Studying can become monotone when a routine becomes fixed and one is required to repeat the same process daily. The question then is how should one motivate himself to study?

The use of Arabic diacritical marks has risen in the last century, with Islamic Scholarship growing in the West, we find many new books, translations, research papers, articles or even blog posts often consist of Arabic macrons.

Knowing how to study is just as important as studying if not more important.  A student spends years studying, however if his methodology is inaccurate and imprecise, then he will fail in gaining maximum benefit.

As a student a lot of our time is spent writing, be it notes, articles or assessments. Scholars – both of today and the past – have written regarding this topic.

Recently, I’ve been taking an interest in learning about manners that every person, Muslim or Non-Muslim should adopt. Islam has a lot to offer in this area, through the examples of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) as well as his Companions. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said “The only reason I have been sent is to perfect good manners”. What piqued my interest in this area was my interest in the topic of Tazkiyyah, which I have been interested in for a number of years.

Whatever is not in the mind, is not known, hence it is not knowledge. Therefore, a student must memorise as much as he can. How many times are we discussing something we read the night before but cannot recall what we read? The problem is we do not know how to retain information! The following are 10 tips on how to retain more of what we read.

In order to comfortably read Arabic texts without the need for diacritical marks, one must master the rules pertaining to Naḥw and Ṣarf before embarking on the reading journey. Not only is it an imperative to familiarise oneself with all the rules of grammar, but to be able to apply them into real literature and produce one’s own prose is of more importance. Therefore, it would not be incorrect to say the ability to read Arabic poetry and prose without diacritical marks is a skill acquired, not a science studied.

Many times young Muslims decide they want to become scholars and embark on the path of knowledge with little knowledge of what to expect. I was such a youngster who signed up for an “‘alim” course with no idea what an ‘alim is or where it would lead me.

Question:

How does a Muslim scholar, serious student, and others who have devoted their lives to the service of Islam and the Muslims support himself/herself? I ask because this is perhaps one of the main reasons why parents don’t wish for their children to become scholars of Islam — they are usually poor, they don’t get paid much at all (if at all), and they attract trouble from different extremist groups.

I come from an upper middle-class family. How can I convince my parents that I can become a Muslim scholar and have sufficient finances to support myself and my family?

Today a friend of mine asked me for some advice regarding teaching. I sent him a few pointers via WhatsApp. I thought I’d share as it maybe of benefit to others as well.