December
18, 2014
By
Asharib Syed
**Editor's
Note: Many of the ayahs referenced by number below are partial ayahs.
Imam
Suyuti defines a verse as “Kullu ayatin wafqatun li tadabur”—“every
verse is a moment of reflection, a pause for contemplation.”[1]
Qur'an is
relevant today, just as it was almost 2 millennia ago. We need to learn to use
it, and make it our friend throughout all stages of life, all circumstances and
all experiences. Including in our student-life. Here are 22 lessons of guidance
from the Qur'an for students till the end of time:
1. Gratitude
The first
bridge connecting humanity with the divine, through His own sacred words is
gratitude and appreciation.
[All] praise is [due] to Allah , Lord of the
worlds (1:2)
The
Qur'an begins with loving appreciation and gratitude to Allah in a verse that
is both grammatically timeless and speaker-less. Reminding us that whether anyone
thanks Him or not, all gratitude and appreciation belong to Him.
As
students in the developed world, we're some of the most collectively ungrateful
creatures walking under the sun. While others would give up an arm just to hold
a textbook in the other, we're complaining about everything and anything. We
need to remember that foremost, if Allah has given us the time, health,
faculties of thought and opportunity to be in school—any school—it's our job to
show a bit of appreciation and gratitude. As Allah says,
And [remember] when your Lord proclaimed, 'If you
are grateful, I will surely increase you [in favor]….(14:7)
The more
grateful we are for our professors, our classmates, the cafeteria food, the
boring mandatory courses—the more Allah will bless our journey in ways we can't
imagine. Students in Gaza have missile holes where their blackboards are, STOP
COMPLAINING — let's be grateful for our professors, our education, our degree,
our marks and our experience.
Pro tip: Say “Alḥamdulilāh”
whenever you're angry or upset at school related issues. Given how frustrating
student life is, making “Alḥamdulilāh” a part of your daily vocabulary
means a whole lot of blessings will be coming your way!
2. Intention
Since
time immemorial we've learned that the purpose of life is to worship:
And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to
worship Me. (51:56)
Surprise
of the century: This relates to everything in student life too. Every
boring assignment, every 8:30 AM class with a less-than-articulate professor,
every sleepless night—there's a reason for the madness. As students, our habits
define our experiences. Take a moment to step back and dream big. Why are you
here? This is one question that won't be asked in any multiple choice exam, but
one that you should ask yourself often.
Islam
encourages you to dream big. School tells you what the world can give you,
Islam asks you what you can give to the world. Dream big and don't let anyone
tell you otherwise, as your rewards are based on the audacity, ambition and
depth of your dreams.
Maybe you
want to save the world, end poverty, protect the world from financial crisis—or
maybe you just want a halal job, to settle down, raise a family and provide for
your parents. Both are respectable and worthwhile intentions to make our
student experience worship. Yes, even your Google search becomes worship with
the right intention.
Islam
literally means submission, and part of this submission means to acknowledge
that your entire existence is 'ibādah — worship of Allah.
Say, “Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my
living and my dying are for Allah , Lord of the worlds.” (6:162)
Pro Tip: Write down one simple goal (get a
job, retire parents, raise a pious family), one medium-level goal (start a
small business, build a masjid, lead local da'wah efforts), and one
epic-level goal (start the next global corporation to empower world's
developing nation, build hospitals across war-torn lands, establish the state
of Palestine through peaceful diplomacy and partnership, build networks of
orphanages, etc.)
3. Seek Knowledge
Allah
Al-'Aleem (All-Knowing) chose an unlettered man who grew up as an orphan, to
receive the first revelation: “اقْرَأْ”,
“Read!” (96:1). The first command by Allah to the last messenger of God,
to the last era of humanity was “Read!” Talk about the start of a
'knowledge-based' era. This theme of “اقْرَأْ”
was the foundation to the birth of our civilization, from the ascent of Islam
to the rise of innovation in Islamic Andalus (Europe). Our rise and fall as a nation
was correlated to our commitment to “اقْرَأْ.”
Just as
when European aristocrats sent the best of their society to learn from Muslim
academics in Andalus at a time when Europe was plunged in dark ages; when
Muslim cities were geographies of learning and the pursuit of curiosity; the
world sought knowledge through the vessel of Islamic scholarship, now, it's our
responsibility to continue this tradition of learning and curiosity as a
continuation of the theme of “اقْرَأْ.”
Prophet
Muhammed 
was commanded to say,
was commanded to say,
My Lord Increase me, and increase me in
knowledge. (20:114)
Grammarians
have noted that the actual du'a is a prayer not just for an increase in
knowledge, but an increase in general. Suggesting that knowledge makes
you a better human, a better father, a better husband, a better mother, a
better individual in society.
Pro Tip: Paradigm shift—try to squeeze a lesson out of
every lemon of a situation. Can't understand your prof's accent or teaching
style in advanced chemistry? Well, you may not learn chemistry but at least you
learned how to give effective presentations!
4. Hard
Work, Dedication, and Patience
We learn
from Muhammad what it means to struggle and
persevere for a mission. When you're on a mission you hustle, you exert
yourself, you put all that you have into reaching the finish line. One of the
earliest revelations:
what it means to struggle and
persevere for a mission. When you're on a mission you hustle, you exert
yourself, you put all that you have into reaching the finish line. One of the
earliest revelations:
Spend the night awake in prayer, except for a
little bit of sleep. (73:2)
Allah is
teaching the Prophet that when you have a purpose, you
must be dedicated, sleeplessly striving for your vision. When you're driven
with intention, Allah tells us we don't have time to sleep. You're
living to make your dreams a reality, while others are sleeping to glimpse at
dreams during the night.
that when you have a purpose, you
must be dedicated, sleeplessly striving for your vision. When you're driven
with intention, Allah tells us we don't have time to sleep. You're
living to make your dreams a reality, while others are sleeping to glimpse at
dreams during the night.
We also
learn dedication from the story of Nuh 
:
:
He said, “My Lord, indeed I invited my people [to
truth] night and day.” (71:5)
When
studying is worship, when you have a goal, when you have a mission—Islam
teaches us through the stories of the Prophets that we must persevere and
sleeplessly struggle for our dreams.
Pro Tip: Whatever your level of
dedication, hustle to commitment: raise your bar higher. Ask, what can you do
(or not do) to make yourself more successful? Maybe taking 45 minute showers
isn't that productive? Or maybe you can survive on 5-6 hours of sleep?
5. Sometimes
it Doesn't Make Sense
You're
studying, sometimes it's so confusing, you're just thinking why me? Why can't
my teacher just get that I don't care? Why can't my parents just understand the
trauma I'm going through studying something that's 'so useless'? Guess what?
The world may not understand you, but Allah does. When Yusuf (a
prophet, the son of a prophet, and the grandson of a prophet) was at the bottom
of a well—rock bottom—imagine what he could have thought about? Why am I here?
Why am I going through this? Why me? When he was at the bottom of the well,
Allah said:
(a
prophet, the son of a prophet, and the grandson of a prophet) was at the bottom
of a well—rock bottom—imagine what he could have thought about? Why am I here?
Why am I going through this? Why me? When he was at the bottom of the well,
Allah said:
And thus, Allah established Yusuf on Earth. (12:21)
Allah is
saying Yusuf could
only become the king through first spending time at the bottom of a well.
Likewise, the pain, trauma and the boredom – it may not make sense now, but it
may be the source of unimaginable prosperity in the future.
could
only become the king through first spending time at the bottom of a well.
Likewise, the pain, trauma and the boredom – it may not make sense now, but it
may be the source of unimaginable prosperity in the future.
Similarly:
just as when the mother of Moses threw her son into a river, not knowing why or
where he'll go and risking it all—Allah said:
So that you may grow and raise up under my eyes
(20:39)
Allah had
a plan for baby Musa ,
just as he has a plan for you and me. We must be patient for that plan to
unfold, and trust in Allah when things don't make sense in the short term.
,
just as he has a plan for you and me. We must be patient for that plan to
unfold, and trust in Allah when things don't make sense in the short term.
Pro Tip: Stay the course. Allah's got
you covered, it may not make sense now, but know that Allah's got your back—just
as he did for baby Musa ,
only to escape death and be raised as a prince in the palace of his killer, to
liberate an entire nation; and just as he took Yusuf from
the bottom of the well to becoming the Prince of Egypt.
,
only to escape death and be raised as a prince in the palace of his killer, to
liberate an entire nation; and just as he took Yusuf from
the bottom of the well to becoming the Prince of Egypt.
So go to
that mandatory social science class with your head high, having no idea why
you're there—but having the certainty that it'll make sense sometime in the
future.
6. It's
a Fitnah
School is
'fitnatizing' on so many levels. We've all thought about how school can be a “musibah”
(a test, a calamity, a disastrous hardship). Linguistically, “musibah”
means an arrow that has reached its mark—suggesting that what you are going
through was meant to happen. It was designed for you. Allah designed your high
school, college or university experience custom tailored for you.
We will test you, both through difficulty and ease.
(21:35).
Rolling
on Cloud 9 with smooth winds? Or barely lifting off the troughs from
Mississauga Valley? Good times and hard times are a test.
Pro Tip:
Just as
your university test is a test: your reaction, your patience and how you deal
with that test—is a test in itself.
7. Get Taqwa
= Get Knowledge
If you are conscious of Allah, Allah will give you
knowledge. He will teach you. (2:282)
He will
help you, if you are conscious of Him. Stay away from things for His pleasure,
and do things for Allah's sake—and Allah will teach you. Feeling the burden?
Worried about impossible situations and difficulty? Taqwa -
yourself up. As Allah says:
Whoever is conscious of Allah, Allah will make a
way out for them. (65:2)
Pro Tip: All you need is Taqwa.
The impossible can become the possible, and Allah can help you out in ways you
could never have imagined.
8. Repent,
do Istikhfaar, say Astaghfirullāh
If school
has any correlation to monetary gains, such as securing a job through good
marks inshā'Allāh — then the Qur'an has an answer for that: “And oh my
people, repent to your Lord and turn back to him, He'll send the skies pouring
down in rain abundantly, and He'll increase you in strength adding to your
strength, and don't turn away as criminals (11:52)”—elsewhere in the Qur'an
(71:12), Allah links repentance, turning back to Allah, and seeking His
forgiveness to increased wealth, children and prosperity.
Pro Tip: Whenever you're walking (which is
a lot if you're actually on campus, and not skipping class) make it a habit to
say Astaghfirullāh. Before your test, while studying, just keep
saying Astaghfirullāh, “I repent to Allah.” Don't leave an empty
second.
9. Lower
Your Gaze = Get Insight
The
Qur'an (24:30) tells both men—and *ahem* yes, women too, to lower our gaze and
avoid staring at the opposite gender beyond the first immediate glance. Ibn
Qayim[2] reminds us that we can never have insight
and depth without the proper use of our sight. Use your sight properly, and
Allah will give you insight. (The sad irony is that campuses are some of the
hardest places to lower our gaze, yet this is where we're supposed to be
learning and growing intellectually to make the world a better place).
Pro Tip: Have your phone, book, or
magazine in-hand while walking around campus or between classes. Even playing
that horrific Flappy Birds game can be rewarding. Pretend to check the time on
your watch, ridiculously often.
10.
Keep Good Relations with Family
and Fulfill Obligations
While
studying, don't forget to be kind to your parents. Wash your dishes; don't
become a hermit and leave your duties as a brother, sister, etc. Don't be a
zombie! The Qur'an describes the hypocrites as those who:
They break what Allah has enjoined (2:27)
which
includes family ties and duties.
Pro Tip: If you want barakah,
blessings, in your studies, be nice to your parents and do the chores; nothing
like acing that exam by making your mother smile.
11.
Manage Your Time
On the
Day of Judgement, our entire life will seem just like a few hours:
We only lived for a day, or part of a day. (23:113)
The
Qur'an tells us that our life will fly by, just like this exam period will fly
by. Our exam period, or semester is a metaphor to our life on earth—there's a
beginning and there's an end. So just as there's “life after death” and that's
what we're looking forward to—remember, there is “life after exams,” and that's
what you're looking forward to.
Pro Tip: Have a plan, have a schedule,
and use your time wisely.
12.
Don't get Distracted — Turn Away
Allah
describes believers as:
And they who turn away from anything that's not
important, wasteful. (23:3)
Know what
your weaknesses are, where your time gets lost, when and with whom. Allah also
mentions a gentlemen's (or gentlewomen's) caveat, they:
Turn away honourably, with poise and elegant
dignity. (25:72)
Pro Tip: You can't call-out your friends
and family as a waste of time and space, you must leave gatherings and
situations while maintaining elegance and kindness.
13.
Repeat and Review
As
students, we know we're weak. We know we're forgetful, we probably still don't
know our course code for the elective we've been taking for the past 4 months.
Allah knows we're weak in fact he says:
And mankind was created weak (4:28)
Pro Tip: We are a creation that is weak
and forgetful (In fact the word Insaan meaning “mankind,” is a
hyperbolized form of 'someone that forgets' a lot)—therefore, it's our job to
review, repeat and re-read constantly.
Only
Allah is perfect and doesn't forget,
And your lord does not forget. (19:64)
14.
Keep Good Relations with Your
Teachers
They're
the source of knowledge, and regardless of how good or ineffective they may
be—Allah tells us to be kind, gentle and appreciative of them. The story of
Musa and
Khidr in
Surah Kahf is nothing but the story of a student and a teacher.
and
Khidr in
Surah Kahf is nothing but the story of a student and a teacher.
Musa asks his teacher Khidr, “Can I follow you to
learn from what you've been taught?” (18:66)
Pro Tip: We learn humility, patience, and
respect from the Qur'an for our teachers. Of course, this comes in particularly
beneficial when negotiating marks and receiving recommendations.
15.
Get Help, Study Together
Allah
tells us in the Qur'an to get extra help from our teachers, TAs, RAs, or anyone
else:
And ask the people who remember, if you do not know
yourself (16:43)
Pro Tip: To really test the depth of your
knowledge, ask deeper questions. 'Rattle the cages' of assumptions, test the
limits of theories and contemplate on alternative approaches.
16.
Help Others
Now if
you don't need to ask others for help, know that you should help out others. A
fundamental goal of Islam and Muslims is service. Help others and make the
world a better place.
And Allah will help those who help Him. Indeed,
Allah is Powerful and Exalted in Might. (22:40)
Pro Tip: If you're intention is to help
others for the sake of Allah, as part of being a good Muslim and for the sake
of Islam—then Allah will help you out. (Now don't be helping a sister at 10pm
alone on campus, just to show how righteous Muslims really are!)
17.
Eliminate Your Ego and Arrogance
Allah
teaches us intellectual humility:
Above every knowledgeable person, is someone with
more knowledge. (12:76)
Your
mind, your memory, your marks, your GPA, your whatever—it's all from Allah.
Just as you didn't choose to be born with a nose on your face and not on your
toes, you didn't select your inborn talents.
Is not hell the [proper] abode for all who [thus]
deny the truth (29:68)
Pro Tip: Know your place and don't get
arrogant with what you know.
18.
Complain to Allah
When he
lost two of his beloved sons, Yaqub said,
said,
He said I only complain, cry, beg and plea to Allah
about my circumstance (12:86)
Let this
exam period be a chance for you to cry before Allah, talk to him and complain
to him about your worries and fears—don't complain in front of others.
Sometimes Allah sends things in your life, only so you can turn back towards
Allah. He misses your voice and wants you to call Him in times of difficulty
and happiness.
Pro Tip: Complain to Allah, not to others.
19.
Trust in Allah
Yunus was
swallowed up by a whale. In the darkness of the night, in the depths of the
ocean, deep in the belly of a whale—there was no foreseeable exit. With an
imminent yet excruciatingly painful death ahead, Yunus at
that moment reminded himself of his weakness. His incapacity and powerlessness
to redefine the situation. He realized his helplessness to Allah and at that
moment, cried out:
was
swallowed up by a whale. In the darkness of the night, in the depths of the
ocean, deep in the belly of a whale—there was no foreseeable exit. With an
imminent yet excruciatingly painful death ahead, Yunus at
that moment reminded himself of his weakness. His incapacity and powerlessness
to redefine the situation. He realized his helplessness to Allah and at that
moment, cried out:
There is no God but Allah, how perfect is He, I'm
definitely among the wrongdoers. (21:87)
Immediately
thereafter, Allah responded and saved his troubled slave from an impossible
situation.
Allah
teaches us that just as he helped Yunus out
of an impossibly difficult circumstance, likewise He can make a way out for us.
out
of an impossibly difficult circumstance, likewise He can make a way out for us.
Allah
tells Musa :
:
Allah said: Don't fear, you are victorious. (20:68)
Just as
Allah told Musa to
let go of his human emotion of fear, and trust in Allah when facing a tyrant
and his magicians; likewise, remember that Allah is telling us to leave our
fears aside, accept our helplessness and surrender our frailty to the
limitlessness of Allah.
to
let go of his human emotion of fear, and trust in Allah when facing a tyrant
and his magicians; likewise, remember that Allah is telling us to leave our
fears aside, accept our helplessness and surrender our frailty to the
limitlessness of Allah.
Pro Tip: Study hard and then trust in
Allah to help you through it.
20.
Put Things in Perspective
And the life of the world is nothing but a
temporary deception. (3:185)
Allah
puts our exams into perspective: it's nothing but a temporary deception. In the
long run, it probably won't matter as much as it does right now. So take it
with a grain of salt and trust Allah, it'll be okay. Inshā'Allāh. Be
patient. Breathe.
And what is to come later, is better than what came
before.” (93:4)
This
verse can be translated to reflect several layers of meaning. I articulated it
relevant to this context as the verse is capacious to such an application.
Pro Tip: Maintain your perspective.
Realize your exams aren't the end of the world.
21.
Accept Qadar
Allah extends rizq (rizq could include provisions
like wealth, jobs, and by extension even marks) to whoever he wants; and He
gives in perfect, calculated measure (limiting it to others that He chooses).
(13:26)
Sometimes
if it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be. Islam is beautiful and perfect,
the education system is not. Allah is so merciful He knows the outcomes are
beyond our control, that's why you're only judged based on your efforts and
your intentions.
Pro Tip: Don't be harsh on yourself. Do
your best and leave the rest to Allah. And always say Alḥamdulilāh.
22.
Make Du'ā'
We're all
just travelers on a long and painful journey as students, who can help us
except for Allah?
So who else besides Allah, can help the one in
difficulty, and alleviate from him the pain, suffering and harm? (27:62)
Du'ā' is an experience when a
slave recognizes his helplessness, his inability, his powerless and his
desperate need for the one who is limitless, Allah.
I end off
with the du'ā' of Zakariya ,
a du'ā' of impossibility and faith, of patience and trust, of hope
and positive expectations,
,
a du'ā' of impossibility and faith, of patience and trust, of hope
and positive expectations,
And I will never, in prayer to you my Beloved Lord,
lose hope.” (19:4)
Pro-Tip: A measure of your relationship to
Allah is your du'ā'. A lover never gets tired of conversing with their
beloved, so ask yourself how often and for how long do you make du'ā'?
Set aside quality time daily for du'a.
A
concluding lesson about Qur'an: It's relevant. It's our guide. It's our buddy,
our friend that never leaves us. It's there for us, but the question is are we
there by it?
I
encourage everyone to not lose hope. Trust in Allah, and be patient. As Allah
says, “Fathkuroonee, athkurkum, washkuroo lee walaa takfuroon”—“remember
me, Allah, and I'll remember you. Be grateful to me and don't disbelieve, don't
be ungrateful.”
If you
benefitted even a bit, don't forget this little brother of yours in your du'a.
Jazakallah Khayr.
[2] Lowering the Gaze, 'al-Muntaqâ
min Ighâthatul Lufhân fî Masâyid ash-Shaytân' [pp.'s 102-105], of Ibn
al-Qayyim, summarised by 'Alî Hasan al-Halabi (find the pdf online, it's in
English and its awesome motivation to lower our gaze).
