The Ruling on Listening to Tapes for the Purpose of Gaining Knowledge in Religion

Question:
Honorable Shaykh, is listening to tapes considered one of the means of gaining knowledge in religion for some students of knowledge?

Answer:
Yes, listening to a reliable tape that contains benefits and is from the words of reliable scholars is a means of gaining knowledge in religion. In fact, it is more effective than reading a book, because you hear it with your ear, which is more effective than your reading of the book. So, if this tape is from a reliable scholar and contains benefits, then listening to it is a means of gaining knowledge in religion. As for tapes that contain nothing of knowledge, but are merely speech, or mere oratory, or long talk with little benefit, their benefit is little; a person does not benefit from them at all. Listening to them does not lead to gaining knowledge, but only to the waste of time. Questions that contain complaints, stories, people's gossip, or talk by someone who is not a scholar—a person who mixes things up and stumbles in scientific matters—these are harmful. Listening to them is harmful to the person, or if they contain cursing people, insulting people, or speaking ill of people, listening to them is harmful and has no benefit.