Is it better for one who is sitting in a circle of knowledge to listen, or to engage in tasbih, tahlil, and the remembrance of Allah?

The questioner : Shaykh, if for example someone is sitting in a blessed gathering of dhikr like this, reciting the remembrance of Allah—Subhan Allah, Alhamdulillah, La ilaha illa Allah, Allahu Akbar—is that better, or should he listen and pay attention?

The Shaykh : Or what?

The questioner : Or should he listen, pay attention, and benefit from it?

The Shaykh : By Allah, we need to understand from him why he is sitting in this gathering of dhikr. Is it to recite his own dhikr, or to benefit from knowledge?

The questioner : He is sitting to benefit from the knowledge... he wants to benefit and also remember Allah the Exalted and Majestic. Which is it?

The Shaykh : Or what? You must read His saying, the Exalted: So either his heart is with the knowledge, or his heart is with the dhikr. Otherwise, you are imagining that one person is listening to what the Shaykh is saying, while on the other hand he is holding the misbahah and doing this with it. This is not the remembrance of Allah the Exalted and Majestic; this is heedlessness. Moreover, even if he is doing this, he is unable to understand the admonition being delivered to him. Therefore, the answer is that he should suffice with this dhikr, which is the knowledge you referred to. As for the other dhikr, that is to be done in another gathering, either individually or in a group. This is as Ma'adh ibn Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) used to say to some of his companions: "Sit with us".