Translated by Zameelur Rahman

Translator’s note: The following is the translation of an Arabic speech delivered by ‘Allamah Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri when Shaykh Rashid Rida visited Dar al-‘Ulum Deoband in 1912 CE. He explained the historical and intellectual background to the seminary and the school’s methodology in hadith-commentary.

Ramadhan is indeed a month in which every soul yearns to connect with their Creator. As the Qur’an states; ‘And remind, for indeed, the reminder benefits the believers.’ These reminders aim to present a reminder in a graphical form which can be appreciated by all, followed by a short excerpt from a book relevant to the reminder in order to shed light.

We present you a new series. The #DuaSeries. The objective of which is to allow us as students to not only read through the numerous supplications made by the Prophet (peace be upon him) when reading aḥādīth, but to also learn them ourselves with its meaning to then include as part of our life.

Treading this path of I’lm brings with it a package of goodness and ease. Having corrected the intention of seeking ‘Ilm solely for the sake of Allāh, each action of learning becomes the Dhikr of a student.

The uniqueness, richness and beauty of the Arabic language need no introduction. The internet is filled with lectures and articles encouraging Muslims (and non-Muslims) to pursue the language. It is not the aim of this article to merely add another entry to the list. Instead, this article seeks to articulate the need to master the Arabic language, noting some errors made in interpreting the sacred texts by those who have only learned Arabic to an intermediate level.

The heart-rendering story of Ka’b Ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه was narrated by none other than himself in a lengthy, though wholly eloquent narrative. It is full of great wisdoms and lessons:

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.

I remember my history teacher often telling us, ‘Remember! There are two sides to every story. Don’t judge based on just reading one side.’