The Excuse of Advanced Age for Abandoning the Pursuit of Knowledge
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
A second question, Shaykh, may Allah preserve you. It is from a student of knowledge who finds it difficult to continue seeking knowledge because he is old in age. Is this a valid excuse?
The Shaykh:
My brother, turn off the television in your place; there is interference in the sound. Yes.
The presenter:
Yes, there is an echo. Abdullah, please, repeat the question.
The questioner:
Shaykh Salih, may Allah preserve you. A student of knowledge always makes the excuse that he is old in age and wants to leave the pursuit of knowledge.
The Shaykh:
Seeking knowledge is of two types, my brother. There is knowledge that is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) for every Muslim, and no one is excused from knowing it, which is what his religion stands upon: his creed, his prayer, his zakah, his fasting, his Hajj, and his 'Umrah. This is an individual obligation for every Muslim. And what goes beyond that, such as the knowledge of acts of worship, transactions, and hudud (fixed punishments), and other matters, is a collective obligation (fard kifayah). If a sufficient number of people fulfill it, the sin is lifted from the rest. Yes.
The presenter:
Thank you, O 'Abd Allah, may Allah bless you
A second question, Shaykh, may Allah preserve you. It is from a student of knowledge who finds it difficult to continue seeking knowledge because he is old in age. Is this a valid excuse?
The Shaykh:
My brother, turn off the television in your place; there is interference in the sound. Yes.
The presenter:
Yes, there is an echo. Abdullah, please, repeat the question.
The questioner:
Shaykh Salih, may Allah preserve you. A student of knowledge always makes the excuse that he is old in age and wants to leave the pursuit of knowledge.
The Shaykh:
Seeking knowledge is of two types, my brother. There is knowledge that is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) for every Muslim, and no one is excused from knowing it, which is what his religion stands upon: his creed, his prayer, his zakah, his fasting, his Hajj, and his 'Umrah. This is an individual obligation for every Muslim. And what goes beyond that, such as the knowledge of acts of worship, transactions, and hudud (fixed punishments), and other matters, is a collective obligation (fard kifayah). If a sufficient number of people fulfill it, the sin is lifted from the rest. Yes.
The presenter:
Thank you, O 'Abd Allah, may Allah bless you
Source
قناة «مكة و المدينة»، 15 / فتاوى على الهواء - 23 06 1438هـ _ الشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com (14:51)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.