A Muslim learner should make the most of his youthful years and, indeed, of his entire lifetime, in acquiring beneficial knowledge. He should beware of continually postponing his studies. Merely hoping to become a knowledgeable person is not enough; he must begin now.
Time waits for no one. Once a portion of one's life has passed—particularly if it has been wasted in frivolous pursuits—nothing can bring it back or compensate for it.
Therefore, the learner should distance himself from whatever may distract him from his pursuit of knowledge or discourage him from persevering in it.
It was for this reason that some of the people of earlier generations would leave their families and hometowns in pursuit of knowledge. A heart occupied with too many concerns becomes divided, and a divided heart struggles to maintain the concentration required for serious learning.
Allaah says:
وَمَا جَعَلَ اللَّهُ لِرَجُلٍ مِنْ قَلْبَيْنِ فِي جَوْفِهِ
“Allaah has not made for any man two hearts within his body.”— Qur’aan 33:4
One of the Salaf said:
العِلْمُ لَا يُعْطِيكَ بَعْضَهُ حَتَّى تُعْطِيَهُ كُلَّكَ.
“Knowledge will not give you some of itself until you give yourself entirely to it.”
Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadee, رحمه الله, said in his work on the etiquette of seeking knowledge:
لَا يَنَالُ هَذَا العِلْمَ إِلَّا مَنْ عَطَّلَ دُكَّانَهُ، وَخَرَّبَ بُسْتَانَهُ، وَهَجَرَ إِخْوَانَهُ، وَمَاتَ أَقْرَبُ أَهْلِهِ فَلَمْ يَشْهَدْ جَنَازَتَهُ.
“This knowledge is attained only by one who closes his shop, abandons his garden, distances himself from his companions, and even when one of his closest relatives dies, does not attend his funeral.”
This statement should not be understood literally, as though seeking knowledge requires a person to abandon his livelihood, family and legitimate responsibilities. Rather, it is an emphatic expression of the level of dedication, concentration and sacrifice that serious scholarship demands. The learner must gather his heart and mind and guard his time from unnecessary distractions.
It is reported that one of the teachers of old instructed his student to soak his garment in a deep dye so that he would not be continually concerned about washing it. The point was not the garment itself, but the teacher's desire to remove even minor distractions that could divert his student's attention from learning.
Al-Imaam ash-Shaafi‘ee, رحمه الله, is reported to have said:
لَوْ كُلِّفْتُ شِرَاءَ بَصَلَةٍ لَمَا فَهِمْتُ مَسْأَلَةً.
“If I had been tasked with buying an onion, I would not have been able to understand a single issue.”
Allaah's aid is sought.
The lesson is clear: do not wait for the perfect time to seek knowledge. Your youthful years are passing, your days are being spent, and every hour that leaves you will never return. Begin with what you can, persevere in it, and give beneficial knowledge a meaningful place in your life before the opportunity passes.
