There is no doubt that all of us would like to know ‘how do I encourage myself and rise my passion of reading?’ ‘What are the ways to drive my soul to overcome the ‘laziness’ which keeps me away from reading about my deen -even though it seems like I have time for everything else-?’
The answer is broad.
But undoubtedly one of the main ways is to always remind one’s self about the importance and benefit of reading [see previous post], and also one of the critical means to increas one’s zeal to be constant in reading [and all acts of worship in general] is: reading about those who ‘have had a hand’ in this, those who have achieved something we would like to. When we read on how the scholars of Islam -and even some of the students of knowledge- endure and make themselves patient upon reading, and we see the high noble status they reach: surely that increases our enthusiasm and our zeal.
Here are some -just some- [Think over them & Enjoy] :
– Imam Ibraahim al-Muzani [the main student of Imam ash-Shafi’ee] said about himself: ‘I have read ar-Risalah 500 times, now for a period of 50 years. Everytime I read it I benefit something new.’
[ar-Risalah is the first book to be written in Usul-Fiqh (the principles of Fiqh). Very important book. We also benefit about the importance of repeating a book, especially the important books.]
– In tarteeb al-Madaarik of Qaadhi Iyaadh he writes in the biography of the Maaliki faqeeh and Muhaddith; Muhammad ibn Saalih al-Baghdaadi who passed away in 375 H, he said about himself: “I read the mukhtasar [summarization] of Ibn AbdulHakam 500 times, and al-Muwatta [of Imam Maalik] 45 times, and the mukhtasar [summarization] of al-Barqi 70 times, and al-Mabsoot 30 times.”
– Sheikh Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Hanbali read al-Mughni of Ibn Qudaamah 23 times, to the extent that he almost memorized it. [For those who dont know al-Mughni: It is one of the main reference books of Islamic Fiqh, the best print which is the verification by shheikh Turki is 14 Volumes, each volume is around 500pages!]
– Badr-ud-deen Ibn Jama’ah narrates about his sheikh –Imaam Nawawi-: When I visited him in his house, he had to move some of the pile of books just so that I can get space to sit !
And, ‘I asked him about his sleep?’ So he replied: ‘when I get tired I just lean on these books and sleep!’
..
– And in his explanation of Saheeh Muslim, in the introduction, Imam Nawawi writes under the biography of Abul Husayn Abdulghaffar naysaaburi who passed away in 448H: ” He was a sheikh, trustworthy, famous, many used to travel to him, the Imams of different places transmitted from him …… and al-Hafidh Hasan samaraqandi read to him Saheeh Muslim 30+ times, and Abu Sa’id al-Buhayri read to him 10+ times.’
..
– Imam Ad-Dhahabi transmitted from Sharafud-deen Abul Hasan al-Yunini that he heard him saying: “That he verified his script of Saheeh al-Bukhaari and he heard it [being read to him]: 11 times in one year.” [the manuscript and the verification of al-Yunini on Saheeh al-Bukhari is the best of all, as mentioned by the experts, Maybe now we now why!]
– From the book of al-Kattaani that he found in ‘Thabt as-Shihab Ahmad ibn Qasim’: ‘I saw the handwriting of al-Fayroozabaadi (the author of al-Qamus) at the end of the last volume of Saheeh al-Bukhaari: “I have read Saheeh al-Bukhaari more than 50 times.”
And maybe some will say: ”and how can we be like them [the Ulamaa of the past]!?” Well here are some examples from people who are still alive alhamdulillaah:
– I [Abdulazeez] heard myself from sheikh Abu Ishaq al-Huwayni saying: ‘…and I alhamdulillaah have read the book at-Tankil [of sheikh al-Mu’allimi] more than 40 – 50 times…’
– I was informed by a brother close to sheikh al-Maghrawi that the sheikh has read ‘Majmoo Fataawa of sheikh-ul-islam Ibn Taymiyya’ ten or eleven times !
– I have a very good friend of mine who is a revert to Islam, in the first two years of his Islam he read: the translation of The Quran around 22-26 times, and also the two Saheehs [Bukhaari & Muslim], and also Sunan at-Tirmidhi, and Sunan Abu Dawud !
[Please ask yourself how many years have you been a Muslim ?]
The beauty of reading is that you always benefit. Even if you read a book and got one benefit, you have benefited and you are better now.
Thanks for reading.
A Benefit A Day Keeps Ignorance Away 
Awesome contribution, sweet blog design, keep up the good work
Great post, cool webpage style, keep up the great work
jazakallahu khairan
Brother your postings are always motivational and encouraging. InsAllah keep posting.