How Can I Avoid Burnout While Seeking Knowledge?
Answered by Shaykh Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib
Question
How can I avoid burnout in seeking knowledge?
Answer
In the name of Allah, and all praise is due to Allah, and blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, his Family, his Companions, and those who follow him.
A Muslim faces various tests throughout life, which Allah has decreed for wise purposes. Among these trials is the experience of burnout or fatigue in performing good deeds. Fatigue here means a slowdown after intensity, softness after strength, or weakness after vigor. [Kafawi, al-Kulliyat]
It aligns with terms such as weakness, laziness, and apathy found in language dictionaries.
Manifestations of Fatigue
Fatigue is often seen when a person abandons a practice they once adhered to, performs it inadequately, or engages in an activity without genuine desire.
Types of Fatigue
Fatigue can generally be classified into two types:
- Natural Fatigue: This occurs after exerting effort in demanding tasks, where the body slows down, seeking rest and reduced movement.
- Burnout Due to Boredom: This type stems from a lack of enthusiasm for a particular task, leading to complete disinterest, as seen in sustained reading or study, for example.
Natural fatigue is harmless and doesn’t impact one’s enthusiasm or desire, as it is temporary and usually dissipates with a bit of rest. Such fatigue is a regular, daily occurrence and doesn’t pose a threat to continued effort.
While as burnout due to boredom is the more concerning form, requiring immediate attention and remedy. In the context of seeking knowledge, a person should remind themselves of the importance of knowledge, criticize their own negligence, and rekindle their motivation.
Knowledge grants high status and fulfills aspirations—without it, one gains neither prominence in this life nor in the Hereafter. If a loved one, like a child or sibling, shows signs of burnout, it is essential to assist them in overcoming it without delay, so they aren’t consumed by unproductive thoughts or fall into apathy.
Taking prompt action is crucial because if the soul becomes accustomed to laziness, treatment becomes challenging. For discussion on the treatment of burnout, please see: Ghazali, Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din; Khadimi, al-Bariqa al-Mahmudiyya.
Imam Ghazali also addressed the issue of abandoning virtuous acts and limiting oneself to obligatory duties. The remedy he proposed is to inspire oneself with hope in Allah’s reward and the promises He made to the righteous. By awakening hope, enthusiasm for worship can be rekindled, prompting a return to virtuous deeds.
Allah says, “Successful indeed are the believers: those who humble themselves in prayer;… These are the ones who will be awarded Paradise as their own. They will be there forever.” [Quran, 23:1-11] [See: Ghazali, Ihya’ ‘Ulum al-Din]
We ask Allah to grant us perseverance in all things, a commitment to noble pursuits, and a steady journey toward success and high ranks in this world and the Hereafter. Allah is the Guide and the Bestower of success.
[Shaykh] Dr. Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib
Shaykh Dr Muhammad Abu Bakr Badhib is a prominent Islamic scholar from Yemen born in Shibam, Hadhramaut, in 1976. He received his degree in Shari‘a from Al-Ahqaf University, a master’s degree from the Islamic University of Beirut, and a PhD in Usul al-Din from Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
He studied under great scholars such as Shaykh al-Habib Ahmad Mashhur al-Haddad, Shaykh Fadl Ba‘ fadl, Habib Salim al-Shatiri, Habib Ali Mashhur bin Hafeez, and others. He has served as the Director of Publications at Dar al-Fiqh, the former Deputy Director of Cultural Relations at Al-Ahqaf University, a former Assistant for Employee Affairs at Atiyah Iron Company, a researcher at the Sunna Center affiliated with the Dallah al-Baraka Foundation, and a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch.
Currently, he is a researcher at Al-Furqan Foundation’s Makka al-Mukarrama and Madina al-Munawwara Encyclopedia branch, teaches traditionally through the Ijaza system at Dar al-Fuqaha in Turkey, supervises the Arabic department at Nur al-Huda International Institute (SeekersGuidance), and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Manuscript House in Istanbul.
His works include “The Efforts of Hadhramaut Jurists in Serving the Shafi‘i School,” “Contributions of Hadhramaut Scholars in Spreading Islam and its Sciences in India,” “Hada’iq al-Na‘im in Shafi‘i Fiqh,” in addition to verifying several books in Fiqh, history, the art of biographies, and Asanid (chains of narration).
