FIFTH CHAPTER
THE ETIQUETTES THAT THE STUDENT AND TEACHER SHOULD OBSERVE ARE EXPLAINED HERE
THE ETIQUETTES THAT THE STUDENT SHOULD OBSERVE
The student has many etiquettes and duties to observe, which can be summarized into ten parts.
1 — First of all, it is necessary to purify the heart from all kinds of evils and bad characteristics. Because acquiring knowledge is the worship of the heart, the prayer of the secret, and the approach of inner virtues to Allah the Most High. Just as prayer, which is the duty of the limbs, is not accepted unless the limbs are purified from all kinds of filth, similarly, the inner worship and the knowledge of the heart are only accepted after the heart is purified from all bad qualities and evil characteristics. Indeed, our Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said:
«Religion is built upon purity.» (119)
Purity refers to both external and internal purity. Allah the Most High says in the Quran:
«The polytheists are impure.» (8 – Surah Tawbah : 28) This verse expresses the fact that impurity and purity are not only related to the teeth, but also to the inner self. A polytheist may be clean in appearance, having just come out of a bath and wearing clean clothes, but his essence and inner self are impure. Since impurity is something that is disliked and from which one should distance oneself, avoiding inner impurities is even more important. Because inner impurity, although it is impurity here, also leads to destruction in the Hereafter. For this reason, our Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said in a noble hadith:
«Angels do not enter a house where there is a dog.» (120)
The heart is the house where angels descend and dwell. Anger, lust, hatred, envy, pride, hypocrisy, and similar evil characteristics are like dogs. How can angels enter a heart filled with such dogs? (Because the pure dwell in pure places and do not mix with impurity.) Allah the Most High sends knowledge into the heart through angels. Indeed, in the verse of revelation:
«No word of Allah has ever been spoken to any human being, except either by revelation, or from behind a curtain, or by sending a messenger to him, and he does not speak unless by His permission.» (42 – Surah Shura : 51) It is stated. Similarly, there are angels appointed to deliver the blessings of knowledge to the heart. These are people who are far from bad qualities, pure and sacred. They descend only to pure places. With their treasures of mercy, they only repair good and pure places. When I say this, I do not mean that the word «Beyt» (house) refers to the heart, and the word «kelb» (dog) refers to anger and other bad qualities. Rather, there is a warning and indication in this hadith. There is a big difference between taking the literal meaning and changing it to the inner meaning. This is the subtlety upon which the Batiniyya sect separated. (They take the word from its literal meaning and use it in another meaning.) What we have explained is the path of consideration accepted by the good scholars. Consideration means taking a lesson; that is, accepting the literal meaning while also deriving another meaning from it. For example, when someone suffers a calamity, and considering that the world is a world of upheaval and change, a wise person takes a lesson from it, thinking that this calamity may also befall him. Similarly, it is a lesson to take a lesson from the calamity that has befallen another person, and from the essence of the world itself.
You should also consider the meaning of the word «Beyt» (house), which is the creation of human beings, and take it as a consideration. Take the meaning of the word «kelb» (dog), which is placed in terms of its moral corruption and filth, and consider the soul that has these qualities.
It is known that hearts filled with anger, immersed in the world, and running after worldly matters, which play with the honor and dignity of human beings, are in the form of a heart in terms of appearance, but in terms of meaning, they are dogs. Whereas the light of insight considers not the forms but the meanings. In the material world, forms are dominant over meanings. Meanings are within forms. In the Hereafter, the opposite is true: forms are subject to meanings, and meanings are dominant. For this reason, every human being will be judged according to their moral form. Indeed, our Prophet, may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him, said:
«Those who try to degrade the honor of people will be judged as dogs in form, those who are greedy for wealth will be judged as jackals in form, those who are self-centered will be judged as lions in form, and those who are proud will be judged as lions in form.»
As there are many reports expressing this matter, the people of success and insight have also testified to it.
If you say: «There are people of very low levels who have acquired many kinds of knowledge.» we respond by saying: Their knowledge is far from being the real knowledge that will benefit and bring happiness in the Hereafter. Because one of the signs of knowledge that will benefit in the Hereafter is knowing that rebellion is a deadly poison. Have you ever seen someone who knows that poison is deadly, yet drinks it? If they accept a hadith with their tongues while doubting it in their hearts, it is not a matter of knowledge. Indeed, Ibn Mas’ud (RA) said:
«Knowledge is not about excessive narration, but perhaps it is a light that Allah the Most High has sent into the heart.»
Others have said: «Knowledge is fear.» Because Allah the Most High said:
«Those who fear Allah most are the scholars.» (35 – Surah Fatir)
Those who say «Knowledge is fear» have pointed to the most important characteristic of knowledge. For this reason, some real scholars have said:
«When others say: «We studied knowledge for other purposes, but knowledge is only for others, and it only accepts being for Allah.» the meaning of these words is that knowledge has turned its back on us, the truth has not been revealed to us, and what we have obtained is only the words and the literal meaning.»
If you say: «I know many scholars who have achieved fame in the sciences of principles and branches, but I know many learned scholars who have not purified themselves from bad morals and have not been purified.» we respond by saying: After knowing the levels of knowledge and the knowledge of the Hereafter, you will understand that these things they are occupied with are of little benefit in terms of knowledge, and that the benefit of such knowledge, if it is intended for the pleasure of Allah, may be even greater in terms of deeds. This point was mentioned above. Insha’Allah, more detailed explanations will be given in the future.
2 — One should reduce one’s attachment to the world and distance oneself from one’s homeland and family. Because attachment to the world and family is an obstacle to learning. Indeed, Allah the Most High has not created two hearts in a human being (to manage both sides). Whenever you turn your mind to another side, your understanding of the truth decreases. For this reason, it is said: «You will not gain anything from knowledge unless you bind your entire strength to it.» When you bind your entire existence to knowledge, even taking a part of it is still doubtful. A scattered mind is like a river whose water is divided, where one part is absorbed by the soil and another part mixes with the air; then it does not reach the garden to water it, and it dries up.
3 — One should not become arrogant with knowledge and not act disrespectfully towards the teacher. On the contrary, with all one’s existence, one should obey the teacher in every matter, listening to and accepting all his teachings like a foolish patient listening to and accepting the advice of a qualified doctor. And it is always appropriate to be humble towards the teacher and to consider serving him as a great honor. The poet says:
«After I had finished praying the funeral prayer, I brought Zayd ibn Bâbit close to the place where he could mount. At that time, Abdullah ibn Abbas came and wanted to hold the reins. Seeing this, Zayd said: «O uncle of the Messenger of Allah, leave the reins.»