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? Continue reading →