Motivation to Study

[ummtaalib]

Question

assalamwalakum wa rahmatulllahi wa barakatu,

If one does not feel the incline to studying their alima course what should you do?

I have the interest in learning the content but I do not feel the motivation on a daily basis

 

Answer

 

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Sister in Islam,

We are pleased to hear that you have the zeal to seek knowledge of Deen. We make du’aa to Allah to keep you firm and steadfast on Deen & grant you beneficial knowledge. Aameen.

There are numerous Ahaadith stating the virtues of a person who goes out to seek knowledge Rasulullah Sallallahu alaihi wasallam has mentioned:

منْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَطْلُبُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَهل اللَّهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا مِنْ طُرُقِ الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ لَتَضَعُ أَجْنِحَتَهَا رِضًا لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ، وَإِنَّ الْعَالِمَ لَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ، وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ، وَالْحِيتَانُ فِي جَوْفِ الْمَاءِ، وَإِنَّ فَضْلَ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ، كَفَضْلِ الْقَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْكَوَاكِبِ، وَإِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَرَثَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَإِنَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ لَمْ يُوَرِّثُوا دِينَارًا، وَلَا دِرْهَمًا وَرَّثُوا الْعِلْمَ، فَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ أَخَذَ بِحَظٍّ وَافِر

(سنن أبي داود، ج3ص317، المكتبة العصرية) 

Translation: “Whosoever traverses a path of knowledge, Allah will ease his path to Jannah. And the angles happily spread their wings for the one seeking knowledge. And every creation in the skies and the earth seek forgiveness for the seeker of knowledge including the fishes in the ocean. The virtue of a scholar over a worshipper is like that of a full moon on the night of 14^th over the rest of the stars. And the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets. And the Prophets do not leave behind any wealth except for knowledge. Whosoever inherits from it has inherited a great portion. (Abu Dawood)

 

 

v  Below are some useful advises and tips summarized for motivation and steadfastness:
 

1)     Don’t expect to feel motivated all the time:
The fact is that no one feels motivated all the time. So don’t rely on feeling motivated in order to get the work done. Sometimes the motivation just won’t be there. That’s why you need a study routine and study habits, because systems always beat motivation. One of the best ways to deal with a lack of motivation is to stop expecting to feel motivated all the time. It’s all about consistency and making gradual progress.
 

2)    Organize your time:
The act of creating a study schedule is a form of commitment, so it will help you to stay motivated.
Here are some useful steps in creating a study schedule:

1. For each subject/book, make a list of the tasks you need to complete in order to be ready for the exam
2. As far as possible, choose blocks of time that are the same each day (e.g. 3:30pm to 5:30pm) so that your study schedule is easy to remember
3. Create a daily plan which lists the most important tasks to be completed for the day

Review your study schedule at the end of each week.
Evaluate whether you’re on track to reach your study goals by exam time. If you’re not, adjust your schedule by finding additional blocks of time for studying.
 

3)    Group Study:
Many students find it motivational to study in a group. Of course, it’s crucial that you find the right students to join the study group. These students should be focused and disciplined. Studying in a group is not only fun. It also gives everyone in the group a sense of accountability. Also, studying in a group takes advantage of the fact that everyone has different strengths and weaknesses. If there’s a concept you don’t understand, chances are that someone in your group will be able to explain it to you. When you study in a group you can pool your notes together and get much better notes than any one person could possibly produce.

4)    Focus on the process, not the result:
When you’re studying, it’s often difficult to see the fruit of your labour, especially at the beginning. That’s why you should focus on the process, not the result.

Did you complete most of your planned tasks today? Congratulate yourself.
Did you stick to your study schedule in general today? Maintain your focus.
Did you put your phone in another room when you were studying, so you wouldn’t be distracted? Keep it up.
Remember, it’s habits that you’re trying to form.
If you get the process right, the results will follow.

 

5)    Break the material down into chunks

A major cause of procrastination is that the task ahead seems overwhelming.

That’s when you need to “chunk down”.

Break down each task into small chunks.

Assign yourself a certain number of those chunks each day. Suddenly, you’re no longer faced with a scary task, but rather a series of manageable chunks.

A chunk might be reading three pages of your textbook, completing five multiple-choice questions, or finding three reference articles on the Internet for your paper.

 

6)    Study in short bursts

Research shows that we learn better when we study in short bursts.

It’s called “spaced learning”, and the theory behind it is that learning involves the creation of memories.

Memories are formed through links between neurons. In order for these memories to become embedded, the neurons have to be left undisturbed for a period of time.

That’s why we learn better in short bursts of studying. This approach gives the neurons time to “lay down” these new memories.

 

7)    Exercise regularly
When you’re focused on studying for a major exam, it’s common to overlook exercise.
But, as far as possible, get 20 to 30 minutes of physical activity every day.

This is because regular exercise is vital if you want to study effectively and stay motivated.

Aerobic activity, such as swimming, jogging or walking, sends oxygen, blood and nutrients to your brain.

This helps you to think and concentrate.

Research even shows that short periods of light exercise immediately after studying improves the recall of new information.

 

8)    Get rid of distractions

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it’s amazing how many students try to study with one eye on their textbook and the other eye on their social media feed.

It’s almost as if they want to be distracted.

List all the common distractions you face when you’re studying. Do your best to eliminate every single one of them.

For example, you could:

• Turn off your Internet access
• Put your phone on flight mode
• Put your phone in another room
• Mute your group chats
• Delete all the unnecessary apps from your phone, tablet and computer
• Spend minimum time if necessary.
   

9)    If you don’t feel like starting, set a timer for 5 minutes

Sometimes, the hardest part of anything is simply starting.

But the fear of doing something is almost always worse than the actual doing. Once you start, you’ll find it wasn’t as bad as you thought.

So if you don’t feel like getting to work, set a timer for 5 minutes.

You can tell yourself that once those 5 minutes are up, you can stop work.

But, in all likelihood, you would have got some momentum going, so you’ll continue.
 

 

Conclusion

The keys to getting motivated to study are organising your time and work, and knowing how to use your mind effectively.

We also advise you to turn to Allah Ta’ala by praying Salatul hajah, Duaas, and Zikr.

Read the following Duaas as much as possible for motivation and steadfastness:

يَا مُقَلِّبَ الْقُلُوبِ ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى دِينِكَ(سنن الترمذي: 5/ 538) [ii]

Translation: O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion.
 

يَا مُصَرِّفَ الْقُلُوبِ، ثَبِّتْ قَلْبِي عَلَى طَاعَتِكَ(مسند أحمد :15/ 245) [iii]

Translation: O Changer of the hearts, make my heart firm upon Your religion.
 

رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ - 3:8

Translation: [Who say], "Our Lord, let not our hearts deviate after You have guided us and grant us from Yourself mercy. Indeed, You are the Bestower. (Surah aal-Imran: 8)

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Mahmood Baig

Student Darul Iftaa

Jeddah, KSA

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

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