Looking for the best tips for seeking knowledge in Islam? This comprehensive guide explores the virtues of religious knowledge, the essential classical mutun (foundational texts) to memorize across all major madhabs, and proven study methods.
Allah the Almighty says: {Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees} [Al-Mujadilah: 11]. The elevation of degrees indicates virtue and abundant reward, just as the elevation of degrees in this world is manifested through high status, a good reputation, and prestige.
Allah the Exalted commanded His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, saying: {And say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge”} [Ta-Ha: 114]. This clearly demonstrates the virtue of knowledge, for Allah did not command His Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, to seek an increase in anything except knowledge, as Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar noted in Fath al-Bari (1/141).
By “knowledge,” what is meant is religious knowledge (Al-Ilm al-Shar’i), which provides an understanding of what a legally responsible person (mukallaf) is obligated to know regarding their religion—in their acts of worship and transactions—as well as knowledge of Allah the Almighty, His attributes, and the duties due to Him. Knowledge is among the best of deeds for one whose intention is sincere, as Imam Ahmad stated.
The Supreme Status of Religious Knowledge in Islam
Knowledge is too vast to encompass entirely. Therefore, the wise person takes the most important followed by the important, the noble person writes down the best of what they hear, memorizes the best of what they write, and speaks about the best of what they memorize. Moreover, a scholar cannot truly be a scholar without memorizing concise foundational texts (mutun).
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said: “Whoever memorizes the foundational texts achieves the various arts [of knowledge].”
Al-Rahbi says:
“And two-thirds, which is the total completion / So memorize, for every memorizer is an imam.”
Indeed, religious knowledge holds a magnificent position and a lofty rank in this religion. It is the inheritance of prophecy; for the prophets did not leave behind a dinar or a dirham as inheritance, but rather they left this knowledge. Whoever takes it has taken a bountiful share.
Were it not for religious knowledge, people would become like cattle. However, Allah sent messengers to them with religious knowledge, honored them, and elevated them above the rest of His creation. Allah the Almighty says: {And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of those We created, with [a definite] preference} [Al-Isra: 70].
Whomever Allah intends good for, He grants him the understanding of this knowledge. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whomever Allah intends good for, He grants him understanding in the religion” (Agreed upon).
This is the true measure of Allah’s love for His servants—not worldly life, wealth, or children. Allah grants worldly provisions to those He loves and those He does not love, but He grants religion and knowledge only to those He loves.
No one should envy anyone except for two things, regarding knowledge and acting upon it, as the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “There is no envy except in two cases: a man whom Allah has given wealth and empowered him to spend it in the cause of right, and a man whom Allah has given wisdom by which he judges and which he teaches” (Agreed upon).
Religious knowledge—O servants of Allah—is the secure path to Paradise. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: “Whoever travels a path seeking knowledge therein, Allah will make easy for him thereby a path to Paradise” (Narrated by Muslim).
Because of all this, scholars have held a tremendous status among Muslims—a status that must be preserved if we desire victory, honor, and elevation in this world and the hereafter. Our righteous predecessors, may Allah have mercy on them, used to revere and respect scholars.
Today, the Muslim nation is more than ever required to return to its sincere and truthful scholars, consult them, seek their opinions, adhere to their statements, and not oppose them, as long as they are based on legal proofs from the Book of Allah and the Sunna of His Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him.
A person cannot become firmly grounded in knowledge without memorizing its fundamentals. The scholars of the nation have exhaustively authored works in every single branch of knowledge. Therefore, seek out the most certain, obligatory, and profusely beneficial knowledge, and memorize a concise text (mukhtasar) in every field.
Shaykh al-Islam said: “Let one strive to firmly grasp in every chapter of knowledge an authentic foundational text traced back to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, then move on to expansive works and delve deeply into them, and take knowledge from its qualified people—from a scholar who is an exemplary role model in knowledge and practice, known for adhering to the Sunna and avoiding innovations of all kinds.”
Muhammad ibn Sirin said: “Indeed, this knowledge is religion, so look at whom you take your religion from.”
What Foundational Texts (Mutun) Should You Memorize?
At the beginning of your quest, start by perfectly memorizing the Book of Allah along with contemplation (tadabbur). Then, memorize foundational texts in creed (aqeedah), because purity of creed corrects the intention, reins in desires, blesses one’s actions, immortalizes one’s legacy, and brings lasting remembrance. Following that, memorize texts in various fields: Tajweed, Hadith terminology (Mustalah), Hadith, Fiqh and its fundamentals, Islamic inheritance laws (Fara’id), Arabic grammar (Nahw), and manners (Adab).
Here is an ordered list of the most important foundational texts, categorized by field:
- The Noble Quran: During your Quran memorization, you do not need to limit yourself only to memorizing it; rather, pair its memorization with learning other foundational texts.
- Tajweed: Memorize the poem Tuhfat al-Atfal by Al-Jamzuri, which consists of 61 verses.
- Creed (Aqeedah): Memorize them in the following sequential order:
- Nawaqid al-Islam (Nullifiers of Islam)
- Al-Qawa’id al-Arba’ (The Four Rules)
- Thalatha al-Usul (The Three Fundamental Principles)
- Kitab al-Tawhid (The Book of Tawhid) (These four texts are by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, may Allah have mercy on him)
- Al-Aqeedah al-Wasitiyyah by Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah
- Matn al-Aqeedah al-Tahawiyyah
- Hadith Terminology: Memorize Al-Mandhumah al-Bayquniyyah (34 verses), followed by Nukhbat al-Fikr by Ibn Hajar.
- Hadith: Memorize the following Hadith texts: Al-Arba’in al-Nawawiyyah (The Forty Nawawi Hadith), Umdat al-Ahkam, and Bulugh al-Maram.
- Principles of Jurisprudence (Usul al-Fiqh): Matn al-Waraqat.
- Jurisprudence (Fiqh): Memorize a concise foundational text according to your preferred school of jurisprudence (Madhhab), such as Shurut al-Salah (Conditions of Prayer) by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab for beginners, followed by comprehensive intermediate texts tailored to the major schools—such as Zad al-Mustaqni’ or Dalil al-Talib in the Hanbali school, Matn Abi Shuja’ (or Minhaj al-Talibin) in the Shafi’i school, Mukhtasar al-Quduri (or Al-Hidayah) in the Hanafi school, or Mukhtasar Khalil (or Risalat Ibn Abi Zayd) in the Maliki school.
- Inheritance Laws (Fara’id): Memorize Matn al-Rahbiyyah, which is 176 verses.
- Grammar (Nahw): Memorize Al-Ajrumiyyah, followed by Mulhat al-I’rab by Al-Hariri, and then Alfiyyat Ibn Malik.
- Manners and Etiquette (Adab): Memorize the poem by Abu Ishaq al-Ilbiri al-Andalusi. It is a marvelous poem filled with rulings, consisting of 115 verses, beginning with:”The days tear your heart to pieces / And the hours carve away your body.” (It has been explained by Shaykh Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, and published).
Method for Memorizing Foundational Texts
The method is: repeat the passage you want to memorize ten or twenty times depending on the strength of your memory, perhaps after Fajr prayer. Repeat it again after Asr prayer.
If you are memorizing Alfiyyat Ibn Malik, for example, before you begin memorizing new verses, read the verses you memorized yesterday twenty times. Then, read from the very beginning of the Alfiyyah up to your current new stopping point. Repeat this daily until what you have memorized is firmly anchored.
Proceed with every text you memorize using this method, alongside the necessity of continuously studying knowledge through memorization, review, reading, attending scholars’ classes, staying close to them, and asking about complex matters of knowledge.
Abu Ishaq al-Shirazi used to repeat a lesson one hundred times, and Al-Kiya al-Harrasi used to repeat it seventy times.
Consider this story, which illustrates how a lack of repetition causes memorized knowledge to be quickly forgotten:
Ibn al-Jawzi mentioned in Al-Hathh ala Hifz al-Ilm (Encouraging the Memorization of Knowledge): Al-Hasan—meaning Ibn Abi Bakr al-Nisaburi—narrated to us that a jurist repeated a lesson in his house many times. An old woman in the house said to him, “By Allah, I have memorized it myself.” He said, “Repeat it.” So she repeated it. A few days later, he said, “Old woman, repeat that lesson.” She replied, “I do not remember it.” He said, “I keep repeating it so that what happened to you does not happen to me.”
The method for firmly anchoring memory is repetition; and true memorization only comes through repetition.
Imam Al-Bukhari was asked about a remedy for forgetfulness, and he replied: “Constant looking into books.
How Do I Review the Foundational Texts?
Once you have memorized various texts across the different branches of knowledge, review all the texts you have memorized every month. This will make your memory firmer, your mental recall sharper, and your ability to cite evidence much faster.
