Sunday 5 April 2015

Students of knowledge or Students of WhatsAPP ?!

The State of the Students of Knowledge in Our Time—Shaykh Usāmah al-‘Amry 


As has been reported by Ibn Bassāam—رحمه الله—the occupants of the first line in the Masjids of al-‘Unayzah were all memorizers of the Book of Allāh.  If the Shaykh was to get stuck (in the recitation during Salāh), the whole first line would correct him.  Once the Imām noticed this, he specified one student to correct him. So, their condition was a really great one in terms of knowledge, review and revision—a matter that we're greatly missing in our times. 

I expect that after this lesson, none of us will open the book (review the lesson) until tomorrow. However, those just mentioned use to review knowledge, seek to understand it and revise it amongst themselves.  As for us, the greatest thing that we do is sit over WhatsApp and read and share the dispersed benefits.  Sometimes we share the benefits without even fully reading them, as many of us simply skim over the message if it's long.  As for the books, we have placed them in the shelves!

And it is known that which has been transmitted from Shaykh Ahmad an-Najmy—رحمه الله—from ‘Abdullāh al-Qudayyān—رحمه الله—who said, “He is not a student of knowledge who does not read during his day and night for 16 hours,” he loves knowledge, is enlightened and attends the lessons of knowledge.  Thus, this description is not for everybody. 


By Allaah, it suprises me; with regards to some of the messages that some of our brothers share through WhatsApp, it's nothing but mere pasting, copying  and spreading.  As for him actually sitting down in his library to extract benefits in order to spread it amongst his brothers; by Allāh, this is more scarce than the al-Kibrīt al-Ahmar (an extremely rare material). Rather, the benefits are simply information he has transported from his brothers in another group that he then spreads and yet he claims he is from the students of knowledge. He does not sit 15 minutes to read a book, by Allāh, he does not sit 15 minutes to read a book.  And if he does decide to read a book, he does so while reclining in his bed before he sleeps and after this he says what?! He says I am a student of knowledge. Indeed, knowledge is difficult and this why there has not been much benefit attained even though there is an abundance of those who attend the lessons of knowledge.  And this as not meant to discourage, but rather to encourage and enthuse you to take knowledge correctly. 

I have repeated several times that that the shin hair of our Shaykh 'AbdulMuhsin al-'Abbād—حفظه الله—wore away due to his prolonged sitting on his shins; as he would sit for long periods of time on them reading and writing.  As for us, by Allāh, we are blessed; we sit at the table and turn on a lamp and read a book for 15 minutes and then we turn of the lamp and open up WhatsApp.

The point is that a person should be diligent in seeking knowledge and spreading it amongst the people. 

Source: Slightly abridged from a short audio clip titled:

حال طلاب العلم في زماننا للشيخ أسامة بن سعود  العمري-حفظه الله: https://db.tt/gTOjRSjS

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