قِيلَ:It is said: وَقْتُtime (of) التَّعَلُّمِlearning مِنَfrom الْمَهْدِthe cradle إلَىto اللَّحْدِ.the grave
It is said: The season for learning runs from the cradle to the grave.
فِي وَقْتِ التَّحْصِيلِ
On the Times Best Suited to Acquiring Knowledge
دَخَلَentered حَسَنُḤasan بْنُson (of) زِيَادٍZiyād فِيin التَّفَقُّهِfiqh study وَهُوَwhile he was ابْنُson of (i.e. aged) ثَمَانِينَeighty سَنَةً،years وَلَمْand he did not sleep يَبِتْspend the night عَلَىupon الْفِرَاشِthe bed أَرْبَعِينَforty سَنَةًyears فَأَفْتَىthen he gave fatwa بَعْدَafter ذَلِكَthat أَرْبَعِينَforty سَنَةً.years
Ḥasan ibn Ziyād began serious fiqh study at eighty, spent forty years not sleeping on a soft bed, then issued fatwā for another forty years.
وَأَفْضَلُand the best (of) الْأَوْقَاتِtimes شَرَخُthe prime (of) الشَّبَابِ،youth وَوَقْتُand time (of) السَّحَرِ،pre-dawn وَمَاand what بَيْنَbetween الْعِشَائَيْنِ.the two ʿishāʾ prayers وَيَنْبَغِيit is fitting أَنْthat يَسْتَغْرِقَhe fills جَمِيعَall أَوْقَاتِهِ،his times فَإِذَاso when مَلَّhe tires مِنْof عِلْمٍa subject يَشْتَغِلُhe occupies himself بِعِلْمٍwith a subject آخَرَ.another
Best times are the bloom of youth, the pre-dawn hours, and the span between the two night prayers. Devote all your hours: when one subject wearies you, turn to another.
وَكَانَhe used to ابْنُIbn عَبَّاسٍʿAbbās رَضِيَmay be pleased اللهُAllah عَنْهُwith him إذَاwhen مَلَّhe tired مِنَof الْكَلَامِdiscourse يَقُولُ:he would say هَاتُواbring! دِيْوَانَthe dīwān (of) الشُّعَرَاءِ.the poets
When Ibn ʿAbbās, may Allah be pleased with him, wearied of discourse, he would say: Bring the poets' diwān.
وَكَانَhe used to مُحَمَّدُMuḥammad بْنُson (of) الْحَسَنِal-Ḥasan لَاnot يَنَامُsleep اللَّيْلَ،the night وَكَانَand he used to يَضَعُplace عِنْدَهُby him الدَّفَاتِرَ،the notebooks وَكَانَand he used to إذَاwhen مَلَّhe tired مِنْof نَوْعٍa type يَنْظُرُhe would look فِيin نَوْعٍa type آخَرَ،another وَكَانَand he used to يَضَعُplace عِنْدَهُby him الْمَاءَ،the water وَيَزِيلُand he would remove نَوْمَهُhis sleep بِالْمَاءِ،with water وَكَانَand he used to يَقُولُ:say إنَّindeed النَّوْمَsleep مِنَis from الْحَرَارَةِ.heat
Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan would not sleep at night; notebooks lay at hand — when one subject wearied him he shifted to another. He kept water nearby, banished sleep by splashing water, and would say sleep comes from heat (in the temperament).