Then the student of knowledge must place his trust in Allah while seeking knowledge; he should not concern himself with earning a living nor occupy his heart with that.
تعليم المتعلمal-Zarnūjīفِي التَّوَكُّلِ
On Reliance on Allah (Tawakkul)
Abū Ḥanīfa, may Allah have mercy on him, related on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn al-Ḥārith al-Zubaydī, companion of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him: Whoever gains fiqh in Allah's religion, Allah Most High will lift his burdens and grant him provision from beyond his imagining.
For when someone's heart is taken up with provision — food and clothing — he rarely finds leisure to acquire noble character and great objectives.
قِيلَ:
دَعِ الْمَكَارِمَ لَا تَرْحَلْ لِبُغْيَتِهَاوَاقْعُدْ فَإِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الطَّاعِمُ الْكَاسِيIt is said: Leave noble virtues—do not strive to gain them; Sit where you are: you’re fed and clothed already.
قَالَ رَجُلٌ لِابْنِ مَنْصُورٍ الْحَلَّاجِ: أَوْصِنِي، فَقَالَ ابْنُ مَنْصُورٍ: هِيَ نَفْسُكَ، إنْ لَمْ تَشْغَلْهَا شَغَلَتْكَ.
A man said to Ibn Manṣūr al-Ḥallāj, "Give me counsel." Ibn Manṣūr said: "Your very soul: if you give it no task, it will give you tasks."
فَيَنْبَغِي لِكُلِّ أَحَدٍ أَنْ يَشْغَلَ نَفْسَهُ بِأَعْمَالِ الْخَيْرِ حَتَّى لَا يَشْغَلَ نَفْسَهُ بِهَوَاهَا، وَلَا يَهْتَمُّ الْعَاقِلُ لِأَمْرِ الدُّنْيَا لِأَنَّ الْهَمَّ وَالْحُزْنَ لَا يَرُدُّ الْمُصِيبَةَ، وَلَا يَنْفَعُ بَلْ يَضُرُّ بِالْقَلْبِ وَالْعَقْلِ، وَيُخِلُّ بِأَعْمَالِ الْخَيْرِ، وَيَهْتَمُّ لِأَمْرِ الْآخِرَةِ لِأَنَّهُ يَنْفَعُ.
So each person should employ himself in good until his soul does not employ him in appetite; the wise man does not worry over this world, for grief and sorrow neither avert misfortune nor help — they harm heart and mind, undermine good works, and one should care for the Hereafter because it truly benefits.
وَأَمَّا قَوْلُهُ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ: إِنَّ مِنَ الذُّنُوبِ ذُنُوبًا لَا يُكَفِّرُهَا إلَّا هَمُّ الْمَعِيشَةِ، فَالْمُرَادُ مِنْهُ قَدْرُ هَمٍّ لَا يُخِلُّ بِأَعْمَالِ الْخَيْرِ وَلَا يَشْغَلُ الْقَلْبَ شُغْلًا يُخِلُّ بِإِحْضَارِ الْقَلْبِ فِي الصَّلَاةِ، فَإِنَّ ذَلِكَ الْقَدْرَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْقَصْدُ مِنْ أَعْمَالِ الْآخِرَةِ.
As for his, peace and blessings upon him, saying that among sins are sins that nothing lifts except anxiety about making a living — what is meant is a measure of concern that does not spoil good deeds nor occupy the heart in a way that spoils full attention to prayer; for that measure of earnest care and resolve counts among works for the Hereafter.
وَلَا بُدَّ لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ تَقْلِيلِ الْعَلَائِقِ الدُّنْيَوِيَّةِ بِقَدْرِ الْوُسْعِ، فَلِهَذَا اخْتَارُوا الْغُرْبَةَ.
The seeker of knowledge needs to narrow worldly attachments as far as possible; that is why they chose life away from home.
وَلَا بُدَّ مِنْ تَحَمُّلِ النَّصَبِ وَالْمَشَقَّةِ فِي سَفَرِ التَّعَلُّمِ، كَمَا قَالَ مُوسَى صَلَوَاتُ اللهِ عَلَى نَبِيِّنَا وَعَلَيْهِ فِي سَفَرِ التَّعَلُّمِ، وَلَمْ يُنْقَلْ عَنْهُ ذَلِكَ فِي غَيْرِهِ مِنَ الْأَسْفَارِ [لَقَدْ لَقِينَا مِنْ سَفَرِنَا هَذَا نَصَبًا].
One must accept exhaustion and difficulty on the study journey — as Mūsā, Allah's blessings on our Prophet and on him, said on the learning journey; that is not reported from him on other trips: "Indeed we have encountered fatigue from this journey of ours" (cf. Qur'an 18:62).
لِيَعْلَمْ أَنَّ سَفَرَ الْعِلْمِ لَا يَخْلُو عَنِ التَّعَبِ، لِأَنَّ طَلَبَ الْعِلْمِ أَمْرٌ عَظِيمٌ وَهُوَ أَفْضَلُ مِنَ الْغَزَاةِ عِنْدَ أَكْثَرِ الْعُلَمَاءِ، وَالْأَجْرُ عَلَى قَدْرِ التَّعَبِ وَالنَّصَبِ، فَمَنْ صَبَرَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ التَّعَبِ وَجَدَ لَذَّةَ الْعِلْمِ تَفُوقُ [لَذَّاتِ الدُّنْيَا].
Let him know that the journey for knowledge is never without strain, for seeking knowledge is immense — nobler than battle in the eyes of most scholars — and reward is proportional to effort and fatigue; whoever perseveres in that toil finds the joy of knowledge surpassing worldly delights.
وَلِهَذَا كَانَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ إذَا سَهِرَ اللَّيَالِيَ وَانْحَلَّتْ لَهُ الْمُشْكِلَاتُ يَقُولُ: أَيْنَ أَبْنَاءُ الْمُلُوكِ مِنْ هَذِهِ اللَّذَّاتِ؟
That is why when Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan stayed awake through nights and difficult problems opened for him, he would say: Where are the sons of kings beside these pleasures?
وَيَنْبَغِي [لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ] أَلَّا يَشْتَغِلَ بِشَيْءٍ [آخَرَ غَيْرَ الْعِلْمِ] وَلَا يُعْرِضَ عَنِ الْفِقْهِ.
It is fitting [for the seeker of knowledge] not to busy himself with anything [besides knowledge] nor turn away from fiqh.
قَالَ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ: صِنَاعَتُنَا هَذِهِ مِنَ الْمَهْدِ إلَى اللَّحْدِ، فَمَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَتْرُكَ عِلْمَنَا هَذَا سَاعَةً فَلْيَتْرُكْهُ السَّاعَةَ.
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Our craft runs from the cradle to the grave; whoever wants to leave our knowledge for an hour should leave it that very hour.
وَدَخَلَ فَقِيهٌ، وَهُوَ إبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ، عَلَى أَبِي يُوسُفَ يَعُودُهُ فِي مَرَضِ مَوْتِهِ وَهُوَ يَجُودُ بِنَفْسِهِ، فَقَالَ أَبُو يُوسُفَ: رَمَى الْجِمَارَ رَاكِبًا أَفْضَلُ أَمْ رَاجِلًا؟ فَلَمْ يَعْرِفِ الْجَوَابَ، فَأَجَابَ بِنَفْسِهِ.
A jurisprudent — Ibrāhīm ibn al-Jarrāḥ — visited Abū Yūsuf during his fatal illness as he gasped his last. Abū Yūsuf asked: Is stoning the pillars on horseback or on foot better? He could not recall the answer, and answered from his own reasoning.
وَهَكَذَا يَنْبَغِي لِلْفَقِيهِ أَنْ يَشْتَغِلَ بِهِ فِي جَمِيعِ أَوْقَاتِهِ [فَحِينَئِذٍ] يَجِدُ لَذَّةً عَظِيمَةً فِي ذَلِكَ.
Thus the jurist ought to be wrapped up in it at every moment; [then] he will find tremendous delight in that.
وَقِيلَ: رُئِيَ مُحَمَّدٌ [بْنُ الْحَسَنِ] فِي الْمَنَامِ بَعْدَ وَفَاتِهِ، فَقِيلَ لَهُ: كَيْفَ كُنْتَ فِي حَالِ النَّزْعِ؟ فَقَالَ: كُنْتُ مُتَأَمِّلًا فِي مَسْأَلَةٍ مِنْ مَسَائِلِ الْمُكَاتَبِ، فَلَمْ أَشْعُرْ بِخُرُوجِ رُوحِي.
It is said Muḥammad [ibn al-Ḥasan] was seen in a dream after his death and asked: How was your state during the final throes? He said: I was pondering a question on the freed slave by contract; I did not feel my soul leave.
وَقِيلَ إنَّهُ قَالَ فِي آخِرِ عُمُرِهِ: شَغَلَتْنِي مَسَائِلُ الْمُكَاتَبِ عَنِ الِاسْتِعْدَادِ لِهَذَا الْيَوْمِ، وَإِنَّمَا قَالَ ذَلِكَ تَوَاضُعًا.
It is said that in his last days he said: Questions of the mukātab distracted me from preparing for this day — yet he said that only out of humility.