Continuation of the previous discussion (Does the student of knowledge benefit from the university?)
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The Shaykh : A sound and valid intention, and there is nothing wrong with it. However, I urge the students who are in the university and elsewhere to strive to receive knowledge from the circles in the mosques, because the knowledge in the mosque circles is blessed and contains much good. But it is also obligatory for them to choose from the teachers those in whose knowledge, trustworthiness, and creed they have confidence, because a person may claim to be a scholar while he is ignorant, or he may be thought to be trustworthy while he is not, or he may be thought to have a sound creed while his creed is corrupted. And how many are those who claim knowledge but are actually ignorant.
It is mentioned that a person called Tuma al-Hakim claimed knowledge and wisdom, and he used to ride a donkey. A man met him and said:
"Said the donkey of the wise man Tuma"
Speaking in the voice of the donkey
"Said the donkey of the wise man Tuma *** If the age were just, I would be the one riding
Because I am a simple ignorant one *** And my companion is a compounded ignorant one"
Ha ha, and the simple ignorant one is less severe than the compounded ignorant one, because the simple ignorant one knows that he is ignorant and does not speak, but the compounded ignorant one thinks that he is a scholar, so he speaks. I will now mention two examples to make clear the difference between the simple ignorant one and the compounded ignorant one.
I asked a man, "When was the Battle of the Confederates?" He said, "I do not know." I asked another man, "When was the Battle of the Confederates?" He said, "The Battle of the Confederates was in the twelfth year of the Hijrah." I asked a third man, "When was the Battle of the Confederates?" He said, "It was in Shawwal in the fifth year of the Hijrah." We have three men, and I directed this question to all of them. The first said, "I do not know." How do you describe him? A simple ignorant one. The second, who said it was in the twelfth year of the Hijrah, a year and a fraction after the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we call him a compounded ignorant one. And the third is a scholar, because he said what corresponds to reality. Yes, that is right.
It is mentioned that a person called Tuma al-Hakim claimed knowledge and wisdom, and he used to ride a donkey. A man met him and said:
"Said the donkey of the wise man Tuma"
Speaking in the voice of the donkey
"Said the donkey of the wise man Tuma *** If the age were just, I would be the one riding
Because I am a simple ignorant one *** And my companion is a compounded ignorant one"
Ha ha, and the simple ignorant one is less severe than the compounded ignorant one, because the simple ignorant one knows that he is ignorant and does not speak, but the compounded ignorant one thinks that he is a scholar, so he speaks. I will now mention two examples to make clear the difference between the simple ignorant one and the compounded ignorant one.
I asked a man, "When was the Battle of the Confederates?" He said, "I do not know." I asked another man, "When was the Battle of the Confederates?" He said, "The Battle of the Confederates was in the twelfth year of the Hijrah." I asked a third man, "When was the Battle of the Confederates?" He said, "It was in Shawwal in the fifth year of the Hijrah." We have three men, and I directed this question to all of them. The first said, "I do not know." How do you describe him? A simple ignorant one. The second, who said it was in the twelfth year of the Hijrah, a year and a fraction after the death of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), we call him a compounded ignorant one. And the third is a scholar, because he said what corresponds to reality. Yes, that is right.