Is it permissible for someone who has reached the age of thirty to devote himself to seeking knowledge?

The questioner : A questioner says: I had a strong desire to seek knowledge for many years, but the pursuit of a livelihood stood between me and this desire, as it occupied my entire day. Now, Allah has blessed me with an income that frees me from working. Is it permissible for me to devote myself to knowledge, even though I have reached the age of thirty?

The Shaykh : Yes, we say yes, devote yourself to knowledge even if you have reached thirty years of age. Do you not know that the messengers, peace and blessings be upon them, are not sent until they reach [a certain age]? How much? Forty years. Do not let Shaytan discourage you by saying you have passed the limit. Seek knowledge even if you are thirty years old. So we encourage our brother, whom Allah has blessed with wealth, to begin seeking knowledge. However, I advise him not to sit with any scholar without knowing his creed. Because the creed is important, and a person may come whose creed is defective, but Allah has given him eloquence and clarity, so he captivates people with his eloquence and clarity, as it came in the hadith: "Indeed, there is magic in eloquence." I say, choose the scholar known for the soundness of his creed. This is one: known for the soundness of his intention, meaning he does not intend showing off, boasting, or arrogance over people. Thirdly, the soundness of his methodology, because some scholars have a sound creed, and some scholars have a sound intention as well, not wanting arrogance or pride, but their methodology is bad. Their methodology is bad. He speaks about the faults of others and does not speak about his own faults.
And he focuses on people who, when they go astray, the people follow them. So you find, for example, he speaks about the scholars, he speaks about the princes, he speaks about the rulers. And there is no doubt that we are now in a time far from the era of the Prophethood. How much is between us and the era of the Prophethood? How many centuries? Fourteen centuries. If not for the fact that Allah, Mighty and Majestic, protected this Islamic religion, the nation would have fallen back into disbelief and the nations would have fallen back into disbelief. But there is still a group from the Ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) upon the truth. So you find some people focused on speaking about the honor of the princes, as if he is appointed to track the faults of the scholars and the faults of the princes. And we do not doubt that the scholars have errors, and that not every one of them is infallible. But if the scholar who is followed makes a mistake, it is upon us to advise him between ourselves and him, without publishing his bad deeds. Because if you publish the bad deeds of the scholar, you wrong him personally, and you wrong the Shari'ah that he carries. Because when people lose their trust in the scholar, what is his statement among them? Rejected. Strange, O people. It has no value. So a Shari'ah from the Shari'ahs comes upon the tongue of this scholar.
If you are truly an advisor, you speak with the scholar between you and him. Say to him: "O Honorable Shaykh, you said such and such, and I know the opposite, so what is the correct thing?" Meaning, with politeness and tact. Likewise the princes. The princes, since a long, long, very long time ago, have made mistakes. The Caliphs of the Umayyads and the Caliphs of the Abbasids and others have made many mistakes. But you find the Imams of the Muslims warn against what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) warned against: publishing the bad deeds of the princes and rebelling against them. But he, meaning some of the scholars, has intense zeal, so he pours his zeal on the princes and speaks about them until it leads to rebellion against the rulers, and even to rising up against them, and great harms occur. Do you like me to give you an example of that, or is the example known? Yes, the example is known, O brothers. Until now, blood is flowing among the nation on the pretext that we want to support Islam. It is obligatory upon us as humans, but with what? With wisdom and good preaching, and arguing in the best way. But drawing the sword against the rulers and the employees of the rulers, this results in great evil. And how many souls have been shed with this pretext. So I say to the brother who wants to seek knowledge: choose the one known for what? For the soundness of the creed, the goodness of the intention, and the soundness of the methodology. This is necessary. And if you choose such a scholar, success is hoped for you.

The presenter : May Allah reward you,