Higher Studies and no purpose

Assalamualaikum all,

I have known this Hadith since my childhood that we should pray for such education that brings us benefit. My own example regarding this Hadith would be that I followed it and Pursued
An education in arts opting for major in literature. Well my educational journey from College to university was good if not great as i learned about being more sensitive to others perception, developing my own keen sense of understanding my opinions and emotions and those of others. I also became more compassionate and in tune with my own feelings while studying poetry and dramatic arts.

So, in short I was studying something that I enjoyed and believed would benefit me.

Currently I am facing the del-Lima of perusing further education in literature as in higher studies. I'm not sure if this would be beneficial if I study more literature. Moreover, I would have to give an entrance exam for university which includes analytical reasoning and mathematical equations?!!

I don't think giving a test of analytical reasoning and mathematic would be of any value to me?!!

So I need advice here as Im not sure if it will be beneficial or not??? I'm confused here! Should I continue higher studies and will it prove beneficial???

In my education the analytical part of my study was you could say the MOST major part of it all. EVERYTHING you do is based on some action. In other words the advice that we give if we go to a company and optimize their primary process, is based on certain research and based on that research we give certain advice. I alhamdulillah have much to thank this for. As words like "good", "bad", "big", "small", "average" etc. etc..these are just words and at the end we learned to NOT use those words anymore. Rather give a certain precentage that is boosting certain process based on our research data.

So i would personally say, analytical reasoning is in life SUPER important. Now a days whatever i see, i do not see problems, i see solutions. This has a very beneficial outcome in professional life as well in your day to day life. You become more aware of your surroundings and become more creative in things.

Although i must admit, present education does restrict you in making you think INSIDE the box. The first step is being trained to have a analytical eye for things the second step is up to you yourself. A university cannot teach you that step. That is thinking outside the box.

About mathematical equations, i have NEVER learned those things, but i wished that i did have had gotten some knowledge about it. As to solve a mathematical equation is rather based on certain rules. However alhamdulillah we have internet and downloading some tutorials, ebooks en sheikh youtube can help a person a lot with it.

For you however, what do you want to achieve? Do you want to apply this in your professional life? Or do you want to just get a higher degree of thinking? If the latter, then by default it would absolutely do you no harm. If you say in professional life i have no use for it, well that is up to you. However mathematics and analytical reasoning, is solely based on the mind (logic, rationality and reason) and poetry, drama stuff those are based on the heart (feelings).

There would be more benefit in educating ourselves about the Quran, if we haven't done so already.

[MENTION=11215]simple[/MENTION] person

Well, I haven't decided yet if I would utilise my higher degree for a professional career of some sort. I usually detest professional and academic institutions because they force you to think Inside the Box! It becomes mundane and ultimately boring for a creative and artistic soul like me. Therefore, my de limma remains wether I would prefer higher degree for that use. Currently im just worried if il be able to complete my degree easily or not.

You mentioned analytical reasoning is super important I hope i become capable of grasping the basic concepts in it as that world of ratio seemed very complex to me , hopefully I will be able to understand it?!!

Dear pixie

I have been acquainted with Quranic teachings from my school years as AlhamdulIllAh im a born Muslimah

May Allah bless us with pure intentions to spread Quran and may Allah (SWT) bless us with infinite blessings and ease. Ameen
For some reason I'm unable to type more than four lines.

Arfa said:

@simple person

Well, I haven't decided yet if I would utilise my higher degree for a professional career of some sort. I usually detest professional and academic institutions because they force you to think Inside the Box! It becomes mundane and ultimately boring for a creative and artistic soul like me. Therefore, my de limma remains wether I would prefer higher degree for that use. Currently im just worried if il be able to complete my degree easily or not.

You mentioned analytical reasoning is super important I hope i become capable of grasping the basic concepts in it as that world of ratio seemed very complex to me , hopefully I will be able to understand it?!!

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This analytical skill is rather beneficial even as a Muslim. Often when i read something, i remember the basic principle of it what i have read, later on when i read a hadith or parts of the Qur'an or just some life experience, you can easily connect the dots. Although i am not sure if this is in my case because i like philosophy as well. Although never studied philosophy, but i like to ponder about things and try to see the connection between things. However having analytical skill is not something useless especially in the present time where people who are truthful are branded as liars and people who are liars are branded as truthful. Also when somebody says something later on when he/she changes their story you immediately notice this as well.

Besides that new theories that so called explain life and all as Muslims that often would shatter our imaan, for example many Muslims cannot answer or refute atheism, while having a analytical skill, you see atheism rather as a cheese with a lot of wholes instead of a solid theory/concept. So also very beneficial for one's imaan. That being said, you also rely less on people to solve problems that are complicated, rather try to figure it yourself with help of the internet. Although even this i am not sure if this is because of having a analytical skill or just that i lean towards more technical things whatever the difficulty may be.

If i think a bit about your whole dilemma, i would even say the MOST IMPORTANT thing you need to learn at school is a mentality, not a skill. If you ask me what i have learned at school to 1 sentence i would say.

If you do not know something, go and learn how it works.

In other words, i don't know a lot of things, but there is a library, there is sheikh google and sheikh youtube and sheikh internet. So i can go and study the subject. I have recently bought necessary stuff to fix my own watches XD and already fixing them.

At school they will tell you go buy books x, y and z. The knowledge that you are getting is from those books, so why not buy those books and study them in your free time right? Don't understand something? Sheikh youtube will explain it or just use sheikh google. That way you can direct your attention to the subjects you want to focus on. Google how to use google, that is also very beneficial as you will get better search results.

Are you taking out a student loan?

Wa alaykum assalam,

If you can, then there isn't anything wrong with conducting higher studies in'sha'Allah. You're going for a similar area to me - the arts and literature. Am I right in that you want to study literature at a university, but the entrance examination will assess you on a range of subject?s

I'd say if it is just the entrance examination, and after that you could focus solely on what you enjoy, then go ahead with it. In the long term it would be worth it.

May Allah swt guide us all to make the right decisions for our deen and dunya. Ameen!

Dear Noraina,

Thanks for the encouragement! Good to know you have an interest in the same field as me.......yes I would have to go through an entrance exam which includes such complex subjects and then pursue my choice of subject in literature.

Zeal i am applying for university on self finance base! If by student loan you mean some kind of funds or scholarship then no.

Simple, The whole point of getting a shiny degree isn't very appealing to me but if im lucky to get an opportunity to enroll at university I would say I like your advice regarding mentality. It's the same thing where ever we assign ourselves, if we start off with a negative mindset even a good opportunity can fade away. So, just limiting ourselves to a certain educational coursework and skills can undermine our creative prowess. If I just tell myself I'm going to be able to benefit from my education and be positive, ( reassuring myself here lol) I will be ok.... I just wish to take it more easy.

Arfa said:

Dear pixie

I have been acquainted with Quranic teachings from my school years as AlhamdulIllAh im a born Muslimah

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Good for u then dear sis. But generally speaking, the sad reality is that most of us have inadequate knowledge regarding what we need to know from the deen and have read n understood little from the Quran and Hadith. While there is nothing wrong with higher education in the fields that we choose, I think the majority of us give more time n focus to secular education as opposed to islamic.

Just saying because of the Hadith u mentioned above n u wish to seek benefit and purpose in your learning. You might be at an adequate level of Islamic knowledge & understand the Quran, but there r people who use this Hadith to pursue secular knowledge while their level of religious knowledge is below the basic requirements.

Anyways, sorry for venting this out on your thread

May Allah guide us all to that which is good for us. Aameen