If one reads a book but does not understand it, is it an act of worship, or a waste of time?
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Question:
If a person wants to read some books and seeks benefit from them, he might spend three hours or more on a book about a certain topic, finish it, and not understand anything of what he read. Is this an act of worship, or a waste of time? Please advise us, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is obligatory for the student of knowledge, and for the seeker of truth, to seek truth through its proper means. The greatest, best, largest, and most beneficial path is the path of the Book of Allah, the Qur'an. This is the greatest thing. Many people, when I mention the Book and the Sunnah, have no enthusiasm; they turn to something else. The greatest path, the greatest way, the best path, and the most successful path is the great Book of Allah, followed by the Sunnah of the Messenger, the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him). These are the paths; these are the two paths.
So the believer turns to the Qur'an, increases in its recitation, and reflects on its meanings. Why was it revealed except for you? So that you may benefit. Allah did not reveal it for animals or inanimate objects; He revealed it for you, for the two heavy burdens, the jinn and mankind, so that they may understand and learn. He, the Exalted, says: [Surah Sad: 29], meaning, O Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), to you, meaning to you and your Ummah. It was revealed to him so that he and his Ummah may benefit from it: [Surah Sad: 29].
And He, the Exalted, says: [Surah Muhammad: 24]. Who are they? You, the jinn and mankind, are those who reflect. It is not the animals: [Surah Muhammad: 24]. And He, the Exalted, says: [Surah Al-Isra: 9] [Surah Fussilat: 44].
So, O my brother, you must turn to the Qur'an, increase in its recitation, reflect on its meanings, and pause at the verses. It says: [Surah Al-Isra: 9]. What does "guides to that which is most straight" mean? It means it indicates to people the path that is most straight; it guides them. So seek guidance from this Book, and ask your Lord to make you understand it, to help you, and to grant your heart correct understanding. It was not revealed in vain: [Surah Fussilat: 44]. It is a Book: [Surah Sad: 29].
So you must reflect and use your intellect. Pause at the verses, benefit from them, and know what Allah intends from them. If something is difficult for you, you have the books of tafsir (exegesis); refer to the books of tafsir: Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, Al-Baghawi, Al-Shawkani, Al-Qurtubi, and others. Look into them, and the most beneficial and best of them are: Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, and Al-Baghawi. These books are accessible, praise be to Allah, and are available. Review the words of the scholars regarding them and benefit from them.
Likewise, review the hadiths of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and benefit from them. If you are a student of knowledge, you have Al-Bukhari, you have Muslim, and you have abridgments: such as Al-Muntaqa by Ibn Taymiyyah, Bulugh al-Maram by Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, and 'Umdat al-Hadith by Al-Hafiz 'Abd al-Ghani. These abridgments benefit you; contemplate them. Look at what relates to prayer in the chapters of prayer, what relates to zakah in the chapters of zakah, what relates to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) in the chapters of tawhid, and so on. Then ask the people of knowledge.
As for unknown books, books whose status you do not know, do not waste your time in them. Do not waste your time in books about which you know nothing. Let your time go to known books for the sake of benefit. Stick to the well-known books that contain benefit and good. The greatest of them is the Noble Book, the Qur'an, followed by the books of the Sunnah: Al-Bukhari and Muslim. The abridgments from these are: Al-Muntaqa, Bulugh al-Maram, 'Umdat al-Hadith, the book of Abu Dawud, the book of Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan Al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Musnad Ahmad. If you are a student of knowledge, and if you are a layperson, ask the people of knowledge. Increase in the Qur'an and reflect on the Qur'an, perhaps you will benefit, and ask the people of knowledge about what is difficult for you.
As for seeking books that have recently appeared among people, whose status you do not know, and wasting your time in them, no. But if they are good books that the scholars have praised and directed you to, there is no harm in allocating time for them. Take from them what agrees with the Book and the Sunnah, and praise Allah for that. And what contradicts the Book and the Sunnah, leave it. Some books are beneficial; they guide to the Book and the Sunnah, help in understanding the Book and the Sunnah, and help in understanding authentic and weak hadiths. There is no harm in that.
But some people waste their time in magazines, in daily newspapers, in books of no value, whose authors are not known for virtue or knowledge. Their time goes by, night and day, reading a magazine from beginning to end, full of myths, misguidance, or things of no value, or in an unknown book, or a misguided and misleading book, or otherwise. And they have the Book of Allah, which contains guidance and light, and they have the Sunnah of the Messenger, which contains guidance and light, and they have the words of the known people of knowledge, renowned for guidance and knowledge. They leave these aside. This is one of the paths of misguidance; this is blindness: [Surah Al-Hajj: 46].
Question:...؟
Answer: Meaning, if he is a student of knowledge, that is sufficient. If he is not a student of knowledge, he does not read. But if he is a student of knowledge, affiliated with knowledge, he reads and benefits from the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and benefits from the words of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He). And if something is difficult for him, he looks into it. What is the meaning of the verse in the tafsir of Ibn Kathir, in Al-Jalalayn, in Al-Baghawi, in Ibn Jarir, in Al-Shawkani? And he asks his good fellow students. They discuss it with him. He does not belittle them. A fellow student may be better than a teacher. A good fellow student may understand you better than a teacher. He may give you only one or two words. Understand with the good fellow students, and with your good teacher whom you study with. Choose from the teachers the best, most beneficial, most zealous for Allah, and most knowledgeable, so that you may benefit.
Question: He asks: Is he rewarded even if he did not benefit from it, if he read it?
Answer: He is rewarded, he is rewarded. But he should read according to the benefit. If something is difficult for him, he does not stop at ignorance. He reviews the book, reviews the tafsir, reviews his fellow students, they cooperate, he reviews the teachers. He does not accept the ignorance of what he did not understand. I say he does not accept this. Meaning, he benefits. If he is ignorant of something that matters to him, he reviews the tafsir, reviews the people of knowledge...
If a person wants to read some books and seeks benefit from them, he might spend three hours or more on a book about a certain topic, finish it, and not understand anything of what he read. Is this an act of worship, or a waste of time? Please advise us, may Allah reward you with good.
Answer:
It is obligatory for the student of knowledge, and for the seeker of truth, to seek truth through its proper means. The greatest, best, largest, and most beneficial path is the path of the Book of Allah, the Qur'an. This is the greatest thing. Many people, when I mention the Book and the Sunnah, have no enthusiasm; they turn to something else. The greatest path, the greatest way, the best path, and the most successful path is the great Book of Allah, followed by the Sunnah of the Messenger, the Chosen One (peace and blessings be upon him). These are the paths; these are the two paths.
So the believer turns to the Qur'an, increases in its recitation, and reflects on its meanings. Why was it revealed except for you? So that you may benefit. Allah did not reveal it for animals or inanimate objects; He revealed it for you, for the two heavy burdens, the jinn and mankind, so that they may understand and learn. He, the Exalted, says:
a Book which We have revealed to you
كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.
كِتَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِAnd He, the Exalted, says:
Then do they not reflect upon the Qur'an?
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَThen do they not reflect upon the Qur'an, or are there locks upon [their] hearts?
أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَاIndeed, this Qur'an guides to that which is most suitable
إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُSay, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure."
قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌSo, O my brother, you must turn to the Qur'an, increase in its recitation, reflect on its meanings, and pause at the verses. It says:
Indeed, this Qur'an guides to that which is most suitable
إِنَّ هَذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُSay, "It is, for those who believe, a guidance and cure."
قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ[This is] a blessed Book which We have revealed to you, [O Muhammad], that they might reflect upon its verses and that those of understanding would be reminded.
تَابٌ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِSo you must reflect and use your intellect. Pause at the verses, benefit from them, and know what Allah intends from them. If something is difficult for you, you have the books of tafsir (exegesis); refer to the books of tafsir: Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, Al-Baghawi, Al-Shawkani, Al-Qurtubi, and others. Look into them, and the most beneficial and best of them are: Ibn Jarir, Ibn Kathir, and Al-Baghawi. These books are accessible, praise be to Allah, and are available. Review the words of the scholars regarding them and benefit from them.
Likewise, review the hadiths of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) and benefit from them. If you are a student of knowledge, you have Al-Bukhari, you have Muslim, and you have abridgments: such as Al-Muntaqa by Ibn Taymiyyah, Bulugh al-Maram by Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar, and 'Umdat al-Hadith by Al-Hafiz 'Abd al-Ghani. These abridgments benefit you; contemplate them. Look at what relates to prayer in the chapters of prayer, what relates to zakah in the chapters of zakah, what relates to tawhid (the oneness of Allah) in the chapters of tawhid, and so on. Then ask the people of knowledge.
As for unknown books, books whose status you do not know, do not waste your time in them. Do not waste your time in books about which you know nothing. Let your time go to known books for the sake of benefit. Stick to the well-known books that contain benefit and good. The greatest of them is the Noble Book, the Qur'an, followed by the books of the Sunnah: Al-Bukhari and Muslim. The abridgments from these are: Al-Muntaqa, Bulugh al-Maram, 'Umdat al-Hadith, the book of Abu Dawud, the book of Al-Tirmidhi, Sunan Al-Nasa'i, Ibn Majah, and Musnad Ahmad. If you are a student of knowledge, and if you are a layperson, ask the people of knowledge. Increase in the Qur'an and reflect on the Qur'an, perhaps you will benefit, and ask the people of knowledge about what is difficult for you.
As for seeking books that have recently appeared among people, whose status you do not know, and wasting your time in them, no. But if they are good books that the scholars have praised and directed you to, there is no harm in allocating time for them. Take from them what agrees with the Book and the Sunnah, and praise Allah for that. And what contradicts the Book and the Sunnah, leave it. Some books are beneficial; they guide to the Book and the Sunnah, help in understanding the Book and the Sunnah, and help in understanding authentic and weak hadiths. There is no harm in that.
But some people waste their time in magazines, in daily newspapers, in books of no value, whose authors are not known for virtue or knowledge. Their time goes by, night and day, reading a magazine from beginning to end, full of myths, misguidance, or things of no value, or in an unknown book, or a misguided and misleading book, or otherwise. And they have the Book of Allah, which contains guidance and light, and they have the Sunnah of the Messenger, which contains guidance and light, and they have the words of the known people of knowledge, renowned for guidance and knowledge. They leave these aside. This is one of the paths of misguidance; this is blindness:
For indeed, it is not eyes that are blinded, but blinded are the hearts which are within the breasts.
فَإِنَّهَا لَا تَعْمَى الْأَبْصَارُ وَلَكِنْ تَعْمَى الْقُلُوبُ الَّتِي فِي الصُّدُورِQuestion:...؟
Answer: Meaning, if he is a student of knowledge, that is sufficient. If he is not a student of knowledge, he does not read. But if he is a student of knowledge, affiliated with knowledge, he reads and benefits from the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and benefits from the words of Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He). And if something is difficult for him, he looks into it. What is the meaning of the verse in the tafsir of Ibn Kathir, in Al-Jalalayn, in Al-Baghawi, in Ibn Jarir, in Al-Shawkani? And he asks his good fellow students. They discuss it with him. He does not belittle them. A fellow student may be better than a teacher. A good fellow student may understand you better than a teacher. He may give you only one or two words. Understand with the good fellow students, and with your good teacher whom you study with. Choose from the teachers the best, most beneficial, most zealous for Allah, and most knowledgeable, so that you may benefit.
Question: He asks: Is he rewarded even if he did not benefit from it, if he read it?
Answer: He is rewarded, he is rewarded. But he should read according to the benefit. If something is difficult for him, he does not stop at ignorance. He reviews the book, reviews the tafsir, reviews his fellow students, they cooperate, he reviews the teachers. He does not accept the ignorance of what he did not understand. I say he does not accept this. Meaning, he benefits. If he is ignorant of something that matters to him, he reviews the tafsir, reviews the people of knowledge...
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.