Excellence through the mother's supplication while neglecting study and exerting the means

Question:
If a person achieves excellence in his studies without studying, and he says, "This is by the grace of Allah, then by the grace of my mother's supplication for me," is there any problem with this?

Answer:
I do not think that one who is lazy about correspondence and yet excels is correct, for this is not true, because things generally do not happen without causes. Generally, they do not happen without causes, unless it is in the category of miracles for the prophets or karamah (a miracle granted to a righteous person) for the awliya (close friends of Allah). As for Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He), He has arranged things according to causes, and one should not neglect the causes. Supplication is good, and a parent’s supplication is good, but it does not mean that a person who has not exerted the causes will get a result. Otherwise, people would sit and say to their mothers, “Pray for us, pray for us,” while they are sitting and doing nothing. This is not correct. There is no harm in supplication along with exerting the causes; so you exert the causes and supplicate to Allah, and ask those who supplicate to Allah for you; there is no harm in that. But neglecting the causes and relying on supplication alone is incorrect. That is why they say that neglecting the causes is a distortion of the Shari'ah. One must exert the causes. Even the birds do not neglect the causes; the birds do not neglect the causes, and they are birds. They go out in the morning; this is an exertion of cause, going out to seek provision, and they return, meaning they go back to their nests full, meaning sated. When did they become sated? They did not become sated except when they exerted the causes and did not sit in their nests, but rather they exerted the causes. One must exert the causes and not rely on the supplication of one’s mother or father or that. Yes, Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) says: “Disperse in the earth.” He did not say, “Sit in the mosques.” He said, “Disperse in the earth, come out of the mosques, and seek provision.” from provision, but after you have performed the prayer. He, the Exalted, said: They travel. They do not sit in their houses; they travel and expose themselves to dangers seeking provision. “Walk in its heights and eat of His provision.” Walk in its heights; a person does not sit in his house saying, “May Allah kill me something and it will enter my house.” No, Allah commanded the exertion of causes, but we do not rely on the causes; rather, we rely on Allah, the Exalted. So we exert the causes and place our reliance on Allah.