Bismillahirrahmanirrahim,

This post is intended as a stimulus to Malaysians, mainly, who, generally speaking (even in the UK) find very little time and patience to read about things that is beyond what their degrees require to add some knowledge so that we, hopefully, become a more knowledgeable society.

The steps that I am proposing have been tried and tested by me personally and I have found it to be quite useful to me. Hence, I would like to share it with everyone so that people can benefit.

A decent sized storage is good

Requirements:
1. The zeal to learn beyond the required syllabus
2. An iPod/mp3 player
3. A laptop / computer with a podcast application installed
4. A book - a factual one could is recommended; or
5. A magazine that talks about recent world developments (as opposed to that talking about artist gossips, fashion etc)

Before proceeding, we need to have a goal in mind of what we want to achieve, i.e. ask these questions:

1. What do I want to know?
2. To what depth do I want to dig?

Bear in mind that this is not the usual academic requirements, rather, this is more of the general knowledge type of knowledge

Now, what I am proposing is quite simple, but it will perhaps be more relevant to students. Some of the steps that I do in order to fill up gaps in my day. This will not include activities that people commonly call ibadah such as prayer and reading the Quran, though the meaning of the word is much wider than the common use.

Start with a download of podcasts of the subject of learning that interests you. If you want to learn philosophy, there’s philosophy bites; ethics, ethics bites; science news, 60 second science by National Geographic; history, there’s the history of Rome podcast; etc. There’s also podcasts of news, if you want to keep abreast with the latest news. Search for these on the net. BBC and CNN has news podcasts, as well as Aljazeera. Download them to your pc / laptop and get them into your ipods/mp3s.

A fun podcast

With your mp3s in your pockets, listen to them when, for example, you are walking to class or shopping for groceries. Of course, you can always listen to the Quran or Ahadith, but this is an alternative to that, rather than listening to Timberlake or Mariah Carey. Nasyeeds are good, I admit (at least some of them are), but it doesn’t really add to our knowledge, and the purpose of this entry is to show ways to add to our knowledge. A 10 minute walk will probably fill you up with half of the news that is relevant. Hence, travelling to and fro the university will give you relevant information of things that is happening in the world.

Alternatively, you can download podcasts of things that interests you. For example, I am currently listening to a podcast of Ancient Rome, and as of now, have completed 6 episodes in the series even though I’ve only downloaded it yesterday. Its a quick and fast way to know stuff. To keep abreast with news, I would usually read the news for about 20 - 30 after I wake up (which is usually the sleep after Fajr - I know its not good, but I can’t help myself).

Islam and Secularism by Prof Al Attas, the book I am currently reading

At home, it is also good to listen to podcasts when doing household chores like tidying the room or wearing clothes. We can also watch some documentaries when eating food, as opposed to watching animes or non stop watching Korean movies (I know a lot of people who do this).

To utilize our brains, as well as relax it, read a book 10 - 20 minutes before sleeping. If that is hard, then read a magazine like The Economist, Time or Scientific American to fill you up with information. It is a good habit to get into, and a reading lamp would be useful for this. Done consistently, one can finish a book, on average, within a few weeks.

This magazine is quite informative

For Londoners or people who use public transport, always, always bring a book with you, with your mp3 player. But, of course, it depends on the situation. But it is better to have a book and your mp3 player. If not in the mood to read, then one can always listen to something useful on one’s mp3.

If one doesn’t have an mp3 and forgot to bring one’s book, one will need a thinking brain. Try searching for things to think about, to philosophize, if you like, so that something worthwhile will come out of it. For a Muslim, one can always think about the wonders of life, like how colour perception is possible, or how different colours can give different moods to a place. One can also see the architecture of the place of one’s passing, and think about what kind of worldview that has shaped that particular building, and reasons behind it. With knowledge, everything will seem entertwined. One can see history, philosophy, art, humanity in a single object, and wonder at how such a thing has so many connections that people can’t see. This will require some effort in terms of reading and thinking, but believe you me, it is well worth it.

And all these can also be used for Islamic stuff as well, especially news on Palestine. I am merely putting forth a way to help people who wants to learn.

As Francis Bacon puts it, “knowledge is power”.

Wallahua’lam