Instructions of the Student

Abu Bakrah reported , I heard Prophet (pbuh) saying:

“You should be a scholar, or a student , or a listener, or a lover of ’ilm and you should not be the fifth which makes you perish.

’Ata said Mis’ar said to me:You added a fifth point which we do not have.

The fifth point is: To hate ’Ilm and its people” -(at Tabarani;Al-Bazzar)

Just completed reading this book Instruction of the Student:The Method of Learning which has been in my watch list for some time, but due to the unavailability at Amazon, I placed an order from another online bookstore and received it last week .The book where the original Arabic version known as Ta’lim al-Muta’allim-Tariq at-Ta’allum was written by Imam Zarnuji and translated to English by G.E Von Grunebaum .

The book was divided into 13 chapters started with a foreword from the famous American Islamic scholar Hamza Yusuf .Full of beautiful poetry (OK I am NO expert in poetry but I imagined it would be beautiful IF I can read the original Arabic transcript + I understood Arabic!) about knowledge , Imam Zarnuji compiled the wisdom of Muslim scholars during his travel in many Islamic countries during the glorious day.Though the length of 64 pages can considered as a short book, the contents covered is enormous touched a wide subjects of seeking ilm — from adab, perserverance , the “real purpose” , relying to God, finding best time , improving memory and others.

Looking back, now I understand why at times I failed in striving to attain knowledge – a mental block? maybe barred in my understanding subjects learnt due to missing the [proper] methods of learning.

An article in SeekingIlm had a brief review about this book in a subject of improving brain function in seeking knowledge.Interesting!