What ʿA’ishah (RA) Warned Her Student About

[ummtaalib]

A young boy used to visit ʿĀ’ishah (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhā) often to ask her questions, and she would teach him and narrate to him.  One day he came asking to learn something new, and she said, ‘My son, have you acted upon what you’ve already learned from me?’ He replied, ‘No, by Allah, not yet.’  She said, ‘My son, why then do you wish to increase the proofs of Allah against us and you?’”

As parents and teachers, we are always eager to teach our children as much knowledge about their din as possible. In a world that focuses on the external metrics over the internal, it’s easy to get caught up in how many sūrahs have been memorised, how many textbooks have been completed, or how high the scores are.  Wanting to teach our children more is a beautiful intention. But it’s important to remember that knowledge isn’t meant to be simply learnt. The greater purpose of knowledge is that it is practised: that it transforms us into better servants of Allah. So, the next time you begin teaching your child a new topic, surah or text, ask yourself a quick question: ‘How can I help them practise this? How can I help them transform through this?’ And the next time you learn something yourself, ask yourself the same questions too. LifewithAllah