhammad ‘Abbaas
(Note: This is an English rendering of a short piece of advice from our teacher ash-Shaykh Wasiullaah ibn Muhammad ‘Abbaas, professor at Umm al-Qura University in Makkah and lecturer at al-Masjid al-Haraam. Its content is geared towards Muslim students in all disciplines of study so they might be properly focused and get the most out of their studies. The advice was presented as an article in Arabic posted to the author’s blog on 26 Thul-Qa‘dah 1433 (12 October 2012) and we had prepared an initial English translation of it for circulation at that time. The translation that follows is a subsequent version that was revised several years after the initial translation and, thus, replaces it).
All praise is due to Allaah, and may He send salaah and salaam upon our Prophet Muhammad – the best individual among all creation – as well as upon the Prophet’s family, his Companions, and all who follow his Sunnah until the Day of Recompense.
The following are guidelines and pieces of advice I wished to offer the Muslim student, and I ask Allaah – the Most Majestic and Exalted – to bestow guidance, success, integrity, and eminence upon the people of Islaam in both this world and the hereafter.
Islaam is a comprehensive system which addresses all aspects of human life, and it encourages all means that produce advantageous results and maintain the wellbeing of all facets of a Muslim’s religious and worldly affairs. Among those means that Islaam encourages is seeking knowledge and pursuing an education. This is, in fact, the sole means to attaining all good things pertaining to one’s religion, worldly life, and hereafter. In terms of underscoring the importance Islaam gives to knowledge and education, there is nothing more emphatic than the very first portion of the Qur’aan that was sent down: ((Read)) [96:1]. Furthermore, the object of the verb was omitted here, thus reflecting that the verb “Read” is an encouragement to read everything that is beneficial.
The primary obligation for a Muslim is to learn three indispensable principles – who his Lord is, what his religion is, and who his Prophet is – which enable him to worship his Lord properly. This is the meaning of the hadeeth
طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ
“Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim.”{1} Furthermore, knowledge must precede statements and actions. Allaah said,
((فَاعْلَمْ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لِذَنْبِكَ))
((Know that none has the right to be worshipped except Allaah, and seek forgiveness for your sins)) [47:19], as mentioned by al-Imaam al-Bukhaaree in one of the section headings of Kitaab al-‘Ilm (the chapter about knowledge) in his book al-Jaami‘ as-Saheeh. Whenever anyone intends to undertake an action he must proceed with clear insight regarding what he is doing: will it be beneficial for him, or harmful?
Thus, it is necessary for a Muslim to be educated about Islaam, in which his success lies, and it is not objectionable – in fact, it may actually be necessary – to acquire knowledge in a modern field of study which he may use to support himself. However, when pursuing this education, his intention must be seeking the Face of Allaah by way of it, not only attainment of worldly objectives and earnings. Scholars of Islaam have provided substantial elaboration about how the texts of Islaam establish that it is a collective obligation for Muslims to acquire knowledge of modern scientific fields and trades which would allow them to outdo those who may stand at odds against them.
Among the distinguishing qualities of the society that Islaam encourages is having each individual do what suits him best, in order for people to mutually complement each other in terms of occupations, and so that there would be an exchange of services, and areas of expertise. Allaah – the Almighty and Most Majestic – said,
((نَحْنُ قَسَمْنَا بَيْنَهُمْ مَعِيشَتَهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَرَفَعْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ دَرَجَاتٍ لِيَتَّخِذَ بَعْضُهُمْ بَعْضًا سُخْرِيًّا))
((It is We who have apportioned between them their livelihood in this world, and We have raised some of them above others in ranks, in order for them to make use of each other for service)) [43:32]. This comprises manufacturing, agriculture, construction, medicine, business, economics, and other areas as well. Hence, it is imperative for a Muslim to strive diligently in his field, giving it his all with full sincerity to Allaah, the Most Exalted. Doing so also serves to develop and further various disciplines and sciences which Muslims themselves built and initiated – all stemming from the divine command to read.
In addition, all modern sciences and disciplines must be governed by the guidelines and principles of Islaam. Ash-Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Naasir as-Sa‘dee (may Allaah have mercy upon him) wrote,
Many people say, “This is the era of science, knowledge, and progress,” and their intent behind saying this is to turn away from the past and from sciences related to Islaam, and to belittle their importance and discourage learning them. Their statement contains truth from one perspective, but falsity from many other angles.
They are right in saying that this is an era in which technology related to industry, invention, and hard and natural sciences have advanced and progressed. However, they are grossly incorrect in confining knowledge to just this realm, not realizing that true beneficial knowledge lies in the contents of the Kitaab and Sunnah, and that is the knowledge which produces every good pertaining to Islaam, this world, and the hereafter.
[Contents of the Kitaab and Sunnah] also incorporate beneficial knowledge as far as sciences, trades, manufacturing, and technology are concerned. It is, in fact, knowledge of Islaam that renders sciences and technologies sound and beneficial, channeling them to benefit humanity and preventing their abuse in recklessly destructive ways. This is why we say that they are also incorrect from the perspective of priding themselves over these various sciences, as they have not utilized them in a truly beneficial manner. On the contrary, they employed them in ways which have harmed the world, causing mass destruction, annihilation, and demolition. [Such sciences and technologies] are among the greatest blessings, but their usage of them has been one of the worst calamities and disasters. It is unequivocally clear that anything not guided by the principles of the true religion that Allaah prescribed becomes inverted and its harm will be greater than its benefit.{2}
It may be presumed by some that knowledge and progress only exist in modern fields of study. However, this is an incorrect presumption since every beneficial discipline has its own importance and significance, whether the discipline is related to Islaam or is one of modern study.
As for disciplines related to Islaam, al-Haafith ibn Hajar (may Allaah have mercy upon him) drew attention to the central ones around which they revolve. At the onset of his explanation for Kitaab al-‘Ilm in Saheeh al-Bukhaaree, ibn Hajar said,
The statement of Allaah [containing the instruction to say], ((My Lord, increase me in knowledge)) [20:114] is clear in establishing the excellence of knowledge since Allaah did not instruct his Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to request an increase in anything except for knowledge.Knowledge in this context refers to knowledge about Islaam’s teachings, which enables every individual who is responsible before Allaah for his own actions to know about what the directives of his religion require of him in terms of his acts of worship as well as his interactions with others; and to know about Allaah, Allaah’s attributes, and all that is obligatory towards Allaah in terms of complying with His directives and exalting Him above all imperfections. All of that revolves around Tafseer (knowing the Qur’aan’s meanings), Hadeeth (knowing what has been narrated from the Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), and Fiqh (understanding the directives of Islaam from its texts).{3}
When traversing the path of seeking knowledge and education, a Muslim must give consideration to two facets of that path. Al-Haafith Ibn Rajab (may Allaah have mercy upon him) commented,
The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) stated, “If anyone traverses a path by which he seeks knowledge, Allaah will make easy for him a path to Jannah because of that’…Traversing the path to seek knowledge includes the real, explicit meaning: walking on foot to the gatherings where scholars deliver their lectures; and it also includes the implicit paths that lead to acquiring knowledge: memorization, studying, revision, reading, writing, comprehension, and other such related methods by which education is attained.{4}
Whatever discipline of study a Muslim pursues, it is imperative for him to always bear the following in mind:
• The obligation of having sincerity to Allaah and hoping for what lies with Him in the hereafter. The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said,
مَنْ كَانَتِ الدُّنْيَا هَمَّهُ، فَرَّقَ اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ أَمْرَهُ، وَجَعَلَ فَقْرَهُ بَيْنَ عَيْنَيْهِ، وَلَمْ يَأْتِهِ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلَّا مَا كُتِبَ لَهُ، وَمَنْ كَانَتِ الْآخِرَةُ نِيَّتَهُ، جَمَعَ اللَّهُ لَهُ أَمْرَهُ، وَجَعَلَ غِنَاهُ فِي قَلْبِهِ، وَأَتَتْهُ الدُّنْيَا وَهِيَ رَاغِمَةٌ
“When this world is a person’s utmost concern, Allaah will shatter that person’s affairs, place poverty between his two eyes, and nothing of this world will reach him except what has been written for him. And when a person’s intention is hereafter, Allaah will put that person’s affairs in order, place contentment in his heart, and things in this world will be compelled to fall into place for him.”{5} The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also said,
مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ عِلْمًا مِمَّا يُبْتَغَى بِهِ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ، لَا يَتَعَلَّمُهُ إِلَّا لِيُصِيبَ بِهِ عَرَضًا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا، لَمْ يَجِدْ عَرْفَ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ
“If anyone pursues knowledge which is to be sought for the Face of Allaah, but he pursues it only to attain some portion of this world, he will not even find the fragrance of Jannah on the Day of Resurrection.”{6}
• Consistently maintaining Taqwaa of Allaah, by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions; and among its fruits is augmentation of knowledge. Allaah said,
((وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّهُ وَاللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ))
((Observe Taqwaa of Allaah, and Allaah is the One who grants you knowledge. And Allaah is completely knowledgeable about all things)) [2:282].
• Consistently performing obligatory and optional acts of worship. The Prophet (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) reported that Allaah said,
وَمَا تَقَرَّبَ إِلَيَّ عَبْدِي بِشَيْءٍ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا افْتَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ، وَمَا يَزَالُ عَبْدِي يَتَقَرَّبُ إِلَيَّ بِالنَّوَافِلِ حَتَّى أُحِبَّهُ
“My servant does not draw nearer to Me with anything more beloved to Me than the deeds I have made obligatory for him, and My servant continues to draw nearer to Me by optional deeds until I love him.”{7}
• Diligence in studying. The original state of a human being is one of ignorance. Allaah said,
((وَاللَّهُ أَخْرَجَكُمْ مِنْ بُطُونِ أُمَّهَاتِكُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ السَّمْعَ وَالْأَبْصَارَ وَالْأَفْئِدَةَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ))
((Allaah brought you forth from the wombs of your mothers in a state in which you did not know anything; and He granted you hearing, sight, and hearts in order for you to be grateful)) [16:78]. No human is born a scholar; on the contrary, he must diligently strive and exert himself to study, repeat, review, and apply what he learns. Knowledge is indeed only attained by diligently studying, and Allaah said,
((وَأَنْ لَيْسَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ إِلَّا مَا سَعَى))
((And no individual will receive anything except that for which he strove)) [53:39]. Allaah also said,
((وَالَّذِينَ جَاهَدُوا فِينَا لَنَهْدِيَنَّهُمْ سُبُلَنَا وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَعَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ))
((And as for those who struggle for Us, We will most certainly guide them to the paths which lead to Us. And indeed, Allaah is surely with those who strive to worship Him in the best way and deal with His servants in the best manner)) [29:69]. Allaah further said,
((وَعَلَّمَكَ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ تَعْلَمُ وَكَانَ فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكَ عَظِيمًا))
((And He taught you what you did not know, and the favours Allaah bestowed upon you have been immense)) [4:113]. One must also be grateful to Allaah for the blessing of knowledge, and he must acknowledge this blessing of Allaah by using it appropriately in ways that please Allaah. In addition, one must supplicate Allaah by saying,
((رَبِّ أَوْزِعْنِي أَنْ أَشْكُرَ نِعْمَتَكَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيَّ وَعَلَى وَالِدَيَّ وَأَنْ أَعْمَلَ صَالِحًا تَرْضَاهُ))
((My Lord, grant me the ability to be grateful for the blessings You have bestowed upon me and upon my parents, and grant me the ability to perform righteous deeds that please You” [46:15]. In addition, Allaah said,
((وَإِذْ تَأَذَّنَ رَبُّكُمْ لَئِنْ شَكَرْتُمْ لَأَزِيدَنَّكُمْ وَلَئِنْ كَفَرْتُمْ إِنَّ عَذَابِي لَشَدِيدٌ))
((And when Your Lord declared: if you are grateful, I will most surely grant you more; and if you are ungrateful, My punishment is certainly severe)) [14:7].
• Keenly pursuing what is beneficial, seizing opportunities in life, and seeking assistance from Allaah. The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said,
احْرِصْ عَلَى مَا يَنْفَعُكَ وَاسْتَعِنْ بِاللهِ وَلَا تَعْجَزْ
“Keenly pursue what is of benefit to you, seek assistance from Allaah, and do not feel incapable.”{8} The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also said,
اغْتَنِمْ خَمْسًا قَبْلَ خَمْسٍ: شَبَابَكَ قَبْلَ هِرَمِكَ، وَصِحَّتَكَ قَبْلَ سَقَمِكَ، وَغِنَاءَكَ قَبْلَ فَقْرِكَ، وَفَرَاغَكَ قَبْلَ شُغْلِكَ، وَحَيَاتَكَ قَبْلَ مَوْتِكَ
“Take advantage of five before five: your youth before your old age; your health before your illness; your prosperity before your poverty; your free time before you become preoccupied; and your life before your death.”{9} A student must also not neglect to seek help by remembering Allaah, mentioning Him, resorting to Him at all times, and invoking much salaah and salaam upon the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). Keenly pursuing what is beneficial necessitates completely avoiding things that distract, preoccupy the mind, and have no relation to knowledge. A student would also be incredibly fortunate if guided to devote himself to worshipping Allaah before Fajr – even if for just half-an-hour – during the time when Allaah descends. One must also bear in mind the statement of Allaah’s Messenger (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam),
أَلَا إِنَّ الدُّنْيَا مَلْعُونَةٌ مَلْعُونٌ مَا فِيهَا إِلَّا ذِكْرُ اللَّهِ وَمَا وَالَاهُ وَعَالِمٌ أَوْ مُتَعَلِّمٌ
“This world is indeed distanced from Allaah. What it contains remains distanced from Allaah except for: mention of Allaah, doing what Allaah loves by fulfilling His commands and avoiding His prohibitions, a person who has knowledge, and a person who seeks knowledge.”{10}
The Companions would take advantage of the morning hours to accomplish what would be advantageous for affairs of their religion and hereafter, and they would also give much importance to carefully contemplating what Allaah had revealed. Some instances of that are:
The narration of ‘Aa’ishah (may Allaah be pleased with her) where she said that a group of people peformed tawaaf around the Ka‘bah after the Fajr prayer. They then sat to listen to the Muthakkir (i.e. teacher, lecturer) until the sun rose and then stood to pray.{11}
Mahdee ibn Maymoon said: Waasil al-Ahdab narrated to us from Aboo Waa’il who said: we went to ‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allaah be pleased with him) early one morning after praying Fajr. We extended the greeting of salaam while we waited at the door, and we were given permission to enter. However, we continued waiting at the door for a while. A young girl came out and said, “Will you not enter?” So, we entered and found ibn Mas‘ood sitting and saying tasbeeh, and he asked, “What prevented you from entering after you had been allowed to do so?” We replied, “Nothing, but we thought perhaps some members of the household might be sleeping.” He said, “You thought there is heedlessness in the household of ibn Umm ‘Abd (i.e. ibn Mas‘ood)?!” He continued his tasbeeh until he thought the sun had risen, and he then said to the girl, “See if it has risen yet.” She did so and found it had not yet risen, so he continued his tasbeeh until he thought the sun had risen. He then said to the girl, “See if it has risen yet.” She did so and found that it had risen, and he said, “All praise is due to Allaah who pardoned us in this day of ours” – Mahdee commented: and I think he said – “and did not destroy us due to our sins.” One of the people present said, “I recited all of the mufassal portion of the Qur’aan last night.” ‘Abdullaah replied, “You rattled it off like lines of poetry?! We heard the qaraa‘in, and I have memorized the qaraa‘in which the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to recite: eighteen from the mufassal and two from the family of Haa Meem.”{12}
• Knowledge is not attained without six. There are some lines of poetry ascribed to al-Imaam ash-Shaafi‘ee (may Allaah have mercy upon him) which sum up the means to attaining knowledge:
أخي لن تنالَ العلمَ إلا بستَّةٍ *** سأُنْبِيك عن تفصيلها ببيانِ
ذكاءٌ وحرصٌ واجتهادٌ وبُلْغَةٌ *** وصحبةُ أستاذٍ وطُولُ زَمانِ
“My brother, you cannot attain knowledge without six. \ I will outline them to you specifically: \ Intelligence, keenness, diligence, enough to live off, \ accompanying a teacher, and a long time.”
Moreover, our teachers – at the head of them, our eminent teacher ash-Shaykh Natheer Ahmad al-Amlawee – would advise us to not come to class without having already carefully looked over – at least once – the material we would study that day. By taking this initiative, a student might very well understand a quarter or half of the material; and if he finds any difficulty, he should make note of those points and ask about them during class so that he would not leave them neglected. Then, after that preliminary reading, he attends and listens to his teacher’s lesson, writing all he hears from the teacher, and inquiring about problematic points. After that, the student should not sleep without revising the material he studied in every subject that very same day. This method is most helpful in comprehending, memorizing, and recalling the material since the student goes over the content at least three times that day; and he could actually come away having memorized over half of the material, and he would not need to fatigue himself very much during the examination period. However, as for students who do not prepare prior to their lectures and do not review following them, it is feared that they may not grasp all the material covered.
I would further advise teachers and professors to identify which topics would be discussed in the upcoming class in order to enable students to prepare adequately and participate actively, by the permission of Allaah.
• Lawful earnings and supporting dependents: If it becomes necessary for a student to work while studying, he must ensure that he uses permissible means to support himself and his dependents, so that Allaah would grant him wholesome provisions. Ka‘b ibn ‘Ujrah (may Allaah be pleased with him) said, “A man passed by the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and the Companions saw that he appeared strong and energetic so they said, “Messenger of Allaah, if only he was in the path of Allaah.” At that, the Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) replied,
إِنْ كَانَ خَرَجَ يَسْعَى عَلَى وَلَدِهِ صِغَارًا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ خَرَجَ يَسْعَى عَلَى أَبَوَيْنِ شَيْخَيْنِ كَبِيرَيْنِ فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ يَسْعَى عَلَى نَفْسِهِ يُعِفُّهَا فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ، وَإِنْ كَانَ خَرَجَ رِيَاءً وَمُفَاخَرَةً فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ الشَّيْطَانِ
“If he set out to work in order to support his young children, he is in the path of Allaah; if he set out to work in order to support his two elderly parents, he is in the path of Allaah; and if he set out to work in order to remain away from the unlawful and away from asking of others, he is in the path of Allaah. However, if he set out with the objective of ostentation and boasting, he is in the path of shaytaan.”{13}
• One’s accountability and responsibility before his Lord. The Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said,
لا تَزُولُ قَدَمَا ابْنِ آدَمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّهِ حَتَّى يُسْئَلَ عَنْ خَمْسٍ: عَنْ عُمْرِهِ فِيمَا أَفْنَاهُ، وَعَنْ شَبَابِهِ فِيمَا أَبْلاهُ، وَمَالِهِ مِنْ أَيْنَ اكْتَسَبَهُ وَفِيمَا أَنْفَقَهُ، وَمَاذَا عَمِلَ فِيمَا عَلِمَ
“The two feet of the descendant of Aadam will not move on the Day of Resurrection as he stands before his Lord until he is asked about five: his life and how he spent it; his youth and how he used it up; his property: where he acquired it, and where he spent it; and what he did with the knowledge he had.”{14}
I implore Allaah, the All-Knowing and Most Wise, to accept the presentation of these guidelines as a deed carried out sincerely for Him; to render these guidelines beneficial for His worshipping servants; to guide those who traverse the path seeking knowledge and education to all things that are advantageous for them short-term and long-term; and to teach them, grant them good, assist them, and use them to rejuvenate the life of the Muslim Ummah and its unity in order for them to fulfil their responsibilities and obligations by the permission of Allaah.
In closing, all praise is due to Allaah; and may He send salaah, salaam, and blessings upon the best of His creation – the Prophet Muhammad – as well as upon the Prophet’s family, his Companions, and all who follow their path.
Endnotes:
{1} Saheeh. Collected by ibn Maajah (224), at-Tabaraanee in all three of his books entitled al-Mu‘jam, al-Bayhaqee in Shu‘ab al-Eemaan (1545), and others. See also Saheeh al-Jaami‘ (3919).
{2} ad-Dalaa’il al-Qur’aaniyyah fee annal-‘Uloom wal-A‘maal an-Naafi‘ah al-‘Asriyyah daakhilah fid-Deen al-Islaamee, p. 45.
{3} Fath al-Baaree, 1/141.
{4} Jaami‘ al-‘Uloom wal-Hikam, 2/296-297 (Mua’assah ar-Risaalah).
{5} Saheeh. Collected by ibn Maajah (4105) and others.
{6} Saheeh. Collected by Aboo Daawood (3664), ibn Maajah (242), and others.
{7} Saheeh. Collected by al-Bukhaaree (6502) and others.
{8} Saheeh. Collected by Muslim (2664) and others.
{9} Saheeh. Collected by al-Haakim (7927, Daar al-Haramayn), al-Bayhaqee in Shu‘ab al-Eemaan (9767). See also Saheeh al-Jaami‘ (1077).
{10} Hasan. Collected by at-Tirmithee (2322), ibn Maajah (4112).
{11} Collected by al-Bukhaaree (1628).
{12} Collected by Muslim (822).
{13} Saheeh. Collected by at-Tabaraanee in al-Mu‘jam al-Kabeer (19/129). See also Saheeh al-Jaami‘ (1428).
{14} Saheeh. See its various routes of narration in as-Silsilah as-Saheehah (946).