Etiquettes of a Student of Knowledge

From a lecture given by Sheikh Yasir Qadhi: Listen HERE

Bismillahir rahman ir raheem

The weightiest thing a person will have on the day of judgement is good manners.

Etiquette’s (Adaab) of a student of knowledge (Adaab)

• How to treat himself

• How to treat his Sheikh

Other topics include how to treat your books, dormitory. Ibnu Jama’ has a book written 700-800 years ago and it has a chapter about etiquette’s about how to keep your dormitory, how to treat your fellow student, how to cleanup bathroom after using it.

A student of knowledge has to become more conscious of his manners. It will open up the hearts of others.

Al-Makhlad Ibn Al Hussien —(one of the famous scholars of hadith) — said to Imam Abdullah Ibn Mubarak (who was one of the famous scholars of the hadith of his time—also was of the level of the teachers of Buqhari—died year 198) “Verily we are more in need of a little bit of good manners then we are to a lot of knowledge”

Allah says to Musa: “And when you speak to Pharon, speak to him justly and softly, It is possible that he might be guided to Allah”

Firoun being the worst human being on the face of the earth, under the Djjal

Importance of Character is a topic of itself…

Point to emphasize here is that as a student of knowledge, it is more befitting for him to have increase in character.

Adaab with Himself:

1)Most important thing: Ikhlaas – Sincerity

• We should be doing this only for the sake of Allah.

• Without showing off, without arrogance, humbly.

• They have only been commanded to worship Allah sincerely, Some worship to showoff

• Be very careful that our niyyat is only for Allah.

• Prophet (saw) said “don’t seek knowledge to argue with the layman, whoever does that let him beware of the fire of hell.”

• Prophet (saw) said: “Whoever studies any knowledge which he seeks to earn things in this dunya, then let him beware of the fire of hell.” in another hadeeth, “this person will never smell the scent of jannah”

• Suffyan As saoudi – Died in year 160 – “I have never tried to cure anything that is more difficult to cure than my niy’yah (intention)”
  • He was The scholar of Hadith before Imam Bukhari

• Niyya continuously changes

2) Second aspect: To make sure we cleanse our hearts from every jealousy, envy, and evil feeling towards our fellow students.

• Don’t have anything in heart against your brother.
• Prophet (saw) : “In the body there is a piece of flesh, if it is good then the whole body is good, if it is bad, then the whole body is bad, and that piece of flesh is the heart”

3) Third – Our bodies should be pure from sin. We should implement the knowledge. Make sure we apply this knowledge.

• Imam ash Shafi’i – One of the four Imams of the schools of thought.
  • Full name : Muhamad ibn Idris ash Shafi’i, die in year 204
  • Wake’ ibn Jaba’ died 198or197 – Imam shafi’i complained to Wake’ ibn Jaba that he cannot memorize, so Wake’ advised me to leave sin, the deen of Allah is like a light, how can it be that the light of Allah be given to a sinful person.

• Leave doing sins and increase our Taqwa

4) Conceptualizing the importance of this knowledge – understand you are learning the deen of Allah.

• Being serious with this knowledge out of its greatness.

• Realize the benefits of this knowledge

5) Good studying habits – have some type of schedule of activities.

• Full-time student schedule:
  • Morning – memorize
  • After that go over new topics
  • After noon – revise
  • Evening – research

No matter what our life is like, we can make a schedule (barna’maj. – Construct a schedule to stick to. – make it efficient, practical and effective.

6) Choose proper companions

• Prophet (saw) said: ” The person is going to follow the religion of his friends, so be-careful who you choose as your friends”
• If hang around proper students of knowledge, they will help you increase your knowledge and character. or at-least will avoid evil topics and acts and going astray.
• Prophet (saw) described good friend as a carrier of perfume and the bad friend as a blacksmith.
  • Even if the good friend doesn’t give you perfume, you will still smell the goodness or even pickup the scent.
  • Even if the bad friend doesn’t burn you , you will still smell his stench and might pick it up.

7) He should try to study Islam at the earliest age possible for him

• Scholars say: “To memorize while your a child is like inscribing on a rock, and to memorize when your old is like writing with a stick on the water”
• Even if we are too old, at-least make sure our children aren’t deprived of this blessing.
  

8 ) Patience – Very important – If not patient, wont get anywhere.

• Scholars describe this knowledge: “If you give all of yourself (money self time) you will only attain a little part of it “
• The scholars of the past didn’t become scholars for studying a few weeks, months or years, they studied lifetime.
• This is only the beginning. We’ve only put our foot out the door.

9) Taking of notes –

• Prophet (saw) – “Trap knowledge, ” Sahaba asked how , Prophet (saw) said: “By writing it down”.
• Your own notes are more understandable to yourself than others notes
• This is a hadith, not just common sense. Alhumdulillah
• Story: Students would be taking notes in hadith classes, when they ran out of paper, they started writing on sleeves, when ran out of sleeves, they started writing on the top of their shoes, then walked home barefoot and wrote it down on paper. Look at this eagerness

Adaab with his Sheikh

1) To choose the proper Sheikh (teacher)

• Mohammad Ibn Sireen – died 110 – “This knowledge that your learning is the deen, so be-careful and be cautious who you take your deen from”
• side note: In the end its our responsibility on the day of judgement to answer for what we’ve done, even if someone tells us to do it, we will be held accountable.

2) Respect his Sheikh – treat him properly

• Prophet (saw) said “He is not one of us who does not love and show mercy to the young ones and show respect to the elders, and respect the rights of the scholars.”
• Love him , pray for him, and pray for his guidance.
• He taught you what you knew, even if you gain more knowledge than him, even if he just taught you how to read Quran, you still learned from him.
• Abdullah ibn Abbas – Took the stirrup of Zaid Ibn Thabit’s horse and lead his horse, Zaid Ibn Thabit was embarrassed that he is the prophets cousin, Ibn Abbas responded that this is how we have been commanded to treat our scholars.

3) Have proper adaab in appearance, conduct, relationship with him.

• Imam ash Shafi’ – died 204 – his most famous shiekh – Imam Malik – died 179
  • Imam Shafi’ said:”When I would sit in-front of Imam malik, i would make sure I’d turn pages real gently so not to disturb him with the sound”.

• Like you treat your elders, that’s how you will be treated.
• Ar Rabi’ – The most famous student of Imam Shafi’ – “Wallahi I never had the guts to drink water infront of Imam shafi'”
• Adaab
  • He should pay attention when Sheikh talks
  • Not talk to fellow peers while Sheikh is talking
  • Sit in proper manner
  • Relationship based on trust and respect

• Avoid excessive jokes and laughing
  • Prophet (saw) said to Abu Huraira – ” Beware of laughing much, because laughing much makes your heart hard”

4) He should pray for his teacher, and love him for the sake of Allah (swt)

• Shu’b ibn Hajjaj ?(could not hear name properly on audio)
  • ” When I would hear one hadeeth from a person, for the rest of my life I would try to help him out as much as I can”

5) Be patient concerning the faults of your Sheikh

• No matter how knowledgeable he is, he is still human being.
• You wont learn from him unless you have patience with him.

6) Sit properly in-front of your Sheikh

• When you show respect to knowledge externally , only then will you inwardly have respect.
• One sitting position which is obvious is not to sit with your legs outward.
• In Hadith Gibrail, shows us how to sit -First hadith of Sahih Muslim
  • When Angel Gabriel asked Prophet (saw) about Islam and Imaan, He (as) sat knee to knee, hands on thigh.
  • This is how a student should sit

7) Speak with him in a nice and proper manner

• Address him with proper names – “Ya Sheikh so and so”
• Speak at times which are right

These are just some points.

After Questions

• Imam Shafi’ studied under Sheikh Mohammad ibn Hassan al Shaibani, who was one of the direct students of Sheikh Abu Hanifa
• knowledge of this dunya is not the knowledge which is talked about in the Quran. – its only for worldly living. Its perfectly halal.
• How does a person deal with a mother and father who don’t want him to study Islam? Think he’ll become a fanatic.
  • Prophet (saw) said :”There is no obedience to any person when it comes to disobedience to Allah”
    • This is obligatory- you must come learn this knowledge
    • Should still be nice to them
    • Be wise while dealing with them.
    • If friends, you can pick and choose your friends, just drop the bad friendships.

Note to self: This is a test, “On no soul doth Allah Place a burden greater than it can bear. It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. (Pray:) “Our Lord! Condemn us not if we forget or fall into error; our Lord! Lay not on us a burden Like that which Thou didst lay on those before us; Our Lord! Lay not on us a burden greater than we have strength to bear. Blot out our sins, and grant us forgiveness. Have mercy on us. Thou art our Protector; Help us against those who stand against faith.” AL-QURAN 2:286

As salaatu wa salaam ala Rasulullah. Alhumdulillah.

Please pray for all your brothers and sisters in the path of ilm (knowledge).

*If you find any mistakes in the above notes, please let me know insha Allah in the comments. Listen HERE