Commentary on the phrase "Whoever takes a book as his shaykh has strayed from the truth"

Question: What is your opinion, may Allah reward you, regarding this phrase that is on the tongues of many students of knowledge, which is: "Whoever takes a book as his shaykh has strayed from the truth"?

Answer: The known saying is: "Whoever takes a book as his shaykh, his errors are more than his correct statements." This is the phrase we know, and it is true: that one who has not studied under the scholars, has not taken knowledge from them, and has not known the paths they followed in seeking knowledge, will err frequently, and truth will become confused with falsehood for him due to his lack of knowledge of the scriptural evidence and the established conditions that the scholars have followed, verified, and acted upon.
As for the claim that his errors are more than his correct statements, that is a matter for consideration. However, in any case, his errors are numerous because he has not studied under the scholars, has not benefited from them, and has not known the principles they adhered to. Therefore, he errs frequently and does not distinguish between error and truth in handwritten and printed books.
An error may occur in a book, but if he does not have the knowledge and discernment to identify it, he may think it is correct. He might then issue a ruling permitting what Allah has forbidden, or forbidding what Allah has permitted, due to his lack of insight. For example, an error may occur in a book where it says, "It is not permissible to do such and such," whereas the truth is that it is permissible to do such and such. An extra "not" may have been added, or the reverse: it says "It is permissible to do such and such," whereas the truth is "It is not permissible to do such and such," and the "not" was dropped in printing or writing. This is a great error. Similarly, he may find a phrase saying, "Such and such is valid," whereas the truth is "Such and such is not valid." The matter becomes confused for him due to his lack of insight and knowledge, so he does not recognize the error that occurred in the book, or similar matters.