In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Is he who payeth adoration in the watches of the night, prostrate and standing, bewaring of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, (to be accounted equal with a disbeliever)? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed.” (39:9)
The Splendor of Knowledge and Wisdom.
By Dr. Hamzah Ibn Fayi' Al Fathi.
May Allah preserve him.
Beneficial Reading.
The man of letters, Abbas Al 'Aqqad—may Allah the Exalted have mercy upon him—said,
he who passed away in the year 1964 AD:
"Reading a good book three times
is more beneficial to you than reading three new books."
Beneficial reading is accompanied by focus,
or by my returning to the book repeatedly.
This is a scholarly methodology
that falls under the practice of repeating a book and striving to comprehend it,
because a single reading does not suffice for a book rich in benefits,
or one with many pages,
or one whose subject matter is dense and requires greater focus and comprehension.
Thus, repeated reading
is more effective, beneficial, and lasting than a single, rapid reading.
It is for this reason that the understanding of certain sciences and texts remains elusive
due to a single, abbreviated, or flawed reading
that lacks repetition and focus,
because, in most cases, it is impossible to achieve comprehension from a single reading.
Yes, it may be beneficial for some people,
but they are a rare few.
The standard practice is for students to repeat their books
and not be hasty in trying to understand or master them at first glance
or through initial impressions.
This is a form of high diligence and profound concern.
The salaf before us and the scholars of the past provided
examples of dedicated repetition in internalizing and mastering books,
and in remaining devoted to them for months and years.
Through this, scholarly brilliance and firm grounding are achieved,
and all obstacles to understanding are dispelled.
Among the examples here
is what Al Khatib Al Baghdadi recorded in Al Jami' regarding the importance of repetition, saying:
"Prolong the mention of a hadith, lest it be forgotten."
Abbas Al Dawri said:
"I heard Yahya Ibn Ma'in say:
'If we had not written down—
and in another narration, 'heard'—
the hadith fifty times, we would not have known it.'"
It is narrated from some of them
that he heard Abu Bakr Ibn 'Atiyyah
mention that he repeated Sahih Al Bukhari seven hundred times.
It is also reported from Bakr Ibn Muhammad Ibn Abi Al Fadl Al Ansari
that, in the beginning of his studies, he would sometimes
repeat a single issue four hundred times.
One day, he was asked about an unusual issue, and he replied:
"I repeated this issue one night in a tower of the Bukhara fortress
four hundred times."
It is reported from the grammarian Ibn Hisham—may Allah have mercy upon him—
that he read the Alfiyyah a thousand times.
Contemporary scholars were also known for this,
such as Sheikh Ibn Baz,
Bakr Abu Zayd,
Mahmud Shakir,
Hammad Al Ansari,
and others.
May Allah have mercy on them all.
And Allah is the Grantor of success.