Advice to Students

Manage your time with care! Increase in Ibaadah – abundant nawaafil (optional) salaah, tahajjud (night prayers), extra tawaaf, and the like. In Makkah, the time when the Haram is least crowded is before `Asr and late at night. In Madinah, the best time for visiting the Rawdah is between midnight and 3:00am.Adopt productive studying – listen very attentively, be on time, take good notes, and go to class prepared. Bond with fellow students as there is so much to benefit from each other.Perform ibaadah, eat right, sleep well, study hard, do not stress, and enjoy every single second….3 weeks will be gone in the blink of an eye.Wherever you are – Be Aware!! Pay close attention!! Pay close attention to instructions, directions, and advice. Neglecting to do so could be problematic for you, the administration, or the whole group. When outings are scheduled, be on time! Stay with the group; seeing the group ahead (or behind you) does not necessarily mean you are with the group. Feel free to ask good questions at the best times. Keep in mind that allowing a speaker to finish what he is saying may answer most of your questions. It is preferred to wait until the speaker has finished before posing your questions.As the program progresses, you will begin to become fatigued. Supporting each other as well as caring for your health will be critical. When contacting your participating family members of the opposite gender, it is very important that you observe excellent manners and proper discretion. Violation of privacy will not be taken lightly.If anyone has any problems, complaints, grievances, worries, or any other matter of concern, please know that we are here for YOU! We want only the best for you. Do not hesitate to inform the administration of your needs and concerns. Your patience is humbly requested and greatly appreciated. It is sincerely advised that you adopt and maintain a supporting level of understanding regarding unforeseen and unpreventable circumstances. At times, changes in the schedules of the Mashaaykh may cause delays or cancellations. The administration, and all those assisting with the seminar have worked beyond exhaustion in an attempt to provide the very best.However, everything does not always go as planned. Oftentimes, mistakes, defects, or seemingly unfortunate events may be viewed as trials. Regarding trials, Shaykh ‘Abdullaah al-Jarboo mentioned, “…the Muslim whenever he is afflicted with something, he sees it only as a test, and he is happy because it is from the Wisdom of Allaah سبحانه وتعالى, and he recognizes that this is an opportunity to have good deeds written for him and to have bad deeds removed from him. This correlates with what Allaah سبحانه وتعالى states when he mentions Qadr (predestination, predecree): ‘In order that you may not grieve at the things you fail to get, nor rejoice over that which has been given to you.’ [al-Hadeed: 23] So that is the status of a Muslim when it comes to being tested.”Last but not least, remember that we must always strive to have ikhlaas (sincerity) and taqwaa (piety) in all our actions. May Allaah aid us in purifying our intention, making our deeds solely seeking His Pleasure, and may He make us all of those who are patient when tested, thankful when given, and who seek forgiveness when we err, such that we may be amongst those who experience true happiness in this world and in the Hereafter.