Is it prescribed for a student of knowledge, if he intends to read from a book, to begin with verses from the Qur'an to seek blessing from them?
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The questioner : May Allah forgive you, O Shaykh: I heard one of the preachers on a tape say that a student of knowledge, when he seeks knowledge, if he reads a book or, for example, if he reads some verses from the Qur'an to seek blessing from them, does this mean it is valid?
The Shaykh : And how?
The questioner : That a student of knowledge, if he reads a book or seeks knowledge, that before that he reads something from the Qur'an to seek blessing from it?
The Shaykh : Yes, this is not correct. That is, it is not established to precede the sermons with the Qur'an, whether the Friday sermons, gatherings of dhikr, or lectures, for example. This was not transmitted. However, people have adopted it recently; some of them adopted it from others. Yes, if we assume that the topic of the lecture relates to verses from the Qur'an and he brings the verses that relate to the lecture, there is no harm in that, and the lecture would be like tafsir, for example. He wants to speak about fasting, so he reads the verse about fasting before the lecture; there is no harm in that. But intentionally adhering to reading verses from the Qur'an before beginning to speak or lecture, this has no basis.
The questioner : Okay, Shaykh, I mean if he reads an ordinary book.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Between himself and [the book], that he reads verses from the Qur'an, then...
The Shaykh : No, he does not read anything.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : And he does not say "I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan" either. Even if he intends to read hadith, he does not say "I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan," because Allah specified this for the Qur'an, saying: "When you recite the Qur'an, then seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan."
The Shaykh : And how?
The questioner : That a student of knowledge, if he reads a book or seeks knowledge, that before that he reads something from the Qur'an to seek blessing from it?
The Shaykh : Yes, this is not correct. That is, it is not established to precede the sermons with the Qur'an, whether the Friday sermons, gatherings of dhikr, or lectures, for example. This was not transmitted. However, people have adopted it recently; some of them adopted it from others. Yes, if we assume that the topic of the lecture relates to verses from the Qur'an and he brings the verses that relate to the lecture, there is no harm in that, and the lecture would be like tafsir, for example. He wants to speak about fasting, so he reads the verse about fasting before the lecture; there is no harm in that. But intentionally adhering to reading verses from the Qur'an before beginning to speak or lecture, this has no basis.
The questioner : Okay, Shaykh, I mean if he reads an ordinary book.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : Between himself and [the book], that he reads verses from the Qur'an, then...
The Shaykh : No, he does not read anything.
The questioner : May Allah reward you.
The Shaykh : And he does not say "I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan" either. Even if he intends to read hadith, he does not say "I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan," because Allah specified this for the Qur'an, saying: "When you recite the Qur'an, then seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan."