Our Home: A Haven of Knowledge

•        {Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees.} [Quran 58:11]

•        {Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge.} [Quran 35:28]

The road to knowledge is the road to Paradise. The Prophet  said: “Whoever takes a path by which he seeks (religious) knowledge, Allah will facilitate for him by its virtue a path to Paradise.” [Muslim] The Prophet  also said: “A believer never has enough of the good he attains (i.e. the religious knowledge) until Paradise is his abode (by the virtue of such knowledge).” [At-Tirmithi]

There is no doubt that knowledge is one of the best things to have. The Prophet said: “Allah, His Angels and the dwellers of the heavens and the earth, even the ant in its hole and the whales in the sea ask for forgiveness for the one who teaches people beneficial knowledge.” [At-Tirmithi] This is why Muslim homes in the past were filled with knowledge and its pursuit.

Knowledge is one of the most important requirements in the life of the Muslim family. It is through knowledge that the creed becomes sound, he performs his acts of worship properly and the person becomes enlightened regarding the matters of his religion and worldly life. This is why it is important to pay attention to the pursuit of knowledge and inculcate the love of learning in the Muslim home, so that every family member would aspire to acquire knowledge in whichever field interests them and which would prove most beneficial to others.

For the family to reach the highest level of knowledge and learning, the following should be taken into consideration:

•        Having a comprehensive, well-stocked library with books on different subjects, in order to enrich the minds of the family members and clarify the difference between right and wrong.

Such a library may contain books in the following fields:

o        Sharee‘ah books such as books of Tafseer, Jurisprudence, and sciences of the Quran.

o        Arabic Language and its literature throughout the ages.

o        History and Civilizations.

o        Encyclopedias in the fields of Biology, Social Studies and Humanities.

o        Books and encyclopedias for children.

o        Specialized books that enrich the knowledge of the Muslim housewife.

o        Medical books and books of hygiene.

•        Reading newspapers and journals so that the family members are aware of current affairs, world news and the state of the Islamic Ummah (nation).

•        The Muslim home should have regular academic gatherings among family members where social and scientific issues are discussed. This is useful for all members of the family as everyone passes on their experience to the others. It would be beneficial if one of the family members chooses one of the books of authentic Hadeeths and reads a number of Hadeeths everyday, then explains and discusses their meaning for the benefit of others. Undoubtedly, these discussions enrich all members of the family from a cultural and social point of view and contribute towards building a well-spoken, independent personality.

•        Competitions may be held between members of the family in order to develop a healthy spirit of competitiveness and as a constructive form of amusement.

•        Gaining knowledge by viewing science documentaries on DVDs and video tapes enhances the comprehension skills and imagination of the child, especially video tapes that present scientific facts in the form of illustrations and animations.

•        Studying: Parents should not disregard the importance of studying with their children during the different educational stages. They should help them to the utmost degree possible, as students usually need help, support, advice, stability and tranquility during their study time.

Here are some tips that parents should take into consideration when their children are studying:

•        Instilling in the hearts of their children a real motive for studying.

•        Finding suitable solutions for their children’s problems before they start studying.

•        Providing a suitable atmosphere. The room should be quiet and the light should be from the left side if the child writes with his right hand, but if he writes by his left hand, the light should be on his right. The whole room should be well-lit as this is better for the child’s eyesight. The room’s color should be a light color and it is better to make it light green or light blue. Moreover, the room should be well-ventilated and organized.

•        Taking care of the child’s health and nutrition without exaggeration or negligence.

•        Encouraging children to take adequate rest and getting them to take a well-deserved break during study time.

•        Organizing the study schedule in a way that would provide time for studying new lessons as well as revising old ones. Children should be taught to summarize some of the more extensive subjects in order to save time.

•        Knowing the necessary principles of studying such as comprehending, organizing, repeating, knowing the purpose of studying each subject and starting with the difficult ones when the mind is still fresh.

•        Fearing Allah The Almighty is the way to knowledge and great attainment. Allah The Almighty Says (what means):

•        {And whoever fears Allah — He will make for him a way out. And will provide for him from where he does not expect.} [Quran 65:2-3]

•        {And whoever fears Allah — He will make for him of his matter ease.} [Quran 65:4]

Imaam Ash-Shaafi‘i complained to one of the scholars about his inability to memorize information during the course of his studies, and the scholar advised him to fear Allah The Almighty.