Seeking knowledge from books and tapes in countries where there are no scholars

Question : The questioner says: Given that there are no scholars in our country, can we acquire knowledge from books and tapes without the assistance of scholars? What is the correct method for acquiring knowledge from books and tapes? And what books do you recommend for a student of knowledge to start with? May Allah reward you with good.

Answer : Yes. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: and seeking knowledge is an obligation. If a scholar is found whose knowledge and religion are trustworthy, and a person receives knowledge from him, that is good. If no such scholar is found, let him take knowledge from tapes, but only from the tapes of those whose knowledge and religion he trusts, not from just anyone. Likewise, he takes from books, but only from the books of those whose knowledge and religion is trustworthy, not from every book put up for sale, for sometimes books are displayed whose harm is greater than their benefit. As for the beneficial books he asks about, in the hadith category, for example, Bulugh al-Maram, 'Umdat al-Ahkam, and al-Muntaqa min Ikhtiyarat al-Mustafa, which are well-known and explained. As for tafsir, the best tafsir I have seen for a beginner is the tafsir of Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) or the tafsir of Ibn Sa'di (may Allah have mercy on him); these are simplified and easy tafsirs. Tafsir al-Jalalayn is good, but Tafsir al-Jalalayn is like symbols; only one with prior knowledge understands it, otherwise he is lost with it, because it is very deep. Otherwise, its benefit for the student of knowledge is great, especially if the person has al-Jamal's marginal notes, for these notes contain many benefits.