Seeking Knowledge When Study Circles Are Few

The Shaykh:
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. And may Allah send prayers and peace upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and his Companions, and upon those who follow his guidance. In some of the questions previously submitted to the scholars before the prayer, there was a question from someone who said that study circles in the scholarly gatherings are few in number. The professor, Shaykh Muhammad, Dr. al-Sabbagh, commented on his adhan. We clarify to the questioner that a student of knowledge can ask about study circles and seek them out in any place.

The questioner:
Yes.

The Shaykh:
So that he can benefit from them. Here in the mosque, there are study circles in the morning on four days: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Four days of every week, after the Fajr prayer until about eight o'clock, or from eight to seven-thirty sometimes, and then the study ends. And likewise at night, there are two nights with me: the night of Monday and the night of Thursday. Here in this mosque, on the evening of Sunday, the night of Monday, and the evening of Wednesday, the night of Thursday. And on the other nights, it is with the Honorable Shaykh Abdullah ibn Jibril in this mosque, on the other four nights. And in the mosque affiliated with the Presidency of Scientific Research, Ifta, and Da'wah in Jari 'Asir, there are lessons at night with Shaykh Abdullah ibn al-Rajil, a member of the Council of Senior Scholars, and a member of the Committee for Ifta and Research. And there are many other mosques in the outskirts of Riyadh that have study circles, they have study circles, and there are groups of scholars who teach. And Abu Malik al-Khayr can ask the Da'wah office in Riyadh, for they have knowledge of many study circles, and he can ask others. He will find, if Allah wills, what helps him to attend these study circles, ask questions, and benefit, so that no time is wasted on him. Then, if we suppose that he does not find anything on some nights or on most nights, it is not permissible for him to compensate for this with what Allah has forbidden. It is not permissible for him to go to what Allah has forbidden or to gatherings of evil and corruption. Rather, he must protect himself. He should stay in his home with his family, stay with his companions, seek out good friends, seek out the righteous and keep their company. He should engage with the Qur'an, study the Qur'an, read the Qur'an, memorize whatever is easy for him of the Qur'an, read whatever is easy for him of the hadiths, such as Bulugh al-Maram and 'Umdat al-Ahkam. He should listen to the news, seek out beneficial books. A person does not have an excuse if he does not find the right of knowledge to go to circles of evil and gatherings of evil. No, he should warn against them and stay away from them, and seek out the company of the righteous. Seeking the company of the righteous and good friends who discuss knowledge and the Qur'an with him and talk to him about what benefits him. Then he has the Book of Allah, which contains guidance and light, if Allah makes it easy for him to read and reflect upon it in the Maghrib, in the 'Isha', or at any time. Hadith books, Riyad al-Salihin, al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib, books of the scholars, and other books from which he can read whatever is easy for him and benefit. And the rest of the summer and so on. Fath al-Mujid, many books are available, praise be to Allah, and many libraries exist that contain knowledge, and books are sold in libraries at low prices. He can buy whatever is easy for him. So the result is that the absence of study circles on some nights or on most nights in any country is not an excuse for the believer or the student of knowledge to go to gatherings of evil. Rather, he must fear Allah, and he must beware of gatherings of evil, and he must beware of the company of the wicked, whatever the situation may be. And whoever fears Allah, He makes for him a way out.