Adapted from the book:
Adab Talibul-Ilm [The Manners of the Knowledge Seeker]
by Shaykh Muhammad Sa’eed Raslan
If you find your shaykh sleeping, do not ask to see him. Rather, sit and wait until he wakes up, or leave if you wish.
al-Khatib al-Baghdadi (رحمه الله تعالى) reported: “Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه) said: “When the Messenger of Allah (صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم) died, I said to one of the Ansar: “Come. Let us go ask the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم), as they are plenty in number today.” He said: “I am amazed at you, Ibn ‘Abbas! Do you think they will pay attention to you when the most important of the Companions are amongst them?” So, I left him, and I began to ask the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم) about Hadith. If I heard that a man had a hadith with him, I would go to his door, and if I found him sleeping, I would spread a blanket on the ground in front of his home and wait for him. The wind would blow dirt on me, and he would eventually come out saying: ‘O cousin of the Messenger of Allah (صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم)! What brings you here? Why didn’t you send for me? I would’ve come to you.’ I would say: “It is more incumbent upon me to come to you,” and I’d ask him about the ahadith of the Prophet (صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم). That Ansari man lived until he saw the people gathering around me and asking me, and he would say: “That young boy was smarter than me!””
And Ibn ‘Abbas (رضي الله عنه) said: “I found most of the knowledge of the Messenger of Allah (صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم) in this neighborhood of the Ansar. I would wait at the door of one of them, and if I wanted permission to enter, I would’ve gotten it. However, I wanted him to be pleasant when meeting me.”
And Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah narrated that Abu al-Husayn said: “Ibn ‘Abbas used to go to one of the Companions of the Prophet (صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم), seeking to ask him about Hadith. It would be said to him: ‘He is asleep.’ So, he would lay down in front of his door waiting for him, and it would be said to him: ‘Do you want me to wake him up?’ He would say: “No.”
And Ma’mar narrated that az-Zuhri said: “If I came to ‘Urwah’s door, I could’ve entered if I wanted to. However, I would sit outside and wait out of respect for him.””[1]
Ibn Jama’ah said: “As a student of knowledge, one shouldn’t enter upon his shaykh without his permission if not in a public circle of knowledge, whether the shaykh is alone or with someone else. If he is granted permission and the shaykh knows who he is, he can enter. If not, he should leave, and he shouldn’t repeat his request for permission to enter. If he doubts whether or not the shaykh knows it was him, he should not request permission to enter more than three times through by either knocking on the door or ringing a bell. If he knocks on the door, let it be in a light, polite manner. He should tap with his fingers the first and second time, then with his knuckles the third time. If he is far from the door, there is no problem in him knocking a bit harder with his knuckles as much as would allow his shaykh to hear, and not any louder. If he grants permission and they are a group who are coming to see him, the best and oldest of them should enter first and greet him. Then, the next best should enter and greet him, and on and on.”[2]
And al-Khatib (رحمه الله تعالى) reported that Anas bin Malik (رضي الله عنه) said: “We used to knock on the door of the Prophet (صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم) with our fingernails.” al-Bukhari reported it in ‘al-Adab al-Mufrad’[3] on the authority of Anas (رضي الله عنه). And it is disliked that if the student is asked ‘Who is there?’ that he reply with ‘Me’ without identifying himself. If the door is open, he should not face the inside of the house. Rather, he should stand to the right or left of the door, then greet its inhabitants.
al-Bukhari (رحمه الله تعالى) listed ‘Chapter: Saying ‘Me’ if One is Asked ‘Who is There?’ under his section on asking permission in his ‘Sahih,’ and Jabir (رضي الله عنه) said: “I came to the Prophet(صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم) regarding a debt that my father had. I knocked the door, and he (صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم)said: “Who is there?” I said: “Me.” He said: “Me! Me!” as if he disliked it.”[4]
And he also included under the chapter ‘Asking Permission Instead of Looking’ that Sahl bin Sa’d (رضي الله عنه) narrated that a man peeked into the home of the Prophet (صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم) while he was combing his hair with an iron comb. So, when the Prophet (صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم) saw him, he said: “If I knew that you were looking, I would have stabbed you in the eye with this comb. Asking for permission was enjoined so that you would not look into people’s houses unlawfully.”[5]
Ibn Jama’ah (رحمه الله تعالى) said: “He should enter upon his shaykh in the best appearance. He should have a clean body and clothing, trimmed nails and hair, and be perfumed – especially if he plans on attending a circle of knowledge, as it is a gathering of dhikr and worship.
When he enters upon his shaykh in private and finds that he has stopped a conversation the shaykh was in the middle of with someone, or he finds the shaykh engaged in prayer, dhikr, writing, or studying that he has stopped because of his entrance, he should greet him and leave swiftly unless the shaykh insists that he stay. Even if he stays, he should not stay long unless the shaykh asks him to.
And he should enter upon his shaykh or sit with him while his heart and mind are pure and free of distractions. He should not be sleepy, angry, hungry, thirsty, etc. so that he would be able to pay full attention to what he tells him. If he goes to see the shaykh teach and doesn’t find him, he should wait in order not to miss a single lesson, as each lesson that he misses cannot be replaced. If the shaykh happens to be sleeping, he should wait until he wakes up or leave and come back later, and patience is best for him. It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas would sit at the door of Zayd bin Thabit until he woke up to gain knowledge from him, and it would be said to him: ‘Should we wake him up for you?’ to which he would refuse. It might even be that he was waiting all this time in the Sun, and this is how the Salaf were.
He should not request from this shaykh to teach him at an inconvenient or unusual time, and he should not request a specific, special time to study with him even if he was someone of great importance. This is because this constitutes a form of self-elevation, as well as belittlement of the shaykh and the other students of knowledge. The shaykh might be too shy to refuse, and would then end up leaving off that is more important at the time. However, if there is a pressing excuse for him to meet the shaykh privately instead of with the regularly scheduled class, there is no problem in this.”[6]
When you get to the class of the shaykh, you should sit some distance from the shaykh. al-Khatib (رحمه الله تعالى) that Sufyan bin ‘Uyaynah said: “Ka’b was with ‘Umar bin al-Khattab, and he sat far from the circle. ‘Umar reprimanded him for this, and Ka’b said: “O Commander of the Believers! From the wisdoms of Luqman and his advices to his son are: “O son! If you sit next to the ruler, allow enough space for one man between you and him, as someone might come along who is more important to him than you, and would then have to get up and move, and this would be a form of degradation for you.”””[7]
“And the student should sit in front of his teacher with humility and calmness, facing him completely, paying complete attention to his words, and he should not turn from him without the need to do so. He should also not look right, left, up, or down without a reason, especially when he is studying or talking with him. He shouldn’t look except to him, and shouldn’t turn to look at or hear something happening on the side. He shouldn’t dust his clothing, and should not move his hands and legs out of boredom, and should not place his hand over his beard or mouth, or place his finger in his nose to remove anything from it, and should not leave his mouth open or pick his teeth, and should not draw lines in the carpet with his fingers, and should not clasp his fingers together or fiddle with his clothing.
He should not lean against a wall or pillow in the presence of his shaykh, or place his hands on them. He should not give his shaykh his side or back, and should not lean on his hand to the back or side, and should not speak too much unnecessarily, and should not say something laughable or stupid or ill-mannered. He should not laugh unnecessarily, and should not laugh unless his shaykh laughs. If he is tempted to smile, he should do so without making a noise.
He should not clear his throat too much in his presence, nor should he spit or blow his nose as much as he is able. If he has to blow his nose, he shouldn’t spit the mucus out in an open manner. Rather, he should use a tissue or the edge of his clothing to dispose of it. He should cover his feet, let his clothes hang loose, and keep his hands still while studying or reading. If he sneezes, he should stifle the sound and cover his face with a tissue, and he should cover his mouth if he yawns.
‘Ali (رضي الله عنه) said: “From the rights of the scholar are that you greet the gathering and then greet the shaykh specifically; you should sit in front of him; you should not point here and there, wink, etc. in front of him; do not come out and tell him that fulan differs with him in a given matter; do not backbite anybody in his presence; and do not ask him intricate and complicated questions. If he makes a mistake, make an excuse for him, and it is upon you to honor him for the Sake of Allah, the Exalted. If he needs something, you should be the first to tend to his need; do not attract attention in his circle; do not grab his clothing; do not insist on something if he is too tired; do not think that you can have enough of his friendship, as he is like the palm tree from which you wait for something to fall on you,” and what ‘Ali (رضي الله عنه)gathered in this advice is more than enough.”[8]
So, calmness and tranquillity are two traits that must always be with the student in the circle of knowledge, and proper manifestation of good manners is essential. The Salaf would greatly respect and honor the circles of knowledge, and they would sit in them as if there were birds sitting on their heads.
Abu Bakr bin al-Ambari said: “There are two explanations as to the term ‘sitting as if there were birds on their heads’: the first is that they sat extremely still, and would lower their gaze, and birds do not land except on what is still. It is said to the man who is soft and gentle that the birds could land on his head from his calmness. As for the second meaning, it is in regards to how Sulayman bin Dawud (peace be upon them) would say to the wind: “Carry us,” and would say to the birds: “Shade us.” So, the wind would carry him and his companions, and the birds would shade them. His companions would lower their gaze out of respect and awe of him, and would remain completely still, and would not say a word unless he asked them a question. So, it is said to people if they are still that they are scholars who sit as if they have birds on their heads, likening them to the companions of Sulayman (صلى اللهُ عليه وسَلَّم).”[9]
al-Khatib (رحمه الله تعالى) reported that Ahmad bin Sinan al-Qattan said: “’Nobody in the class of Abd ar-Rahman bin Mahdi would even speak, sharpen a pen, or smile. If he saw that someone spoke or sharpened a pen, he would get up, put on his shoes, and go home.
Also, Waki’ and his students were as if they were in prayer during their classes, and if something happened in the class that annoyed him, he would put on his shoes and go home.
And Ibn Numayr would get angry and leave, and his face would change color of he saw someone sharpening a pen.”
And ‘Abd ar-Rahman bin ‘Umar said that a man laughed in the class of ‘Abd ar-Rahman bin Mahdi, and he asked: “Who laughed?” Everyone pointed to the man, and he scolded him: “You seek knowledge and laugh? I will not teach any of you for a month!” “As a student of knowledge, one should speak in the best manner possible with his shaykh, and he shouldn’t say to him ‘Why not?’ or ‘Who said this?’ or ‘Where did you find this?’ etc.
If he reminds the shaykh of something he said, he shouldn’t say ‘You said this,’ or ‘It occurred to me,’ or ‘I heard,’ or ‘Some person said,’ unless he knows the shaykh’s position in regards to what he is reminding him of, and this is in order to preserve proper etiquette with him regarding what others may say about his words. Also, he shouldn’t speak to him using terms like ‘What’s up?’ or ‘Do you understand?’ or ‘Do you know?’ etc.
Also, he should not describe to the shaykh conversations that take place between others that the shaykh doesn’t know about, such as saying to him ‘Fulan said to fulan that he is not a good person,’ etc. Rather, he should use indirect speech, such as to say ‘Fulan said to fulan that the one lacking any good is far removed from any mercy,’ etc. If he hears the shaykh mentioning the ruling on an issue, noting a point of benefit, telling a story, or reciting some poetry that he happens to already know, he should act happy and attentive to it, as if he had just heard it for the first time from the shaykh.
He should not precede the shaykh in explaining an issue, answering a question, or showing his knowledge of a matter before his shaykh. He should not cut him off in speech and then talk, and he shouldn’t speak with someone else while the shaykh is speaking to him or the class.
If he hands his shaykh a book, he should hand it to him such that he can easily open it to and =read the page he wants. If he knows the place in the book his shaykh is looking for, he should hand it to him opened to that page, and then point to the specific point in the page he wants, and he shouldn’t just throw the book to him.
If he is walking with his shaykh at night, he should walk in front of him, and if they are walking by day, he should be behind him, unless the circumstances do not allow due to crowding, etc. If they are walking in a foreign or dangerous place, he should walk slightly ahead of him. He should be keen to prevent any dirt from getting onto the shaykh’s clothing, and if they are in a crowded place, he should shield him with his hands from either the front or back.
If he is walking in front of him, he should turn to look back every once in awhile. If they are walking alone and the shaykh is speaking to him, he should stand to his right - and some say to stand on the left - and slightly turned to him. Also, he should introduce the shaykh to any individuals they meet along the way, naming them by name. He shouldn’t walk right beside the shaykh unless there is a reason to do so, and he should be keen not to be too close to him and bumping into him with his shoulders or knees, or to get dirt or stains on his clothes.
He should sit him in the shade in the summer, and should sit him in the Sun in the winter such that the Sun doesn’t hurt his face. He shouldn’t walk between the shaykh and someone he is talking to, and should remain slightly behind or in front of them when they are speaking to each other. He shouldn’t come close to them, listen to them, or turn to them. If they decide to include him in their conversation, he is to join from either the left or right, and not come in between them.
If he happens to meet his shaykh on the road, he should initiate greetings to him by seeing him, walking towards him, then greeting him. He shouldn’t point to him from afar in order to consult him, and he should use good manners in regards to his consultation by taking his advice. If the shaykh says something wrong in his advice, he shouldn’t say to the shaykh ‘This is wrong,’ or ‘This isn’t a strong opinion,’ etc. Rather, he should answer him in a good way, saying ‘It seems that what is best is this,’ and he should not say ‘I think this is best,’ etc.”[10]
[1] ‘al-Jami’ li Akhlaq ar-Rawi wa Adab as-Sami’’ (1/222)
[2] ‘Tadhkirat as-Sami’ wal-Mutakallim’ (p. 93)
[3] al-Albani declared it authentic in ‘Sahih al-Adab al-Mufrad’ (828)
[4] al-Bukhari (6250) and Abu Dawud (5187)
[5] al-Bukhari (6241 & 6901) and Muslim (2156)
[6] ‘Tadhkirat as-Sami’ wal-Mutakallim’ (p. 95)
[7] ‘Tadhkirat as-Sami’ wal-Mutakallim’ (p. 95)
[8] ‘Tadhkirat as-Sami’ wal-Mutakallim’ (p. 97)
[9] ‘al-Jami’ li Akhlaq ar-Rawi wa Adab as-Sami’’ (1/192)
[10] ‘Tadhkirat as-Sami’ wal-Mutakallim’ (p. 101-112
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