The Order of Seeking Knowledge and Beginning with the Foundations and Principles

Question:
I said: O Abu al-Shaykh, I informed him that some students of knowledge have abandoned learning memorization and tawhid (the oneness of Allah) and the analysis of its issues, and have instead found it easier to learn the recitations of the Qur'an. What is the guidance for those who are beginners?

Answer:
It is obligatory for a person to engage in seeking knowledge. As for the recitations of the Qur'an, these are secondary, specialized matters. For a person to engage in specialized matters when he does not have the principles of the necessary sciences is a mistake. Knowledge has priorities; one begins with the priorities, the foundations, the scientific rules, and the principles. Then, after that, he specializes in recitations, specializes in hadith, specializes in fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), and specializes in usul al-fiqh (the principles of jurisprudence) after he has a correct scientific methodology and principles upon which he has built. For this reason, the scholars say: "Whoever neglects the principles is prevented from reaching the goal," meaning he does not reach anything; he is lost. So the students of knowledge who are now going to work on the high-level specializations while they do not have the principles of the sciences, this is a great mistake and it is toil without benefit. It is as if a beginner who knows nothing goes to read Fath al-Bari or Sahih al-Bukhari. This is a mistake. He is supposed to take the principles first: the principles of grammar, the principles of fiqh, the principles of usul al-fiqh, the principles of hadith, step by step. This is the sound methodology for learning.
Allah the Exalted says: "And enter the houses from their doors." Matters are to be approached from their doors, not from their backs. So the one who goes to specializations while he does not have the principles has approached matters from their backs; he has entered the houses from their backs. That means he is scratching at the surface and leaving the door that was made easy and simple, and going to climb the surface. Perhaps he will fall and be exposed, perhaps he will die. But if he entered through the door, his entry would be easy.