In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of mercy.

“Even if I was not busy, I do not need to sit at the lessons of anyone in the West, because I have my Arabic audios and books!”

May Allaah grant us the Tawfeeq to wage a constant and fierce battle against our souls whenever they incline towards bragging and self-amazement contained in the above statement Aameen. Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadi Al-Mad’khali [may Allaah preserve him] stated: O youth! Be mindful of shaytaan who is next to you. Seek Allaah’s protection against his destructive evil whispers. [وَإِمَّا يَنزَغَنَّكَ مِنَ ٱلشَّيۡطَـٰنِ نَزۡغٌ۬ فَٱسۡتَعِذۡ بِٱللَّهِ‌ۖ إِنَّهُ ۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ – And if an evil whisper from Shaitan (Satan) tries to turn you away (O Muhammad) (from doing good, etc.), then seek refuge in Allah. Verily, He is the All-Hearer, the All-Knower]. [Surah Fussilat’ Aayah 36]

If you sense that your soul is inclined towards showing off to the people and bragging about knowledge, then turn to Allaah, lower and humble yourself in His presence, ask Him to grant you sincerity and to save you from shaytaan – to save you from his whispers and plots. One of the scholars said, “Indeed, it is extremely difficult [upon a person] whose enemy can see him, but he cannot see him.” He [i.e. this scholar] said this when he explained the statement of Allaah [The Blessed and Exalted] about shaytaan and his armies: [إِنَّهُ ۥ يَرَٮٰكُمۡ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُ ۥ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا تَرَوۡنَہُمۡ‌ۗ – Verily, he and (his soldiers from the jinns or his tribe) see you from where you cannot see them. [Surah Al-A’raaf’ Aayah 27]

He [i.e. that scholar] said, “By Allaah! Indeed, it’s a bitter feud and extreme difficulty (for one) whose enemy can see him, but he cannot see him, except for the one whom Allaah safeguards”- Meaning, this enemy is more dangerous than the army you can see that has troops and strength. This hidden enemy – whom you cannot see – is extreme difficulty and will destroy you whilst you are unaware and unable to see him. We ask Allaah for well-being. (1)

Imaam Abdullaah Ibnul Mubaarak [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: “A man will not be from the (students or scholars) of Hadeeth until he writes from someone similar to him, someone above him and someone below him.” (2)

Imaam Sufyaan Ibn Uyaynah [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: “A man will not be from the (students or scholars) of Hadeeth until he takes from someone above him, someone below him and someone similar to him.” (3)

Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadee Al-Madkhalee [may Allaah preserve him] said: Musa [peace be upon him] was spoken to directly by Allaah and the Tawraat was revealed to him, which contained Hudaa [i.e. that which guides a person to Eemaan, truth and protects one from misguidance] and Noor [i.e. a guiding light in the midst of the darkness of ignorance, confusion, doubts, beliefs and deeds that appear to be truth but are falsehood in reality and evil desires], but when he knew that another person possessed knowledge of that which he did not possess, [Allaah informed us he (Musa) said]: [لَا أَبْرَحُ حَتَّىٰ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِيَ حُقُبًا – I will not give up (travelling) until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travelling]. [Surah Al-Kahf. Verse 60] He went on foot – neither had a car nor a riding beast, nor a horse; (rather) he travelled on foot”. (4)

Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadi [may Allaah have mercy upon him] stated: It is necessary that the seekers of Hadeeth should have the most perfect (behaviour, manners, etiquettes etc) amongst the people, be the most humble amongst the people, the greatest in their impartiality and adherence to the religion, the least in (deviating from good conduct) and (being overcome with) anger, because they constantly listen to the narrations that gathers the excellent manners and etiquettes of Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him], the lives of the virtuous pious predecessors, the path of the scholars of Hadeeth and the virtues of the (pious ones and scholars) who have passed away, so they adhere to the purest and excellent (aspects of those traits, etiquettes, manners etc) and turn away from the most despised and lowly [(traits, behaviour, manners, etiquettes etc). (5)

We ask Allaah not to abandon us and the youth to ourselves.
يَا حَيُّ يَا قَيُّومُ بِرَحْمَتِكَ أَسْتَغيثُ أَصْلِحْ لِي شَأْنِيَ كُلَّهُ وَلاَ تَكِلْنِي إِلَى نَفْسِي طَرْفَةَ عَيْنٍ

O Ever Living! O The Self Subsisting, Upon Whom Everything Depends! By Your mercy I seek assistance; rectify for me all of my affairs and do not leave me to myself, even for the blink of an eye. [Silsilah As-Saheehah Number 227]

[Ref 1: Marhaban Yaa Taalibal Ilm’ pages 55-57. slightly paraphrased]
[Ref 2: Taareekh Baghdaad by Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadee 5/68]
[Ref 3: Al-Jaami Li-Akhlaaq Ar-Raawee 2/218]
[Ref 4: Marhaban Yaa Taalibal Ilm. 245-248. Slightly paraphrased]
[Ref 5: An Excerpt from ‘Jaami Bayaan Al-Ilm 1/78. By Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadi]