A student (of Deen) should ensure that they have no corrupt intention or any worldly motive when acquiring knowledge. they should acquire knowledge with sincerity for the pleasure of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى and to secure his Aakhirah. Rasulullahصلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم  has said: “Every action is based on its intention and every man will receive according to his intention.” If a person performs an action with a good intention, solely for the pleasure of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى then only will he receive the reward for that action. If there is any worldly motive then for such a person there is no reward by Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى .In another narration it is mentioned that many actions, outwardly seem to be worldly actions but due to having a good intention they are regarded as actions of the Aakhirah. In the same way, many actions outwardly seem to resemble actions of the Aakhirah but due to a corrupt intention are regarded as worldly actions.Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى  has mentioned in a Hadith e Qudsi: “That person who joins Me with someone else (in his intention) when doing any action, then I separate myself from that person as well as the work he is doing. I accept only those actions which are done solely for Me.”In one Hadith it is mentioned that in Jahannum there is a valley which Jahannum itself seeks protection from four hundred times daily. This valley is especially for the Qurra who read to show off. In another Hadith Rasulullahصلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم  has said: “The thing I fear most is minor shirk. The Sahaabah رضي الله عنه asked, ‘What is minor shirk?’ Rasulullahصلى الله عليه  وعلى آله وسلم replied, Riyaa’ (showing off).”In another Hadith it is mentioned that on that day when Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى will reward people for their actions, it will be said to those who used to show off, “Search for your reward from those for whom you did the actions.See whether there is any reward for you or not.”In a narration of Abu Dawood Shareef, it is mentioned that Rasulullahصلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم said: “Don’t search for knowledge so that you may boast with the Ulama, argue with the ignorant and sit in high places in gatherings. Those who seek knowledge for this reason, for them is Jahannum, Jahannum.”It is narrated from Ibn Umar that he who acquires Ilm (knowledge) for any reason other than the pleasure of Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى, should prepare his abode in Jahannum Hadhrat Abu Dardaرضي الله عنه  narrates that Rasulullah said: “Allahسُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى had once sent wahi to one of His prophets to inform those people who learn Deen for reasons other than practising upon it and who display the actions of the Aakhirah to earn the dunya,that, they are like those, who in the presence of others, dress themselves in sheep skin, yet they have the hearts of wolves concealed in their bosoms. Their tongues are sweeter than honey but their hearts are more bitter than poison. They wish to deceive me and make fun of me. Very well, I will put them into such a trial that will leave even great intelligent people in a state of shock.”Hadhrat Abdullah bin Masoodرضي الله عنه  says: “If only the people of knowledge respected their knowledge and preserved its correct position, they would have become the leaders of their time, but they did not value their knowledge. They placed it at the feet of worldly people so that they may gain some worldly benefit from them. The result is that they have become disgraced and despised.” He further states that I have heard from Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم that whoever makes all his concerns into one concern, the concern of the Aakhirah, Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى will take care of all his worldly needs.On the contrary, that person who amasses the concerns of this world upon his head, Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى disassociates Himself from such a person. Whichever Valley he wishes to destroy himself in, he may do so.He had mentioned on one occasion that, “What will be your condition in that fitnah, the horror and terror of which will transform children into old people and old people will lose their senses New ways and methods will be innovated and people will follow these blindly thinking them to be the path of Deen. If any of these innovations are discontinued, there will be a great uproar. It will be claimed that a sunnah of Deen is being changed whereas it is not part of Deen.”Those who were present asked: “Hadhrat, when will this happen?” He replied: “When there will be many among you who will be well read but few who will possess understanding. There will be many leaders among you, but very few trustworthy people. When the actions of the Aakhirah will be used to earn the world and when knowledge will be sought for the world instead of the hereafter.”Hadhrat Ibn Abbaasرضي الله عنه said: “If only the people of knowledge honoured their knowledge and their actions conformed to their knowledge, then Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى, His angels and the pious would have loved them. Their awe will dominate over the entire creation. Unfortunately, they have reduced their knowledge into a means of earning the world, therefore Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى is angry with them and they are also despised in the sight of the creation.Abu Abdullah Sanjari (RA) used to say that one whose knowledge is not free from pride, his actions cannot be free from pride and that person whose actions are impure, will have a body that is impure and the heart of such a person can never be pure.Yazid ibn Abi Habeeb رضي الله عنه mentions that Rasulullah صلى الله عليه وعلى آله وسلم was asked:“What is a hidden desire?” He replied: “It is when a person seeks knowledge with this desire lurking in his heart that people must praise him."Hadhrat Hasan Basri (RA) once mentioned that the punishment for an evil Aalim is the death of his heart. “How will his heart die?” the people asked. “They will seek this world with the actions of the Aakhirah.” he replied.On another occasion, he mentioned that at times Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى appoints such men to preserve the knowledge of Deen who will learn Deen for reasons other than Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَتَعَالَى .Then on the day of Qiyaamah that knowledge becomes a calamity for them. Ponder deeply over the reasons for studying Deen. It must not be that this knowledge becomes a means for your destruction.Abdullah bin Mubaarak(RA).said that to attain knowledge, the first step is to have a good intention, thereafter, to have good understanding, then to practice on what you learnt, then to memorise it and thereafter to propagate it.Sufyaan bin Uyaynaah(RA)used to advise his students that when you learn Deen, keep your niyyah (intention) pure and decrease the passions of your nafs. By Allah سُبْحَانَهُ وَ تَعَالَى ! If I wished to fulfil every desire of mine then I fear that I would have left out the service of Deen and taken up some employment with the government, because in the service of Deen, one does not attain much of this dunya. If a person does not decrease his desires, he will unnecessarily crave abundant wealth. Then, there is a fear that he will omit serving Deen and become involved in worldly pursuits.