In the Name of Allaah…
Scenario:
A student actively attends an important lesson regularly, takes notes, and tries not to miss anything. He gets there early to get a good seat to make sure he can hear clearly. If someone asks him something in the lesson, he merely gestures for him to ask later. His phone is always on silent, he pays no attention to it during the lesson. Whatever people want from him, he will attend to it after the lesson. He is focused on the lesson entirely. He asks follow-up questions.
Another Scenario:
A student attends the same important lesson regularly, but he does not take notes. He does not get there early, and so he sits in the back. If someone asks him something in the lesson, he responds and helps. He points out the direction of the bathroom… he may even explain who the shaykh is to a new student. His phone is active, he occasionally answers calls or reads and responds to text messages. Since he misses much of the content of the lesson, he does not ask follow-up questions.
If years go by and the student continues upon the path mentioned in the first scenario, then we have the makings of a serious student, maybe even a scholar eventually, and Allaah is the One who grants success.
If years go by and the student continues upon the path mentioned in the second scenario, then we have another brother who “studied”.
Would you believe that the two scenarios are describing the same student?
It is a common before-and-after case for a student who bought or was given an audio recording device.
It is common that when the recorder is used, the student relaxes, he doesn’t take notes, its “all there in the recording”, I’ll review it later, I’ll take notes when I listen to it, I’ll even transcribe it later… And the Shaytaan has slipped in, in the most deceptive of ways, and taken him far away from what will benefit him, by getting him to rely on that recorder.
In the end, he’s got loads of recordings that are way too many for him to begin to review, and under the pressure of a university system, he has no time to go back and study them, until perhaps his studies are over. Then, he listens to them, but now he’s like everyone else in the West, listening to audio recordings, he’s not a student of knowledge in a study circle with the scholars. He had the chance to be one, but he let it slip away.
While the technology we have been blessed with can serve our religious goals in many ways, this is a very subtle point that needs to be highlighted regarding the use of audio recordings at Islaamic lessons. This applies more directly to students of knowledge in the Muslim lands studying under the scholars.
Advice: Don’t use a recording device. Sit at the feet of your shaykh, and watch his lips! Try not to miss a word. Don’t miss a class. Phone is on silent or off. Pen in hand. Book or text on your lap. Material previewed before the lesson. Your notes reviewed with a good student after the lesson. There is no safety net! You must get that knowledge at that sitting, or you will miss it! This approach is many times more effective than attending to record the lecture.
If you feel you have that safety net, you will very likely let your guard down and become lazy at the lesson, to one degree or another, so beware of the subtle tricks of your sworn enemy!
Who would have thought that Shaytaan could use a voice recorder at a scholar’s lesson against you?!
And Allaah knows best.
Written by: Moosaa Richardson
ST Archives: 2-11-2011
Follow-up reading: If you thought this one point of benefit was helpful, then make sure you read the following article, full of serious benefits on the topic:
Clear Advice for Benefiting From Educational Seminars (PDF)
by Shaykh Saalih Aal Ash-Shaykh
Translation: Mustafa George
Shyma Asghar adds, “A benefit from brother Mustafa George’s class on Kitaab al Ilm was that he said that many of the Shuyookh (he mentioned Shaykh Abdullah al Ghadayaan Rahimahulla)-would NOT allow recordings of their classes because of the lack of concentration from the students. We should strive to practise good etiquettes whilst seeking knowledge for verily knowledge is not learnt except by etiquette!”
The senior Kuwaiti Shaykh – Taariq as-Subay’ee hafidhahullaah also doesn’t allow recordings of his class. But I’m not sure if the reason is same as that of Shaykh Ghudayaan or not.
Assalamu alaykum, I listen to the lectures of the students of knowledge online, since I am unable to move where they reside. How do we take notes whilst being able to take benefit from the lecture itself? I find it difficult to focus on what is said when I take notes. If I focus on writing down everything that is being said, I end up feeling distracted since I can’t write as fast as the teacher is speaking, and I end up feeling like I missed out on the entire lecture. And when I don’t strive to take notes and instead focus on the lecture, my notes are little and not beneficial so I can’t revise from it later.
Wa ‘alaykum as-Salaamu wa rahmatullaah. There is no one set way to take notes, yet focus on the main points and the evidences. Compare your understanding of the lectures after taking notes and without taking notes. If you find that taking notes distracts you and causes you to miss essential points, while listening attentively without taking notes brings much better results with clear understanding of the topic, then do not take notes. For some people, not taking notes is more beneficial. Encouragements to take notes are encouragements, not requirements, and they are not for every case without exception. And Allah knows best.
Also, ustadh, is it better to begin with the three fundamental principles or “the meaning of the statement of tawhid” another book by Muhammad ibn Abdul Wahhab, for the beginner seeker? can you learn both or will this be counted as being scattered in learning and seeking knowledge?
Whichever one your teacher teaches you is fine, in shaa’ Allah.
Assalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh ustadh, jazakAllahu khairan, may Allah accept from you and increase you in all that which He loves.
I’m confused about a certain advice that I have read and heard. That is to not take knowledge all at once, or to not be taking here and there, but instead be structured in seeking knowledge and to choose one book and focus on it for a set period of time etc.
But I wish to study aqidah and also rulings of fasting and prayer, etc. because I feel like there are things I shouldn’t delay learning about, and I need to start learning about them as soon as possible. Can you explain this advice in more detail ustadh?
For example: https://soundcloud.com/markaz-ibn-mubarak/advice-on-seeking-knowledge-abu-iyaad-amjad-rafiq
and: https://salaficentre.com/2020/01/16/shaikh-uthaymeens-advice-regarding-how-to-acquire-knowledge-in-stages/
and some other places.
Wa ‘alaykum as-Salaamu wa rahmatullaah wa barakaatuh. All lists of recommended books and preferred orders of study are advice and guidance; they are not absolute. All of that must be localized to your land and your teachers and what they are teaching. I mean: Do not become so attached to a specific list with a specific order of books in a way that prevents you from attending the classes in your area offered by qualified teachers. Listen to the detailed advice on this topic by Shaykh ‘Abdullaah al-Bukhaaree (may Allah preserve him) here: https://miraath.net/qawaeid-wa-usul-fi-talab-aleilm/ (at 1hr 18min, for about 7 minutes) [This specific benefit is singled out in an 8-minute clip here.]
And the scholars in general, like Shaykh Saalih al-Fowzaan (may Allah preserve him) who always says: “Your next book is the next book your shaykh teaches you.” (Meaning: We are NOT students of books and recordings, studying on our own, when there are real teachers and classes available!)