Etiquettes of Seeking Knowledge

Etiquettes of Seeking Knowledge

The Seeker of Knowledge should have a pure intention is seeking knowledge

With regards to the virtue of seeking knowledge with a pure intention, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen -rahimahullaah- comments:

"Rather some of the scholars say that seeking knowledge with a pure and sincere intention is more excellent than fighting in the Path of Allaah because fighting in the Path of Allaah contains only blocking the enemies and fighting against them such that there is no fitnah and that the Religion is entirely for Allaah.

However seeking knowledge is something that the whole ummah (Muslim nation) is in need of, such that they can worship Allaah upon clear-sightedness; and (even) the people who fight (in the Path of Allaah) are in need of it such that they know how they should fight and how they deal with the war booty and how they advance and how they retreat.

So the ummah is in need of knowledge, in every situation and at every moment.

Therefore I urge you, O young people, to turn towards and have diligence upon seeking Sharee’ah knowledge, and to have purity and sincerity of intention in that – in that you intend by it seeking closeness to Allaah, the Perfect and Most High, by obeying His command; and that you intend protection of the Islaamic Sharee’ah and defending it and spreading it among the servants (of Allaah).

Then you attest to the truthfulness of this intention through your actions, in worship and manners and dealings (with other people)." [1]

The renowned scholar of hadeeth, ‘Abdullaah ibn-ul-Mubaarak (died 181 AH) -rahimahullaah- said:

"The beginning of ilm (knowledge) is the intention, then listening carefully, then understanding, then memorising, then action, then propagating." [2]

And he -rahimahullaah- also said:

"There is nothing more excellent than seeking knowledge for the sake of Allaah. And there is nothing more hateful to Allaah than seeking knowledge for other than Allaah." [2]

The Seeker of Knowledge should act upon his knowledge

Alee -radiyallaahu ‘anhu- said:

"Knowledge calls out for action, so either it is responded to or else it departs."

Sufyaan ath-Thawree -rahimahullaah- said:

"Knowledge is only to be learned in order for Allaah to be feared and obeyed by it."

Fudayl ibn ‘Iyaad -rahimahullaah- said:

"The person of knowledge does not stop being jaahil (ignorant) of what he knows until he acts on it. So when he acts on it, he is an ‘aalim (person of knowledge)."

Ibn-ul-Jawzee -rahimahullaah- said:

"The true miskeen (impoverished person) is the one whose lifetime is lost in knowledge that he does not act upon. So he has missed out on the delights of the dunyaa and the treasures of the Hereafter.
Thus he will come (on the Last Day) as a bankrupt person, along with having a strong proof against himself." [3]

The Seeker of Knowledge should take knowledge from senior scholars

With regards to people seeking knowledge from the youngsters at the expense of seeking it from the senior scholars, `Abdus Salaam ibn Burjis (d.1425AH) -rahimahullaah- comments:

And indeed the phenomenon of taking knowledge from the younger ones amongst the students of knowledge has become widespread in this era.

And in reality this phenomenon is a chronic disease, an enduring sickness, preventing the (true) student from what he intends and something by which he twists away from the correct path which would lead to knowledge.

And that is because taking knowledge from the younger people – those whose feet have not become firmly grounded in knowledge and whose beards have not become white in it (seeking knowledge), despite the presence of a person who is greater than them in age and one whose feet are more firmly grounded – then this weakens the foundation of the beginner and prevents him from taking benefit from the knowledge of the senior scholars, and from acquiring their manners which knowledge and time have made good – and other than that from the justifications that are suggested by the narration of ibn Mas`ood -radiyallaahu `anhu- when he said:

"The people will not cease to be upon good as long as they take knowledge from their senior ones and from their trustworthy ones and from their scholars. So if they take it from their younger ones and their evil ones, they will be destroyed." [4]

Ibn Qutyabah [died 276AH] -rahimahullaah- held the opinion that the sighaar (lesser ones) were the ones who were lesser in age. So he said about the narration of ibn Mas’ood mentioned above:

"He (ibn Mas’ood) intended – that the people will not cease to be upon good as long as their scholars are the elders, and their scholars are not the youthful ones, because for the old man, the pleasure of youthfulness, and its self containment and its foolishness have disappeared from him. And he has taken on experience and knowledge as his companions.

So doubt does not come upon him in his knowledge; nor does desire get the better of him; nor does greed make him turn away and nor does Shaytan make him slip up with the errors of the young person. Thus with age there is dignity and honour and reverence.

And it may be these matters– matters which the old person is secure from – enter upon the youth; so when they enter upon him, and he gives fataawaa (Islamic rulings), he is destroyed and he destroys (others)." [Naseehah Ahl-il-Hadeeth page 16] [5]

The Seeker of Knowledge should leave off sins in order to increase his memory

With regards to the effects of sins upon the ability of the seeker of knowledge to memorise, ‘Abdus Salaam ibn Burjis (d. 1425 AH) -rahimahullaah- said:

Disobeying Allaah, the Most High, is an obstacle to attaining Sharee’ah knowledge – because it (Sharee’ah knowledge) is a noor (light) from Allaah which He casts into the hearts of whomever He wishes from His servants.

And noor (light) and dhulmah (darkness) do not come together in a heart.

Therefore ibn Mas’ood -radiyallaahu ‘anhu- said:

"Indeed I consider that a man (might) forget knowledge which he has already learned because of a sin which he does."

And may Allaah have mercy upon ash Shaafi’ee who said:

I complained to Wakee’ about my memorisation being bad
So he directed me to leave off sins
And he informed me that knowledge is a noor (light)
And the light from Allaah is not bestowed upon a person who is sinful

The Seeker of knowledge should take seriously any blameworthy characteristics he finds in himself

With regards to the student of knowledge not having repugnant behaviour towards others and instead having beautiful manners, Shaykh ‘Abdul ‘Azeez ibn Baaz -rahimahullaah- advises:

This is the akhlaaq (manners) of the believing men and believing women; these are their characteristics.

And the believing men and the believing women; they are awliyaa to each other. [Soorah at-Tawbah:71]

They are not enemies, they are not opponents; and rather they are awliyaa (allies) and ones who love each other – this is their description. Ones who love each other in that which occurs between them, advising each other, counselling each other to the Truth.

There is no malice between them nor hatred nor falsehood nor deceptiveness nor betrayal. Rather there is friendship and love and helping and counselling each other to the Truth.

The believing men and believing women are like this. So if you find malice in yourself towards your brother, or falsehood and oppression, then know that you have rendered your eemaan deficient and you have harmed your eemaan and you have weakened your eemaan with this blameworthy behaviour which you found in yourself, by way of betrayal or deceptiveness or backbiting or tale carrying or telling lies and oppression.

He -sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam- said:

Every Muslim is inviolable for (another) Muslim – his blood and his wealth and his honour. [Reported by Muslim (2564) from the hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah -radiyallaahu ‘anhu-.] [6]

The Seeker of knowledge should not feel envy of people who are learning and he does everything he can to help them, not hinder them

With regards to the student of knowledge being pleased with and helping the Muslim who is learning and not having any envy of him, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen -rahimahullaah- comments:

And from that which is befitting for the student of knowledge with regards to his colleagues is that he does not have jealousy of them regarding that which Allaah has bestowed upon them, by way of memorization or understanding or knowledge.

And that he does not have jealousy of them in that by which he may benefit them, by way of supporting (them) and helping (them) – be that in (giving them) a booklet or (sharing) research or other than that.

This is because for some of the students, Shaytaan speaks to him saying to him, “If you help your companion, he will become better than you.” And this is an error.

Rather we say, just as the Prophet -sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa ‘alaa aalihi wa sallam- said:

“Allaah is in the aid of the servant whilst the servant is in the aid of his brother.”

And it does not automatically follow on that if your companion is someone who is coming for the forefront (due to his knowledge) or someone who is attaining knowledge which he did not attain except with your (help), it is does not necessitate that he has got ahead of you.

So (by helping him) you are benefitting yourself and you are not harming your own self at all. [7]

The Seeker of knowledge should give precedence to following the correct position in any matter even if that contradicts the position of the scholar he is studying under

During a lecture on the 14th of Dhul Qa’dah in 1417 AH, Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen -rahimahullaah- was asked by one of the students at the university:

Question: O Noble Sheikh, may Allaah preserve you, some of the students of knowledge seek knowledge under one of the scholars then he (the student) clings fast to this scholar and he (the student) does not accept taking knowledge except from him, and he does not take other than his statement; and he leaves off everything else, even if it is from the senior scholars!

So what is your opinion of the one who does this?

Answer: My opinion is that this is more important for the lesser student of knowledge who has (not long) started (seeking) knowledge – that he stick to the statement of the one whom he considers to be a scholar who will guide him to the (correct) path, because if he (the student) starts to take from every scholar, he will lose his time, his mind will be muddled and he will forget much of what he has learned.

So when he develops and he comes to have an acquisition (of knowledge) with him, then he can attend the sittings of this (scholar) or that one, and the readings of this book or that book.

As for the lesser (student) then it is certainly not befitting for him that he muddle his mind; so let him remain with a particular scholar about whom he is confident of his knowledge and his trustworthiness and his religion and so he persists with him.

Questioner: But, O Noble Scholar, the previous question contained (the phrase) that: he does not acknowledge the statement of anyone other than him (his own scholar), even if it comes from the senior scholars!

Answer: As for his not acknowledging the statement of anyone else, even if that is what is the correct (position), then this is a mistake.

So it is obligatory upon him (the student) that when he comes to know what is the correct (position), that he follow it – regardless of whether or not it is in agreement with the statement of the scholar that he has attached himself to.

But it is (also) obligatory upon him (the student) when he comes to know that this (second) scholar has made a statement which opposes the statement of his (the student’s) scholar and he (the student) believes this (second) position is the correct one – it is obligatory upon him (the student) that he present it to his (own) scholar such that he can discuss it with him.

This is because it may be that some matters which are unknown to the senior scholar which are not unknown to the lesser one – even if the senior scholar has knowledge with him which the lesser one does not have, and he has evidences and clear proofs which the lesser one does not have. [8]

The Seeker of knowledge should not bring about ta’assub and thereby cause Muslims to split away from each other

The Noble Shaykh, Muhammad ibn Saalih al ‘Uthaymeen -rahimahullaah- said:

Then there has indeed occurred tafarruq (splitting) and differing in opinions and ideas amongst the youth in our towns and in other than them. And ta’assub (bigoted adherence), be that to the statements or to the people who spoke (those statements).

So barakah (blessing) has been taken away from their actions.

And– instead of being one nation – they have become separated and ones who fight amongst themselves, up to the extent that the person who was your brother yesterday is your enemy today, due to ta’assub.

Therefore it is obligatory upon us to be aware of this bottomless pit and that the person strives in that which will benefit him and leave off that which contains no goodness. The Prophet -sallallaahu ‘alaihi wa sallam- said:

“The one who truly believes in Allaah and in the Last Day, let him speak good – or remain silent.” [Reported by al Bukhaari (6018, 6136, 6138) and Muslim from the hadeeth of Aboo Hurayrah -radiyallaahu ‘anhu-]

And He, the Most High, said in description of the servants of ar-Rahmaan (the Most Merciful):

And when they pass by some evil play or evil talk, they pass by it with dignity. [Soorah al-Furqaan:72]

Meaning – they do not waste their time in it; rather they work hard to preserve their time in that which will benefit them in their present and in their future. [9]

Footnotes:

1. Wasaayaa wa Tawjeehaat li Tullaab-il-Ilm p. 341
2. Awaa'iq-ut-Talab of ‘Abdus Salaam ibn Burjiss rahimahullaah pp. 11-12
3. Awaa'iq-ut-Talab of ‘Abdus Salaam ibn Burjiss rahimahullaah pp. 17-19
4. Awaa'iq-ut-Talab of ‘Abdus Salaam ibn Burjiss rahimahullaah p. 23
5. Awaa'iq-ut-Talab of ‘Abdus Salaam ibn Burjiss rahimahullaah p. 24
6. Wasaayaa wa Tawjeehaat li Tullaab-il-Ilm p. 21
7. Wasaayaa wa Tawjeehaat li Tullaab-il-Ilm p. 82
8. Wasaayaa wa Tawjeehaat li Tullaab-il-Ilm p. 275
9. Wasaayaa wa Tawjeehaat li Tullaab-il-Ilm pp. 83-84