What is your opinion of the one who says that seeking knowledge is only in books, and that seeking knowledge is not except from the great and noble scholars of this time, and that he researches on his own except if the matter becomes difficult for him, then he returns to the scholars?
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The questioner : Peace be upon you.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : May Allah reward you well, O honorable Shaykh. I have a question. He says: What is your opinion of the one who says that seeking knowledge is only in reading books, and that it is not connected to the scholars, meaning the noble ones, and he also says:
The Shaykh : Except what?
The questioner : Except the noble ones, meaning he says:
The Shaykh : Wait, wait, wait. Except what? Except the noble ones, meaning the great scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim?
The questioner : Yes, no, no, no.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The scholars present now.
The Shaykh : Fine.
The questioner : The noble ones, may Allah reward them well.
And he says: If a matter from the matters contradicts me, I research in it, and then, meaning, after that, if I am unable, I return it to the Shaykhs, knowing that he does not have the knowledge that helps him in that. Give us a ruling, may you be rewarded, may Allah reward you well?
The Shaykh : I say in answer to this question:
The general rule in matters is that people are in two extremes and a middle. So this statement made by the brother is contradicted by the statement of the one who said: "Whoever’s evidence is his book, his errors are more than his correct statements".
So some people say: "There is no path to knowledge except by learning from a teacher", and some people say: "Rather, there is a path to knowledge, which is receiving it from books".
And the correct view is that both paths are valid: receiving from books and receiving from the mouths of scholars. But there must be a fundamental condition in these two matters:
The first is that the writer, meaning the author, must be trustworthy in his creed, his knowledge, and his honesty. And we say the same for the teacher: he must be trustworthy in his creed, his knowledge, and his honesty. But receiving knowledge from the mouths of scholars is easier, more precise, and faster.
Because scholars are like cooks who have prepared the food for you, unlike the one who struggles to cook the food; it is difficult for him, and he may eat it before it is cooked, or he may burn it before he eats it. So receiving from scholars is easier and more precise.
Therefore, we see some brothers, indeed some scholars, who relied on reading books only for their knowledge; we see that they sometimes have deviations far from the correct path because they did not receive from mature scholars. But if you do not find water, perform tayammum with clean earth. If you do not find the scholar from whom you receive, read the books.
Then, if we say that receiving from the scholar is faster and more preserved, that does not mean that the student does not return to the books. Rather, he returns to the books, but a return restricted by the guidance of the scholar who he is reading with. Yes, the matter is clear. The question is after, because we decided on one question due to the large number of people.
The Shaykh : Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah.
The questioner : May Allah reward you well, O honorable Shaykh. I have a question. He says: What is your opinion of the one who says that seeking knowledge is only in reading books, and that it is not connected to the scholars, meaning the noble ones, and he also says:
The Shaykh : Except what?
The questioner : Except the noble ones, meaning he says:
The Shaykh : Wait, wait, wait. Except what? Except the noble ones, meaning the great scholars like Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim?
The questioner : Yes, no, no, no.
The Shaykh : Yes.
The questioner : The scholars present now.
The Shaykh : Fine.
The questioner : The noble ones, may Allah reward them well.
And he says: If a matter from the matters contradicts me, I research in it, and then, meaning, after that, if I am unable, I return it to the Shaykhs, knowing that he does not have the knowledge that helps him in that. Give us a ruling, may you be rewarded, may Allah reward you well?
The Shaykh : I say in answer to this question:
The general rule in matters is that people are in two extremes and a middle. So this statement made by the brother is contradicted by the statement of the one who said: "Whoever’s evidence is his book, his errors are more than his correct statements".
So some people say: "There is no path to knowledge except by learning from a teacher", and some people say: "Rather, there is a path to knowledge, which is receiving it from books".
And the correct view is that both paths are valid: receiving from books and receiving from the mouths of scholars. But there must be a fundamental condition in these two matters:
The first is that the writer, meaning the author, must be trustworthy in his creed, his knowledge, and his honesty. And we say the same for the teacher: he must be trustworthy in his creed, his knowledge, and his honesty. But receiving knowledge from the mouths of scholars is easier, more precise, and faster.
Because scholars are like cooks who have prepared the food for you, unlike the one who struggles to cook the food; it is difficult for him, and he may eat it before it is cooked, or he may burn it before he eats it. So receiving from scholars is easier and more precise.
Therefore, we see some brothers, indeed some scholars, who relied on reading books only for their knowledge; we see that they sometimes have deviations far from the correct path because they did not receive from mature scholars. But if you do not find water, perform tayammum with clean earth. If you do not find the scholar from whom you receive, read the books.
Then, if we say that receiving from the scholar is faster and more preserved, that does not mean that the student does not return to the books. Rather, he returns to the books, but a return restricted by the guidance of the scholar who he is reading with. Yes, the matter is clear. The question is after, because we decided on one question due to the large number of people.