Part of Rawnaq Al-Ilm (series completed)
· Lesson 35 of 50
The book of the elegance of knowledge among the wise | Episode (35) | Useful reading
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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“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)
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The Splendor of Knowledge and Wisdom.
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By Dr. Hamzah Ibn Fayi' Al Fathi.
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May Allah preserve him.
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Beneficial Reading.
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The man of letters, Abbas Al 'Aqqad—may Allah the Exalted have mercy upon him—said,
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he who passed away in the year 1964 AD:
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"Reading a good book three times
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is more beneficial to you than reading three new books."
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Beneficial reading is accompanied by focus,
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or by my returning to the book repeatedly.
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This is a scholarly methodology
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that falls under the practice of repeating a book and striving to comprehend it,
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because a single reading does not suffice for a book rich in benefits,
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or one with many pages,
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or one whose subject matter is dense and requires greater focus and comprehension.
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Thus, repeated reading
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is more effective, beneficial, and lasting than a single, rapid reading.
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It is for this reason that the understanding of certain sciences and texts remains elusive
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due to a single, abbreviated, or flawed reading
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that lacks repetition and focus,
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because, in most cases, it is impossible to achieve comprehension from a single reading.
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Yes, it may be beneficial for some people,
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but they are a rare few.
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The standard practice is for students to repeat their books
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and not be hasty in trying to understand or master them at first glance
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or through initial impressions.
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This is a form of high diligence and profound concern.
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The salaf before us and the scholars of the past provided
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examples of dedicated repetition in internalizing and mastering books,
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and in remaining devoted to them for months and years.
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Through this, scholarly brilliance and firm grounding are achieved,
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and all obstacles to understanding are dispelled.
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Among the examples here
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is what Al Khatib Al Baghdadi recorded in Al Jami' regarding the importance of repetition, saying:
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"Prolong the mention of a hadith, lest it be forgotten."
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Abbas Al Dawri said:
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"I heard Yahya Ibn Ma'in say:
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'If we had not written down—
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and in another narration, 'heard'—
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the hadith fifty times, we would not have known it.'"
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It is narrated from some of them
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that he heard Abu Bakr Ibn 'Atiyyah
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mention that he repeated Sahih Al Bukhari seven hundred times.
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It is also reported from Bakr Ibn Muhammad Ibn Abi Al Fadl Al Ansari
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that, in the beginning of his studies, he would sometimes
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repeat a single issue four hundred times.
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One day, he was asked about an unusual issue, and he replied:
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"I repeated this issue one night in a tower of the Bukhara fortress
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four hundred times."
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It is reported from the grammarian Ibn Hisham—may Allah have mercy upon him—
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that he read the Alfiyyah a thousand times.
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Contemporary scholars were also known for this,
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such as Sheikh Ibn Baz,
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Bakr Abu Zayd,
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Mahmud Shakir,
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Hammad Al Ansari,
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and others.
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May Allah have mercy on them all.
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And Allah is the Grantor of success.