It is important to know and understand that the statements of the companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) hold great weight in Islam, with many aḥādīth showcasing its importance. And similarly following the path of the pious predecessors is also a strong pillar within Islam. I do not wish to lengthen this post with evidences for this lest to divert away from the objective of this post.

Below are statements of companions and pious predecessors compiled by Imām Badr Ad-Dīn Ibn Jamāʿah Al-Kinānī in his book, Tadhkirat as-Sami wa’l-Mutakallim fi Adab al-‘Alim wa’l-Muta’allim (A Memorandum to the Listener and the Speaker on the Etiquette of the Scholar and the Learner).

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.

Along with understanding the life style of the great scholars of the past, to understand their physical appearance and description is also important, it allows the reader to envisage them whilst reading their works.

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.

1. “أَللَّهم اسْتَعمِلنِي فِي طَاعَتِك”
   “Oh Allāh, use my energy in doing good deeds.”

In regards to this duʿā, a person asked Imām Abū Hanifah رحمه الله, “How did you reach to such a high rank?” Imām Abū Hanifah رحمه الله said that his ustādh told him of a duʿā (the above duʿā) and since Imām Abū Hanifah رحمه الله was young, he never missed out on praying the duʿā. (Imām Abū Hanifah رحمه الله always prayed that du’a after his fardh salah)

Muftī Taqī Sāhib has said that we should make du’a to Allāh ﷻ, when alone, and make a habit to talk to Allāh ﷻ, ask from Allāh ﷻ and call out to Allāh ﷻ when alone.

al-Āyāt al-Mutashābihāt fī ‘l-Qurʾān is the science of closely worded Quranic verses. Ḥifẓ students are encouraged to familiarise the differences between mutashābihāt verses to better retain their memorisation of the Qurʾān. A variety of mutashābihāt works are available to accommodate different learning styles and progress amounts. Below is a discussion regarding two books from these works.

We delivered a course online titled ‘Pre-Requisites Of A Student of ʿIlm’ on the 28th of December 2016, assisting students in understanding what is required of them prior to under taking the journey of seeking ‘ilm. The course notes and recordings are available below.

Click here to view the course recording.

Click here to view the course notes.

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.