The Sunnah Way of Studying Any Subject

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ
In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Whether you’re in school, college, or just studying a course to develop a skill, learning a subject can be challenging. Especially in the beginning, when you’re so new to the content, it can be overwhelming and draining. Without a proper learning mechanism, you’re just memorizing info to pass tests and not achieving any skills.
So what’s the best way to learn a subject? By applying the Sunnah. The Prophet  ﷺ  never took the intiative to commit to something without seeking the help of Allah and remembering Him throughout it, which is why he was always victorious.

Making Du’a

We are encouraged to make Du’a for everything, no matter how insignificant we perceive them to be, as Allah is the only one who can ensure that something reaches us. As the Prophet  ﷺ  has said,
“Let one of you ask his Lord for his needs, all of them, even for a shoestring when his breaks.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 3973]

Taking up knowledge on a particular subject is a huge commitment. You’re putting in your time, effort, and money into this. Without consistently asking Allah to guide you and help you, you will never know if this knowledge is beneficial in the long run or not.
So, always strive to invoke Allah when seeking knowledge. Ask Him to make your studies easier, to improve your cognitive abilities and memory, to keep your body and mind healthy, and to guide you to seek knowledge that holds value and long-term benefit.

Some short and easy Du’as that you can say to help you with your studying are:

رَبِّ اشْرَحْ لِي صَدْرِي وَيَسِّرْ لِي أَمْرِي وَاحْلُلْ عُقْدَةً مِّن لِّسَانِي يَفْقَهُوا قَوْلِي
“My Lord! Uplift my heart for me, and make my task easy, and remove the impediment from my tongue so people may understand my speech.” [Surah Taha, verses 25-28]
اَللّٰهُمَّ انْفَعْنِيْ بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنِيْ ، وَعَلِّمْنِيْ مَا يَنْفَعُنِيْ ، وَزِدْنِيْ عِلْمًا
“Oh Allah, benefit me with what you have taught me, teach me what will benefit me, and increase me in knowledge.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhi, 3599]
َبِّ زِدْنِيْ عِلْمًا
“My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” [Surah Taha, verse 114]
اَللّٰهُمَّ إِنِّيْ أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْمًا نَّافِعًا ، وَرِزْقًا طَيِّبًا ، وَعَمَلًا مُّتَقَبَّلًا
“Oh Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, wholesome sustenance, and deeds which are accepted.” [Sunan Ibn Majah, 925]

Making Sure the Means of Seeking Knowledge are Halal

Knowledge is a form of Rizq. Allah gives knowledge to everyone, righteous and non-righteous. But, He only gives knowledge with blessings and benefit to those who truly fear Him and are obedient. Those who are not righteous are given knowledge so they can be brought to judgment in the Akhirah.
Blessings and benefit in both the Dunya and Akhirah can only be achieved by Halal means. You cannot seek anything in this Dunya through Haram means, whether it be knowledge, wealth, or marriage, without suffering the consequences in both the worlds.

If your means for seeking knowledge are Haram, you might notice the following setbacks:

• Frequent forgetfulness
• Inconsistent grades
• Loss of reputation among peers
• Hardships which restrict your studies
• Few or no opportunities to use your knowledge for deriving wealth
• Lack of motivation, strive, focus, etc.

Thanking Allah

Allah says in the Qur’an,

“If you are grateful, I will certainly give you more. But if you are ungrateful, surely My punishment is severe.” [Surah Ibrahim, verse 7]

With gratitude, our blessings multiply and Allah puts Barakah in whatever journey we embark on. In seeking knowledge, thanking Allah is crucial to get ahead.
Remember to thank Allah for having the means of studying, for being able to have resources to help you study, and for whatever achievements you have along your way.
By showing gratitude for even the small things, you will notice Allah making seeking knowledge much easier for you.

Keeping Intentions Pure

Our actions are judged based on our intentions. Our innermost thoughts, our true feelings, and our actual intentions are only accessible to ourselves and Allah.
A true believer knows that intentions, no matter how hidden from the public view, are meant to be pure at all times. Our thoughts become our ideas and our ideas become our actions—so intention is the root of all deeds.
Allah doesn’t reward a believer based on how many good deeds they’ve done, how long they stood in prayer, or how much knowledge they’ve gathered, but rather He rewards them according to the sincerity in their hearts.

Having the wrong intentions in seeking knowledge also takes the blessing away from it. Some of the wrong intentions of seeking knowledge are to:

• Show off
• Gather wealth and fame
• Have power over others
• Build reputation
• Argue and cause disputes
• Compete with others
• Gain accolades, awards, certificates, etc.
• Gather worldly gains only
• Increase fanaticism and obsession over specific ideologies