Access to Books

The greatest benefit of the ability to read is that it allows a person to connect with the minds of people worldwide, including even the knowledge and research of those who have passed away. Someone once said, “A person with a book is never alone.” This statement is absolutely true. An educated individual, through books, can spend their days and nights in the company of brilliant minds. Clearly, there is no greater fortune than this. Religious madrasas have given countless people this gift. These institutions have enabled individuals to learn from written works what they may never hear in person and to become companions of great thinkers and scholars through their books, even if they never had the chance to meet them. From an early age, I have had the habit of reflecting on small things that most people overlook. This habit has allowed me to derive great lessons from seemingly insignificant matters. This specific quality is referred to in the Quran as “tawassum” (Quran, 15:75). For example, during my time in the madrasa, I studied some books with Maulana Saeed Ahmad Nadwi, including books on Hadith. While studying Hadith, I experienced a remarkable realization. I thought to myself that the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), spoken 1,400 years ago and which I could not have heard personally, were now accessible to me through a book.