Should Take a Break from Applying All of My Knowledge at Once?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I noticed lately, since learning about fiqh and other things; it has caused me distress because I cannot do all of them at once. This problem has taken a toll on me, should I take a break?
Answer
Thank you for your question. I empathize with your frustration over learning so many things at once, and I urge you to do it gradually and slowly to get the best results.
Burn Out
Religious burnout is real, and I urge you to worship Allah moderately, applying what you have learned slowly but surely. Start with perfecting your obligations and slowly increase up to a sustainable amount of worship. Achieving full sincerity is a lifelong process. So, you should take a break from some devotional acts, but maintain the obligatory ones. Intend to increase what you can along the way. Your reward will not be lost on Allah.
Thank Allah for what you have learned because there are many people out there who will never learn the basics. Mu`awiya (may Allah be well pleased with him) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said: “When Allah wishes good for anyone, He bestows upon him the fiqh (comprehension) of the religion.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
Rejuvenate
Our Beloved Messenger (Allah bless him and grant him peace) warned us: “O people, take on of righteous actions only that which you can bear, for verily Allah does not tire until you tire. Indeed, the most beloved acts to Allah are those that last, even if little.” [Bukhari, Muslim]
`A’isha (May Allah be pleased with her) reported: The Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) came in when a woman was sitting beside me. He asked me, “Who is she? I said: ‘She is the one whose performance of Salat (prayer) has become the talk of the town.’ Addressing her, he (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘(What is this!) You are required to take upon yourselves only what you can carry out easily. By Allah, Allah does not withhold His Mercy and forgiveness of you until you neglect and give up (good works). Allah likes the deeds best which a worshipper can carry out constantly.’”
[Bukhari & Muslim]
It is based on this and similar hadiths that Imam Ghazali said, “If one’s spiritual drive diminishes, and one’s ambition becomes weakened, and one knows that relaxation for some time by sleep, conversation, or joking would revive his drive, then that [relaxation] is better for him than praying while feeling bored. In reality, it entails following the Sacred Law, not following one’s caprice.” [Nahlawi, Durar Mubaha]
Please see these links as well:
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
