READING GOOD BOOKS WILL ENHANCE YOUR PSYCHE
It is no joke that good readers of good books are actually the ones that strike the leading path as models for others to follow their footsteps in life. A person with a good reading habit will always be informed on the situation of life, and the reaction to meet the situation. An investment of one’s time in reading beneficial books is a sure way to enhance your psyche and a means of guidance of your actions in lifet. This is because; ‘a reading mind is a reasoning mind’.
Without an iota of doubt, reading is an essential part of human life. Reading provides one with the knowledge and insight to be in light. Reading good contents enhances the development of one’s intellectual asset, as one move from the path of the ignorant to the path of the learned. Just as reading good and beneficial books serves as a source of understanding and wisdom, reading bad and non-beneficial books also serves as a source of confusion and illusion.
Reading cuts across all aspects of life. For someone to be well informed and knowledgeable, one has to invest in the acquisition of knowledge, of which reading forms an important part in achieving this knowledge. Striving and seeking for knowledge enhance the development of one’s thought and reasoning ability. People that make reading an habit will always have their brain and mind working on something meaningful and will try to make effort to get reasonable judgement from any event before making conclusion; as most of their decision usually go through reasoning stage.
Many scholars and thinkers nowadays have tried to make themselves available and beneficial to people, by putting their knowledge, understanding and wisdom in written for the students of knowledge to benefit.
The Prophet Muhammad ( ﷺ) said: “ The seeking of knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim. ” – (Al-Tirmidhi, Hadith 74). Knowledge comes easy for people nowadays, as the advent and the advancement of technology has made it easier for a seeker of knowledge to get the knowledge of some of the Scholars at the comfort of their bedroom.
Nowadays, in the wake of electronic, mobile and internet devices, one can store and save enormous resources on ones device, at a little or no cost, for one to appreciate and gain beneficial knowledge. The advent of eBooks can allow a student of knowledge to have walking (mobile) library with many great books of Islamic authors to drink from the pool of their knowledge at their convenient time.
Allah has made all these things easy for us so that one will not complain of uneasiness in gaining and striving for beneficial knowledge. It’s only left for the reasonable minds to utilise this blessings and favour of Allah wisely.
Allah says:
Surah Az-Zumar, Verse 9:
ِ ﻗُﻞْ ﻫَﻞْ ﻳَﺴْﺘَﻮِﻱ ﺍﻟَّﺬِﻳﻦَ ﻳَﻌْﻠَﻤُﻮﻥَ ﻭَﺍﻟَّﺬِﻳﻦَ ﻟَﺎ ﻳَﻌْﻠَﻤُﻮﻥَ ﺇِﻧَّﻤَﺎ ﻳَﺘَﺬَﻛَّﺮُ ﺃُﻭﻟُﻮ ﺍﻟْﺄَﻟْﺒَﺎﺏِ
…Say: “Are those who know equal to those who know not?” It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allah’s Signs and Verses)
From this, it shows how important knowledge is for everyone, and also show that knowledge is linked with understanding. A person that engage in reading beneficial books will also gain an insight in the process for those that read for benefit. Reading along with reasoning build ones intellect in the process.
A good example can be found in the leadership of our last Prophet, Muhammad (ﷺ ). The first activity for his prophet-hood was learning how to read.
As he was instructed:
Surah Al-Alaq, Verse 1-5:
ﺍ ﻗْﺮَﺃْ ﺑِﺎﺳْﻢِ ﺭَﺑِّﻚَ ﺍﻟَّﺬِﻱ ﺧَﻠَﻖَ ﺧَﻠَﻖَ ﺍﻟْﺈِﻧﺴَﺎﻥَ ﻣِﻦْ ﻋَﻠَﻖٍ ﺍﻗْﺮَﺃْ ﻭَﺭَﺑُّﻚَ ﺍﻟْﺄَﻛْﺮَﻡُ ﺍﻟَّﺬِﻱ ﻋَﻠَّﻢَ ﺑِﺎﻟْﻘَﻠَﻢِ ﻋَﻠَّﻢَ ﺍﻟْﺈِﻧﺴَﺎﻥَ ﻣَﺎ ﻟَﻢْ ﻳَﻌْﻠَﻢْ
“Read! In the Name of your Lord, Who has created (all that exists); Has created man from a clot (a piece of thick coagulated blood).; Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous.; Who has taught (the writing) by the pen; Has taught man that which he knew not. ”
Investing in reading beneficial books is a need for those who understand the value of knowledge acquisition, especially on the knowledge of the deen of Islam, and it’s also a virtuous act to enjoin others to trail on this path. This we should do so that people of our Ummah (this generation) will be informed on the knowledge of the deen and will be able to express themselves and also enjoin good on others. A lots of forces has been developed by the chief deceiver to ride people away from the thought of seeing any usefulness in the acquisition of Islamic knowledge. Hence, the more reason the people of knowledge need to avail themselves to the knowledge enthusiast.
Islam is a complete lifestyle that makes it a necessity for everyone to seek knowledge, and use the understanding of the knowledge as a light to guide us on the straight path for the benefit of this life the utmost reward of Ākhirah (Hereafter).
Allah has set many examples in Qur’an emphasis on seeking knowledge, it ranges from various clauses (translation) like; “ know…, if they but know…, know that…, if you but know…, ask those who know… , know you not… etc. This is an eye opener on the impact of knowledge on mankind.
Conclusively, this serves as a reminder on the virtue of seeking beneficial knowledge with one’s ability and capability for the development of the deen before a day we will be compelled to read; as Allah says:
Surah Al-Isra, Verse 14:
ﺍﻗْﺮَﺃْ ﻛِﺘَﺎﺑَﻚَ ﻛَﻔَﻰٰ ﺑِﻨَﻔْﺴِﻚَ ﺍﻟْﻴَﻮْﻡَ ﻋَﻠَﻴْﻚَ ﺣَﺴِﻴﺒًﺎ
(It will be said to him): “Read your book. You yourself are sufficient as a reckoner against you this Day.”
Activities of life should not distract the seeker of knowledge in striving to attain beneficial knowledge. You just have to keep on learning and keep knowing till the time of your departure on the face of the earth. Knowledge is light:
Keep on reading;
Keep on learning;
Keep on knowing;
Keep on growing;
And just keep the light glowing.
🖋:Abumaribi
