Table Of Content20 STRESSORS FOR A
STUDENT OF KNOWLEDGE
Ustad AbdulRahman Hassan
Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 2
The importance of the heart ............................................................................................................... 2
Types of stress ..................................................................................................................................... 3
Aspects that predispose the slave towards stress .............................................................................. 3
The people’s hearts with regards to stress ......................................................................................... 6
The cure for the illness ........................................................................................................................ 6
Religiously-based cures ................................................................................................................... 6
Medically-based cures .................................................................................................................... 7
Stressor One: Sincerity ........................................................................................................................... 8
Stressor Two: Ignorance of the path ..................................................................................................... 9
Stressor Three: The complication of knowledge ................................................................................. 10
Stressor Four: Numerous beneficial teachers ..................................................................................... 12
Stressor Five: Numerous sciences ........................................................................................................ 13
Stressor Six: Numerous lessons ........................................................................................................... 14
Stressor Seven: Whether to memorise or understand ....................................................................... 14
Stressor Eight: The lengthy path of seeking knowledge ..................................................................... 16
Stressor Nine: Not feeling the effects of knowledge .......................................................................... 17
Stressor Ten: Gathering books ............................................................................................................. 18
Stressor Eleven: Academic studies ...................................................................................................... 20
Stressor Twelve: Demands ................................................................................................................... 20
Stressor Thirteen: Weak efforts in calling to Allāh ............................................................................. 21
Stressor Fourteen: Provision and Income ........................................................................................... 22
Stressor Fifteen: Marriage and seeking knowledge ............................................................................ 24
Stressor Sixteen: Rectification of children .......................................................................................... 24
Stressor Seventeen: The world ............................................................................................................ 27
Stressor Eighteen: Situation of the Muslims ....................................................................................... 29
Stressor Nineteen: Taking a position before reaching the goal ......................................................... 29
Stressor Twenty: To go out and benefit .............................................................................................. 29
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 30
1
Introduction
The importance of the heart
ﷻ ﷻ
Allāh ( ) created the human in the best form, as Allāh ( ) says:
﴾ يموِقْ َت نِ سَ حْ َأ فِِ نَ اسَ نلِْْا اَنقَْلخَ دْقََل﴿
“We have certainly created man in the best of stature”1
ﷻ
Allāh ( ) also says:
﴾ كَ َلدَعَ َف كَاوَّسَ َف كَ قََلخَ يذَِّلا﴿
“Who created you, proportioned you, and balanced you”2
ﷻ
These verses show that Allāh ( ) created the humans in the best of forms. One of
the great matters regarding this creation is that our body has a leader, something
that controls its affairs, and that is the heart.
ﷺ
Al-Nu’mān Ibn Bashīr (هنع الله ىضر) narrated that the Prophet ( ) said:
هَي ِوَ لاَ أَ . هُ لُّكُ دُ سَ جَ لْا دَ سَ فَ تْ دَ سَ فَ اذَ إِوَ ،هُ لُّكُ دُ سَ جُ َ لْْاَ حَْ لَصَ تْ حَ لَصَ اذَ إِ ةً غَ ضْ مُ دِ سَ جَ لْا في ِ نَّ إِوَ لاَ أَ ..."
" بلقلا
“…Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good the whole body becomes good,
but if it becomes spoilt the whole body becomes spoilt, and that is the heart”3
Abū Hurayrah (هنع الله ىضر) said, and this is what he extracted from the speech of the
ﷺ
Prophet ( ):
تثبخ كلملا ثبخ اذإو ، هدونج تباط كلملا باط اذإف ، هدونج ءاضعلأاو ، كلم بلقلا"
"هدونج
“The heart is a king and the other members of the body are its soldiers. Hence, if the heart is good,
so also will its soldiers be; and if the heart is full of evil and malice, its soldiers will be likewise”
ﷻ
So when the Qur’ān states that Allāh ( ) created us in the best of forms it is due to
the fact that there is a heart in us, which if we protect, will lead to the whole body
being protected.
Allāh told us in the Qur’ān:
﴾ مميِلسَ بم لْقَِب َللََّّ ا ىَتَأ نْ مَ لََِّإ نَوُن َب لََوَ لٌامَ عُ فَنَي لََ مَوْ َي﴿
1 Al-Ṭīn [95:4]
2 Al-Infiṭār [82:7]
3 Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 52
2
“The day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children (88) But only one who comes to
Allāh with a sound heart (89)”4
ﷻ
Since this heart; is the place Allāh ( ) observes, and it is the place where
steadfastness, success and entering Jannah is connected to. The Scholars gave
importance to it by writing books on it; some of which have become volumes. The
Scholars went into details regarding these Āyāt and ahādīth, but what is the best in
ﷺ
this regard and suffices us, is the Qur’ān and the Sunnah of the Messenger ( ).
Ibn al-Qayyim says in his “Nūniyyah”:
ناقرفلاب ثوعبملا نع تءاج *** تلا نسلاو نآرقلا ف لكلاو
ي ي
نايذهلا نم لاإ امهاوسب *** قلذحتم ؤرما لاق ام اللهو
“And everything in the Qur’ān and the Sunnah *** came from the one sent with the criterion
By Allāh an individual doesn’t say *** other than it except it has no value”5
The reason why I am speaking about the heart is that stress, grief, and sorrow
originates and springs from the heart.
Types of stress
The Scholars mention that the word ((مه)) in the Arabic language is of two types:
1. Eustress6: A type of stress that is positive; it strengthens the soul, elevates
the person, and allows them to reach their goals.
2. Distress: A type of stress that is negative, weakens the soul, debases the
person, and does not allow them to reach their goals.
In this series, we will be focussing on the second type and specifically in the
context of seeking knowledge.
Aspects that predispose the slave towards stress
ﷻ
Allāh ( ) when he created us he placed us in hardship. Allāh says in the Qur’ān:
﴾ دمَبكَ فِِ نَ اسَ نلِْْا اَنقَْلخَ دْقََل﴿
“We have certainly created man into hardship.”7
م
The Scholars of Tafsīr mention that (( دَبكَ)) here means hardship.
ﷺ
Mu’āwiyah Ibn Abī Sufyān (هنع الله ىضر) narrated that the Prophet ( ) said:
4 Al-Shu’arā [26:88-89]
5 Nūniyyah by Ibn al-Qayyim 1/266
6 The Scholars refer to this as: ‘High aspirations’; and this not our topic of discussion.
7 Al-Balad [90:4]
3
ٌ َ ْ َ ٌ َ َ َّ َ ْ ُّ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ
" ةنتفِو ءلاب لاإِ ايندلا نمِ قبي مل"
“There is nothing left of this world except trials and tribulations”8
This world is a land of trials and tribulation, it is a place where you will go through
stress. It was created in that way.
One of the poets, Abī al-Ḥasan at-Tahami (الله همحر), said9:
ً ْ ُ
رادكلأاو راذقلأا نم اوفص *** اهديرت تنأو ردك لىع تعبط
ٌ ُ ُ ّ ُ
ران ةوذج ءاملا ف بلطتم *** اهعابط دض مايلأ ا فلكمو
ي
“Its nature [was created] for distress but what you want [is] *** [for it to be] pure from impurity and
distress
And obligating [from the] days [what is] against its nature *** [Is like] searching in water [for] a
burning log”
Therefore, however much this world seems to glitter and glimmer, it is always a
prison for you [i.e. the believer]. A prison is not a place that you enjoy. A prison is a
place which is stressful.
ﷺ
Abū Hurayrah (هنع الله ىضر) narrated that the Prophet ( ) said:
َ ْ ُ َّ َ َ ْ ُ ْ ُ ْ َ ْ ُّ
"رفِاكلا ةنجو نِ مِؤملا نجسِ ايندلا"
“The world is a prison for a believer and paradise for a disbeliever”10
Even if everything is given to you in this world and you never go through any
hardship it is still a prison for the believer, in comparison to what awaits them on
the other side.
One of the statements that amazed me was that of Fatḥ al-Mawṣilī - one of the
righteous worshippers -, he said:
تلا رادلا لىإ درن تح نزحلاو مهلا لاإ انل سيلف ، ايندلا لىإ سيلبإ انابسف ةنجلا لهأ نم اموق انك"
ي
"اهنم انجرخأ
“We were a nation from the people of Jannah, then Iblīs brought us as captives to this world, so
there is nothing for us except stress and sadness, until we return to the land that we were brought
out of”
This is for us to understand that we are bound to suffer from stress, and what is
going to be mentioned will only reduce this stress.
Ibn al-Qayyim took this statement of Fatḥ al-Mawṣilī and made it into a line of
poetry, he said:
8 Sunan Ibn Mājah 4035
9 Ibn Taymiyyah used to repeat these lines of poetry on a regular basis as he went through a lot of difficulty.
10 Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2956
4
ُ َّ َ ُ َ ُ َ َ َّ َ َّ َ َ َ َّ
ميخملا اهيفِو لىولأا انلزِانم *** اهنإف نٍ دع تِ انج لىع حي ف
ُ ِّ ُ َ َ َ َ ُ َ َ َ َ َ ِّ ُ ُ َ َّ َ
ملسنو انناطوأ لىإ دوعن *** ىرت لهف ودعللا تي س اننكلو
“Then come to Gardens of Eternity, for they are *** our first dwelling places and they contain many
pavilions
But we are prisoners in the hands of enemies, do you think *** we shall return to our lands and have
peace”11
In addition to this world, your own Nafs is made in a way to consistently stress, as
Allāh says:
﴾ اعًوُنمَ ُيَْْلْْ ا ُهسَّ مَ اَذِإوَ اعًوزُجَ رُّشَّ لا ُهسَّ مَ اَذِإ اعًوُلهَ قَ لِخُ نَ اسَ نلِْْا نَِّإ﴿
“Indeed, mankind was created anxious (19) When evil touches him, impatient (20) And when good
touches him, withholding [of it] (21)”12
The way Allāh created the nature of the human is to be a stressful individual.
Also, what this lecture cannot eliminate is the role that Shayṭān plays in making a
person be stressed, consistently in grief and sorrow.
Allāh says:
﴾ُ هَءاَيِلوَْأ فُ وِ َيُُ نُ اَطيْشَّ لا مُكُ ِلَذَٰ اَنََِّّإ﴿
“That is only Satan who frightens [you] of his supporters”13
The people of Tafsīr say: that iblīs uses his allies and his soldiers to place fear in
the hearts of the humans. So he always wants you to be stressed.
Also, Allāh says:
﴾ ءِاشَ حْ فَْلبِِ مكُرُمُْيََوَ رَقْفَْلا مُكُدُعَِي نُ اَطيْشَّ لا﴿
“Satan threatens you with poverty and orders you to immorality”14
When you are striving to do good Shayṭān is going to come to you and try to make
you fear poverty. Once you walk away from that which is good then he will push
you towards immorality.
Another aspect that brings about stress is when a person does not accept the
reality and lives in a fantasy world. If the world does not fit in with your fantasy
view you become stressed. Therefore, the person has to realise that this has to be
taken into account.
11 Ḥādī al-Arwaḥ ilā bilād al-Afrāḥ by Ibn Al-Qayyim p.11
12 Al-Ma’ārij [70:19-21]
13 Āl ‘im’rān [3:175]
14 Al-Baqarah [2:268]
5
The people’s hearts with regards to stress
Everybody goes through stress, but the hearts of the people are different when it
comes to; stress, grief, and sorrow. The way they differ is in accordance to their
Imān. The higher an individual’s Imān is, the less stress they go through and vice
versa. As Ibn Al-Qayyim goes through, in details, in his book: “Badā’i al-Fawāid”.
The cure for the illness
What we need to remember is that there is not an illness on this earth except that
Allāh has made a cure for it. The one who knows it knows it and the one who is
ignorant of it is ignorant of it.
The people of knowledge divided the cure of illnesses into two types:
1. Religiously-based cures: Cures that have been prescribed by the Shari’āh.
2. Medically-based cures: Cures that are prescribed by those who have
specialised and have experience in the field e.g. doctors.
Religiously-based cures
I will mention 15 cures for stress15, as this is the topic of discussion, but it can also
be applied to other than it:
1. Tawhīd and to exalt Allāh from oppression.
2. The slave acknowledges that he is deficient in regards to the rights of his
creator and has not done what is required of him.
3. The slave seeks intercession to Allāh with his names and attributes.
4. The slave seeks helps and refuge in Allāh.
5. The slave goes towards the book of Allāh. Reads it and ponders over the
verses.
6. The slave seeks repentance and asks Allāh to forgive them for their
shortcomings and wrongdoings.
7. The slave fights with himself and his nafs – first and foremost -.
8. The slave runs to the prayer, as the Prophet said: The prayer was made the
warmth of my eyes.
9. The slave frees from himself any strength and ability and affirms that all
strength and ability is in the hands of Allāh.
10. The slave comes with Imān and righteous actions.
11. The slave supplicates to Allāh.
12. The slave constantly remembers Allāh; so much so that their mouth never
becomes dry from the remembrance of Allāh.
13. Preoccupancy with that which benefits and turning away from that which
brings no benefit [i.e. that which has passed]. The Salaf used to say:
Dwelling on the past is like trying to bring the dead out of their graves. By
doing this you are going against Allāh’s universal signs. Everything goes
forward, nothing goes backward, therefore don’t busy yourself with that.
14. Having good thoughts about Allāh.
15. The slave testifies with unwavering conviction that this hardship is a form of
expiation.
15 All of these have evidences but due to the short time they were not mentioned.
6
These 15 are religiously-based cures for stress, extracted from the Qur’ān and
Sunnah.
Ibn al-Qayyim has a beneficial book titled: “Zād al-Ma’ād”, these 15 points were
taken from the fourth volume.
Medically-based cures
1. Never delay what you are doing. Whatever is required of you at that
particular time do it, and leave the future clear.
2. Get rid of the desire to be rewarded for what you do.
3. Choose the best of actions.
4. Train the Nafs to not seek gratitude except from Allāh.
5. Have knowledge that the people's harm – whether by statement or action –
will not harm you, rather it will harm them.
6. Remember that this world is very short.
7. Training the Nafs to accept the bitterness of the decree and to have patience
upon it.
These were taken from “Al-Wasā’il al-Mufīdah Lil-Ḥayāt al-Sa’īdah” by Abd al-
Rahmān al-Si’dī.
8. Using equipment that is yellow as these bring happiness to the person and
rid them of depression. Abū Ḥayyān al-Andalusi mentions this in his book
“Baḥr al-Muḥīṭ”, which he also has an evidence for,
Allāh says:
﴾ نَ يرِظِ اَّنلا رُّسُ َت اَنُُوَّْل عٌِقاَف ُءارَفْصَ ﴿
“Yellow, bright in colour – pleasing to the observers”16
9. Taking medications which a doctor prescribes.
10. Intimate spousal relations. Many young people who are not married, due to
the presence of desires, it causes them a lot of stress. Ibn Rajab al-Ḥanbalī
spoke about it in his “Majmū’ al-Rasā’il”.
11. Archery helps remove tension, stress, and grief. Ibn al-Qayyim spoke about
it in details in his book “Al-Furūsiyyah Al-Muḥamadiyyah”.
12. Wearing silver. Ibn al-Qayyim mentioned it in his book “Zād al-Ma’ād”.
13. Travelling to the forests, countryside and observing nature. al-Suyūṭī
mentions it in his book “Al-Shamā’il Al-Sharīfah”.
16 Al-Baqarah [2:69]
7
Stressor One: Sincerity
When a person wants to seek knowledge they fear the concept of showing off. This
leads a person to begin contemplating whether or not they should seek knowledge.
The person who finds themselves asking this question, should remember the
statement of Ibn al-Qayyim:
"نوصلخملا لاإ ءايرلا فرعي لا"
“No-one is aware of showing off except those who are sincere”
Ibn al-Qayyim mentions that the cure for this is to remember the intent of seeking
knowledge, and these are four:
1. To remove yourself from misguidance.
2. To benefit the people around you.
3. To preserve the sciences from dying out.
4. To implement that which you have attained.
Quote Poem!
Anyone who realises that this is the intent of knowledge then his intention is good.
Sometimes some of the pious predecessors embarked upon seeking knowledge
without an intention, but they wouldn’t stop seeking knowledge. Ma’mar Ibn
Rāshid said:
ه َ ُ َ َّ َ ُ ْ ْ ْ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ه ْ َ َ ْ ْ ُ ُ ْ َ َ ُ َّ َّ
" للَِّ ِ نوكي تح ملعِ لا هِ يلع ب أيف ، للَِّ ا يِ ْغلِ ملعِ لا بلطي لجرلا نإِ"
“A man would seek knowledge for other than Allāh, but knowledge will overpower him until it is
only for Allāh”
Imām al-Dhahabī said, after transmitting this statement:
ُ ْ َ َ َ َ ْ ُّ ُ َ ُ ْ َ ْ َ ْ َ َ ُّ ُ َ ْ ْ ُّ ُ ُ َ ُ َ ْ َ ً َّ َ ُ ُ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َ
وحنو ، فِ ئِاظولا بحو ، هنع لِ هجلا ةِ لازإِ بحو ، مِ لعِ لا بح هل لمِاحلاو ، لاوأ هبلطي ، معن"
ْ َ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َّ ِّ َ ْ َ َ َ ْ ْ َ ُ ُ َ َ ْ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ َ
نمِ فاُخَوْ َ،َ هسَ فن َبْ ساَّح ْ، ملِعُ اذُ إَِف ْ،َ ةَِ ينلاَ قُ دْ صَ ِ ْ لاَ وَ ُّ،ُ هُِ يَفِ صِ َّ لاخُ َّلِِّْ ا بُ ُوجوَ َملِع نْكيَ ملوَ َ. كلِذ
" مدنيو ةِدسِ افلا هِ تِينِ نمِ بوتي دقو ، اهضعب وأ اهلك ةحلِاصلا ةينلا هئيجِ تف ، هِدِ صق لِ ابو
“Yes, at the beginning he will seek it [i.e. knowledge] due to the love of knowledge, and the love of
removing ignorance from himself, and the love of a position, and other than this. [At this point]
there is no knowledge of the obligation of sincerity in it [i.e. seeking knowledge], and having
truthfulness in seeking knowledge, but as he learns, he accounts himself, and fears from his evil
intent, then the good intention will come – all of it or some of it -, and he will repent from his evil
intention and regret [over it]”17
Therefore it is not correct to stop seeking knowledge if you have a bad intention.
Rather what Allāh wants for you is to persevere. As Allāh says:
﴾ نَوحُ ِلفْ ُت مْكُ َّلعََل َللََّّ ا اوقُ َّتاوَ اوُطِبارَوَ اورُِباصَ وَ اوُبِِصْ ا اوُنمَآ نَ يذَِّلا اهَُّ يَأ يََ﴿
17 Siyar A’lām al-Nubalā by Imām al-Dhahabī
8
“O you who have believed, persevere and ensure and remain stationed and fear Allāh that you may
be successful”18
In another verse Allāh says:
﴾اَنَل ُبسُ مْهُ َّن َيدِهْ َنَل اَنيِف اودُهَاجَ نَ يذَِّلاوَ﴿
“And those who strive for Us – we will surely guide them to our ways”19
Sufyān al-Thawrī said:
َّ َ َ ُ ه َ َ َ َّ َّ ْ َّ َ َ َّ َ َ ً ْ َ ُ ْ َ َ َ
" لىي ع بلقت اهنإِ ، تي ِينِ نمِ لىي ع دشأ ائيش تجلاع ام"
“I have never dealt with anything more difficult than my intention, it keeps changing on me”20
In one sitting the intention changes four – five times. It started off for the sake of
Allāh, then later it changes. The Salaf used to say: In one sitting we would renew
our intention many times.
In conclusion, the issue of sincerity is very stressful, but it should not make you
stop seeking knowledge. Carry on seeking knowledge and continue working on the
intention.
Stressor Two: Ignorance of the path
Ibn al-Qayyim said in his book “Al-Fawā’id”:
َ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َّ ُ ُ ْ َ ْ َ َّ ْ َ ْ
ةدئِافلا عم يْثكلا بعتلا بجوي دوصقملاو اهتافآو قِ يرِ طلابِ لهجلا"
"ةليلقلا
“Ignorance of the path, its obstacles, and the intent/goal leads to extreme fatigue with little
benefit”21
For many years this person has been seeking knowledge but because he is ignorant
of; the path, the obstacles and the goal, he doesn’t benefit much.
A parable can be made to an individual trying to reach a destination e.g.
Birmingham. If you ask someone who has knowledge they can tell you that if you
take route A it will take X minutes to arrive, if somebody doesn’t tell you the things
you have to do, even if you know the road, but you don’t know the obstacles that
may arise, then you will definitely become tired. The third aspect is the intent; why
are you going Birmingham for? If there is no goal then it will also lead to tiredness.
Knowing the path, obstacles and goal are three aspects that if you possess you will
not feel as tired as many people are. It will also allow you to leave with a lot of
benefits.
The cure for this is to take guidance from those who know; the path, obstacles, and
goals. If you find that person of knowledge it will save you a lot of time, you will be
18 Āl ‘im’rān [3:200]
19 Al-‘Ankabūt [29:69]
20 Al-Jāmi’ li-al-Akhlāq al-Rāwī wa Ādāb al-Sāmi’ by al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī 1/317
21 Al-Fawā’id by Ibn al-Qayyim 1/171
9
