Kama mwanafunzi na mtafuta elimu, mtu anapaswa kuanza mapema mchana anaposoma, na Salaf walikuwa wenye kudumu sana na wenye kujali sana desturi hii.

“As a student and seeker of knowledge, one should start early in the day when studying, and the Salaf were very constant and particular in this practice.

‘Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hambal alisimulia kwamba alimsikia baba yake akisema: “Wakati mwingine nilitaka kutoka mapema ili kusikiliza Hadith. Basi mama yangu angeshika nguo zangu, akisema: ‘Angalau subiri hadi swala iitwe na watu waamke.’ Nami ningetoka mapema kwenda kwenye darasa za Abu Bakr bin ‘Ayyash na wengineo.”154

‘Abdullah bin Ahmad bin Hambal narrated that he heard his father say: “Sometimes, I would want to go out early to hear Hadith. So, my mother would grab my clothes, saying: “At least wait for the prayer to be called and the people to wake up.” I would go out early to the classes of Abu Bakr bin ‘Ayyash and others.”154

“Na aingie darasani kwa umakini kamili, akiitakasa moyo wake na kila usumbufu. Awasalimu wanafunzi wenzake kwa sauti iliyo wazi, kisha amsalimie shaykh wake kwa heshima na umakini zaidi. Kisha aketi kwenye ukingo wa nje wa halaka, wala asijisukume kati ya wenzake isipokuwa shaykh au wenzake wanapomwita asogee karibu, kama alivyopokea Al-Bukhari (Allah amrehemu) kutoka kwa Abu Waqid Al-Laythi (Allah amridhie) kwamba Nabii ﷺ alikuwa ameketi msikitini pamoja na watu fulani, wakaja watu watatu. Wawili wao wakaja mbele ya Nabii ﷺ, na wa tatu akaondoka. Wale wawili wakasimama mbele yake kwa muda, kisha mmoja wao akapata nafasi katika halaka akaketi humo, huku mwingine akiketi nyuma ya mkusanyiko, na wa tatu akaondoka. Mjumbe wa Allah ﷺ alipomaliza hotuba yake, alisema: “Je, niwaambie habari za watu hawa watatu? Mmoja wao alijielekeza kwa Allah, basi Allah akamkaribisha kwake. Wa pili alionea haya mbele ya Allah, na Allah akaona haya kumwadhibu. Wa tatu aligeuza uso wake mbali na Allah akaondoka. Basi Allah naye akageuza Uso Wake mbali naye.”155

“And he should enter his class with full attention, freeing his heart of all distractions. He should greet his fellow students in a clear voice, and he should then greet his shaykh with extra honor and attention. Then, he is to sit down at the outside edge of the circle, and he should not squeeze between his classmates unless the shaykh or classmates call him to move closer, as al-Bukhari (may Allah have Mercy on him) reported from Abu Waqid al-Laythi (may Allah be Pleased with him) that while the Prophet (peace be upon him) was sitting in the mosque with some people, three men came. Two of them came in front of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the third one went away. The two people kept on standing before him for a while, and then one of them found a place in the circle and sat there, while the other sat behind the gathering, and the third one went away. When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) finished his speech, he said: “Shall I tell you about these three people? One of them took himself to Allah, so Allah took him nto Himself. The second felt shy from Allah, and Allah was Shy to punish him. The third turned his face from Allah and went away. So, Allah likewise turned His Face from him.”155

Na asimlazimishe mtu yeyote kuondoka mahali pake, na ikiwa mtu yeyote amechukua mahali pake, asichukue tena isipokuwa kuna faida fulani katika kufanya hivyo.

And he shouldn’t make anyone get up from his spot, and if anyone takes his spot, he shouldn’t take it back unless there is some benefit in doing so.

Hapaswi kukaa katikati ya halaqa isipokuwa kuna haja ya hilo, wala kukaa kati ya masahaba wawili isipokuwa kwa ruhusa yao. Akae karibu na shaykh kadiri awezavyo bila kumsumbua yeyote, ili aweze kusikia na kuelewa maneno yake vizuri zaidi.

He shouldn’t sit in the middle of the circle unless there is a need for this, and he shouldn’t sit between two companions except with their permission, and he should be as close to the shaykh as he can without annoying anybody in order to best hear and understand his words.

Anapaswa kuwa na adabu bora zaidi kwa wanafunzi wenzake na marafiki zake, kwa kuwa hili ni dhihirisho la heshima kwa shaykh wake na darasa lake, na darasa na somo ni nafasi takatifu, tukufu isiyoruhusiwa kuvunjwa.

He should use the best manners with his classmates and friends, as this is a manifestation of respect to his shaykh and his class, and the class and lesson is holy, sacred space that is not allowed to be violated.

Anapaswa kukaa kwa unyenyekevu na kwa tabia njema kama mwanafunzi, si kama mwalimu. Asipaze sauti yake mara kwa mara bila sababu. Badala yake, aketi mbele ya mwalimu wake akiwa makini kikamilifu na akisikiliza, wala asimtangulie katika kueleza au kujibu swali.

He should sit with humility and character in the manner of a student, not a teacher. He shouldn’t raise his voice often without a reason. Rather, he should sit in front of his teacher fully attentive and listening, and shouldn’t precede him in explaining or answering a question.

Anapaswa kuanza somo kwa kusema "Kwa jina la Allah, Mwingi wa rehema, Mwenye kurehemu."

He should begin the lesson by saying ‘In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.

Sifa njema ni za Allah, na amani na rehema ziwe juu ya Mtume Wake ﷺ, Ahlul-Bayt wake, na Maswahaba zake. Kisha, na aombee dua kwa maulamaa, walimu wake, wazazi wake, na Waislamu wengine wote.

Praise be to Allah, and peace and prayers be on His Messenger, his Household, and Companions.’ Then, he should supplicate for the scholars, his teachers, his parents, and the rest of the Muslims.

Anapaswa kuwa makini kwa shaykh wake, na asisome wala kusoma wakati moyo wake umeshughulishwa na jambo jingine, au akiwa amechoka au amechoshwa. Asiwe mkaidi katika kuuliza maswali, bali awe mpole, mwenye upole na utulivu anapouliza. Asiulize maswali isipokuwa katika wakati wake unaofaa na mahali pake panapofaa, lakini asiwe na aibu ya kuuliza maswali yanayofaa katika wakati unaofaa.

He should be focused on his shaykh, and he shouldn’t read or study while his heart is busy with something else, or if he is bored or tired. He shouldn’t be insistent in asking questions, and should instead be soft, gentle, and calm when doing so. He shouldn’t ask about questions except in their appropriate time and place, but should not be shy from asking the proper questions at the proper time.

Ikiwa shaykh atamuuliza, 'Je, unaelewa?', asiseme 'Ndiyo' isipokuwa anaelewa kweli, wala asione aibu kusema, 'Sijui,' au, 'Sielewi.' Mujahid (Mwenyezi Mungu amrehemu) alisema: "Hakuna anayeona haya kupita kiasi au kiburi kupita kiasi atakayejifunza elimu hii," na 'Aishah (Mwenyezi Mungu amridhie) alisema: "Ni wanawake wa Ansar walio bora kabisa! Haya haikuwazuia kujifunza Dini," na al-Khalil bin Ahmad (Mwenyezi Mungu amrehemu) alisema: "Nafasi ya ujinga iko kati ya haya na kiburi."157

If the shaykh asks him ‘Do you understand?’ he should not say ‘Yes’ unless he really does understand, and he shouldn’t be shy from saying ‘I don’t know,’ or ‘I don’t understand.’ Mujahid (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “Nobody who is either too shy or too arrogant will learn this knowledge,” and ‘A’ishah (may Allah be Pleased with her) said: “How excellent are the women of the Ansar! They did not let their shyness prevent them from learning the Religion,”156 and al-Khalil bin Ahmad (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “The station of ignorance is between shyness and arrogance.”157

Hii ndiyo iliyowezeshwa na Allah kuweka wazi kuhusu adabu za mwanafunzi wa elimu. Kwa hiyo, ni jambo la lazima kwa anayetafuta elimu kufanya hili kuwa somo la kwanza analolenga, na ajipambe kwa adabu hizi ndani na nje, na aharakishe kupata na kukusanya tabia na sifa hizi ndani yake. Namuomba Allah, mimi kama mja mnyonge, aliyedhalilika, aliyejaa dhambi, mwenye upungufu mwingi, anayeendelea kuanguka katika mitego – namuomba Allah afanye adabu hizi kuwa ndizo zawadi wanazozipata kila mwanafunzi na mtafuta elimu aliyefanya nia na lengo lake kuwa kwa ajili ya Allah peke yake. Namuomba kwa Utukufu Wake na kwa Nuru ya Uso Wake – ombi la mtu aliye maskini, mwenye hofu, na dhaifu – awaongoze Waislamu kuchukua kutoka katika Qur’ani na Sunnah ya Nabii Wake ﷺ kwa njia isiyoacha nafasi yoyote ya uzushi au shirki, kwa kuwa Yeye hakika ni Mwenye uwezo juu ya kila kitu.

This is what Allah has made possible to clarify in regards to the manners of the knowledge seeker. So, it is essential for its seeker that he make this the first subject of study he sets his sights upon, and that he beautifies himself with these manners internally and externally, and that he rush to obtaining and collecting these traits and characteristics within himself. I ask Allah as a poor, humiliated servant who is filled with sins, full of shortcomings, always falling into traps – I ask Him to make these manners the prize obtained by every student and seeker of knowledge who has made his intention and concern purely for Allah, and I ask Him by His Glory and the Light of His Face – the request of one who is poor, fearful, and weak – that He Guide the Muslims to taking from the Qur’an and Sunnah of His Prophet (peace be upon him) in a manner that leaves no place for innovation or shirk, for He is indeed Capable of everything.

Ametakasika Ewe Allah, na sifa zote ni Zako, nashuhudia kwamba hakuna mungu apasaye kuabudiwa isipokuwa Wewe. Ninakuomba msamaha Wako, na ninatubia kwako.

Glory be to You and by Your praise, O Allah, and I bear witness that none is worthy of worship except You. I ask Your Forgiveness, and I repent unto You.

Sifa zote njema ni za Allah, kwanza na mwisho, ndani na nje, na rehema nyingi na amani kamili ziwe juu ya Mtume Muhammad ﷺ, kizazi chake, na Maswahaba zake. Na wito wetu wa mwisho ni kwamba sifa njema ni za Allah, Mola wa viumbe vyote.

Praise be to Allah firstly and lastly, inwardly and outwardly, and may plenty and complete peace and prayers be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his Household, and his Companions, and our final call is that praise is for Allah, the Lord of the worlds.