Etiquettes of seeking ‘ilm

Before one sets out to seek knowledge we must bear in mind thereare etiquettes for seeking knowledge. Only when one attains knowledge according tothem, will the knowledge gained be beneficial. If we have no respect for the knowledge that we gain,that knowledge will merely remain information. Knowledgecan only be beneficial for us if we gain it according to the following guidelines:1.Be patient – To gain ‘ilm is not easy and a lot of hard effort and sacrifice is required. For this reason it is very important that one remains patient.2.Pure intention – Before the commencement ofan act one must ensure that an analysis of one’s intention is undertaken. The conclusion of this analysis should be that one is performing this action to gain the pleasure of Allah Almighty and not for show. If the latter is the case, then one needs to rectify one’s intention in order to gain beneficial knowledge.3.Act upon the knowledge one gains – It is important that one acts upon what they know; only then is the knowledge that one has attained beneficial. By not acting upon what one knows, disrespect is beingshown to the knowledge that hasbeen obtained.4.Bear in mind Allah سبحانه و تعالى isWatching – It is important that one keeps this in mind at all times as only then will one think twice before commiting a wrongdeed. By continuously remebering Allah سبحانه و تعالى, aperson will always make Du’aa and obtain closeness to Allah سبحانه و تعالى. Insha’Allah,any difficulties in attaining ‘ilm will then be removed.5.Utilise Time to the Best of One’s Ability – Knowledge does not come with ease. Therefore, it is vital that one uses their time well. When given the oppurtunity to obtain knowledge, one should not reject it as one does not know when they shall taste death. One must understand the struggle our pious Predecessors wentthrough to gain ‘ilmand so one must not take for granted that which is so easily accessible today.6.To be very cautious – When beginning to attain knowledge one should not spend too much time argueing with others on topics and getting ones self confused. Rather one should spend maximum amount of time trying to fully undestand individual topics in order to become fully competent in these topics.7.To be precise and certain – It is good to memorise certain things. Before committing anything to memory one should ensure what is being learnt is correct by clarifying with onesteacher. Then one should memorise and go over what has been taught to ensure nothing is forgotton.8.Studying a variety of books – When one is confident in quite a few fields then one should study a variety of books on one topicto increase ones knowledge in a variety of ways on that particular topic.9.Good company – Pious company and friends should be kept so that onecan attain their good qualites. It is also good to keep company with those who have a great zeal for knowledge instead of those who do not. This is so that one can never be put off wanting to learn more. The ‘Ulama state, that in order to gain good habits and to acquire beneficial knowledge, it is vital to stay in the presence of good and pious people. If one is not able tobe in the company of the pious, then one should read the books written by these pious people.10.Respect and havegood conduct with the teacher –One should ensure that respect is always shown towards the teacher. One cannot gain all knowledge from books without theguidance of a good teacher.