Etiquette of the Learner – Part 2

6. Eat Less & Only Halal

Imam Abu Bakr al-Bayhaqi narrates in Manaqib al-Shafi’i that Imam al-Shafi’i said:

“I have not eaten my fill in seventeen years besides a single instance, [and even] then I inserted my hand and vomited it back out.”

One of the most effective things that aid a student’s ability to acquire and retain sound knowledge and understanding lies in food consumption. One should limit the amount they eat and ensure everything is halal. Ultimately the reason for this is that excessive eating and drinking affects concentration and leads to things such as lethargy, laziness and heavy/excessive sleeping, all of which hinder the seeking of knowledge systematically and efficiently.

The best practice to follow is that of the messenger of Allah ﷺ, where the stomach is portioned into three parts, one portion for food, one portion for drink and one portion for air. Beyond this is excess and against the Sunnah way, which we should all strive to emulate and adapt into our lives.

7. To Be God Fearing

One must maintain within themself a sense of taqwa (piety) in all their affairs – food, drink, clothes, housing and all other aspects of life.

A student should not seek out dispensations in legal rulings. They should not even suffice with doing things because they are simply permissible. Rather, one should follow the way of the pious predecessors and remain upon that which is more cautious. It is understood that if the people of knowledge do not uphold and adhere to the Shari’a then it will slowly disappear from the lives of the people around them.

Recall the best of examples, the chosen Messenger of Allah ﷺ did not even eat a date found on the floor due to cautiousness and fearing that it may be from someone’s charity.

Learning requires correct intention and focus.

8. Be Selective Regarding What You Eat

Many scholars have written extensively on the issue of healthy eating and maintaining a balanced diet.

A student should generally make a significant reduction in their intake of unhealthy food. Certain foods are also known to have adverse effects on both the mind (such as reducing focus/concentration and causing the mind to wander) and the body (such as sleepiness and lethargy).

We advise looking into what types of food can have negative effects such as those mentioned above and then avoiding such foods.

The opposite is also true with certain foods being said to improve memory and concentration. Consequently, it would be recommended for the student to adopt such foods into their diet.

9. Control How Much You Sleep

A student should limit sleep (including naps) to a maximum of eight hours per day – just think, even this much equals to a third of one’s life. If one is capable, they should try and reduce their sleep according to their physical ability and do so without overdoing it. Keep in mind that sleep deficiency is also harmful for the body and the mind.

Exercising or resting the body and relaxing when bored is not something blameworthy. For the student, the focus and objective of such should be to stay fresh and keep up one’s energy so they are able to exert themselves in acquiring knowledge.

10. Keep Good Company

This is the most important point of all for a student of knowledge and can be broken down into three parts:

A) Excessive and pointless socialising should be avoided and there should certainly be no socialising with the opposite gender just as all other haram socialising should be avoided.

B) Avoid bad company. One should steer clear of specific individuals such as puerile or carefree people (including students with such traits), as keeping such company will not only hinder one’s own journey for seeking knowledge but may lead to major consequences such as having a detrimental effect on their livelihood, status and even religion.

C) One should be sure to keep the company of those that will benefit them, or, those that may benefit from being in one’s company. It would be most ideal if it worked both ways and both mutually benefit from each other. Examples of qualities one should look for in a companion are things such as:

Faithfulness
Loyalty
Truthfulness
Righteousness
An inclination towards doing good
A disinclination towards doing bad

Good companions help one stay on the right path, with regular reminders and good advice – those who bring one back to one’s senses when they see they are about to stray from the path.

Final Word Of Advice

It may not be possible for us to act upon all of these points right away but we should make a sincere attempt to implement and adapt into our lives as much as we can, step by step. Always pray that Allah keeps us sincere, opens for us the doors of acquiring beneficial knowledge, grants us sound understanding and uses us for the dissemination of sound Islamic knowledge.

Note: The above list is in no way exhaustive but they are, however, a good starting point for a student. Voluminous works have been written on this particular subject by the scholars of Islam throughout the ages. Some of these amazing works have even been translated into English for the benefit of the masses.

The following is an abridged English translation of the same work that this two-part article was based on. We recommend purchasing a copy of this very useful book for further reading:

Amazon.co.uk

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