Which is better: studying fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) through books of fiqh or through books of hadith? And how should it be done?

The questioner: His EminenceThe Shaykh- May Allah preserve you - Which is better: studying fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) through books of fiqh or through books of hadith? And how should it be done? And may Allah reward you with good?

The Shaykh : There is no doubt that the principle is that fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) should be studied from its two known sources, agreed upon by the consensus of Muslims, which are the Book and the Sunnah. However, this requires two things: either a community whose scholars have inherited the correct knowledge from the Book and the Sunnah, and whose community resembles the early communities of the first centuries. In that case, it is obligatory for every student to study the knowledge from the Book and the Sunnah under these scholars. But, unfortunately, such a community that has inherited the study of fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) from the Book and the Sunnah is almost non-existent in our present time. This is due to the prevalence of following scholars, let alone those below them in knowledge, and let alone the general public. All of them are predominantly followers of one of the schools of jurisprudence. Therefore, the answer to such a question varies. If one finds, in an environment like the first one mentioned, scholars who have inherited fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) from the Book and the Sunnah and are teaching it to students, then this is the way to seek this knowledge from the Book and the Sunnah.
As for the other answer—which is the norm in many Islamic communities, namely the environment of following and imitating the four schools of jurisprudence, let alone others—in that case, it is obligatory for every Muslim to seek knowledge within the limits of one of the four followed schools of jurisprudence, after studying something of what they call the science of principles, namely the principles of jurisprudence and the principles of hadith. If he is a non-Arab, he must learn the Arabic language, including what is known as grammar, morphology, rhetoric, and the like. This is so that he may be qualified later. Those who have studied the two foundational sciences, the principles of hadith and the principles of jurisprudence, will then be able to study traditional fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and save themselves from sectarian rigidity by following what they are able to follow from the Book and the Sunnah. This is the path that students of knowledge today must take. A student of knowledge studying knowledge independently from the very beginning, directly from the Book and the Sunnah, without having studied the principles—neither the principles of jurisprudence nor the principles of hadith—is not feasible. In fact, even Arabs today miss much of their knowledge of their Arabic language. Therefore, they must read books known as books of literature, in which the Muslim strengthens his knowledge of the styles, concepts, and implications of the Arabic language. The best way to strengthen the Arabic language is to study the Book and the Sunnah. After that, he should study some books of literature from the ancients or the moderns. Otherwise, the Arab will not be able to reach a point where he can know the stronger opinion among the scholars who differed, if he has no knowledge of these two foundations, and then the rules of Arabic.
This is what students of knowledge should be like.