What is the principle from which a student of knowledge begins when asking questions, since some of them ask many questions out of excessive strictness?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh. Some students of knowledge ask many questions with the intention of gaining benefit, but some of their questions involve religious innovation, and some involve excessive strictness.
The Shaykh : Some of what?
The questioner : Some students of knowledge ask many questions.
The Shaykh : They ask many.
The questioner : But some of them, O Shaykh, involve religious innovation and excessive strictness, and there is no need for them. Is there a principle from which a student of knowledge can begin when asking questions so that he benefits himself and benefits others?
The Shaykh : A student of knowledge should focus his questions on the prescribed curriculum, because he is currently obligated to understand this curriculum. Do not let the questions go beyond it; that is, do not let the questions extend to other matters. Restrict them to the curriculum.
And if there is a matter outside the curriculum, he should ask about it at another time, because letting questions go beyond the topic of the lesson, for example, causes the students to become scattered and hinders them from what they should be doing.
The Shaykh : Some of what?
The questioner : Some students of knowledge ask many questions.
The Shaykh : They ask many.
The questioner : But some of them, O Shaykh, involve religious innovation and excessive strictness, and there is no need for them. Is there a principle from which a student of knowledge can begin when asking questions so that he benefits himself and benefits others?
The Shaykh : A student of knowledge should focus his questions on the prescribed curriculum, because he is currently obligated to understand this curriculum. Do not let the questions go beyond it; that is, do not let the questions extend to other matters. Restrict them to the curriculum.
And if there is a matter outside the curriculum, he should ask about it at another time, because letting questions go beyond the topic of the lesson, for example, causes the students to become scattered and hinders them from what they should be doing.