Assalaam alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh. A discussion was held in one of the groups regarding how a lot of people these days do not benefit much from the lectures of the scholars and the study circles even though they attend them regularly. Here are some of the points I had mentioned: 🌟1. Ikhlaas فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَىٰ وَاتَّقَىٰ﴿٥﴾ وَصَدَّقَ بِالْحُسْنَىٰ ﴿٦﴾ فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْيُسْرَىٰ {As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his duty to Allah and fears Him, And believes in Al-Husna, *WE WILL MAKE SMOOTH FOR HIM THE PATH OF EASE (GOODNESS).*} [Surah al-Layl] We should always keep these two questions in mind: Q1. For whom are we doing this? …For seeking Allaah’s pleasure Q2. Why are we doing this? …To remove our ignorance and of those around us. If one attends the lectures only to increase his "credibility" or to be known among the people as a student of knowledge, then he is missing the purpose. 🌴🌴🌴 🌟2. Taqwa ﴿وَاتَّقُوا اللَّـهَ ۖ وَيُعَلِّمُكُمُ اللَّـهُ ۗ وَاللَّـهُ بِكُلِّ شَيْءٍ عَلِيمٌ﴾ {So be afraid of Allaah; and Allaah teaches you. And Allaah is the All-Knower of each and everything.} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 282] From Tafseer al-Muyassar (by a group of prominent scholars in Tafseer): ❝Fear Allaah تعالى in all that He has commanded you and in all that He has prohibited; and Allaah تعالى will teach you all that which is beneficial for you in this world and the Hereafter.❞ 🌴🌴🌴 🌟3. Seeking help of Allaah through night prayers. All the major scholars of the past and present have been known to establish night prayers. One can read numerous statements that the two Shaikhs Ibn Baaz and Ibn al-`Uthaymeen never gave up night prayers even if they were tired. In Surah Muzzammil, Allaah تعالى said: {Verily, We shall send down to you a weighty Word}, but before mentioning this, He تعالى commanded the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم to establish the night prayers. 🌴🌴🌴 🌟4. Seeking help through Du`aa 🌴🌴🌴 🌟5. Constant recitation of the Qur’aan - THE FOUNDATION OF KNOWLEDGE 🌴🌴🌴 🌟6. Contemplating over its meaning: `Abdullaah ibn `Umar رضي الله عنه said: ❝We lived during an instant of time in which one of us would receive Imaan (faith) first before receiving the Qur’aan. And when the Surahs were revealed to (Prophet) Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم, we would learn what they permitted and what they prohibited and what they commanded and what they forbade and what should be the stance towards them. But I have seen many men, from whom one is given the Qur’aan before Imaan, and he reads it from the opening of the Book to its closing and he does not know what it orders and what it forbids and what should be his stance towards it. He is like someone who is just throwing out dates [i.e., he does not get any benefit from his recital].❞ [al-Haakim in his “al-Mustadrak” (101) said: “It is Saheeh as per the condition of the Shaikhain (al-Bukhaaree and Muslim) and I do not know of any defect in it, but they did not record it.” Also reported by al-Baihaqee in “Sunan al-Kubraa” (5073) and the wordings are his.] `Abdullaah ibn Mas`ood رضي الله عنه said: ❝ Whenever we used to learn (memorize) ten ayaat from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, we did not pursue to learn the next ten ayaat which were revealed after it, till we understood the meaning of what we had already learned.❞ [al-Haakim in “al-Mustadrak” (1/743), al-Baihaqee (5072)] 🌴🌴🌴 🌟7. Writing it down 🌴🌴🌴 🌟8. Revision - one important factor in preserving knowledge is revising it. 🌴🌴🌴 🌟9. Leaving off desires: Shaikh Saaleh Aal al-Shaikh حفظه الله said: ❝ The path for seeking knowledge is long, and it cannot be attained except by leaving off (wasting time in) amusement (idle talks etc.) and desires, while approaching it with all seriousness and determination. Because Allaah عز وجل described what He تعالى would reveal upon Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم would be a “Weighty Word.❞ 🌴🌴🌴 🌟10. Leaving off Sins Imaam al-Shaafi`ee رحمه الله said in one of his poems: I complained to Wakee` about my bad memory… So he directed me towards abandoning sins. And said: ❝Know that the knowledge is a blessing… And Allaah تعالى does not give this blessing to a sinner.❞ [al-Jawaab al-Kaafee of Ibn al-Qayyim (1/52)] A few other books have different wordings in the second paragraph: "And he said: ❝Know that Knowledge is Light... And the Light of Allaah is not given to a sinner.❞ 🌴🌴🌴 🌟11. Learning while still young On the authority of Qaboos that his father said that Ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهما said: ❝Allaah تعالى has never send a Prophet except that he was young, and no scholar received better `ilm except when he was a youth.❞ [al-Faqeeh wal-Mutafaqqih] And there are many more statements about this. 🌴🌴🌴 🌟12. Seeking the opportunity to learn from the scholars Narrated `Abdullaah ibn `Abbaas رضي الله عنهما: Allaah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم met some riders at al-Rawhaa’ and asked: “who are they?” They replied: “they are Muslims.” They said: “Who are you?” He صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “(I am) Messenger of Allaah.” A woman (then) lifted up a boy to him and said: “Would this child be credited with having performed the Hajj?” Thereupon he صلى الله عليه وسلم said: “Yes, and you will have a reward.” [Saheeh Muslim (1336)] Shaikh al-`Uthaymeen رحمه الله said: ❝ From the benefits of this Hadeeth is that a person should take advantage when a scholar is present. These people - when the Messenger of Allaah صلى الله عليه وسلم informed to them that he is the Messenger of Allaah - came to him asking question. So when a scholar is present, a person should seize the opportunity to ask him about the matters which are not clear for him.❞ 🌴🌴🌴 🌟13. Investing in books 🌴🌴🌴 🌟14. Not degrading the status of those whom Allaah تعالى has elevated When we degrade and belittle `Ilm and scholars, Allaah will degrade us. 🌴🌴🌴 🌟15. Being diligent in seeking knowledge 🌴🌴🌴 🌟16. Being in the company of the righteous who will remind us of Allaah when we are with them - through their actions, speech and even through their silence. 💢💢💢 And all praises are for Allaah Alone اللهم إنا نسألك علما نافعا ؛ ورزقا طيبا ؛ وعملا متقبلا