Being a student of many teachers myself, this post is a reminder to us all of the duties that we must uphold as students. We must humble ourselves and lower ourselves before our teachers for they are the inheritors of the Prophets عليهم السلام. Don’t any of you understand what an accomplishment that really is!? They inherited from the Prophets! And out of their kindness and generosity they give us a measly share from it. What an honour! So for this reason we must uphold the most highest level of Adab before them.
This was taken from Al-Muhaḏḏab Min ʾIḥyāʾ ‘Ulūm Ad-Dīn by ʾImām Ṣāliḥ ʾAḥmad Aš-Šāmīyy.

Completed on the Night of 17th Ṣafar 1445 (Sunday 3rd September 2023) – Faizan Ali Khan Al-Karachi Al-Maddāḥ

Etiquettes of the Student:

Regarding the student, then his apparent etiquettes and duties are many:

1. The First Duty: Precedence of the purification of the self from despicable character and blameworthy attributes, for knowledge is the worship of the heart, a secret prayer, a hidden closeness to Allāh, exalted be He. Just as prayer, that has a duty of pure limbs, is not sound except through outward purification from ritual and physical impurities. Hence, hidden worship and building the heart with knowledge are not sound except through after purification of filthy character.
2. The Second Duty: To diminish devotion to busying oneself with the world, for attachments are occupying and wasteful, for He, exalted be He, said:

مَّا جَعَلَ ٱللَّهُ لِرَجُلٖ مِّن قَلۡبَيۡنِ فِي جَوۡفِهِۦۚ ٤﴾ [الأحزاب: 4]﴿

“Allah does not place two hearts in any person’s chest.” [Sūraħ Al-ʾAḥzāb ʾĀyaħ 4]

No matter how contemplation is distributed, it falls short in grasping the realities. Distributed contemplation over many different matters is like the little stream which its water splits. The earth absorbs some of it, the wind picks some of it so nothing remains from it that can be gathered or reach the crops.

The Third Duty: To not become haughty due to knowledge nor be imperious to a teacher. Rather he throws the rein of his affair to the teacher, submits to his advice just as the ignorant ill person submits to the skilful doctor; it is suitable that he humbles himself before his teacher and seeks reward and honour by serving his teacher. Aš-Šaʿbīyy said: “Zayd ʾIbn Ṯābit prayed the Janāzaħ prayer then his mule was brought close to him so he could ride it. Then ʾIbn ʿAbbās came then presented his stirrup. Zayd said: “Leave it oh cousin of the Emissary of Allāh ﷺ!” ʾIbn ʿAbbās responded: “This is how we were commanded to treat the scholars and elders.”

Knowledge will never be acquired except through humility and attentive listening, for He, exalted be He said:

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكۡرَىٰ لِمَن كَانَ لَهُۥ قَلۡبٌ أَوۡ أَلۡقَى ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٞ٣٧﴾ [ق: 37]﴿

Surely in this is a reminder for whoever has a ˹mindful˺ heart and lends an attentive ear. [Sūraħ Qāf ʾĀyaħ 37]

The meaning of one being a possessor of a “Qalb” (heart): To be accepting of knowledge with understanding. Then he is not granted the ability till he attentively listens whilst he is witnessing, with a present heart to receive what is conveyed to him with perfect attention.

• The Fourth Duty: The one delving into knowledge needs to be cautious, at the outset, about heeding the differences of opinion of the people whether what he delved into is from the worldly sciences or the sciences of the afterlife (religious) for that astonishes his intellect and bewilders his mind and exhausts his opinion. Rather it is befitting that he masters a single pleased path according to his teacher then after that he can take heed to the [different] schools of thought.
• The Fifth Duty: That he doesn’t delve into a field from the fields of knowledge forcefully. Rather he maintains the order [of studying], and he begins with the most important [matters]. For life is not long enough for all the sciences, so prudence is to take from everything the best of it, and to direct his strength to the completion of the most honourable of sciences. That is the science of the hereafter.
• The Sixth Duty: To not delve into a field such that he gives the field before it its due, for the sciences are ordered in a necessary order. Some of them are a path to others and the successful is the one who maintains that order and degrees.
• The Seventh Duty: That he recognises the reasons that through it he understands the most honourable of sciences and that he wishes through it two things: The first of them: honourable fruits and the second: firmness in proof and strength in it.

That: like the science of the religion and the science of medicine, then the fruits of the first of them is eternal life, and the fruits of the second of them is temporal life, so the science of the religion is more honourable. Likewise, mathematics and astrology, then mathematics is more honourable due to its firmness and strength in its proofs. Then in regards to mathematics in relation to medicine then medicine is more honourable with respect to its fruits, and mathematics is more honourable with respect to its proofs and noticing the fruit is more appropriate, therefore medicine is more honourable even if most of it is approximation.

And with this, it becomes clear that the most honourable of the sciences is the knowledge of Allāh, Mighty and Grand be He, His Angels, His Books, His Emissaries and the knowledge which has a connecting path to these sciences.

• The Eighth Duty: The intention of the student is in every state: embellished internally and beautifies it through virtuous acts. And in regards to the end goal: closeness to Allāh, glory to Him. He does not desire leadership, wealth, status, arguing with the foolish and vainglory of peers.
• The Ninth Duty: That he knows the relevance of the sciences to the purpose [of it], so that he prioritises what is elevated and closer over that which is far and what is important (Muhimm) over the rest.

The meaning of “important” (Muhimm): that which concerns you. Nothing should concern you except your affairs in the world and the hereafter. And if it is not possible for you to combine the protection from the world and the bliss of the hereafter then the most important one is what is remains for eternity. At that point, the world becomes a stopping point, the body a vessel and deeds are a pursuit towards the purpose. And there is no purpose except the meeting with Allāh, the Knower of Blessings. So contemplate this, and accept the advise without exchange from someone who values it highly and only reached it after great effort. Complete audacity in opposing the creation – the general and the specialised – in inclining away from their blind following just out of desire. This capacity is sufficient for the duties of the learner.