بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
As students of ʿilm, one thing we really cannot opt-out of doing is reading. The three most integral things our lives revolve around are: seeking, spreading, and acting upon Islamic knowledge. How then can one gain knowledge unless it is done through reading and studying books? At the beginning of our journeys of seeking ʿilm, we study books under our teachers and honourable scholars. However, as a student of ʿilm progresses in their journey, they must first start with some side readings through the approval and guidance of their teachers and then advance to self-studying books about sciences they have already gained their preliminary knowledge about. One obstacle, however, is that in this era brimming with potential distractions, some students find it difficult to read. Thus, below I aim to list a few general tips that might help with motivating and disciplining one to read more often.
1. Address the issue of why you do not read as often as you want to? Are the books that you have available not engaging you? Are they in a language or a topic that you do not understand well, or do you find too technical and dry? Is the book too long and making you feel overwhelmed? Do you feel that you do not have time? After discovering the issue, then think about possible solutions.
2. Look at various genres to see what interests you the most, and start with that. If you are not enjoying a particular book, put it on a pause and read something else in the meantime. Do not allow your mind to associate reading with burdensome, boredom & difficulty, because in the long run, you might burn out and develop a dislike for reading. If you are studying in the Hadith year, you can maybe try reading the methodology of one of the authors, there are many Arabic books in this subject matter. If you find that too technical, maybe read one in English. If you still feel unmotivated, maybe you can start off with a short book on the biography of one of the authors of the Kutub as-Sittah.
3. Set a goal of how many books and which ones you want to read, and break down your goals into short enjoyable sections. Set a time daily to complete that section.
4. Start with shorter books. After you have successfully finished reading it, you will be motivated to continue reading: Success → motivation → success → motivation. It is a great cycle that really helps change one’s perception of reading into a positive one.
5. Remind yourself of your goals. Sometimes, just reading ‘for leisure’ or ‘because it is trendy’ is harder to do compared to if you were to read with the objective of gaining knowledge, seeking advice, rectifying yourself, spreading knowledge, teaching effectively, or even to write a book review for a blog or a social media post.
6. Surround yourself with like-minded people who are avid readers and discuss different titles together for motivation.
7. Surround yourself with books. Have a book in the car, on your desk, near your bed, on the sofa, so that you are constantly reminded — and in a way “invited” — to read.
8. Invest in books so that you have a wider selection of books to choose from. Visit the library often if possible.
9. Whether you are reading in English, Arabic, or any other language, ensure that it is to your level of understanding. Not all English books have the same level of academic English, and neither do books in other languages. Thus, if you are finding it difficult to comprehend a particular text, consider reading a book with a more appropriate language level.
10. Remove any hobbies, negative habits, or other obstacles that may be hindering your opportunities of reading whether it is a social media addiction, over-socialising, wasting time, watching videos, or just purposelessly wandering about and engaging in small talk.
These are some points that came to mind. Some of these are based on some of my personal experiences as I grew in my love for reading. The key takeaway is to engage in reading consistently, even if it is a few pages a day. I pray that Allah Ta’ala grants ease to those who are finding it difficult to read and that He keeps us steadfast.
In the comments, share any tips you think will be helpful for those struggling to find the motivation to read. May Allah bless you.
Hadithiyya 
Very informative جزاك الله خيرا أحسن الجزاء . What would Ustadha recommend for a student who is capable of reading Arabic, but isn’t very confident? How does one gain proficiency in reading Arabic books? It’s easy to study a book or read a book to a teacher. But when attempting it alone, there’s something frustrating about being unsure of certain words, uncertain if your comprehension of the texts it correct. How would one get past this initial obstacle?
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Assalamu ʿAlaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh. Amin ya Rabb. The ability to read Arabic confidently and correctly is contingent upon the following three components: 1) knowledge of Arabic grammar, 2) a strong expansive vocabulary, and 3) consistently practising application through reading, writing and listening. If one is weak in grammar, one should revise books of Sarf/Nahw. This should be done consistently and with a qualified teacher. If one is strong in grammar, but still struggles to apply the grammar rules or understand the text, one should expand one’s vocabulary. Practising basic application is also something that should be done with a teacher. Expanding vocabulary can be done in many ways (for which I have an upcoming article – InShaAllah). To answer your question more directly, the initial frustration or uncertainty one experiences is normal, it happens whenever we start going independent in anything in life, when we are so used to being assisted and guided by our teachers. However, one can try overcoming the intimidation by starting with simple books that discuss lighter topics such as biographies, virtues of knowledge, motivational reads, etc., as opposed to technical books that really demand a sound understanding such as ʿAqidah, Fiqh, Hadith etc. One should do this with a friend or classmate who may have more proficiency in reading Arabic, so that they can correct any mistakes. One should also have a dictionary and pencil at hand, so that if one comes across a word they do not understand, they can find it and write it down. At first, this takes some time, but as one continues, one will realize how much their vocabulary expands, and how less frequently they need to refer to a dictionary. Another point which maybe helpful is, first read the book in English, and after having understood the topic, read it again in Arabic. For example, read “The Value of Time” by Shaykh ʿAbdul Fattah (rahimahullah) in English, and then re-read it in Arabic. This way, there will be less fear that you will understand something incorrectly, and most likely, through previous knowledge and context, you will be able to guess more accurately what new words mean. You can either read the whole book first, or read a chapter in English, then in Arabic, and continue this cycle until the end. I pray this was helpful InShaAllah.
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بارك الله فيك
1. I would advise to read the book “Make Time” by Jake Knapp.
2. Use a timer. Even if it’s 30 mins, ensure you will not go to sleep without getting the timer completed
3. I would advise using notion for note-taking. The following is my own book link for benefit In-shā-Allāh:
Book Notes (1):
https://great-coreopsis-e36.notion.site/91f2bb3bdfc948bc82ac09203c432495?v=411b79b8810b411298c211cbadf8737d&pvs=4
Book Notes (2):
https://great-coreopsis-e36.notion.site/2c6e5045198a4313a91c7d213ede5e6c?v=70b947ad89df46a2b7e3570238f949a7&pvs=4
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Another thing you could consider is translating. Start off with something basic then slightly more advanced. Or even selected chapters from specific books.
In translation you’re forced to understand each and every word.
Alternatively, you could translate something that’s already been translated then compare translations and see how you fare.
Conversely, you could translate something from Eng into Arabic. That’d be more challenging.
Some ideas:
قصص الأنبياء
من أدب الإسلام
مكانة الإمام أبي حنيفة في الحديث
الانقاء قي فضائل الأئمة الثلاثة
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