Students' Unique Learning Methods in America

I’m telling you a story I once shared with the sheikh, may Allah have mercy on him.

Once, I traveled to one of the countries of the unbelievers, and four Arabs who worked there kept coming to me.

I asked them, “What do you do?” They said, “We’re workers at a clothing factory.”

But they used to ask me scholarly questions, some of which

I would say, “We’ll give you the answer tomorrow.” What are common people’s questions, and what are scholarly questions?

I was amazed. I asked them a second time, “What do you do?”

They said,

“We’re workers at a clothing factory.” These men were in America, at a clothing factory.

I said, “You have knowledge. I mean, your questions are the questions of students

of knowledge.” I was astonished, completely amazed. They said, “For a long time now, we’ve had

a weekly lesson with Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen, before live broadcasting

and the newer technology of cassette recorders.

They said, “We have Bulugh al-Maram, with the sheikh’s commentary on Bulugh al-Maram, and we meet

on our day off. But during work, we decide

which hadiths the sheikh will explain in the next lesson. We memorize them thoroughly.

While working at the factory, we repeat the hadiths, we repeat them, we repeat them…”

Then we would assign one of us to review the lesson beforehand and put it together for us.

He would prepare thorough questions, from the beginning of the explanation to the end, many questions. Then, when

we met during the break, we would sit together for an extended session. As soon as we

began, the one we had appointed as the day's teacher would listen to

everyone and make sure their memorization was accurate. Then we would turn on the recorder

and begin listening to the sheikh, writing down what he said, and making sure we understood, because

our colleague would quiz us on the issues. When we finished listening

and writing, he would start discussing with us what the sheikh had decided regarding this matter, and what he had decided

regarding that matter. They would continue asking questions as they went through this for some time with the sheikh.

When I returned, I met the sheikh, may God have mercy on him, and said, “I found students

whose situation is astonishing in America.” He said, “In America?” I said, “In America, because at that

time it was remarkable. It is not strange now, but at that time.” I explained to him

their method in detail, and he was amazed, may God have mercy on him. I remember that he would pray for them

with joy, and he would pray for them, may God Almighty have mercy on him.