Is it among the etiquettes of a student of knowledge to ask about everything that comes to mind, or only about what is difficult for him?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. Regarding the question, sometimes a question arises in a person's mind. Do you think it is appropriate for a person to ask immediately when the question arises in his mind, or should he reflect, think, and search, and if he finds nothing, then ask the people of knowledge? Because this preserves the time of the scholars.
The Shaykh : As for the student of knowledge, he should not ask unless he has searched, or unless he fears that the opportunity to ask will pass with time. As for the layperson, he does not search.
The questioner : No, the student of knowledge.
The Shaykh : The students of knowledge, no. I think that if it is possible for the student of knowledge to know the ruling by himself, that is better. But sometimes, like in our current studies, a question may arise from a hadith or from the context, and a person would like to ask about it, for if he leaves, he will forget it.
The questioner : ... and he searched for it but found nothing, then he came and asked.
The Shaykh : Yes, he asks. There is no problem with that. Yes.
The questioner : In this case, would he not be making the book his shaykh?
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : If he searched for the issue in a book...
The Shaykh : He is a student of knowledge. He did not make the book his shaykh; he did not leave the shaykh and go to read the book.
The questioner : Is our discussion about a student of knowledge, even if he did not go to...?
The Shaykh : No. If something is difficult for him, if something is difficult for him, he should look into it himself. If he does not reach anything, he asks. This is better, so that he also practices reading.
The Shaykh : As for the student of knowledge, he should not ask unless he has searched, or unless he fears that the opportunity to ask will pass with time. As for the layperson, he does not search.
The questioner : No, the student of knowledge.
The Shaykh : The students of knowledge, no. I think that if it is possible for the student of knowledge to know the ruling by himself, that is better. But sometimes, like in our current studies, a question may arise from a hadith or from the context, and a person would like to ask about it, for if he leaves, he will forget it.
The questioner : ... and he searched for it but found nothing, then he came and asked.
The Shaykh : Yes, he asks. There is no problem with that. Yes.
The questioner : In this case, would he not be making the book his shaykh?
The Shaykh : What?
The questioner : If he searched for the issue in a book...
The Shaykh : He is a student of knowledge. He did not make the book his shaykh; he did not leave the shaykh and go to read the book.
The questioner : Is our discussion about a student of knowledge, even if he did not go to...?
The Shaykh : No. If something is difficult for him, if something is difficult for him, he should look into it himself. If he does not reach anything, he asks. This is better, so that he also practices reading.