Must I Limit Religious Study If My Mother Requests It?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
How can I balance between studying for my exams and fulfilling my obligation to seek essential Islamic knowledge, especially if my mother asks me to limit my time on religious studies?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
May Allah ease your affairs and bless your time. Amin.
Allah says:
“Be mindful of Allah as much as you are able, listen, obey, and spend in charity, it is better for yourselves. And whoever is saved from the greed of their soul, it is they who will be successful.” [Quran, 64:16]
Seeking essential religious knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim, but this does not mean neglecting other responsibilities. Your exam preparation is also a trust (amana). The key is wisdom and balance:
- Prioritize obligations: Learn what is personally obligatory (fard ‘ayn) for your faith, worship, and dealings. Beyond that, you may pace yourself.
- Honor your mother: Serving your parents is among the greatest acts of worship. If she asks you to limit time, be gentle and comply as much as you can without abandoning your obligations.
- Structure your time: Dedicate fixed, small but consistent moments daily for Islamic learning, perhaps 15–20 minutes, while focusing the bulk of your energy on exams in this season.
- Intention matters: Even your exam study, if intended to fulfill a trust and serve your family and community, becomes worship.
This way, you fulfil your duty to Allah and your duty to your parents, without excess or neglect.
I pray this is of benefit, and that Allah grants you success in both your worldly studies and your religious knowledge.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Irshaad Sedick
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Shaykh Irshaad Sedick was raised in South Africa in a traditional Muslim family. He graduated from Dar al-Ulum al-Arabiyyah al-Islamiyyah in Strand, Western Cape, under the guidance of the late world-renowned scholar Shaykh Taha Karaan (Allah have mercy on him), where he taught.
Shaykh Irshaad received Ijaza from many luminaries of the Islamic world, including Shaykh Taha Karaan, Shaykh Muhammad Awama, Shaykh Muhammad Hasan Hitu, and Mawlana Abdul Hafeez Makki, among others.
He is the author of the text “The Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal: A Hujjah or not?” He has been the Director of the Discover Islam Centre, and for six years, he has been the Khatib of Masjid Ar-Rashideen, Mowbray, Cape Town.
Shaykh Irshaad has fifteen years of teaching experience at some of the leading Islamic institutes in Cape Town. He is currently building an Islamic podcast, education, and media platform called ‘Isnad Academy’ and has completed his Master’s degree in the study of Islam at the University of Johannesburg. He has a keen interest in healthy Prophetic living and fitness.
