تعليم المتعلمal-ZarnūjīWhat Strengthens Memory and What Brings Forgetfulness
وَأَقْوَىand the strongest أَسْبَابِcauses (of) الْحِفْظِ:the memory: الْجَدُّdiligence وَالْمُوَاظَبَةُ،and steadfastness, وَتَقْلِيلُand reducing الْغِذَاءِ،food, وَصَلَاةُand the prayer of اللَّيْلِ،the night, وَقِرَاءَةُand the recitation of الْقُرْآنِthe Qur'an مِنْfrom أَسْبَابِcauses (of) الْحِفْظِ.the memory.
The strongest aids to memory: diligence and steady routine, eating lightly, night prayer, and reciting the Qur'an.
وَقِيلَ:and it is said: لَيْسَthere is not شَيْءٌa thing أَكْثَرُmore beneficial لِلْحِفْظِfor memory مِنْthan قِرَاءَةِrecitation of الْقُرْآنِthe Qur'an نَظَرًا،by looking, وَالْقِرَاءَةُand the recitation نَظَرًاby looking أَفْضَلُis superior لِقَوْلِهِfor his saying عَلَيْهِupon him الصَّلَاةُthe prayer وَالسَّلَامُ:and the peace: أَعْظَمُthe greatest أَعْمَالِdeeds of أُمَّتِيmy community قِرَاءَةُthe recitation of الْقُرْآنِthe Qur'an نَظَرًا.by looking. وَرَأَىand saw شَدَّادُShaddad بْنُson of حَكِيمٍHakim بَعْضَsome of إِخْوَانِهِhis brothers فِيin الْمَنَامِ،the dream, فَقَالَso he said لِأَخِيهِ:to his brother: أَيُّwhich شَيْءٍthing وَجَدْتَهُdid you find it أَنْفَعَ؟most beneficial? قَالَ:he said: قِرَاءَةُthe recitation of الْقُرْآنِthe Qur'an نَظَرًا.by looking.
It is said nothing strengthens memory like looking at the Qur'an while reading — and that is best fortified by his words, blessings and peace: “The greatest deed of my community is reciting the Qur'an while gazing.” Shaddād ibn Ḥakīm saw one of his brothers in a dream and asked him what had helped most; the answer: reciting the Qur'an attentively.
وَيَقُولُand he says عِنْدَupon رَفْعِclosing الْكِتَابِ:the book: بِسْمِin the name of اللهِAllah وَسُبْحَانَand glory be to اللهِAllah وَالْحَمْدُand praise be to لِلَّهِAllah وَلَاand not إلَهَa god إلَّاexcept اللهُ،Allah, وَاللهُand Allah أَكْبَرُ،is Greatest, لَاthere is no حَوْلَmight وَلَاand no قُوَّةَpower إلَّاexcept بِاللهِby Allah الْعَلِيِّthe Most High, الْعَظِيمِthe Tremendous, الْعَزِيزِthe Almighty, الْعَلِيمِ،the All-Knowing, عَدَدَin number of كُلِّevery حَرْفٍletter كُتِبَthat was written وَيُكْتَبُand will be written أَبَدَforever الْآبَادِينَof eternities وَدَهْرَand ages الدَّاهِرِينَ.of eons.
When closing a book, say: In the name of Allah; Glory be to Allah; praise be to Allah; there is no god but Allah; Allah is Greatest; there is no might nor power save in Allah, the Most High, Tremendous, Mighty, Knowing — as many times as every letter written and yet to be written for ever and ever.
وَيَقُولُand he says بَعْدَafter كُلِّevery مَكْتُوبَةٍ:writing session: آمَنْتُI believe in بِاللهِAllah الْوَاحِدِthe One, الْأَحَدِthe Singular, الْحَقِّ،the True, وَحْدَهُalone لَاno شَرِيكَpartner لَهُ،to Him, وَكَفَرْتُand I disbelieve بِمَاin what سِوَاهُ.is besides Him.
After each bout of writing say: I believe in Allah, One, Single, the Real — alone without partner — and I reject whatever is besides Him.
وَيُكْثِرُand he increases الصَّلَاةَthe prayers (of blessing) عَلَىupon النَّبِيِّthe Prophet عَلَيْهِupon him السَّلَامُthe peace, فَإِنَّfor indeed ذِكْرَهُhis remembrance رَحْمَةٌis a mercy لِلْعَالَمِينَ.for the worlds.
Frequently invoke blessings on the Prophet ﷺ — remembering him is a mercy for the worlds.
[قَالَ الشَّافِعِيُّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ:] شَكَوْتُ إلَى وَكِيعٍ سُوءَ حِفْظِيفَأَرْشَدَنِي إلَى تَرْكِ الْمَعَاصِي وَإِنَّ الْحِفْظَ فَضْلٌ مِنَ اللهِ
[Al-Shāfiʿī, may Allah be pleased with him, said:] / I complained to Wakiʿ of my poor retention / and he guided me to leave disobedience; / memory is a bounty from Allah — / and Allah's bounty is not granted to the rebellious.
وَالسِّوَاكُand the tooth-stick وَشُرْبُand drinking الْعَسَلِhoney وَأَكْلُand eating الْكُنْدُرِfrankincense/costus مَعَwith السُّكَّرِsugar وَأَكْلُand eating إحْدَىtwenty-one وَعِشْرِينَand twenty زَبِيبَةًraisins حَمْرَاءَred كُلَّevery يَوْمٍday عَلَىupon الرِّيقِan empty stomach يُورِثُproduces الْحِفْظَthe memory وَيَشْفِيand heals مِنْfrom كَثِيرٍmany مِنَfrom الْأَمْرَاضِthe illnesses وَالْأَسْقَامِ،and the ailments, وَكُلُّand everything مَاthat يُقَلِّلُreduces الْبَلْغَمَthe phlegm وَالرُّطُوبَاتِand the moisture يَزِيدُincreases فِيin الْحِفْظِ،the memory, وَكُلُّand everything مَاthat يَزِيدُincreases فِيin الْبَلْغَمِthe phlegm يُورِثُcauses النِّسْيَانَ.forgetfulness.
Using the tooth-stick, drinking honey, eating costus with sugar, and eating twenty-one red raisins on an empty stomach strengthen memory and heal many ailments. Whatever reduces phlegm and damp humours aids retention; whatever increases phlegm brings forgetfulness.
وَأَمَّاand as for مَاwhat يُورِثُcauses النِّسْيَانَforgetfulness فَهُوَ:then it is: الْمَعَاصِيthe sins وَكَثْرَةُand abundance of الذُّنُوبِthe transgressions وَالْهُمُومُand the anxieties وَالْأَحْزَانُand the griefs فِيin أُمُورِmatters of الدُّنْيَا،the world, وَكَثْرَةُand abundance of الِاشْتِغَالِpreoccupation وَالْعَلَائِقُ،and entanglements, وَقَدْand indeed ذَكَرْنَاwe mentioned أَنَّهُthat it لَاis not يَنْبَغِيbefitting لِلْعَاقِلِfor the wise person أَنْto يَهْتَمَّbe anxious لِأَمْرِabout the affair of الدُّنْيَاthe world لِأَنَّهُbecause it يَضُرُّharms وَلَاand not يَنْفَعُ،benefits, وَهُمُومُand the worries of الدُّنْيَاthe world لَاare not تَخْلُوfree عَنِfrom الظُّلْمَةِdarkness فِيin الْقَلْبِ،the heart, وَهُمُومُand the worries of الْآخِرَةِthe Hereafter لَاare not تَخْلُوfree عَنِfrom النُّورِlight فِيin الْقَلْبِ،the heart, وَيَظْهَرُand it appears أَثَرُهُits effect فِيin الصَّلَاةِ،the prayer, فَهَمُّso the worry of الدُّنْيَاthe world يَمْنَعُهُprevents one مِنَfrom الْخَيْرَاتِ،the good deeds, وَهَمُّand the worry of الْآخِرَةِthe Hereafter يَحْمِلُهُdrives one عَلَيْهَا،to them, وَالِاشْتِغَالُand the occupation بِالصَّلَاةِwith the prayer عَلَىupon الْخُشُوعِthe humility وَتَحْصِيلِand the attainment of الْعِلْمِthe knowledge يَنْفِيremoves الْهَمَّthe anxiety وَالْحُزْنَ.and the sorrow.
What begets forgetting: disobedience, many sins, anxiety and grief over worldly things, busyness and entanglements. We already said the wise soul should not fixate on the world — it harms and never helps. Worldly worry never lacks darkness in the heart; otherworldly worry never lacks light there, and the effect shows in prayer: worldly care blocks good deeds; care for the Hereafter drives you to them. Immersion in humble prayer and gaining knowledge dispels grief and sorrow.
كَمَا قَالَ الشَّيْخُ نَصْرُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْمَرْغِينَانِيُّ فِي قَصِيدَةٍ لَهُ: اسْتَعِنْ نَصْرَ بْنَ الْحَسَنِفِي كُلِّ عِلْمٍ يَحْتَزَنْ ذَاكَ الَّذِي يَنْفِي الْحُزْنَ
As Shaykh Naṣr ibn al-Ḥasan al-Marghīnānī said in a poem: / Seek help through Naṣr ibn al-Ḥasan / in every science that avails; / he is the one who casts off sorrow — / all beside him is false, untrusted.
وَقَالَ الشَّيْخُ الْإِمَامُ الْأَجَلُ نَجْمُ الدِّينِ عُمَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ النَّسَفِيُّ فِي أُمِّ وَلَدٍ لَهُ: سَلَامٌ عَلَى مَنْ تَيَمَّمَتْنِي بِظَرْفِهَاوَلَمْعَةُ خَدِّهَا وَلَمْحَةُ طَرْفِهَا سَبَّتَانِي وَأَصَابَتَانِي فَتَاةٌ مَلِيحَةٌ
The eminent imām Najm al-Dīn ʿUmar ibn Muḥammad al-Nasafī said about a slave-girl he had: / Peace upon the one who seeks me with her grace, / the flash of her cheek, the glance of her eye; / a lovely girl smote and won me — / fancy itself was lost describing her essence. / I said: Leave me, excuse me — / I am love-sick with mastering sciences and unveiling them; / in seeking merit, knowledge, and piety I have wealth enough / without songbirds' trills and their perfume.
وَأَمَّاand as for أَسْبَابُcauses of نِسْيَانِforgetting الْعِلْمِ:the knowledge: فَأَكْلُso eating الْكُزْبُرَةِcoriander الرَّطْبَةِ،fresh, وَالتُّفَّاحِand the apple الْحَامِضِ،sour, وَالنَّظَرُand looking إلَىat الْمَصْلُوبِ،the crucified, وَقِرَاءَةُand the reading of الْخَطِّthe inscription الْمَكْتُوبِwritten عَلَىupon حِجَارَةِthe stones of الْقُبُورِ،the graves, وَالْمُرُورُand the passing بَيْنَbetween قِطَارِthe caravan of الْجِمَالِ،the camels, وَإلْقَاءُand the throwing of الْقَمْلِthe lice الْحَيِّliving عَلَىupon الْأَرْضِ،the ground, وَالْحِجَامَةُand the cupping عَلَىupon نَقْرَةِthe nape hollow الْقَفَا،of the neck, كُلُّهَاall of it يُورِثُcauses النِّسْيَانَ.forgetfulness.
Specific causes of forgetting knowledge: eating fresh coriander, sour apples, staring at a crucified man, reading inscriptions on tombstones, walking between strings of pack-camel trains, throwing live lice to the ground, and cupping the nape hollow — all of these are said to induce forgetfulness.