Seeking Knowledge

Manners of Seeking Knowledge

Ādāb al-ʿilm — the etiquette of the student

Verses on Knowledge

«Allah raises those who believe and are given knowledge in degrees. Allah is aware of what you do.»

Quran 58:11

«Are those who know equal to those who do not know? Only those of understanding reflect.»

Quran 39:9

«My Lord, increase me in knowledge.»

Quran 20:114

«It is those of His servants who have knowledge who fear Allah.»

Quran 35:28

«Read! Your Lord is the Most Generous, who taught by the pen — taught man that which he knew not.»

Quran 96:1-5

Twelve Etiquettes

1Sincere intention

Seek knowledge for the face of Allah, not for argument, fame, or show — «Actions are by intentions.»

Bukhārī & Muslim

2Purify the heart

Remove pride, envy, and love of the world; knowledge is a light that lights only a pure heart.

Ibn ʿAqīl, al-Ghazālī

3Begin with the Quran

Then the science of ḥadīth, then fiqh — the priorities of the early scholars.

Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr

4Honor the teacher

Sit respectfully, do not interrupt, do not walk ahead of your teacher.

«He is not of us who does not honor our elder.» — Tirmidhī

5Do not rush

Take knowledge in small portions; memorize before moving on. «Whoever seeks it hastily will be deprived.»

Bukhārī

6Revise & act

Knowledge is proven by action; unused knowledge is a proof against you on the Day of Judgement.

Bukhārī

7Spread it

Teach what you know; concealing knowledge is blameworthy.

2:159 — «Those who conceal what We sent of clear signs and guidance…»

8Admit ignorance

«I do not know» is half of knowledge; do not speak without knowledge.

Bukhārī

9Sit properly

Do not sit in a manner of arrogance; knowledge humbles its possessor, not elevates the ego.

Ibn ʿAbd al-Barr

10Do not tire of repetition

The great scholars repeated a single lesson a hundred times until they mastered it.

Ibn al-Jawzī

11Keep good company

Sit with the righteous and the knowledgeable; a man is known by his companions.

Abū Dāwūd, Tirmidhī

12Write it down

Bind knowledge by writing — «Bind knowledge by writing» was the advice of the Prophet ﷺ.

Abū Dāwūd

From the Sunnah

The path to Paradise

«Whoever follows a path seeking knowledge, Allah makes easy for him a path to Paradise.»

Muslim

The inheritance of the prophets

«The prophets did not leave behind dinar or dirham — they left behind knowledge, so whoever takes it has taken an abundant portion.»

Abū Dāwūd, Tirmidhī

Angels spread wings

«Whoever seeks knowledge, the angels lower their wings in pleasure for him.»

Tirmidhī

The scholar and the worshipper

«The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like the superiority of the moon over the stars.»

Abū Dāwūd

Duʿā for Knowledge

اللَّهُمَّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا وَلَا تَنْزِعْ مِنِّي عَقْلًا

Allāhumma zidnī ʿilman wa lā tanzʿ minnī ʿaqlā

O Allah, increase me in knowledge and do not take my intellect from me.

رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

Rabbi zidnī ʿilmā

My Lord, increase me in knowledge.

Marjan Islamic Academy

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