How a Shaykh Begins Seeking Knowledge.
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The Shaykh : Yes, my ... .
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good ... Allah and you as well.
The Shaykh : O Allah, amen.
The questioner : How does one begin seeking knowledge, O our Shaykh?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : How? Because the matter differs from person to person, from country to country, depending on the circumstances, the aptitude, and the innate disposition.
The questioner : In general, I mean.
The Shaykh : How do you mean?
The questioner : The general methodology by which students of knowledge are raised and benefited.
The Shaykh : One begins seeking knowledge just as young children begin, with the alphabet, and then, once he has learned to read and write, I say, he chooses a Shaykh from among the people of knowledge and virtue, in the old way, who teaches him the fundamentals of the sciences, starting with fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and beginning with what relates to correcting his worship and his creed by correcting it. Then he learns what is called the instrumental sciences and the fundamentals of these sciences, such as grammar and morphology, and so on. Thus he proceeds up the ladder of sciences until he is able to read the book he is reading and understand it by himself without the assistance of his Shaykh. He begins studying knowledge with the people of knowledge, but this may not be feasible. Therefore, I say it differs from person to person. The people of knowledge in the old way may not be available, but primary schools, preparatory schools, and secondary schools, and the like, may be available. In that case, one must study to acquire the necessary fundamentals, such as knowing how to read and write, and the like. Then, if he does not find someone to guide him and direct him to the study of knowledge and its method, he relies on himself, as the man who is telling you did. He sought knowledge by himself after having sought knowledge from some Shuyukh (scholars) and taken some fundamentals of the sciences, and then he set out and walked on his own.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you.
The questioner : May Allah reward you with good ... Allah and you as well.
The Shaykh : O Allah, amen.
The questioner : How does one begin seeking knowledge, O our Shaykh?
The Shaykh : How?
The questioner : Yes, exactly.
The Shaykh : How? Because the matter differs from person to person, from country to country, depending on the circumstances, the aptitude, and the innate disposition.
The questioner : In general, I mean.
The Shaykh : How do you mean?
The questioner : The general methodology by which students of knowledge are raised and benefited.
The Shaykh : One begins seeking knowledge just as young children begin, with the alphabet, and then, once he has learned to read and write, I say, he chooses a Shaykh from among the people of knowledge and virtue, in the old way, who teaches him the fundamentals of the sciences, starting with fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and beginning with what relates to correcting his worship and his creed by correcting it. Then he learns what is called the instrumental sciences and the fundamentals of these sciences, such as grammar and morphology, and so on. Thus he proceeds up the ladder of sciences until he is able to read the book he is reading and understand it by himself without the assistance of his Shaykh. He begins studying knowledge with the people of knowledge, but this may not be feasible. Therefore, I say it differs from person to person. The people of knowledge in the old way may not be available, but primary schools, preparatory schools, and secondary schools, and the like, may be available. In that case, one must study to acquire the necessary fundamentals, such as knowing how to read and write, and the like. Then, if he does not find someone to guide him and direct him to the study of knowledge and its method, he relies on himself, as the man who is telling you did. He sought knowledge by himself after having sought knowledge from some Shuyukh (scholars) and taken some fundamentals of the sciences, and then he set out and walked on his own.
The questioner : May Allah preserve you.
The Shaykh : May Allah preserve you.
Source
www.al-albany.com
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.