The ruling on saying: “Whoever has no shaykh, his shaykh is Satan”

Our brother says: It is widespread among them that whoever has no shaykh, his shaykh is Satan, and he continues to elaborate and lengthen this topic. How do you guide them, O Shaykh, if you please?
Answer: This is a common error and ignorance. If a person learns and gains insight into his religion, whether by attending scholarly circles, or by reflecting on the Qur'an and benefiting from it, or by reading the Sunnah and benefiting from it, it is not said that his shaykh is Satan. It is said: He has exerted effort and done what is required. However, he should exert effort in connecting with scholars and asking them, specifically scholars known for their sound creed. This is because if he does not ask the people of knowledge, he may err frequently due to his reliance on his own understanding. If he attends circles of knowledge and attends sermons, he has many shaykhs. The one who leads a scholarly circle or the Friday sermon is a shaykh for the listeners. Therefore, it is not said that he has no shaykh for them. The one who attends circles of knowledge and listens to Friday sermons, Eid sermons, and lectures presented in mosques and elsewhere, all of these are shaykhs for him from whom he benefits. If he singles out one of the scholars of the Sunnah to ask him about what is difficult for him, that is part of perfection and completeness. It is not said: “Whoever has no shaykh, his shaykh is Satan.” All of this has no basis.
A student of knowledge must have shaykhs to ask and benefit from. A person does not learn by himself alone; he must need to listen to scholars in their circles, in their sermons, and in other contexts. Yes.