Manners of Seeking Islamic Knowledge
Religious knowledge is the legacy of the Prophets. The scholars are their inheritors. When a person acquires religious knowledge, he comes into a share of that inheritance. This is why seeking Islamic knowledge is one of the greatest and noblest acts of worship a person can engage in.
A seeker of this knowledge should therefore adorn himself with the noblest conduct, and exhibit the best manners.
1. The student should be sincere to Allah in his intentions for seeking knowledge. He should not seek Islamic knowledge for fame or status.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Do not acquire knowledge in order to vie with scholars or dispute with the ignorant or turn people’s glances your way. Whoever does that is in the Fire.” [Sunan Ibn Mâjah (259) – declared a good (hasan) hadîth by al-Albânî]
2. The student should not transgress the limits set by Allah.
Allah says: “And so amongst men and crawling creatures and cattle, are they of various colors. Those truly fear Allah, among His Servants, are those who have knowledge: for surely Allah is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving.” [Sûrah Fâtir: 28]
The more a person grows in knowledge, the more humble he becomes before his Lord.
Mâlik b. Dînâr said: “Whoever does not acquire knowledge that restrains his conduct, then what knowledge he has acquired is of no benefit to him.”
3. The student should show respect and deference to the scholars, and he should beseech Allah’s mercy and forgiveness upon them in his prayers.
4. The student should always assume the best about the scholars.
He should never disparage any of them on account of an opinion that he might have held. He should assume that the scholar espoused that opinion because he believed it to be right and believed it to be what is pleasing to his Lord. A scholar who exercised his judgment and was correct received a double reward. A scholar who exercised his judgment and made a mistake received from his Lord a single reward.
The student should beseech Allah to reward the scholars for what they got right and to forgive them for their mistakes and shortcomings.
5. The student should sit in the presence of his teachers attentively. He should not let his mind wander.
Allah says: “Allah has not assigned to any man two hearts within his body.” [Sûrah al-Ahzâb: 4]
6. The student should be attentive, even when the topic is one that he is already well versed in.
This is one of the best manners a student of knowledge can exhibit.
`Atâ’ b. Rabâh said: “If I hear a youngster relate a hadîth, I listen as if I have no knowledge of it at all.”
7. A student of religious knowledge should show humility when he is among his classmates.
He should never behave arrogantly. He should never set himself above them. If he has a stronger memory or a quicker grasp of things, he should know that it is Allah’s blessing upon him and he should be thankful.
8. A student should work with his classmates in improving their knowledge together.
He should benefit them with whatever he may have learned, and he should not be too proud to learn from them as well.
Al-Khalîl b. Ahmad was asked how he came to acquire all the knowledge the he had. He replied: “Whenever I met a scholar, I would take knowledge from him and impart knowledge to him.”
9. A student of religious knowledge should put what he learns into practice.
He should not let the following verses apply to him:
“The likeness of those who were entrusted with the Torah, but who did not apply it, is as the likeness of a donkey carrying books.” [Sûrah al-Jumu`ah: 5]
“The most hateful (in the sight of) Allâh, is that you say that which you do not do.” [Surah As-Soff: 3]
10. The student should be diligent and patient in his studies.
He should not procrastinate and put off his acquisition of knowledge until he has free time. There is always something to busy one and there will always be an excuse. A student should always aspire to greater knowledge and never be content with what he already has.
His motto should be the following prayer:
Rabbi zidnee ilma
“O my Lord! Increase me in knowledge.”
11. The student should strive to acquaint himself with as much of the knowledge of his day as he can. He should be acquainted with all fields.
Al-Ghazâlî writes in Ihyâ’ `Ulûm al-Dîn (1/55):
A student should not neglect any respectable discipline or branch of knowledge. He should at least be acquainted with its general subject and its objectives. If his lifetime permits, he should make a detailed study of it all. Otherwise, he should prioritize, dealing exhaustively with what is most important and a making an overview of the rest.
This is because the different branches of knowledge augment one another and relate to one another. A scholar will benefit from a branch of knowledge as soon as his hostility towards it is broken because of his unfamiliarity with it. People are hostile to that which they are ignorant of.
Allah says: “And since they will not be guided by it, they say: ‘This is an ancient lie’.” [Sûrah al-Ahqâf: 11]
12. The student must pay the dues that his knowledge requires of him. This is for him to impart it to others.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Convey from me if but a single verse.”
[Sahîh al-Bukhârî (3461)]
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