The adornment of the student of religious science

The adornment of the student of religious science - Daoud Abou Soumaya - Ibn Badis

Certainly, the book "The Adornment of the Student of Knowledge" is one of the best books written on the subject of behavior in seeking knowledge. Allah has granted it acceptance, which distinguishes it from other summarized works concerning this important subject. Due to its importance, many scholars have explained it, and its most famous explanation is that of Shaykh Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Uthaymeen (d. 1421 H.), may Allah have mercy on him, who says in his introduction to this epistle:

"If the student of knowledge does not adorn himself with good manners, his pursuit of knowledge will be of no use to him. On the contrary, it is obligatory upon the person, whenever he learns something of virtues or worship, to perform it. If he does not do so, he will be equal to the ignorant, and the ignorant will be in a better situation than him, because he will have abandoned good voluntarily, unlike the ignorant, and because the ignorant sometimes benefits when he learns, unlike the one who learns and does not benefit. This is the reason why I urge myself, as well as you, to adorn myself with virtuous manners, to be patient, to endure, to forgive and to be good, as much as possible. All this is without forgetting the greatest advice, which is the advice of fearing Allah, the Exalted and the Almighty."

The author, may Allah have mercy on him, says (pp. 8-9):

“So accept this adornment, which contains a collection of [noble] behaviors, as well as the things that contradict and nullify them. Thus, when the individual neglects one of these behaviors, he actually accomplishes one of the nullifications that oppose [that neglected behavior]. Some people apply most of these behaviors, while others neglect a great many of them.”