فِي النِّيَّةِ فِي حَالِ التَّعَلُّمِ

ثُمَّثُمَّthenContextual gloss

Then one must have intention during the time of learning, for intention is the foundation of all actions, as the Prophet ﷺ said: Actions are but by intentions. This is an authentic hadith.

كَمْكَمْhow manyContextual gloss

How many worldly-seeming actions become actions of the Hereafter through good intention, and how many Hereafter-seeming actions become worldly actions through bad intention.

وَيَنْبَغِيوَيَنْبَغِيand it is befittingContextual gloss

The student should intend by seeking knowledge: the pleasure of Allah, the Hereafter, the removal of ignorance from himself and from other ignorant people, the revival of the religion, and the preservation of Islam.

فَإِنَّفَإِنَّfor indeedContextual gloss

For the survival of Islam depends on acquiring knowledge, since asceticism cannot exist alongside ignorance. The great Imām, the author of the Hidāya, recited to us from one of the scholars:

وَيَنْوِيوَيَنْوِيand he should intendContextual gloss

He should also intend by it: gratitude for the blessing of intellect and bodily health, and should not intend by it the attraction of people's attention, or the acquisition of worldly gains, or greatness before rulers and others.

وَذَلِكَوَذَلِكَand that isContextual gloss

That is because whoever finds the pleasure of knowledge and action no longer desires what people have.

وَيَنْبَغِيوَيَنْبَغِيand it is befittingContextual gloss

The student of knowledge should reflect on this: knowledge is acquired through great effort, so it should not be directed toward the worthless and fleeting world.

وَيَنْبَغِيوَيَنْبَغِيand it is befittingContextual gloss

The student of knowledge should not demean himself through coveting what is unworthy of coveting, and should guard against anything that would demean knowledge and its people.

وَيَكُونُوَيَكُونُand he should beContextual gloss

He should be humble — humility being the midpoint between arrogance and self-abasement — and modest — modesty being the midpoint between extravagance and miserliness. This is explained in the book on ethics.

وَيَنْبَغِيوَيَنْبَغِيand it is befittingContextual gloss

The student of knowledge should reflect on this, for he acquires knowledge through great effort and should not direct it toward the worthless and fleeting world.