What is obligatory for a student of knowledge to begin with, and does he start by memorizing the Qur'an first, or what?
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The questioner : Shaykh, what do you advise a beginner student of knowledge? The Book and the Sunnah, or first of all the Book, memorizing the Qur'an?
The Shaykh : No, may Allah reward you. Memorizing the Qur'an is not an individual obligation, but it is a recommended practice from the prescribed Sunnah. However, he must seek the knowledge that is an individual obligation so that he may correct his creed and correct his worship. If he does that, and then afterwards he occupies himself with memorizing the Qur'an, it will be light upon light. But if he occupies himself with memorizing the Qur'an without paying attention to the individual obligatory knowledge, that is like the saying: "He builds a palace and demolishes a fortress".
The questioner : Shaykh, what are the preliminary things that a student of knowledge should learn before he delves into learning?
The Shaykh : I mentioned earlier: he corrects the creed.
The questioner : First of all!
The Shaykh : And he corrects the worship, such as prayer. For example, if he is a poor man, he has to pray, but he does not have to pay zakah, and he does not have to perform Hajj. But if he is wealthy, he must learn about zakah, its expenditures, its obligations, and so on. Likewise, Hajj. As for if he is poor, he corrects the prayer and fasting, because they are two pillars of Islam that he must have, even if he is poor.
So every person must, according to his situation, whether he is poor or wealthy. Good.
The Shaykh : No, may Allah reward you. Memorizing the Qur'an is not an individual obligation, but it is a recommended practice from the prescribed Sunnah. However, he must seek the knowledge that is an individual obligation so that he may correct his creed and correct his worship. If he does that, and then afterwards he occupies himself with memorizing the Qur'an, it will be light upon light. But if he occupies himself with memorizing the Qur'an without paying attention to the individual obligatory knowledge, that is like the saying: "He builds a palace and demolishes a fortress".
The questioner : Shaykh, what are the preliminary things that a student of knowledge should learn before he delves into learning?
The Shaykh : I mentioned earlier: he corrects the creed.
The questioner : First of all!
The Shaykh : And he corrects the worship, such as prayer. For example, if he is a poor man, he has to pray, but he does not have to pay zakah, and he does not have to perform Hajj. But if he is wealthy, he must learn about zakah, its expenditures, its obligations, and so on. Likewise, Hajj. As for if he is poor, he corrects the prayer and fasting, because they are two pillars of Islam that he must have, even if he is poor.
So every person must, according to his situation, whether he is poor or wealthy. Good.