The Shaykh’s remarks on seeking knowledge and benefiting from a specific school of jurisprudence.

The Shaykh : Regarding what a student of knowledge should adopt in his pursuit, and he pointed out at the end that there are objections to it. He wants to defend the methodology he mentioned, but he did not mention the original objection in what we have agreed upon, which is that a person must deliver his speech extemporaneously so that the student gets accustomed to how to deliver a speech extemporaneously and so that his timidity before his brothers disappears. We initially permitted, after you reviewed it, that the student could be allowed to deliver from a paper the first time, but I have reconsidered and I see that he should not be allowed to do so. However, there is no harm in him writing the points of the speech on which he will build his talk, because every student can copy from any book and then say, "I will deliver it," and the benefit is lost. Do not be surprised if the ruling is copied in this short period, because it is permissible to copy the ruling before being able to act upon it. As for the methodology he mentioned, there is no doubt that it is good. However, regarding tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), tafsir should be combined with memorizing the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), following the example of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who did not move past ten verses until they learned them and the knowledge and practice contained in them. This is so that the meaning of the Noble Qur'an is linked to the memorization of its words, so that a person becomes one of those who recited it with true recitation, especially if he applies it. As for the Sunnah, the matter is as he said: it begins with what is most authentic. The most authentic in the Sunnah is what al-Bukhari and Muslim agreed upon. But the Sunnah is divided into two parts, or the pursuit of the Sunnah is divided into two parts. One part is for a person to know the Islamic legal rulings, whether in the science of creed and tawhid (the oneness of Allah) or in the science of practical rulings. In this, one should focus on the books authored on this subject without referring to the mother books, such as Bulugh al-Maram, 'Umdat al-Ahkam, the book of the Shaykh Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab, Kitab al-Tawhid, and the like. The mother books remain for review and reading. There is memorization, and there is reading. One reads the mother books and looks into them frequently, because in that there are two benefits: the first is referring to the sources, and the second is repeating the names of the narrators in his mind and knowing them. If the names of the narrators are repeated, a man from the narrators of al-Bukhari, in any chain, will not pass by him without him knowing that he is one of the narrators of al-Bukhari, and he will benefit from this hadith benefit. As for the creed, he mentioned large books, and I see that reading them at this time will take a lot of time, and the benefit is found in al-Zubd, which was written by the like of Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah have mercy on him) and other books authored in refuting the people of falsehood. It is true that those books he referred to are sources, but a lot of time is wasted in them, and the benefit is found in al-Zubd. Also, after these imams who authored in the science of creed what they authored, doubts arose after them, which the later scholars of kalam (theology) mentioned, and the previous scholars did not speak about them. Therefore, one should look at what the later scholars wrote and focus on it, because it contains clear and explicit refutation. He should make those sources that the brother referred to references to which he returns. As for fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), there is no doubt that a person should focus on a specific school of jurisprudence, memorize it, and memorize its principles and rules. But that does not mean that he must adhere to what the imam of this school said as he adheres to what the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said. Rather, he builds fiqh on this and takes from the other schools of jurisprudence what is supported by evidence for its correctness, as is the method of the imams from the followers of the schools of jurisprudence, such as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and al-Nawawi and others, so that he has built on a principle. Because I see that those who took from the hadith without referring to what the scholars wrote in Islamic legal rulings have many exaggerations, even if they are strong in hadith and in understanding it. But they have many exaggerations because they are far from what the jurists speak of. You will find among them strange issues that you hardly assert are contrary to scholarly consensus, or it is most likely in your opinion that they are contrary to scholarly consensus. For this reason, a person should link his fiqh to what the jurists (may Allah have mercy on them) wrote. And that does not mean, as you pointed out, and I repeat, that he makes the imam of this school like the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), taking his words and actions in a way of adherence. Rather, he is guided by them and makes them a rule. There is no harm, and indeed it is obligatory, if he sees the correct opinion in another school of jurisprudence, that he returns to it. The general rule in the school of Imam Ahmad is that you hardly see a school of jurisprudence except that it is an opinion of Imam Ahmad. Refer to the books of the two narrations in the school, and you will find that Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) hardly has a school of jurisprudence except that he has an opinion that agrees with it. This is because he (may Allah have mercy on him) was broad in knowledge and returned to the truth wherever it was. So much so that he (may Allah have mercy on him) sometimes explicitly states that he follows al-Shafi'i and says that he is an imam. Therefore, I see that a person should focus on a specific thing from the schools of jurisprudence that he chooses. The best of the schools of jurisprudence, as far as we know in terms of following the Sunnah, is the school of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him). Even if others may be closer to the Sunnah than he is in some issues, but in general, the school of jurisprudence closest to the Sunnah is the school of Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him). And that is not strange, because Imam Ahmad is the imam of the people of the Sunnah, and he has of the knowledge of hadith what the other imams do not have. Therefore, his opinion is closer to the Sunnah than that of others. As I pointed out a moment ago, you hardly find a school of jurisprudence except that Imam Ahmad has an opinion that agrees with it (may Allah have mercy on him).