The Virtue of Seeking Knowledge from Scholars

Question:
Which is better for a student of knowledge: to acquire knowledge through tapes, cassettes, and recordings, or through the gatherings of scholars?

Answer:
Answer: Acquiring it from tapes and books is an error and a source of misguidance, because one who relies on that will be misguided. The books contain what is deceptive, what is false, and what is erroneous, because they are the work of people, and the work of people is subject to error. This is if they are sincere; they may also be authors of books who are not sincere, corrupting people’s ideas by writing in them what misguides people. So if a student of knowledge wants to read a book, he must present it to the scholars to see whether it is suitable for study and benefit or not. He should not rush into books without consulting the people of knowledge or reading them to them so that they can explain them to him. Knowledge is acquired through scholars, and books are merely tools by which they assist in seeking knowledge. As for knowledge itself, it is received from scholars, not from books.