Vitabu ni vyombo vya elimu, na Salaf walikuwa na adabu bora na kamili zaidi katika kushughulika na vitabu vyao, nao walijitahidi kwa kadiri ya uwezo wao wote katika kuvikusanya.

Books are the instruments of knowledge, and the Salaf would have the best and most complete manners when dealing with their books, and they would exert all the effort they could in collecting them.

"Kama mwanafunzi wa elimu, inampasa ajitahidi kukusanya na kuweka pamoja vitabu anavyovihitaji, iwe kwa kuvinunua, kuvikodisha, au kuazima. Hivyo ndivyo vyombo ambavyo kwavyo yeye hujifunza, na hapaswi kuweka kikomo cha sehemu yake ya elimu na ufahamu kwa kukusanya na kuweka vitabu tu, kama ilivyo kwa wengi wa wale wanaojinasibisha na Fiqh na Hadith. Na amependeza sana yule aliyesema:"

“As a student of knowledge, one should strive to collect and gather the books that he needs, whether by purchasing, renting, or borrowing them. They are the instruments by which he learns, and he shouldn’t limit his share of knowledge and understanding to merely collecting and gathering them, as is the case with many of those who ascribe themselves to Fiqh and Hadith. And how excellent is the one who said:

* Ikiwa wewe si mtu mwenye kumbukumbu kali… basi mkusanyiko wako wa vitabu hautakuwa na faida yoyote. Inapendekezwa kuwakopesha vitabu vyako watu ambao hawataviharibu. Ingawa kundi la wanazuoni walikatisha tamaa jambo hili, bado mtu anapaswa kulifanya kwa kuwa ni namna ya kusaidiana katika kupata elimu, na kwa kuzingatia fadhila na malipo ya kuwakopesha watu vitabu.

If you are not a sharp memorizer * Then your collection of books is of no benefit… It is encouraged to lend your books out to those who will not damage them. Although a group of the scholars discouraged this, one should still do it since it is a form of assisting each other in gaining knowledge, and considering the virtue and reward of lending out books.

Mwazima anapaswa kumshukuru mwenye kumkopesha na kumlipa kwa wema, na asiweke kitabu kwake kwa muda mrefu bila kuwa na haja nacho. Badala yake, arudishe kwa mwenyewe iwapo amekwisha pata alichokihitaji kutoka kwake, na asikihifadhi kwake iwapo mmiliki ameomba kukirudisha. Hairuhusiwi kuongeza maelezo ya chini ya ukurasa kwenye kitabu bila ruhusa ya mmiliki, wala kuandika chochote karibu na utangulizi au hitimisho isipokuwa mmiliki amekubali. Asimkopeshe mtu mwingine, na asikiache kwa mtu mwingine isipokuwa kuna haja ya kufanya hivyo.

The borrower should thank the lender and reward him with good, and he shouldn’t keep the book with him for too long without a need for it. Rather, he should return it to him if he has obtained what he needs from it, and should not keep it stored with him if the owner requests it. He is not allowed to add footnotes to the book without the permission of the owner, nor is he allowed to write anything near the introduction or conclusion unless the owner approves. He should not lend it out to anyone else, and should not leave it with anyone else unless there is a need to do so.

"Ikiwa anataka kunakili sehemu au yote yake, hapaswi kuandika huku karatasi ikiwa juu ya kitabu au ndani yake. Hapaswi kuacha kalamu wazi juu yake, na hapaswi kupitisha kalamu juu ya kurasa za kitabu."151

If he wants to copy a portion or all of it, he shouldn’t write while the paper is on or in the book. He shouldn’t leave an open pen on it, and he shouldn’t run a pen over the pages of the book.”151

Na al-Khatib (Mwenyezi Mungu amrehemu) alipokea kutoka kwa Waki’ kwamba alisema: “Baraka ya kwanza ya Hadith ni kuwakopesha watu vitabu vyako.” Sufyan ath-Thawri alisema: “Yeyote anayebana elimu yake atajaribiwa kwa mojawapo ya mambo matatu: atasahau na kushindwa kukumbuka, au hatapata faida yake, au atajikuta akipoteza vitabu vyake.” Pia imechukiwa kwa mkopaji kuweka vitabu mbali na wamiliki wao, na lazima viwarudishie wamiliki wao haraka iwezekanavyo… Yunus alisimulia kwamba Yazid alimwambia kwamba az-Zuhri alisema: “Ewe Yunus, jihadhari na khiana ya vitabu.” Yunus akauliza: “Na khiana ya vitabu ni nini?” Akasema: “Ni kwamba unavizuia visiwafikie wamiliki wao.” Al-Fudayl bin ‘Iyad (Mwenyezi Mungu amrehemu) alisema: “Si katika matendo ya mwenye tahadhari wala ya mwanazuoni kwamba uchukue usikivu wa mtu na vitabu vyake na kuvibakiza kwako.”

And al-Khatib (may Allah have Mercy on him) reported that Waki’ said: “The first blessing of Hadith is that you lend out your books.” Sufyan ath-Thawri said: “Whoever is stingy with his knowledge will be tested with one of three things: he will forget and be unable to memorize, or he will not benefit from it, or he will find himself losing his books.” And it is disliked for the borrower to keep books from their owners, and he must return them to their owners as quickly as possible… Yunus narrated that Yazid said to him that az-Zuhri said: “O Yunus, beware of the treachery of books.” So, Yunus asked: “And what is the treachery of books?” He said: “That you keep them from their owners.” al-Fudayl bin ‘Iyad (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “It is not from the actions of the cautious or the scholar that you take a man’s hearing and books and keep them with you.

“Yeyote anayefanya hivi amejidhulumu nafsi yake.” Na baadhi yao walikataa kuazima vitabu vyao kwa sababu ya jambo hili la kuwazuia wamiliki wa vitabu, kama Sufyan (Mwenyezi Mungu amrehemu) alivyosema: “Msimwazime mtu yeyote vitabu vyenu,” na ar-Rabi’ bin Sulayman alisema: “al-Buiti aliniandikia:

Whoever does this has wronged himself.” And a number of them refrained from lending out their books because of this phenomenon of keeping books from their owners, as Sufyan (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “Do not lend anyone any of your books,” and ar-Rabi’ bin Sulayman said: “al-Buiti wrote to me:

"Hifadhi vitabu vyako kichwani, kwa sababu ukipoteza mojawapo yake, hutaweza kukibadilisha kamwe."152

“Memorize your books, because if you lose one of them, you’ll never be able to replace it.”””152

“Na mtu anapoandika kitu kutoka kwenye kitabu au kukitoa, asikitandaze sakafuni kwa kuacha wazi. Badala yake, aweke kati ya vitabu viwili au vitu vingine, au kwenye kiti cha kukunjika kinachojulikana kwa kuwekea vitabu, ili kisiharibu jalada la kitabu. Akikiweka mahali palipoinuka, kiwekwe kwenye kiti, rafu ya vitabu, n.k. Ni bora kitabu kisiwekwe moja kwa moja chini ili kukiepusha kuchafuka au kulowa. Akikiweka juu ya kipande cha mbao, aweke kitambaa kati yake na kitabu ili kuzuia jalada lisibadilike au kuoza.”

“And if one is writing something from the book or pulls it out, he shouldn’t spread it on the floor in an open fashion. Rather, he should put it between two other books or objects, or the well-known folding chair used for books in order not to damage the binding of the book. If he places it in an elevated location, it should be on a chair, a bookshelf, etc. It is best that the book not be placed directly on the ground in order to avoid getting it dirty or wet. If he places it on a piece of wood, he should place some cloth between it and the book to prevent the cover from becoming altered or decomposed.

Mtu anapaswa kuzingatia kwa makini jinsi anavyopanga vitabu vyake, na afanye hivyo kulingana na fadhila, umuhimu, na thamani ya kila kitabu. Kwa hiyo, aweke kitabu kilicho tukufu zaidi juu ya vyote, kisha ashuke hatua kwa hatua. Ikiwa maktaba yake ina Qur'ani Tukufu, inapaswa kuwekwa juu ya vitabu vyote vingine, na jambo bora zaidi ni kuiweka ndani ya mfuko na kuibandika ukutani mahali safi na pasafi, panapofikika.

One should pay special attention to how he organizes his books, and should do so in accordance with the virtue, importance, and significance of each book. So, he should place the noblest book above all the others, and then work his way down gradually. If his library contains the Noble Qur’an, it should be placed above all the other books, and what is best is that it be placed in a sack and nailed to a clean, pure part of the wall that is within reach.

Kisha kuja vitabu vya Hadith, kama 'Sahih al-Bukhari' na 'Sahih Muslim.' Kisha kuja tafsiri za Qur'an, kisha sharhi za Hadith, kisha vitabu vinavyohusu misingi (usul) ya Dini, kisha misingi ya Fiqh, kisha Fiqh, kisha sarufi na lugha, kisha ushairi wa Kiarabu, kisha ushairi wa kawaida.

Then come the books of Hadith, such as ‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ and ‘Sahih Muslim.’ Then come the explanations of the Qur’an, then the explanations of Hadith, then the books regarding the principles (usul) of the Religion, then the principles of Fiqh, then Fiqh, then grammar and language, then Arabic poetry, then general poetry.

Ikiwa vitabu viwili vya fani moja vina ubora sawa, basi inapasa kuweka juu kile kilicho na maudhui mengi zaidi ya Qur'ani au Hadith kuliko kingine. Ikiwa navyo ni sawa katika hilo pia, basi inapasa kuweka juu kile kilicho na mwandishi mwenye fadhila zaidi kuliko kingine. Ikiwa navyo ni sawa katika hilo pia, basi inapasa kuweka juu katika maktaba yake kile kilicho kikongwe zaidi na kinachokubalika zaidi kati ya hivyo viwili. Ikiwa navyo ni sawa katika hilo pia, basi inapasa kuweka juu kile kilicho sahihi zaidi na cha kuaminika zaidi.

If two books in the same field are equal in virtue, he should place the one with more Qur’an or Hadith content higher than the other. If they are equal in this regard as well, he should place the one with the more virtuous author higher than the other. If they are equal in this as well, he should place the older and more widely accepted of the two higher in his library. If they are equal in this regard as well, he should place the one that is more authentic and trustworthy.

Ikiwa mtu amekopa kitabu, anapaswa kukirudisha mara moja iwapo mmiliki wake ataomba kurudishiwa. Ikiwa mtu amenunua kitabu, anapaswa kupitia kwa haraka mwanzo wake, katikati yake, mwisho wake, na faharasa yake.

If one borrows a book, he should immediately give it back if the owner requests it. If he purchases a book, he should flip through its beginning, middle, end, and table of contents.

Anapaswa kupitia kurasa zake na kutathmini uhalisi wake wa dhahiri na manufaa yake ikiwa hana muda wa kuisoma kwa kina.

He should flip through its pages and evaluate its apparent authenticity and benefit if he doesn’t have enough time to read it in detail.

Ikiwa mtu ananakili kitu kutoka kitabuni kwa mkono wake mwenyewe, anapaswa kuanza kwa "Bismil-Lah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim" (Kwa jina la Mwenyezi Mungu, Mwingi wa Rehema, Mwenye Kurehemu). Ikiwa kitabu kinaanza kwa utangulizi unaoyhusisha sifa za Mwenyezi Mungu au salamu na baraka juu ya Mtume Wake ﷺ, anapaswa kuandika hayo baada ya basmalah. Kisha aandike anachotaka kutoka kitabuni.

If one copies something from the book in his handwriting, he should begin with ‘Bismil-Lah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim’ (In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful). If the book begins with an introduction that contains the praise of Allah or peace and blessings upon His Messenger, he should write this out after the basmalah. He should then write what he wants from the book.

Wakati wowote mtu anapoandika Jina la Allah, Aliyetukuka, anapaswa kufuatisha kwa maneno ya utukufu, kama vile Ta’ala (Aliyetukuka), Subhanah (Ametakasika), ‘Azza wa Jall (Mwenye nguvu na Mwenye utukufu), Taqaddas (Mtakatifu, Aliye huru na kasoro), n.k.

Whenever one writes the Name of Allah, the Exalted, he should follow it up with a description of exaltation, such as Ta’ala (the Exalted), Subhanah (Glorified is He), ‘Azza wa Jall (the Mighty and Majestic), Taqaddas (free from imperfection), etc.

Wakati wowote anapoandika jina la Mtume (rehema na amani ziwe juu yake), anapaswa kuandika baada yake 'as-Salatu was-Salamu ‘alayh' (rehema na amani ziwe juu yake) ﷺ, na pia anapaswa kulisema hilo kwa ulimi wake. Mazoea ya Salaf na wale waliokuja baada yao yalikuwa ni kuliandika neno hili kikamilifu bila kufupishwa, hata likirudiwa mara nyingi katika mstari uleule, tofauti na wanavyofanya waandishi wa nyakati zetu wenye fikra zilizorudi nyuma, wanaoandika 'SAW,' 'PBUH,' au 'SAWS.' Yote haya yanapunguza haki yake juu yetu (rehema na amani ziwe juu yake) ﷺ.

Whenever he writes the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he should write after it ‘as-Salatu was-Salamu ‘alayh’ (prayers and peace be upon him), and he should also say this with his tongue. The habit of the Salaf and those who came after them was to write this out fully and unabbreviated - even if it was repeated many times on the same line – as opposed to what the backwards authors of our times do, writing ‘SAW,’ ‘PBUH,’ or ‘SAWS,’ and all of this detracts from the rights he has upon us (peace be upon him).

Ikiwa mtu atakutana na kutajwa kwa Sahaba – achilia mbali Masahaba wakubwa – anapaswa kuandika 'Radi Allahu 'anhu' (Allah amridhie), na asimwombee amani na baraka isipokuwa Manabii au Malaika, isipokuwa katika kuwafuata wao.

If one comes across mention of a Companion – let alone the major ones – he should write ‘Radi Allahu ‘anhu’ (may Allah be Pleased with him), and he is not to invoke peace and blessings except for the Prophets or Angels, except in following them.

Ikiwa atakutana na kutajwa kwa mmoja wa Salaf, anapaswa kuandika ‘Rahimahu Allah’ (Mwenyezi Mungu amrehemu), hasa anapotaja wanachuoni wakubwa, maarufu na viongozi wa Uislamu (Mwenyezi Mungu awarehemu wote).

If he comes across mention of one of the Salaf, he should write ‘Rahimahu Allah’ (may Allah have Mercy on him), especially when referring to the major, well-known, leading scholars of Islam (may Allah have Mercy on them all).

Na hakuna tatizo katika kuandika maelezo ya chini ya ukurasa, mambo ya manufaa, na vidokezo muhimu pembezoni mwa vitabu anavyomiliki mtu, lakini mtu asiandike isipokuwa mambo muhimu yanayohusiana na kitabu hicho mahsusi, kama vile jambo lenye utata, mfano, kielelezo, kosa, na mengineyo.

And there’s no problem in writing footnotes, points of benefit, and important notes in the borders of the books he owns, and one shouldn’t write except the important points related to that particular book, such as a point of confusion, a parable, an example, a mistake, etc.

Lakini, hapaswi kuijaza kitabu hicho mambo ya pembeni ya ajabu na ya kina, wala kuongeza maelezo ya chini ya ukurasa (footnotes) kwa wingi kiasi cha kuufanya ukurasa uwe mweusi au kupoteza nafasi nyingi katika kitabu.

But, he shouldn’t crowd the book with strange and detailed secondary matters, and shouldn’t add so many footnotes that it darkens the pages or wastes too much space in the book.

"Mtu asipaswi kuandika kati ya mistari. Ingawa baadhi ya watu walifanya hivi kwa kuandika kwa wino mwekundu kati ya mistari, ni bora kuacha kabisa jambo hili."153

One should not write between the lines. Although some did this by writing in red between the lines, it is better to leave this totally.”153