"I am never full of reading books

"I am never full of reading books and If I were to come across a book I did not read yet, it is as though I have come across a treasure. If I said that I have read twenty thousand book than it is more that, and yet, I am still seeking out knowledge"

-'Sayd Al-Khatir' by Ibn Al-Jawzi

books are better than the castles of the kings

al-Ansari: 

"To me, books are better than the castles of the kings."

(al-Majmu' 1/395)

The book is a companion

Al-Jaahiz, an Arab writer from centuries ago, advised one to repel anxiety through the reading of books:

"The book is a companion that does not praise you and does not entice you to evil. It is a friend that does not bore you, and it is a neighbor that causes you no harm. It is an acquaintance that desires not to extract from you favors through flattery, and it does not deceive you with duplicity

 and lies. When you are poring through the pages of a book, your senses are stimulated and your intellect sharpens... Through reading the biographies of others, you gain an appreciation of common people while learning the ways of kings. It can even be said that you sometimes learn from the pages of a book in a month, that which you do not learn from the tongues of men in a century. All this benefit, yet no loss in wealth and no need to stand at the door of the teacher who is waiting for his fees or to learn from someone who is lower than you in manners. The book obeys you by night as it does by day, both when you are traveling and when you are at home. A book is not impaired by sleep nor does it tire in the late hours of the night. It is the teacher who is there for you whenever you are in need of it, and it is the teacher who, if you refuse to give to it, does not refuse to give to you. If you abandon it, it does not decrease in obedience. And when all turn against you, showing you enmity, it remains by your side. As long as you are remotely attached to a book, it suffices you from having to keep company with those that are idle. It prevents you from sitting on your doorstep and watching those who pass by. It saves you from mixing with those that are frivolous in their character, foul in their speech, and woeful in their ignorance. If the only benefit of a book was that it keeps you from foolish daydreaming and prevents you from frivolity, it would certainly be considered a true friend who has given you a great favor."

a book was resting on my chest.”

Hassan Al-Lo’lo’i has said:

لقد غبرت لي أربعون عاماً ما قمتُ ولا نمت إلا والكتاب على صدري

“Forty years of my life have passed in which I never awoke or went to sleep except that a book was resting on my chest.”


["Jami Al-Bayan Al-Ilm wa Fadlih", 1231]

There is no frigate like a book

There is no frigate like a book
To take us lands away,
Nor any coursers like a page
Of prancing poetry.
This traverse may the poorest take
Without oppress of toll;
How frugal is the chariot
That bears a human soul!

I never tasted the sweetness of life

Al-Qadi ‘Ali ibn Abdul Aziz al-Jurjani said: 


ما تطعمت لذة العيش حتى .. صرت للبيت والكــتاب جليسا
ليس شيء أعز من العــلــــم ... فما أبتغي سواه أنيسا
......إنما الذل في مخالطـةِ الــنـا س ... فدعهم وعش عزيزاً رئيسا

“I never tasted the sweetness of life until
I became a companion of home and book,
There is nothing more honourable than knowledge,
So I seek in no other an associate,
Truly the only degradation is in mixing with people,
Therefore leave them and live nobly and stately.

A Pen for a Deenar! The Importance of Taking Notes

The matter of taking notes is an issue which unfortunately many people today, even including some students of knowledge, tend to take lightly. Many don’t realise the amazing benefits of taking notes when attending gatherings of knowledge.


The Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wasallam) described gatherings of knowledge as being from the Meadows of Paradise.
Ibn Umar reported that the Prophet said, “When you pass by the Meadows of Paradise, avail yourselves of them.” The Companions asked, “What are the Meadows of Paradise, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied, “The circles of dhikr (remembrance). There are roaming angels of Allah who go about looking for the circles of dhikr and when they find them, they surround them closely.” [Tirmidhi & Ahmad]


The great scholar Imam Qurtubi (raheemaullah) described gatherings of dhikr as,
“Gatherings of dhikr are the gatherings of knowledge and admonition. Those in which the Words of Allah, the Sunnah of His Messenger, accounts of our righteous predecessors and sayings of the righteous scholars are learned and practised, without any addition or innovation.”
Therefore when attending such gatherings of knowledge and remembrance, we should try to utilise and to gain as much benefit as we can, ascribing to seek spiritual nourishment of the soul and also intending to connect closer with Allah, by learning His deen. Not forgetting that the noble scribes of Allah also descend upon such gatherings. For these reasons, for one to truly attain benefit from such gatherings, we should try and capture the pearls of knowledge being taught by taking down notes.
Our blessed Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wasallam) himself commanded writing down knowledge in gatherings where knowledge is being taught. It is reported in an authentic hadith reported by Imam Khateeb al-Baghdadi (raheemaullah), that the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wasallam) said,
“‘Trap knowledge.’” The Companions asked, ‘How Messenger of Allah?’ The Prophet replied, ‘By writing it down.’”


If we were to attend a gathering of knowledge simply with our minds, we may understand the knowledge which is being taught at that moment in time, however when the class ends and we walk out the door, it is unlikely we will retain everything we just heard.
Thus by taking good notes, Insha‘Allah we will be able to preserve the knowledge that we have learnt for the future. Taking notes also helps to stop the mind from wandering during lessons of knowledge. One of the major scholars of our time, Shaikh Bakr Abu Zayd (raheemaullah) said,
“Do your utmost to preserve the knowledge in written form, because binding knowledge by way of writing, is a safeguard from losing it.”


If we look into the lives of the Salaf, we find many examples of how they would busy themselves with writing and taking notes. Some of them while attending circles of knowledge would even go to the extent of writing down notes onto their sleeves, if they ran out of paper. It has also been reported that if they ran out of space to write on their sleeves, they would then even go to the extent of writing on the top of their shoes! After the circle finished they would then walk home barefoot while holding their shoes in their hands. Upon reaching their home, they would then transfer the notes from their shoes onto paper. Imam Ash-Sha’bi (raheemaullah) said,
“If you hear anything (which brings you benefit), write it down, even on a wall.”
An amusing incident which highlights the importance of taking notes has been narrated by Muhammad Ibn Mubashshir al-Karmeeni (raheemaullah) who said,

“Once Muhammad Ibn Salaam al-Baikandi’s pen broke whilst in the gathering of a Shaikh, so he announced, “A pen for a Deenaar!” Whereby immediately pens began to fall upon him.” [Siyar A’laam an-Nubalaa, Vol 10, page 629]

Subhan‘Allah! So important was writing down knowledge to Muhammad Ibn Salaam al-Baikandi that he was willing to pay as much as a Deenaar for a pen during his time. Whereby he received so many offers from people hoping to secure the Deenaar, that pens started to rain down on him from all directions!
This is just another example of the strong zeal and eagerness that our Salaf had for taking notes. We should try our utmost to bring some of this same zeal and eagerness into our lives also, so that we may also benefit further Insha’Allah, the next time we attend the Meadows of Paradise.

By Abu Taymiyyah Shafiq Siddiq

“I never tasted the sweetness of life until..

Al-Qadi ‘Ali ibn Abdul Aziz al-Jurjani said: 


ما تطعمت لذة العيش حتى .. صرت للبيت والكــتاب جليسا
ليس شيء أعز من العــلــــم ... فما أبتغي سواه أنيسا
......إنما الذل في مخالطـةِ الــنـا س ... فدعهم وعش عزيزاً رئيسا

“I never tasted the sweetness of life until
I became a companion of home and book,
There is nothing more honourable than knowledge,
So I seek in no other an associate,
Truly the only degradation is in mixing with people,
Therefore leave them and live nobly and stately.”

Extracted from a book 'La Tahzan' by Aiz al- Qarni

The Virtue of Reading Books

Collected by Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr in ‘Jami’ Bayan al-’Ilm wa Fadlih,’ the chapter titled: ‘The Virtue of Looking Through Books and the Praiseworthiness of Tending to Them’:

2414: Abu ‘Abdullah Muhammad bin Isma’il al-Bukhari was asked:

“What is it that strengthens one’s memory?”

He replied: “Constantly looking through books.”

2415: Ahmad bin Abi ‘Imran said:

“I was with Abu Ayyub Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Shuja’, and he was staying in his house. So, he sent one of his sons to Abu ‘Abdillah bin al-A’rabi to invite him over.

The boy returned, saying: “I asked him this, and he said to me: “I am with a group, and when I am done being taught by them, I will be over,” and I did not see a single person at his house. Rather, he had in front of him books that he was looking through. He would look in this book for some time, and then look in another book for some time.”

Shortly thereafter, he arrived. So, Abu Ayyub said to him: “O Abu ‘Abdillah! Glory be to Allah, the Mighty! You stayed behind and prevented us from your presence, and my son said that he did not see anyone with you, and that you said you were with a group, and that you would come as soon as you were done being taught by them!”

So, Ibn al-A’rabi said:

We have company who sit with us and do not bore us * Loyal ones who can be trusted while they are present or away;

They benefit us from their knowledge of what happened in the past * And intelligence, manners, and opinions that are correct;

With no fear of conflicts or bad companionship * And one does not fear from their tongue or hand;

So, if you say that they are dead: nay! You are a liar * And if you say they are alive, you are not far from the truth…

Translator’s note: He did not lie, as he was referring to his books as his companions, and this is from the ma’arid (metaphoric speech) that do not count as lies, as was narrated authentically from ‘Imran bin Husayn, ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, and Ibn ‘Abbas.

2416: It was said to Abi al-’Abbas Ahmad bin Yahya (Tha’lab):

“The people have greatly missed you. If only you could leave your house for just a bit and show yourself to the people so that they could benefit from you, and you could benefit from them.”

So, he stayed silent for an hour, and said:

If we accompanied the kings, they would act arrogantly with us * And would belittle the rights of those they were accompanying;

Or if we accompanied the merchants, we would become sorrowful * And would become mere counters of money;

So, we remained in our homes, extracting knowledge * And filling with it the stomachs of these pages

2419: From what was memorized in the past:

What a great speaker and companion the book is! * You can seclude yourself with it if your friends bore you;

It does not reveal your secrets, and is not arrogant * And you can gain from it wisdom and uprightness…

2420: Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Ahmad recited to me:

And the sweetest that a youth can desire after piety * Is knowledge that is beautified for him to seek it;

And for every seeker, there is a pleasure that he desires * And the pleasure of the scholar is his books…

2421: And he asked me to add to the above, and I immediately followed up with this in his presence:

The book relieves the concerns of its reader * And when he reads, his exhaustion disappears;

What a great companion it is if you seclude yourself with it * You do not fear it plotting against you, or causing commotion…

2424: Abu ‘Amr bin al-’Ala’ said:

“I never entered upon a man or passed by his door – seeing him with a book in his hand, and his companion doing nothing – except that I judged him to be the more intelligent one.”

2425: ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abd al-’Aziz bin ‘Umar bin ‘Abd al-’Aziz said:

“I never saw a better admonisher than the grave, or anything more satisfying than a book, or anything safer than lack of socialization.”

2426: al-Hasan al-Lu’lu’i said:

“Forty years of my life have passed in which I never awoke or went to sleep except that a book was resting on my chest."

Life is a book with many chapters

“Life is a book with many chapters. Some tell of tragedy, others tell of triumph. Some are dull and ordinary, others intense and exciting. The key to success in life is to never stop on a difficult page, to never quit on a tough chapter. Champions have the courage to keep turning the pages because they know that a better chapter always lies ahead, because with Allah all things are possible.And the last chapter of a book is always the best."

"The benefits of Reading" by Aidh Al Qarni

"The benefits of Reading" by Aidh Al Qarni
1) Reading repels anxiety and grief.

2) While busy reading, one is prevented from delving into falsehood.

3) Habitual reading makes one too busy to keep company with the idle and the inactive.

4) By reading often, one develops eloquence and clarity in speech.

5) Reading helps to develop the mind and purify its thoughts (remember that this also depends upon what you are reading!!! This applies to the whole of this list)

6) Reading increases one in knowledge and improves both memory and understanding.

7) By reading, one benefits from the experiences of others: the wisdom of the wise and the understanding of scholars.

8) By reading often, one develops the ability to both acquire and process knowledge and to learn about the different fields of knowledge and their applications to life.

9) Ones faith will increase when one reads beneficial books, especially books written by practising muslim writers. The book is the best giver of sermons and it has a forceful effect in guiding one towards goodness and away from evil.

10) Reading helps to relax one's mind from distraction and to save one's time from being wasted.

11) By reading often, one gains a mastery over many words and learns the different constructions of sentences; moreover, one improves his ability to grasp concepts and to understand what is written 'between the lines'



'(This is the) Book (the Qur'an) sent down unto you (O' Muhammad), so let not your breast be narrow therefrom, that you warn thereby, and a reminder unto the believers' [Qur'an 7:2]


"The benefits of Reading" by Aidh Al Qarni

Not returning borrowed books

Not returning borrowed books

al-Hafith al-Suyooti said in Tadreeb ar-Rawee 2/53:

"When someone borrows a book they should not keep it for a longer time than that needed.
Al-Zuhri said: be watchful of hording borrowed books, keeping them from their owners.

Al-Fudail said: it is not the act of the pious or the wise to take someone’s books and not to return them back to him. He who does so is an oppressor of himself.

Sufyan At-Thawri said: whoever is stingy with knowledge will be stricken with one of three things: he will forget it, die without benefiting from it, or will loose his books."

Your Best Companion Is A Book

Shaykh 'Aa'id bin 'Abdullah al-Qarni"Don't Be Sad"(p. 135-139)

An activity that brings about joy is for you to read a book and develop your mind through the acquisition of knowledge.

Al-Jaahiz, the writer, advises you to repel anxiety through reading books. It will repel boredom and depression. He said:

"The book is a companion that does not praise you and does not entice you to evil. It is a friend that does not bore you and it is a neighbour that causes you no harm. It is an acquaintance that desires not to extract from you favours through flattery and it does not deceive you with duplicity and lies. When you are poring through the pages of a book, your senses are stimulated and your intellect sharpens. Furthermore, your tongue will find eloquence and grandeur. Through reading the biographies of others, you gain an appreciation of common people and you learn the ways of kings. It can even be said that you sometimes learn from the pages of a book in a month, that which you do not learn from the tongues of men in a century. All this benefit, yet no loss in wealth and no need to stand at the door of the teacher who is waiting for his fees, to learn from someone who is lower than you in manners.

The book obeys you by night as it does by day, both when you are travelling and when you are at home. A book is not impaired by sleep nor does it tire in the late hours of the night. It is the teacher who is there with you wherever you are in need of it and it is the teacher, who, if you refuse to give to it, it does not refuse to give to you. If you abandon it, it does not decree in obedience. And when all turn against you, showing you enmity, it remains by your side. As long as you are remotely attached to a book, it suffices you from having to keep company with those who are idle. It prevents you from sitting on your doorstep and watching those who pass by. It saves you from mixing with those who are frivolous in their character, who are foul in their speech, who are base in character, and who are woeful in their ignorance. If the only benefit of a book was that it keeps you from foolish daydreaming and prevents you from frivolity, it would certainly be considered to be a true friend who has given you a great favour."

Sayings Concerning the Virtues of Books

Abu 'Ubaydah said:

"Al-Muhallab advised his son, saying: 'O son, do not linger in the marketplace except at the place of the maker of armour or the book vendor.'"

Al-Hasan al-Lulu'ee said:

"Forty years have passed, and I have not dozed off in the day or at night nor have I lied down except that a book was resting on my chest."

Ibn al-Jahm said:

"If I feel drowsy when it is time to sleep - and wasteful is the sleep that exceeds one's needs - I take up a book from the books of wisdom and I find bliss in coming across a pearl and rapture when I find something interesting. The state of my heart when I am happily engaged in reading and learning keeps me awake more than does the braying of the donkey or the shrill noise of something breaking."

He also said:

"If I find a book to be agreeable and enjoyable, and if I deem it to be beneficial, you will see me hour after hour checking how many pages were left, from fear of being close to the end. And if it is many volumes with a great number of pages, my life is complete, my happiness total."

And the best, highest, and worthiest of books is:

"[This is the] Book [the Qur'an] sent down unto you [O Muhammad] so let not your breast be narrow therefrom, that you warn thereby..."(7:2)


The Benefits of Reading

1) Reading repels anxiety and grief.

2) While busy reading, one is prevented from delving into falsehood.

3) Reading makes one too busy to keep company with the idle and the inactive.

4) By reading often, one develops eloquence and clarity of speech.

5) Reading helps to develop the mind and purify its thoughts.

6) Reading increases knowledge and improves both memory and understanding.

7) By reading, one benefits from the experiences of others: the wisdom of the wise and the understanding of scholars.

8) Maturing one's ability to acquire and to process knowledge, to learn about the different fields of knowledge and their applications to life - these benefits are derived through reading.

9) Your faith will increase when you read beneficial books, especially books written by practicing Muslim writers. The book is the best giver of sermons and it has a forceful effect in guiding one toward goodness and away from evil.

10) Reading helps to relax one's mind from distraction and saves one's time from being wasted.

11) By reading often, one gains mastery over more words and learns the different constructions of sentences; moreover, one improves in his ability to grasp concepts and to understand that which is written between the lines.

An Arab poet said:

"Nourishment of the soul is in concepts and meanings,And not in food and drink