Technology has played a significant role in facilitating this—take email as an example. In the past (which was not so long ago), you would have to write a letter, either by hand or type-written, after which you would post it through the mail. If you posted it earlier enough in the day, your recipients may receive it the same day, otherwise they would get it the next day or later depending on the amount you paid for postage. This whole process is now reduced to simply signing into your email account, writing your letter, and simply pressing ‘send’ and by the magic of technology, your letter is ready and waiting for your recipient instantly.

This instantaneous delivery has also spread to food, which has led to a relative increase in the consumption of fast food to such an extent that some have dubbed us as the ‘fast food generation.’ I am not suggesting that the ‘fast’ aspect of fast food is the only factor driving people to consume it, but it is reasonable to consider it as a significant contributing factor. Of course, putting aside all the good that may result as a consequence of this, as critical thinkers and conscious beings, it behoves us to stop for a moment and think about the negative consequences too, and one in particular: Instant gratification.

Instant gratification, as the name suggests, is when we want immediate rewards for something we do. It is connected with our appetites (nafs). In Arabic, it may be referred to as ‘ajl, as Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala (exhalted is He), says:

“And when those who disbelieve see you, [O Muhammad], they take you not except in ridicule, [saying], and “Is this the one who insults your gods?” And they are, at the mention of the Most Merciful, disbelievers. Man was created of haste (‘ajl). I will show you My signs, so do not impatiently urge Me” (Qur’an, 21:36-37).

In these verses, Allah (swt) mentions the traits of those who reject the message of Islam, and then informs us that humans are often by nature, inclined towards haste. They want to see the outcomes of their actions immediately; this is a description of the human psyche.

“And they (those who reject faith) say, “When is this promise, if you should be truthful?”” (Qur’an, 21:38).

This is an example of the worst form such haste may take, i.e. seeking the fulfillment of the promise of threat the Prophets would often make to those to whom they were sent to.

Finally Allah (swt) says:

“If those who disbelieved but knew the time when they will not avert the Fire from their faces or from their backs and they will not be aided…” (Qur’an, 21:39).

Thus the message is clear: there are consequences of what we do, whether good or bad, even though we may be heedless of it or want to see them immediately.

A closer look at these verses shows that Allah (swt) first mentioned the hasty nature of people, and then gives them an example of their hastiness. This is to emphasize and bring to attention this fact, something Allah (swt) wants us to actively strive against. ((See Mafātiḥ al-Ghaib by Imam Fakhr al-Razī))

Delayed gratification, however, requires us to have long term views, and unshakable conviction that what we are doing will eventually result in whatever it is that we are seeking and, most importantly, the patience (ṣabr) and perseverance (istiqāma) needed to get there, two qualities of which Allah (swt) says:

“And Allah is with the patient” (Qur’an, 2:249).

“So remain steadfast as you have been commanded, [you] and those who have turned back with you [to Allah], and do not transgress. Indeed, He is seeing of what you do” (Qur’an, 11:112).

As Imam Fakhr al-Rāzī mentions, steadfastness is one of the most difficult things for people, yet at the same time, it encompasses all aspects of the Islamic way of Life.

Short-Courses or ‘Intensive Courses’

All the above brings to the main purpose of the article: the increasing supply of short courses on Islam and intensive courses, which are often delivered in short exciting bursts and often with an overdose of hyperbole marketed in a similar fashion to other more conventional forms of entertainment.

Now from the outset, I’ll confess I have also organised short courses on Islam for a very well-known speaker here in the UK, and thus I’m not advocating that there’s anything inherently wrong with them, if they are delivered effectively. However, what I am worried about is the growing trend of such initiatives, which to an extent, seem to be replacing more traditional forms of learning, which requires at least a few years rather than a few weekends to complete.

I have even spoken to friends and some people who actively attend such courses who have admitted they have become ‘short course junkies.’ And therein lies the problem. I believe such courses should be the stepping stone on the journey of knowledge, or ideally for those who are unable to commit longer periods of time to the pursuit of knowledge, not the be all and end all. Yet such students should be aware that this does not give them claim to scholarship, which even though may seem far-fetched, some often do through their actions and the manner in which they engage in discussion of Islamic knowledge. Such courses do not allow for the development of scholarly acumen, which requires organic growth, requires one to make mistakes, and subsequently learn from them. A weekend or two hardly allows for that. They do not need much emotional commitment, patience and steadfastness. They are more akin to your ‘fast food’ outlets; They satiate your immediate needs, give you instant-gratification, but will not do for the more serious long term goals. Of course everyone is not required to be a scholar, but the limitations of short courses needs to be kept in sight, if we are to reap the appropriate benefits. They may give you an imān (faith) boost, and make you feel good about yourself, but that is only one part of knowledge. We should be careful of reducing our perception of knowledge to just gratifying and appeasing ourselves, which is fundamentally to do with our ego, whereas one of the fundamental goals of knowledge in Islam is precisely to curb the ego, ((See al-Muwāfaqāt by Imam al-Shātibī)) much of which is achieved through the process of gaining the knowledge itself. Knowledge is not to be reduced to mere entertainment.

The second best of this Ummah (Muslim community), ‘Umar radi Allahu ‘anhu (May Allah be pleased with him), spent twelve years on Sūrah Baqarah. It took his son, ‘Abdullah (ra), eight years to learn Sūrah Baqarah, and we all know who he was. The question that needs to be asked is, was this long duration due to a weakness in Ibn Umar, or does this say something more about how they used to learn and serve knowledge instead of it being vice-versa? Imam az-Zurqani (ra) answers in his commentary:

“It was not due his slackness, may God forbid… the disapproval for haste in memorizing the Qur’an was narrated from the Prophet.” ((Sharḥ az-Zurqānī ‘alā Muwaṭṭa Imam Mālik))

By

Last week I finished the last of my nine written exams to enter Al-Azhar. I had been preparing for these exams for months, but as the time drew near I realized that I hadn’t put as much time into preparing for them as I should have, and felt a serious race against the clock was underway. My wife, an Egyptian who majored in Arabic in college, helped me tremendously with the four tests related to Arabic: Sarf (Morphology), Nahwa (Grammar), Balaagha (Eloquence), and Adab wa Nosoos (Literature). With her help I was able to cover the most important items for these exams before ‘exam week’, and reviewed each subject the night before taking its exam.

One night, as we were reviewing for Sarf and Nahwa, my wife was reading quickly through a portion of the book that we had covered before but had completely escaped my mind. As she was reading through it, sounding more like Chinese than Arabic to my mind as I struggled to recall the material, I felt increasingly frustrated and overwhelmed. I became short-tempered, and angrily told her, “Slow down!  You’re not helping me by reading it like that!”

Of course she was upset by my words, as she was only trying to help.  As we continued reviewing, a strong feeling of regret came over me, and I started crying uncontrollably to the point I couldn’t even speak for five or ten minutes. My wife, confused and worried, kept asking what was wrong.

What was wrong? This knowledge that we work hard to understand is supposed to bring us closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta`ala (exalted is He) and make us better people, both in our relationship to Him and with His creation. As the Prophet ﷺ (peace be upon him) said :

“أكمل المؤمنين إيماناً أحسنهم خلقاً وخياركم خياركم لنسائهم”

“The most complete believer regarding his faith is the one who has the best khuluq (character, manners, behavior), and the best amongst you are those who are the best to their wives.” ((On the authority of Abu Hurayrah, Reported by Imam At-Tirmidhi (#1162) who said its sanad (chain) is Hasan Sahih, as well as Imam Ahmed in his Musnad (2/ 450, 472 with a good chain according the Shaykh Shu’ayb Al-Arna’oot). It is also hadith (record) #628 in Riyaadh As-Saaliheen.))

After working so hard over the past weeks preparing for exams, focusing so much on getting good results, I realized that I had forgotten my main goal. The purpose of seeking knowledge is to try and understand my faith, to get closer to Allah (swt), and to apply this sacred knowledge so that it will benefit me in this life and the next, as well as my community.  True knowledge improves one’s character and dealing with others, as this small incident with my wife helped me to remember and take a lesson from.

“وَاسْتَعِينُوا بِالصَّبْرِ وَالصَّلَاةِ ۚ وَإِنَّهَا لَكَبِيرَةٌ إِلَّا عَلَى الْخَاشِعِينَ”

“And seek aid in steadfast patience and prayer: yet this, indeed, is a hard thing for all but the humble in spirit,” (Qur’an 2:45). ((The translation of this verse is taken from Muhammad Asad’s translation, May Allah have Mercy upon him. I have changed the word “and” to the word “yet” which may or may not bring it closer to the intended meaning, Allah knows best.))

“اللهم علمنا بما ينفعنا و ينفعنا بما علمتنا و زدنا علما و عملا متقبلا و اهدنا و اهد بنا و اجعلنا سببا لمن اهتدى”

O Allah, teach us that which benefits us, and benefit us with that which you have taught us, and give us an increase in knowledge and deeds that are accepted by You. Guide us, and guide others by us, and make us a cause for those who will be guided!

Allah says in Surat Al-Jum`ah:

The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it on is like that of a donkey who carries volumes [of books]. (Qur’an, 62:5)

In this verse, Allah (swt) talks about the Jews who did not utilize the knowledge given to them in the Torah nor did they apply it to their lives. He likens them to a donkey that carries on its back volumes of books; however, regardless of the knowledge these books contain, the donkey cannot make use of nor implement that knowledge in its life. Although this specific verse refers to the example of the Jews denying what was contained in their books about the coming of Prophet Mohammed ﷺ (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his message, we need to look at the greater message. The moral of this ayah is that mere possession of knowledge is not enough. We must implement knowledge in all aspects of our life or else it is, and we are, rendered useless. Simply put, when I gave that presentation, I was like a donkey. I had all the knowledge of the harms of smoking, how to best quit smoking and what help there is for me, yet I did not benefit from that knowledge. As one poet puts it:

كالعيس في البيداء يقتلها الظمأ و المـــــاء فوق ظهورها محمـول

Like camels in the desert dying of thirst/while it carries the water right on its back

The same can be said about knowing that prayer is the essential foundation of Islam but not praying, or having verses of the Qur’an memorized but not understanding what they mean. Please don’t get me wrong. The idea is not for every one of us to become a scholar of Islamic theology or jurisprudence or to become experts in every field of information; the idea is to understand and implement the knowledge that we do have in our lives. So let us ask ourselves, how many of us truly practice our knowledge? How many of us truly understand what it means to profess, five times a day, the Lordship of Allah? How many of us truly understand and implement the meanings of two verses that most of us have memorized?

“So whoever does an atom’s weight of good will see it, And whoever does an atom’s weight of evil will see it.”
(Qur’an, 99:7-8)