Should I Leave My Degree to Study Islam Full-Time?
Answered by Shaykh Irshaad Sedick
Question
I’m in my third year of biology but feel spiritually unfulfilled. I long to study Islam full-time and feel peace when I do. My family urges me to continue, but school drains me. After repeated istikhara, I still feel uncertain.
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Most Merciful and Compassionate.
May Allah Most High bless you for seeking clarity with sincerity and for turning to Him in istikhara. Spiritual yearning is a gift, and your desire to study Islam full-time is noble. Yet, the best decisions are often made not only with emotion but with wisdom and foresight.
Allah (Most High) says:
“He wants you to complete the prescribed period and to glorify Allah for having guided you, so that you may be thankful.” [Quran, 2:185]
Though this verse pertains to Ramadan, the principle applies more broadly: completing the course of action we’ve embarked on—when not impermissible—cultivates gratitude, discipline, and inner strength. In my experience, seeing a chapter through with due diligence often shapes character in ways that serve one for a lifetime.
While there is nothing wrong with pursuing full-time Islamic studies—and it may well be your long-term path—it may be wiser to complete your degree, especially as you are already in your third year. This honours both your own personal development and the wisdom of your parents, who likely wish the best for you in both this life and the next.
However, if continuing becomes genuinely detrimental to your well-being, and you have exhausted every effort with sincerity and respect, your parents may understand if you decide otherwise. In either case, the key is to approach the matter with prayer, patience, and open-hearted communication.
And Allah knows best.
May Allah grant you clarity, ease, and the best of both worlds.
[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.
