Continuation of the tape with some questions: First: What are the causes of lethargy in seeking knowledge?
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner : The causes of lethargy in seeking knowledge?
The Shaykh : The causes of lethargy in seeking knowledge, or in other acts of obedience, are the weakness of ambition and resolve. Otherwise, a person should, as he increases in seeking knowledge, increase in activity, because he finds an increase in his information. He rejoices just as a merchant rejoices when he profits in a commodity; you find him becoming active. If he profits greatly in a type of goods, you find him striving to obtain a large quantity of that type. Likewise, the student of knowledge, as long as he is serious and sincere in his seeking, finds that every time he acquires a ruling, his desire for knowledge increases. As for the person who does not seek knowledge except to pass his time, lethargy and laziness will overtake him. Second: Among the causes of lethargy in seeking knowledge is that Shaytan causes the student of knowledge to despair. He says: "The distance is far, and you cannot attain what the scholars have attained," so he becomes lazy and abandons the seeking. This is a mistake. One of the historians mentioned about one of the imams of grammar—and I think it was al-Kisa'i—that he intended to seek knowledge—and it is well known that he was an imam in grammar—but it was difficult for him. I think that grammar is difficult for many of you, is it not? Yes. Tell the truth. Yes? It is so. The important thing is that it was difficult for him, so he intended to leave it. Then he saw an ant carrying food with it, trying to climb a wall. Every time it climbed, it fell. Every time it climbed, it fell, ten times or more. In the end, after the fatigue and exhaustion, it climbed up. He said: "This ant struggles and toils all these times until it attained it, so I will do so". So he was serious in his seeking until he attained the status of an imam in it. Among the causes of this is also lethargy. Among the causes of lethargy in seeking knowledge is the company of the wretched. For company has an effect on a person. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged the company of the righteous, and he informed that the good companion is like the carrier of musk: either he gives you some of it, or he sells it to you, or you find a pleasant scent from him. And that the bad companion is like the bellower of the bellows: either he burns your clothes, or you find a foul smell from him. This is a matter that has a great effect, to the extent that it affects a person not only in abandoning the seeking of knowledge, but even in worship. For some of the committed are subjected by Allah to a bad man, and they accompany him, and then he drags them down into the Fire, may Allah protect us from that.
Fourth: Among the causes of lethargy in seeking knowledge is being distracted from it by temptations and wasting time. Sometimes he goes out to walk, sometimes he watches some people, being captivated by watching football games and the like. Fifth: That a person does not make himself feel that his state in seeking knowledge is like that of the mujahid in the path of Allah, or even more so. That is to say: that seeking knowledge, in itself, is better than jihad in the path of Allah. There is no doubt in this, because the student of knowledge preserves the Shari'ah and teaches it to people. The mujahid, at most, prevents one of the disbelievers from influencing the Islamic religion. But this benefits the entire ummah. It is true that we may say to this person: "Jihad is better for you, because it is more suitable for you." And we say to the other: "Seeking knowledge is better for you." But my intention is that seeking knowledge, in itself, is better than jihad in the path of Allah. And Allah the Exalted said:[At-Tawbah 9:122] meaning: and a group remained [At-Tawbah 9:122] that is: those who remained [At-Tawbah 9:122]. This is now what we have covered regarding the causes of lethargy in seeking knowledge, so it is incumbent upon you, O student.
The Shaykh : The causes of lethargy in seeking knowledge, or in other acts of obedience, are the weakness of ambition and resolve. Otherwise, a person should, as he increases in seeking knowledge, increase in activity, because he finds an increase in his information. He rejoices just as a merchant rejoices when he profits in a commodity; you find him becoming active. If he profits greatly in a type of goods, you find him striving to obtain a large quantity of that type. Likewise, the student of knowledge, as long as he is serious and sincere in his seeking, finds that every time he acquires a ruling, his desire for knowledge increases. As for the person who does not seek knowledge except to pass his time, lethargy and laziness will overtake him. Second: Among the causes of lethargy in seeking knowledge is that Shaytan causes the student of knowledge to despair. He says: "The distance is far, and you cannot attain what the scholars have attained," so he becomes lazy and abandons the seeking. This is a mistake. One of the historians mentioned about one of the imams of grammar—and I think it was al-Kisa'i—that he intended to seek knowledge—and it is well known that he was an imam in grammar—but it was difficult for him. I think that grammar is difficult for many of you, is it not? Yes. Tell the truth. Yes? It is so. The important thing is that it was difficult for him, so he intended to leave it. Then he saw an ant carrying food with it, trying to climb a wall. Every time it climbed, it fell. Every time it climbed, it fell, ten times or more. In the end, after the fatigue and exhaustion, it climbed up. He said: "This ant struggles and toils all these times until it attained it, so I will do so". So he was serious in his seeking until he attained the status of an imam in it. Among the causes of this is also lethargy. Among the causes of lethargy in seeking knowledge is the company of the wretched. For company has an effect on a person. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) encouraged the company of the righteous, and he informed that the good companion is like the carrier of musk: either he gives you some of it, or he sells it to you, or you find a pleasant scent from him. And that the bad companion is like the bellower of the bellows: either he burns your clothes, or you find a foul smell from him. This is a matter that has a great effect, to the extent that it affects a person not only in abandoning the seeking of knowledge, but even in worship. For some of the committed are subjected by Allah to a bad man, and they accompany him, and then he drags them down into the Fire, may Allah protect us from that.
Fourth: Among the causes of lethargy in seeking knowledge is being distracted from it by temptations and wasting time. Sometimes he goes out to walk, sometimes he watches some people, being captivated by watching football games and the like. Fifth: That a person does not make himself feel that his state in seeking knowledge is like that of the mujahid in the path of Allah, or even more so. That is to say: that seeking knowledge, in itself, is better than jihad in the path of Allah. There is no doubt in this, because the student of knowledge preserves the Shari'ah and teaches it to people. The mujahid, at most, prevents one of the disbelievers from influencing the Islamic religion. But this benefits the entire ummah. It is true that we may say to this person: "Jihad is better for you, because it is more suitable for you." And we say to the other: "Seeking knowledge is better for you." But my intention is that seeking knowledge, in itself, is better than jihad in the path of Allah. And Allah the Exalted said: