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Factors that Leads to Loss of Knowledge – Sheikh Muhammad ibn Sālih Al-‘Uthaymeen ( رحمه الله)
Why students lose knowledge they had memorised?
Sheikh was asked:
“Many students suffer from forgetfulness of knowledge which they had memorized and loss of benefits they read about. So what therefore is the ideal solution for this problem in your opinion oh virtuous Sheikh?”
The Sheikh responded:
“The reasons for weak memorization are many. From them;
1️⃣ Sins
For indeed sins bring about forgetfulness.
Allaah (تبارك وتعالى) says:
فَبِمَا نَقۡضِهِم مِّيثَٰقَهُمۡ لَعَنَّٰهُمۡ وَجَعَلۡنَا قُلُوبَهُمۡ قَٰسِيَةٗۖ يُحَرِّفُونَ ٱلۡكَلِمَ عَن مَّوَاضِعِهِۦ وَنَسُواْ حَظّٗا مِّمَّا ذُكِّرُواْ بِهِۦۚ
“So for their breaking of the covenant We cursed them and made their hearts hard. They distort words from their [proper] usages and have forgotten a portion of that of which they were reminded…”
[Surah Al-Ma’idah, Ayah 13]
And Imam Ash-Shafi’y (رحمه الله) said: “I complained to Waki` about my bad memorization. So he advised me to abandon sins.
He said: “Know that knowledge is light. And Allaah’s Light is not granted to a disobedient (sinner)!”
2️⃣ Regular Reading
And from the reasons for forgetfulness: is that a person does not read regularly what he has memorized, meaning he does not revise it. And the proof for that is the saying of the Prophet (ﷺ): “Read this Qur’an regularly… ”, meaning revise it, “for, by the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, it is more likely to escape than a hobbled camel.” [Sahih Muslim]
3️⃣ Frequent Preoccupation
When a person has many things that preoccupy him, he will subsequently forget. Because the heart is a container and he is the vessel. And this vessel has a limit and a restricted capacity. If it is filled with something there is no space for anything else. Thus if a person has no spare time and is constantly preoccupied, those things which keep him busy a lot cause forgetfulness.
4️⃣ Acting Upon Acquired Knowledge
And also from the reasons for forgetfulness is not acting upon the knowledge. Hence if you act upon what you know then your action is considered implementation; implementation of knowledge.
An example being: If you learnt that Wudhu has to be done in order and you perform it after that in order, then that is without a doubt implementation.”
[Source: Silsilah Liqa’at al baab il maftouh, Laqaa ul Baab il maftouh 197.]
May Allaah (تبارك وتعالى) shower mercy upon the Sheikh.
آمِيْن يَارَبَّ الْعَالَمِينْ
Share this, Baarakallaah Feekum: [“One who guides to something good has a reward similar to that of its doer” – Saheeh Muslim vol.3, no.4665]
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