Then the student of knowledge must show diligence, regular application, and persistence — to which the Qur'an points with the words of Allah Most High: "O Yaḥyā, seize the Book with strength" (19:12), and His saying: "And those who strive in Us — We shall surely guide them to Our paths" (29:69).
The venerable Imām, our teacher Saʿīd al-Dīn al-Shīrāzī, recited to me for al-Shāfiʿī, may Allah have mercy on both: / Effort brings near every distant matter, / And effort opens every locked door. / Most worthy among Allah's creation of lofty resolve is a man / of high aspiration who wears himself out in a narrow living — / And among proofs of (divine) decree and its judgment: / The wise man's misery and the fool's sweet life.
I recited for another author: / I wished to become a debater-jurist / Without toil — but madness takes many forms. / Acquiring wealth is not without hardship / Which people endure; so how should knowledge be (without effort)?
In proportion to toil you earn the heights; whoever seeks eminence spends nights awake. / You seek glory then sleep at night — as if one seeking pearls dove into the sea without effort. / Rising to the summit is through lofty aspirations; far from a man (who sleeps) is wakefulness at night. / I left sleep, my Lord, in the nights for the sake of Your pleasure, O Master of masters. / Whoever aims high without toil wastes his life pursuing the impossible. / So (He) enabled me to acquire knowledge and brought me to the farthest heights.
Saying12
وَقِيلَ:and it is said:Contextual glossاتَّخِذِtakeContextual glossاللَّيْلَthe nightContextual glossجَمَلًاas a camelContextual glossتُدْرِكُyou overtakeContextual glossبِهِby itContextual glossأَمَلًا.your aspiration.Contextual gloss
It is said: Take the night as a camel by which you reach your hope.
Whoever wants his hopes to mount a camel / Let him take his night as a camel to reach them. / Reduce your food so you may win wakefulness by it / If you wish, O my friend, to reach perfection.
Saying15
وَقِيلَ:and it is said:Contextual glossمَنْwhoeverContextual glossأَسْهَرَkept awakeContextual glossنَفْسَهُhimselfContextual glossبِاللَّيْلِ،at night,Contextual glossفَقَدْthen hasContextual glossفَرِحَrejoicedContextual glossقَلْبُهُhis heartContextual glossبِالنَّهَارِ.by day.Contextual gloss
It is said: Whoever keeps himself awake by night makes his heart rejoice by day.
Ruling59
وَلَاnorContextual glossبُدَّescapeContextual glossلِطَالِبِfor the seeker ofContextual glossالْعِلْمِknowledgeContextual glossمِنَfromContextual glossالْمُوَاظَبَةِsteady applicationContextual glossعَلَىtoContextual glossالدَّرْسِlesson / studyContextual glossوَالتَّكْرَارِand repetitionContextual glossفِيinContextual glossأَوَّلِthe beginning ofContextual glossاللَّيْلِnightContextual glossوَآخِرِهِ،and its end,Contextual glossفَإِنَّfor indeedContextual glossمَاwhatContextual glossبَيْنَbetweenContextual glossالْعِشَائَيْنِ،the two night prayers,Contextual glossوَوَقْتَand the time ofContextual glossالسَّحَرِ،dawn vigil,Contextual glossوَقْتٌis a timeContextual glossمُبَارَكٌ.blessed.Contextual gloss
The student of knowledge must be regular in review and repetition at the beginning and end of the night; for the time between the two ʿishāʾ prayers and the time of saḥar are blessed times.
It is said in this sense: / O seeker of knowledge, set your heart on piety / Shun sleep and abandon satiety. / Keep constant to study — do not leave it / For through study knowledge stands and rises.
Ruling60
فَيَغْتَنِمْso let him seizeContextual glossأَيَّامَthe days ofContextual glossالْحَدَاثَةِfresh youthContextual glossوَعُنْفُوَانَand the primeContextual glossالشَّبَابِ،of youth,Contextual glossكَمَاasContextual glossقِيلَ:it is said:Contextual gloss
So seize the days of youth and the vigor of young manhood, as it is said:
In proportion to toil you are given what you desire — / So whoever wants the goal stays up at night. / The days of youth — seize them; / Truly youth does not last.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, said: Truly this religion is firm, so enter deeply into it gently; and do not make yourself hate worshipping Allah Most High, for the overstrained beast neither crosses terrain nor keeps its back strong.
Hadith21
وَقَالَand saidContextual glossعَلَيْهِupon himContextual glossالسَّلَامُ:be peace:Contextual glossنَفْسُكَyour soulContextual glossمُطِيتُكَis your riding-beastContextual glossفَارْفُقْso be gentleContextual glossبِهَا.with it.Contextual gloss
And he, peace on him, said: Your soul is your mount — treat it gently.
Ruling61
فَلَاso noContextual glossبُدَّescapeContextual glossلِطَالِبِfor the seeker ofContextual glossالْعِلْمِknowledgeContextual glossمِنَfromContextual glossالْهِمَّةِlofty resolveContextual glossالْعَالِيَةِhighContextual glossفِيinContextual glossالْعَمَلِ،action,Contextual glossفَإِنَّfor indeedContextual glossالْمَرْءَmanContextual glossيَطِيرُfliesContextual glossبِهِمَّتِهِwith his aspirationContextual glossكَالطَّائِرِas the birdContextual glossيَطِيرُfliesContextual glossبِجَنَاحَيْهِ.with its two wings.Contextual gloss
So the student of knowledge needs high resolve in action; for a man flies with his aspiration as a bird flies with its wings.
Abū al-Ṭayyib, may Allah have mercy on him, said: / Great undertakings come to match those of high resolve; / Honors come to match the noble. / In the small man's eye small things seem huge; / In the great man's eye great things seem small.
The pillar in acquiring things is effort and high aspiration: whoever aspires to memorize all of Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan's books and couples that with diligence and persistence will evidently memorize most or half of them; but if he has high aspiration without diligence, or diligence without high aspiration, he will gain only a little knowledge.
The venerable Imām, our teacher Riḍā al-Dīn al-Nīsābūrī, recorded in Makārim al-Akhlāq that when Dhū al-Qarnayn wished to travel to take control of east and west, he consulted the wise men and said: How should I journey seeking this degree of kingship, when the world is slight and passing, and worldly kingship is a paltry thing — this is not high aspiration? The wise said: Travel so that kingship of religion and the Hereafter may be yours. He said: That is better.
And it is said: / Do not rush your affair — seek steadiness; / For what prays (i.e., refines) your staff is constancy.
Scholar quote28
وَقِيلَ:and it is said:Contextual glossقَالَsaidContextual glossأَبُوAbūContextual glossحَنِيفَةَḤanīfaContextual glossرَضِيَmay Allah be pleasedContextual glossاللهُAllahContextual glossلِأَبِيwith AbīContextual glossيُوسُفَ:Yūsuf:Contextual glossكُنْتَyou wereContextual glossبَلِيدًاslow-wittedContextual glossأَخْرَجَتْكَbrought you outContextual glossالْمُوَاظَبَةُ،perseverance,Contextual glossوَإِيَّاكَand bewareContextual glossوَالْكَسَلَlazinessContextual glossفَإِنَّهُfor it isContextual glossشُؤْمٌbad luckContextual glossوَآفَةٌand a plagueContextual glossعَظِيمَةٌ.great.Contextual gloss
It is said that Abū Ḥanīfa, may Allah be pleased with him, said to Abū Yūsuf: You were dull; regular practice brought you out — beware of laziness, for it is ill omen and a grave blight.
The Shaykh Imām Abū Naṣr al-Ṣaffār al-Anṣārī said: / O my soul, O my soul, do not slacken from action / In righteousness, justice, and kindness, with calm. / Everyone of action in good rejoices; / In misfortune and ill luck is every lazy one.
My soul called to sloth and slackness — / Or else stand firm in this abasement. / I see for the lazy no allotted share given / But regret and denial of hopes.
[Beware laziness in pursuing parallels — ask about what you know and what has diverged from you.]
Ruling63
وَقَدْandContextual glossقِيلَ:it has been said:Contextual glossالْكَسَلُlazinessContextual glossمِنْcomes fromContextual glossقِلَّةِscarcity ofContextual glossالتَّأَمُّلِreflectionContextual glossفِيonContextual glossمَنَاقِبِvirtues ofContextual glossالْعِلْمِknowledgeContextual glossوَفَضَائِلِهِ،and its merits,Contextual glossفَيَنْبَغِيso one shouldContextual glossأَنْtoContextual glossيُتْعِبَwearyContextual glossنَفْسَهُhimselfContextual glossعَلَىinContextual glossالتَّحْصِيلِgainingContextual glossوَالْجَدِّand effortContextual glossوَالْمُوَاظَبَةِand constancyContextual glossبِالتَّأَمُّلِby reflectingContextual glossفِيonContextual glossفَضَائِلِexcellences ofContextual glossالْعِلْمِ،knowledge,Contextual glossفَإِنَّforContextual glossالْعِلْمَknowledgeContextual glossيَبْقَىremainsContextual gloss[بِبَقَاءِ[with the enduring ofContextual glossالْمَعْلُومَاتِ]what is known]Contextual glossوَالْمَالُwhile wealthContextual glossيَفْنَى،perishes,Contextual glossكَمَاasContextual glossقَالَsaidContextual glossأَمِيرُcommander ofContextual glossالْمُؤْمِنِينَthe faithfulContextual glossعَلِيُّʿAlīContextual glossبْنُson ofContextual glossأَبِيAbīContextual glossطَالِبٍṬālibContextual glossكَرَّمَmay He ennobleContextual glossاللهُAllahContextual glossوَجْهَهُ:his face:Contextual gloss
It has been said: Laziness comes from scant reflection on the excellences and virtues of knowledge; one should therefore weary himself in acquisition, effort, and persistence by contemplating knowledge's virtues — for knowledge endures (with what is known) while wealth perishes, as Amīr al-Muʾminīn ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭâlib, may Allah ennoble his face, said:
We are content with the Almighty's apportioning among us: / For us knowledge, for our foes wealth. / Wealth soon perishes; / Knowledge endures and does not cease.
The venerable Shaykh Imām Ẓahīr al-Dīn, muftī of the imāms, al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī known as al-Marghīnānī, recited to us: / The ignorant are dead before their death; / The learned, though they die, are alive.
The eminent Shaykh Imām Burhān al-Dīn, may Allah have mercy on him, recited to me: / In ignorance before death is a death for its people — / Their bodies, before graves, are graves. / If a man is not enlivened by knowledge, though dead in spirit, / He has no resurrection at the hour of arising.
[Another said]: / Knowledge's brother lives on immortal after his death / While his limbs beneath the dust are frail. / The ignorant man is dead though he walk the soil — / He appears among the living yet is nothing.
Our teacher Shaykh al-Islām Burhān al-Dīn, may Allah have mercy on him, recited verses: / The knower holds the highest rank among ranks; / Below that lies the glory of the highest in processions. / The knower's honor keeps multiplying; / The ignorant, after death, lies in the collar-bones (forfeiting resurrection). / Prepare — one who ascends does not hope for its limit / He ascends, having charge of command and marshaled ranks. / I shall dictate to you part of what it holds — so listen — / In me every virtue is too vast to number. / It is the light — all light that guides from blindness; / The ignorant wander ages in abysses. / It is the dazzling summit guarded from climbing; / To it one goes safe through calamities. / By it one is answered while people are heedless; / By it hope is placed while the soul is between the collarbones. / By it man intercedes for one who died rebellious / From the reach of Hellfire — the worst end. / Whoever aims at it aims at every goal; / Whoever possesses it has every prize. / It is the lofty rank, O man of wit — / If you attain it, losing offices is easy. / If you miss the world and its sweet delights — / [Then be content], for knowledge is the best gift.
It is said in this vein: / When a man of knowledge prides himself on knowledge, / The science of fiqh has more right to pride. / How many perfumes waft yet are not musk; / How many birds fly yet are not falcons.
I also recited for one of them: / Fiqh is the dearest thing — you neglect its excellence / If you study knowledge without studying its glories. / Acquire for yourself what you now ignore — / Knowledge begins with turning (to it) and ends...
Ruling65
وَكَفَىand enough isContextual glossبِلَذَّةِwith the sweetness ofContextual glossالْعِلْمِknowledgeContextual glossوَالْفِقْهِand fiqhContextual glossوَالْفَهْمِand understandingContextual glossدَاعِيًاas a callerContextual glossوَبَاعِثًاand an awakenerContextual glossلِلْعَاقِلِfor the intelligentContextual glossعَلَىtowardContextual glossتَحْصِيلِgainingContextual glossالْعِلْمِ.knowledge.Contextual gloss
The sheer delight of knowledge, fiqh, and understanding is enough to call and rouse a person of insight to acquire knowledge.
It is said: Seventy physicians agreed that forgetfulness comes from excess phlegm; excess phlegm from drinking much water; much water drinking from overeating; dry bread cuts phlegm, as does eating raisins on an empty stomach — but one should not eat too many, lest one need more water and phlegm increase.
The tooth-stick reduces phlegm and increases retention and eloquence; it is a prophetic Sunna that adds to the reward of prayer and Qur'an recitation. Likewise vomiting reduces phlegm and moist humors. A path to eating less is to reflect on the benefits of little food — they are health, restraint, and preferring others.
From the Prophet, peace on him, that he said: Three types Allah detests without their having committed a (specific) crime: the glutton, the miser, and the arrogant.
Moreover: wasting wealth; eating beyond satiety is sheer harm and merits punishment in the abode of the Hereafter; the glutton is loathsome in people's hearts.
The way to eat less is to eat rich foods yet begin with the lightest and most appetizing; one should not eat together with a hungry person except for a sound reason — namely to gain strength for fasting, prayer, and arduous work — then that is permitted.
