I recommend for those who go to work on a daily basis--office employees, laborers, shop keepers, and farmers—to spend a portion of their time, even if just for half an hour, on reading when they get home. So many books can be read over a span of time during half-hour intervals! I have read through twenty volume book collections during these ten-minute, twenty-minute, quarter breaks; overall, I've probably read hundreds of books during these short intervals, and I know many people who have done the same. For instance, I read through an eight-volume set of books written by an Arab author. this was many years ago while I frequently travelled to Tehran, spending long hours on the bus. Well, I read almost all of the eight volumes, on those bus rides, which were about the history of literature, sciences, and Islamic teachings.
May 11, 1993
I can remember a hadith I read as a teenager, and I took notes of it. I had a small notebook where I wrote down all my notes. I don’t remember the narrations of Hadith I read yesterday or last week, unless there is a reminder. But I can remember the ones I read in those days; I can remember them completely. You should appreciate your youth. Whatever you read today, will remain with you and will never escape your mind. The teen years are the best for reading and learning. It’s a golden age that cannot be compared to any other time. I used to read many books, [as a teen] since there were so many books available in our home. My father had a vast library collection, which was good for me. Of course, I also had my own books, and I would borrow books, too. There was a small bookstore close to our home which would lend out books; novels and other books I have read, I borrowed from that little bookstore.
February 03, 1998
