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The Method of Study in IslamThe following is a translation from the Usul Al -Fiqh masterpiece of the Arabic book The Islamic Personality - Volume 1 bySheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabhani. Please refer to the original Arabic for accurate meanings.

The Islamic culture has a method of study, and this method is summarised in three points:

First:That the study should be deep until the matters are correctly comprehended because thisculture is conceptually deep rooted and its study requires patience and forbearance. Sinceculturing oneself with it is an intellectual process which requires mental exertion to comprehendthem because it requires the comprehension of its sentences, cognizance of its reality and itslinkage with information through which this reality is understood. This is why it is essential toacquire it intellectually. For instance, the Muslim is obliged to adopt his creed through ration andnot by unquestioning submission. So, the study of whatever relates to the basis of the creedinevitably requires an intellectual process at the time of study. The Shariah rules have beenaddressed in the Quran and hadth. So, to deduce the Shariahrules the use of the intellectualprocess is imperative. Through it, the problem, the relevant text and its application on theproblem is understood. For this the intellectual process is indispensable. Even the layman

(aammi ) who adopts the hukm without knowledge of its evidence needs to understand theproblem and understand the hukmwhich has been brought to solve it so that he does not adoptthe hukm which is for a problem other than the problem to which the hukm applies. It isimperative that he utilises the intellectual process. Therefore, to culture oneself with the Islamicculture, whether he is a mujtahidor layman (aammi) he must receive the culture intellectually. This

will not be possible except through the intellectual process and by exerting of ones utmost. Second:The student should believe in what he studies so that he acts upon it i.e, he definitelybelieves the truths he is studying without any doubts creeping in, if it relates to the aqeedaand heshould have the least amount of doubt that it applies to the reality if it is from the non -aqeedaissues such as rulings and morals, but they must be founded on a basis in which he has a definitebelief with no doubt. Whatever the case, belie f in what the student adopts from what he studies

is a condition, Belief either in what he adopts or in the origin of what he adopts, the adoption ofculture in any other manner is not permitted. It is through making the belief the basis ofadopting culture that the Islamic culture is found to settle down in an excellent and distinguishedmanner. It is deep and at the same time stimulating and effective giving the student a blazingenergy thereby igniting a fire which devours corruption and emits a light which illuminates thepath to well-being. The definite belief in these thoughts ensures a definite linkage which naturallytakes place within man, between his reality and the concepts he has about things which are linkedto these thoughts in their capacity as meanings about life. So with these thoughts he moves witheagerness and zeal towards action. This extraordinary effect of the culture on peoples minds willtake place when the emotions (contained by the thought) move towards the reality because tobelieve in it constitutes the linkage of emotions with their concepts then the movement (towardsaction) takes place.Third:The student should study the process of treating the reality that is comprehended andperceptible, it should not be a study based on theoretical suppositions, such that he describesthings as they are in their true form in order to treat it and change it. He should take the existingfacts about man, life and universe which he senses or he can sense and study them in order totreat them and give the ruling with regards to them until he can determine his position regardingit in terms of whether to adopt it leave it or have the choice whether to adopt or leave it. Thus,Islam does not allow people to follow theoretical assumptions. For example:What if people liveon Mars, how can they fast the month of Ramadhan there? There is no moon there so as to have

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the month of Ramadhan! Only the person on earth he is subject to the address (khitab) and hemust witness the month of Ramadhanand he must fast that month. However, the cloud mightprevent the people from seeing the moon so he passes a judgement for this event when it occurs.Hence, the Messenger (saw) said:

When you see the crescent (ofthe month of Ramadhan), start fasting, and when you seethe crescent (ofthe month of Shawwal), stop fasting; and ifthe sky is overcast (and youcan'tsee It) then regard the crescent (month) of Ramadhan (as of 30 days). [Extracted byBukhari]Therefore, it is stipulated in adopting the culture that it be real and not fanciful or theoretical.

And that it should be studied in order to act upon it when its reality occurs in his life not for thepurpose of knowing its beauty or for the sake of mere intellectual gratification.

This is the method of Islam in study which is an in-depth study and belief in what is arrived at bystudy or belief in what is being studied and realistically adopting it to apply it in the battlefield of

life. If the conditions of the method of study are met then the Muslim who has cultured himselfwith the Islamic culture will have deep thinking with a sharpened sensitivity and be able to solvelifes problems. This ensures the Muslim naturally follows the path of perfection, willingly and

with choice, He will not deviate from it as long as he proceeds according to this method becausethe Islamic thoughts he adopts from this culture are stimulating, effective, based on reality, trueand effective solutions for problems. In addition to setting the one cultured by it aflame withzeal, it gives the Muslim an extraordinary ability to face the problems of life with solutionshowever great or small, easy or difficult they may be. Thus, a mentality (aqliyya ) forms withinhim which can only be content when the mind is convinced and the heart is filled withtranquillity. At the same time an Islamic disposition (nafsiyya) forms within him filled with a belief

which is consummate. And through this mentality (aqliyya) and disposition (nafsiyya) the person ischaracterised by excellent qualities which Islam demands from the Muslim and through this

mentality (aqliyya ) and disposition (nafsiyya ) he overcomes all the difficulties that stand asobstacles in his way. This is due to what we see in the substance of this Islamic culture in termsof deep and enlightened thoughts and due to them being based on the aqeedawhich representsmans comprehension of his relationship with Allah (swt). So, the Islamic culture is either from

Allah (swt) or deduced from that which is from Allah (swt) in terms of the Quran and Sunnah. Ithas an intellectual aspect in terms of it being a thought, and at the same time it has a spirit (ruh)in terms of realising the relationship with Allah (swt) when he adopts the culture in its capacity ascoming from Allah (swt). Thus, it ensures that anyone cultured by it has deep and enlightenedthought with a burning, fiery enthusiasm. He sells himself to Allah (swt) in the path of Islamseeking the Good Pleasure of Allah (swt). Also, you will find that the one cultured by the Islamicculture knows what he wants and knows how to solve the problems of life because he has learntthe truth with which he faces the battlefield of life. Thus, he plunges into the trials and

tribulations of life. He has been endowed with the best of provisions which is the enlightenedthought, taqwa(fear of Allah (swt)), and knowledge which solves all problems. This is the culture

which brings together all that is good.