The Shaykh's advice to those who seek knowledge from books without a Shaykh. What books does he recommend?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O honorable Shaykh: We have some young men who love to seek knowledge in the land of Nubia.
The Shaykh : In the land of what?
The questioner : In the land of Nubia, in the far south of Cairo. So what is your advice to them regarding which books to start with in jurisprudence, creed, or hadith, especially since there is no teacher?
The Shaykh : There is no teacher?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The truth is that if there is no teacher in a certain land, the matter is serious, because a person reviewing books on his own, having never previously sought knowledge, may misunderstand the book. He will then rely on his own understanding, and thus he will go astray and lead others astray. Therefore, one must learn from a scholar, whether by learning directly with the scholar, or through his clear and evident books, or his audio recordings. However, if a layman picks up a book and then goes to inform people: "The ruling is such and such, and the ruling is such and such," that is an error. But perhaps one of them could travel to the Arab and Islamic lands to study in the universities, then return to his people to warn them, as Allah the Exalted said:[At-Tawbah 9:122] meaning: and a group remained [At-Tawbah 9:122] Likewise, Allah directed a group of the jinn to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) to listen to the Qur'an [Al-Ahqaf 46:29] So it is good for these people that one of them should be sent to learn from the scholars in the Islamic lands, then return to his people to warn them.
The Shaykh : In the land of what?
The questioner : In the land of Nubia, in the far south of Cairo. So what is your advice to them regarding which books to start with in jurisprudence, creed, or hadith, especially since there is no teacher?
The Shaykh : There is no teacher?
The questioner : Yes.
The Shaykh : The truth is that if there is no teacher in a certain land, the matter is serious, because a person reviewing books on his own, having never previously sought knowledge, may misunderstand the book. He will then rely on his own understanding, and thus he will go astray and lead others astray. Therefore, one must learn from a scholar, whether by learning directly with the scholar, or through his clear and evident books, or his audio recordings. However, if a layman picks up a book and then goes to inform people: "The ruling is such and such, and the ruling is such and such," that is an error. But perhaps one of them could travel to the Arab and Islamic lands to study in the universities, then return to his people to warn them, as Allah the Exalted said: