The Meaning of the Saying: “Whoever’s Shaykh is his Book, His Errors Are More Than His Correctness”

Question:
Your Eminence, may Allah preserve you, peace be upon you and Allah’s mercy and blessings. To proceed: We hear in many gatherings of knowledge this saying: “Whoever’s Shaykh is his book, his errors are more than his correctness.” Is this statement absolute? What is your guidance, may Allah grant you success?

Answer:
It appears that this statement is sound. The one who learns from the book and does not attend lessons with the scholars makes many mistakes, and matters become confused for him. However, when he attends the circles of knowledge and benefits from the scholars through their guidance, direction, and reminders, he is able to derive the full benefit from the books. As for merely reading books without studying them with the people of knowledge, the general rule is that he makes many mistakes and errs greatly; because he may not understand the principles upon which he builds his knowledge, and he may not understand some of the scholars’ indications and directions in their books. He may therefore err greatly and understand the opposite of what is correct. Therefore, what a student of knowledge should do is focus on lessons with the people of knowledge, taking their guidance, benefiting from them, and asking questions, while also paying attention to the book. Yes.