In the Talaqqi tradition (direct acquisition of knowledge) in Islam, body language plays as important a role as speech. A student’s etiquette before their teacher often determines the extent of futuḥ (openness of understanding) that Allah will bestow upon their heart. One of the most magnificent portrayals of the etiquette of a study session is … Read more
The assembly of knowledge is a garden of paradise on earth; a place where blessings descend and where the angels spread their wings of pleasure for those who seek it. Therefore, attending an assembly of knowledge is not the same as attending an ordinary gathering. There are ethics (adab) and manners that must be observed, … Read more
In the Islamic scholarly tradition, adab (etiquette) holds a position preceding knowledge itself. Imam Malik once advised, “Learn adab before you learn knowledge.” The most perfect manifestation of the etiquette of a study session is recorded in a momentous event known as the Hadith of Gabriel. This event was not merely a transfer of theological … Read more