Sacred knowledge is received through manners before memorisation — the tools serve the adab, they do not replace it.
Embarking on the Zad Academy journey is not a withdrawal from life — Islam is a way of living, not an abandonment of daily responsibility. The Prophet ﷺ taught excellence in every daily action, and seeking knowledge is itself an act of worship when approached correctly.
Semester one, at a glance
Whoever travels a path in search of knowledge, Allah makes easy for him a path to Paradise.
The scholars are the heirs of the Prophets.
Before you begin
- Renew your intention (niyyah) before every session — seek this knowledge for Allah’s sake, not for status or to be seen.
- Begin with dua: “Rabbi zidni ‘ilma” — “My Lord, increase me in knowledge” (Qur’an 20:114).
- Approach with humility — you are not simply attending a class; you are seeking to inherit something from the legacy of the Prophets.
Sustaining the journey spiritually
- Where you’re able, guard the night prayer (tahajjud) or the pre-dawn hour — it softens the heart and has long been treasured by students of knowledge as a blessed, clear-headed time to revise.
- Keep the tongue moist with dhikr and istighfar between study blocks — it is not “wasted” time away from study, it feeds it.
- Avoid persistent sin. The scholars taught that sin dulls the heart and makes knowledge slower to settle, however sharp the mind.
- Stay cheerful in your learning — sadness and self-criticism make retention harder, not more sincere.
The most beloved of deeds to Allah are those done consistently, even if small.
Treat the session like a majlis of 'ilm
The greatest struggle in online or self-directed study is presence — guard it as you would in a physical gathering of knowledge.
Passive hearing
Audio plays while the mind wanders; "I'll just watch the recording properly later." Eyes on the screen, thoughts elsewhere.
Active listening
Following the teacher's thread of thought, noting key points as they arise, treating each class as your one chance to learn it live.
Remove distractions
Notifications off. One fixed, quiet spot reserved only for study.
Arrive early
Settle in, test your audio, and be ready before the lesson begins.
Don't be a passive viewer
Engage as if the teacher is in the room. Ask, answer, admit when you didn't understand.
Give it the masjid's seriousness
Give the online class the same reverence and effort you'd give a lesson in the masjid.
A few more class habits
- Sit with good posture and dressed presentably — even at home, don’t attend half-asleep or mid-chore.
- Don’t let your attention chase every noise or notification — a distraction outside the lesson doesn’t deserve more of your focus than the lesson itself.
- A cough or sneeze is fine — say alhamdulillah quietly; try to suppress a yawn rather than let it show.
- Save side conversations — messages to a classmate, quick replies — for after class.
- When the mind drifts, gently bring it back without guilt. This is a skill to train, not a flaw to feel bad about.
When an elephant once passed by a gathering of Imam Malik, every student turned to look — except one, who kept facing the teacher. When asked why, he said: "I did not come to see an elephant; I came to see the teacher." However small the distraction, the lesson deserves the greater share of your attention.
Studying from home is a mercy — but the barakah of ‘ilm depends on how we seek it, not where. Ease should never diminish the seeker.
Adab towards the teacher
The teacher is a means of barakah — honour them as students of knowledge always have, even through a screen.
Honour & humility
Lower yourself before the one teaching you; arrogance blocks the light of knowledge from settling.
Full attention
Eyes on the lesson, not multitasking or scrolling. You'll feel like you're still following — but the barakah of the session is missed.
Ask with respect
Pose questions politely, at the right time, without interrupting. A sincere question is often answered anyway before you get to ask it.
Make dua for them
Pray for your teachers by name. Their barakah in your learning is tied to your gratitude and respect toward them.
The adab of asking a question
A well-formed question is already half of learning — the classical scholars broke it down into four checks.
Check your intent
Ask to understand, not to test the teacher, win a point, or be seen as clever. A question asked for the wrong reason rarely carries barakah.
Check it's worth asking
Before asking, consider: will this actually benefit my deen or dunya? Not every passing thought needs airing in class.
Check the moment
Don't ask when the teacher is tired, mid-explanation, or has just finished a long class. Wait for the moment the floor is opened for questions.
Package it respectfully
Make dua for the teacher before asking, and address them properly. A well-phrased question is already halfway to a good answer.
Adab towards books & sacred texts
Handle a PDF or a screen with the same reverence you'd give a physical book — the words don't lose their weight for being digital.
- Where possible, be in a state of wudu when reading the Qur’an, whether on-screen or in print.
- Avoid writing directly in the margins of a text; use sticky notes or a separate notebook with page references instead.
- Keep your books and files elevated, clean, and ordered — small signs of respect for what they carry.
- In Tafsir specifically: don’t copy the ayah itself into your notes — it’s too easy to make a transcription error. Note only the surah, ayah, and juz number, and always read the ayah from the Mushaf itself.
The scholar's study circle
Our scholars did not simply "attend class" — they followed a disciplined method to preserve knowledge:
Mutala'ah
Read the lesson before class — arrive ready to receive noor, not to meet the content for the first time.
Muraja'ah
Revise the same day, the next day, and again a week later. Repetition is the mother of retention.
Taqyid
Keep one ordered notebook per subject, in your own words, to "bind" the knowledge so it doesn't slip away.
Active recall
Close the book and recite from memory — the method of the huffaz and the hadith scholars.
Istiqamah
Short, consistent daily study outperforms long, irregular cramming before exams — every time.
Teach it onward
Explain the lesson to someone else — a spouse, a child, a classmate. Teaching is the seal on learning.
The one who carries the Qur'an in memory is likened to the owner of a tethered camel — hold the rope through regular review, and it stays; loosen your grip, and it wanders off. The same is true of every lesson: hold the rope through muraja'ah, or watch it wander.
Using recordings wisely
Recordings are a mercy, not a substitute for live attendance — use them the way you'd use a spare key, not the front door.
- Watch a first-time lesson at normal speed — save 1.5x speed for revising something you already understand.
- Pause to write notes at key points, rather than letting it play passively in the background.
- Watch the same day if you missed a live class — don’t let recordings pile into an unwatched backlog.
- Use recordings to catch up or clarify one unclear point — not as a library to binge through.
Your pre-class checklist
Two minutes before each class, run through this — arriving ready is half the adab.
- Materials open to the right page
- Notebook dated and ready
- Phone and other distractions put away
- Wudu made, where possible
Your practical toolkit
Join properly
Camera on if asked; mic muted when not speaking — basic class etiquette.
Capture the board
Screenshot slides and board work so nothing from the lesson is lost.
Arabic keyboard
Enable an Arabic keyboard on phone/laptop for assignments; handwritten and photographed work is fine too.