No Matter How Good the Technique, Nothing Happens Without Tawfiq

For the past fourteen days we have talked about technique. Encoding, PACER, GRIND, focus, notes.

Today let us pause for a moment.

Because there is one thing that is the foundation of this entire series — and we often forget it.

No matter how good the technique, nothing reaches completion without the tawfiq of Allah.

Knowledge is a gift from Allah. Our task is to make an effort, and to ask. If we leave out either one of these two, the account does not add up.

So today, here are a few words from the second part of the book.

The shortest dua, yet the greatest

The dua that Allah taught His Prophet in the Qur'an —

وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًۭا

"And say — My Lord, increase me in knowledge." (Surah Ta-Ha, 20:114)

Just a few words. But notice — in the whole Qur'an, the instruction to ask "increase me" has come only in the matter of knowledge.

Before sitting down to study, before opening your book — let this one sentence not be left out.

A verse for increasing knowledge and memory

سَلَٰمٌۭ قَوْلًۭا مِّن رَّبٍّۢ رَّحِيمٍۢ

(Surah Yasin, 36:58)

Whoever recites this verse of the Qur'an abundantly, Allah will increase his knowledge and memory.

The amal of Ayat al-Kursi — for increasing knowledge

For the one who wants Allah Ta'ala to increase his knowledge, so that he progresses in both religious and worldly knowledge and no obstacle comes in the way of acquiring knowledge —

he should recite Ayat al-Kursi 70 times every day for seven days, in a state of wudu, with attention, blow into water, and drink that water.

Allah Ta'ala will grant him a treasure of knowledge and wisdom and will illuminate his heart with the light of knowledge.

Some dhikr with the names of Allah

The book has 21 amals arranged in detail. A few of them —

• 'Ya Alim' (O All-Knowing) — if recited 100 times every day, Allah will open the doors of knowledge and ma'rifah.
• 'Ya Fattahu Ya Razzaq' (O Opener, O Provider) — with this dhikr, memory increases and becomes strong.
• 'Ya Sami'u Ya Alim' (O All-Hearing, O All-Knowing) — weakness of memory goes away and the intellect becomes sharp.
• 'Ya Alimu Ya Hakim' (O All-Knowing, O Most Wise) — knowledge, intellect, and the wisdom to make sound decisions increase.
• 'Ya Mun'imu Ya Wasi'' (O Bestower of blessings, O Expansive) — memorizing the Qur'an becomes easy.

An important point

Before starting any amal, one should learn its correct rules, and perform it with full faith and sincerity.

And remember this too — amal is not a substitute for hard work, but a complement to it. Alongside putting in proper effort in your studies, these amals can be done to ask Allah for help and success.

Islam does not teach that a hand that does no work will get things done just by being raised in dua. What is said is to tie the camel and then place your tawakkul in Allah.

So, both together —

During the day: encoding, retrieval, deep work, mind maps. And alongside that: wudu, dua, dhikr, and peace of heart.

Together, these two make up a student's complete preparation. Worldly preparation and spiritual protection — in one cover. This is exactly what I looked for myself and did not find. So I wrote the book.

Tomorrow is day 16 — How to Bring Back the Power of Focus Permanently.

Before sitting down to study today, begin by saying "Rabbi zidni 'ilma." A small habit, a great barakah.

May Allah grant us beneficial knowledge, and give us the tawfiq to put into amal (practice) what we learn. Ameen.

This article is about a part of the book "The Art of Learning". The full structure, the remaining chapters, and the section on knowledge, dua and ruqyah are in the book — See the book