O beloved student! A student cannot acquire knowledge nor can he benefit from it until he respects knowledge, the knowledgeable people and his teacher. Someone said:
A person does not become an unbeliever through sins, but rather he becomes an unbeliever when he considers sins as inferior.
Respect for teacher
O beloved student! Respect for your teacher is in actuality respect for knowledge. Sayidina Ali(Radiyala hu tala) has stated:-
On this, I, the author, have written the following stanza:
O beloved student! Indeed the one who taught you even one word from the necessities of the Dīn is your religious father. Our teacher Shīrāzī Sadīduddīn Shaykh(Rahmatulahi ala) used to narrate from his Shuyūkh (teachers) that the person who desires that his son should be an Islamic scholar, he should look after and respect the jurists who are financially weak. In order to ensure that their needs are met, he should continuously give something to them. If his son does not become an Ālim (scholar), his grandson will surely become an ‘Ālim. The teacher’s respect includes that a student should avoid walking in front of his teacher and sitting where his teacher sits. Without permission, the student should not begin talking to his teacher nor should he speak excessively in the presence of his teacher without permission.When the teacher is worried then at that time, the student should not ask any question but instead take the present situation into consideration. A student should not knock on the door of his teacher,but rather he should be patient until the teacher comes out.
A student should always keep in mind the pleasure of his teacher and refrain from the displeasure of his teacher. Apart from the disobedience of Allah(Azawajalla),the student should obey his teacher in all other matters.
Indeed one cannot obey a person for something which is an act of disobedience to Allah ََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََََ(Azawajallah) as the Noble Prophet(p.b.u.h) said;-
Respecting the relatives and children of the teacher is the same as respecting the teacher. Our respected teacher, the author of ‘Al-Ĥidāyaĥ’, Shaykh-ul-Islām, Sayyidunā Burĥānuddīn(Rahmatulahi ala) narrated a parable of an erudite Imām amongst the Imāms of Bukhara that he was present in a gathering where something religious was being discussed while he suddenly stood and then sat. He did it a few times.When people asked the reason, the Imām replied that his beloved teacher’s son was playing outside with other children. Sometimes whilst playing, he would come in front of the Masjid. When the Imāmwould see the child, he explained that he would stand out of reverence for his teacher.
Imām Fakhruddīn Arsā Bandī(Alahi rahna)
Imāms of leader a was (Ra’īs-ul-Āimma) in the city of Marawi and he(Rahmatulahi ala) was immensely respected by the king of his time. He used to say that he attained this status because of the service he rendered to his teacher as he cooked food for his teacher for the period of three years but due to reverence
for his teacher, he never ate anything from that food.
Shaykh Shams-ul-Āimma Ḥalwani(Rahmatulahi ala) was stricken with an affliction, due to which he left Bukhārā and lived in a village. During his stay in the village, his students continuously came to visit him but
one student, Shaykh Shams-ul-Āimma Zarnūjī (Rahmatulahi ala) didnot manage to visit. Shams-ul-Āimma Ḥalwānī (Rahmatulahi ala) later asked Shams-ul-Āimma Zarnūjī (Rahmatulahi ala) why he did not visit him and he received the reply that Shaykh Zarnūjī (Rahmatuahi ala) had been busy
serving his mother. Shaykh Ḥalwānī(Rahmatulahi ala) said, ‘You will be blessed with a long life but you will not have an enlightened class.’ This is what occurred as Shaykh Shams-ul-Āimma Zarnūjī (Rahamatulahi ala) ُspent most of his time in the villages and he did not manage to establish a system of learning and teaching anywhere. This is because
the person who becomes the cause for his teacher’s discomfort will be deprived of the blessings of knowledge. Such a person cannot fully benefit from knowledge either as a poet has stated:-
It is narrated that the Caliph Ĥārūn Rashīd sent his son to seek knowledge from Imām-ul-Lughāt Aṣma’ī. One day, Ĥārūn Rashīd
saw that Aṣma’ī was performing Wuḍū and washing his feet whilst the son of Ĥārūn Rashīd was pouring water for him. Ĥārūn Rashīd complained to Aṣma’ī saying, ‘I sent my son so that you would teach him knowledge and respect so why didn’t you command the boy to pour water with one hand and wash the feet with the other?’
Respect for book
Respect for a book is in essence respect for knowledge. A student should never touch a book without purity.
It is narrated by Shaykh Shams-ul-Āimma Ḥalwānī(Rahamatulahi ala) who said that he received the treasures of knowledge through respect and reverence as he never even touched a piece of paper without being in the state of Wuḍū.
An incident occurred in the life of Shaykh Shams-ul-Āimma Imām Sarkhasi(Rahmatualhi ala) when his stomach was upset. It was his habit that he would revise and debate over books during the night. The night when the Shaykh’s stomach was upset, he performed Wuḍū seventeen
times because he did not revise without Wuḍū.
The pious predecessors had so much love for Wuḍū because just as knowledge is Nūr (light), Wuḍū is also Nūr. Thus the light of knowledge further increases as a result of being in the state of Wuḍū.
It is extremely important for a student that he do not put his feet towards the books that he is learning. The books of Tafsīr (exegesis)
should be put above all other books out of respect and nothing should be put on such books.
Our respected teacher, Shaykh Imām Burĥānuddīn(Rahmatulahi ala)
narrated from one of his Shuyūkh that a jurist had a habit of putting
his inkpot on his book. The Shaykh said:-i.e. you would not be able to benefit from knowledge.
Our respected teacher, Shaykh Imām Ajal Fakhr-ul-Islām Sayyidun Khān Qāḍī(Rahmatualhi ala) used to say, ‘Placing an inkpot on top of a book is permissible as long as the intention is not because of considering knowledge as inferior. It is better for one to avoid doing such a thing.
It is also extremely important for a student that he should have a beautiful handwriting and he should not write in small and illegible handwriting. He should not leave the area of footnotes, etc. empty
unless there is a need.
Sayyidunā Imām-e-A’ẓam Abū Ḥanīfaĥ(Rahmatulahi ala) once noticed a
person who was writing in extremely small handwriting. Imām-e-A’ẓam Abū Ḥanīfaĥ (Rahmatulahi ala) said to him, “You should not write in such a bad manner, as if you stayed alive, you would be ashamed
due to this handwriting and if you were to die, you would be recollected with harsh words. When you would be old and your eyes would become weak then you would be ashamed of this action.”
Shaykh Majduddīn Sarḥakī (Rahmatualhi ala) is narrated to have said,
“Whenever we wrote carelessly in small and illegible handwriting,we gained nothing but shame. Whenever we selected a small part of a long discussion, we felt ashamed and whenever we did not compare a piece of writing with the actual manuscript, we were also ashamed."
O beloved student! It is appropriate that a book should be square-shaped, as that was beloved to Sayyidunā Imām-e-A’ẓam Abū Ḥanīfaĥ(Rahmatualahi ala) Picking up such a book, placing it and revising it can be done with ease. A student should not use red ink, as this was not
the way of the pious predecessors but was the way of the philosophers. A few of our Shuyūkh considered the use of red ink as being Makrūĥ(disliked).
Respect for class fellows
Respect for class fellows is also respect for knowledge. Remember,flattery is a condemned action but if there is a need to flatter someone in order to learn knowledge, then in this situation a student is advised
to flatter his teacher or fellow student Islamic brothers so that he can benefit from them.
A student should listen to words of wisdom with respect and reverence even if he has heard one religious issue or one word a
thousand times before.
It is a statement of a wise man, “The person who upon hearing a discussion full of knowledge a thousand times before, does not respect that discussion in the way that he respected the discussion when he
first heard it, then such a person is not worthy of knowledge.”
If a student wishes to learn a new science, he should not choose that science from his own opinion, but he should rather place this situation before his teacher, as a teacher has a lot of experience in this regard. The teacher is fully aware of which science is relevant and which task the student is able to fulfil.
Our respected teacher, Shaykh Burĥānuddīn(Rahmatulahi ala) used to
say, “The students of the early generations used to place their educational matters in the hands of their teachers and that is why
they reached their goals and fulfilled their aims. Today, the students attempt to reach their goals without guidance from their teachers,thus these types of students do not reach their goals nor do they have any awareness in regard to knowledge and jurisprudence.
It is narrated that Imām Muhammad Bin Ism’aīl Bukhārī (Rahmatulahi ala) would go to Imām Muhammad(Rahmatulahi ala) and learn Kitāb-uṣ-Ṣalāĥ in Fiqĥ. When Imām Muhammad(Rahmatulahi ala) saw that it was in the nature of Imām Bukhāri(Rahmatulahi ala) that he had little interest in Fiqĥ but he had an inclination towards the science of Ḥadīš, Imām
Muhammad told Imām Bukhārī(Rahmatulahi ala) to go and learn ‘Ilm-ul-Ḥadīš. This was the great insight of Imām Muhammad ِ who saw the interest of Imām Bukhārī(Rahmatulahi ala) in ‘Ilm-ul-Ḥadīš. Thus Bukhārī Imām(Rahmatulahi ala) when followed the advice of his teacher
and began to learn ‘Ilm-ul-Ḥadīš, the world saw his prominence in the science of Ḥadīš.
A student should not sit extremely close to his teacher without a reason during lessons. There should be a distance of a bow between a teacher and a student, as there is more respect with this type of seating arrangement.
A student should refrain from condemned characteristics because such
characteristics are like dogs and the Blessed Prophet(p.b.u.h) said:-
Knowledge can only be acquired through the angels. Therefore, a person should stay away from the condemned characteristics. In order to learn about bad manners, a person should read Kitāb-ul-Akhlāq,as it is not possible to explain the condemned characteristics in this concise book. A student should especially refrain from arrogance, as it is impossible for someone to acquire knowledge through arrogance.
A poet said:
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