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Clarification Regarding seeking knowledge from Audio Tapes & Books
Shaykh Ubayd al-Jabri ﷾
هل يجوز لمن طلب العلم عن شيخٍ ما عن طريق الكتب والأشرطة أن يقول له شيخنا ويكون شيخًا؟ للشيخ عبيد الجابري ﷾
السؤال: أحسن الله إليكم يقول السائل: هل يجوز لمن طلب العلم عن شيخٍ ما عن طريق الكتب والأشرطة أن يقول له شيخنا ويكون شيخًا له؟
الجواب: الانتساب إلى المَشْيَخَة لا بأس، لكن أنا أُنَبِّه إلى أنَّ تحصيل العلم له طريقان:
· الطريقُ الأولى: طريقة المشافهة والمُجَالسة؛ وهي التَّلقي عن العالم مباشرة؛ الجلوس بين يَدَيْه، وتَعَلُّم منه العلم والسَّمت الحَسَن والتَّربية الحَسَنة، هذه الطريقة المُثْلَى والعُلْيَا، وهذه طريقة الصحابة في أَخْذِهم عن نبيهم ﷺ من كانوا معه في المدينة، ومن يفدوا عليه من غيرهم يأخذون العلم مباشرة عن النبي ﷺ ويُعَلِّمون قومهم، وكذلك التابعون مع الصحابة؛ يأخذون عن الصحابة لاسيما الأكابر، وكذلك أتباع التابعين إلى اليوم، هذه المَشْيَخَة الصَّحيحة والمَشْيَخَة العُلْيَا. ·
الثانية: طريق التَّلقي عن طريق الكتب أو الأشرطة هذه لا بأس تُفيد؛ لكن ليس فيها مثل ما في الطريقة الأولى، وهذه لا يُنصَحُ بها كُلُّ أحد، يُنْصَح بها العاجز لبعد الشُّقة والمرأة؛ فإنها لا تستطيع أن تجلس إلى العالم حتى وإن كانت في بلدته، ما كُل النِّساء يستطعن، وبعضهن تستطيع حينًا وتنقطع آخر، وبعضهن لا تقدر؛ فهؤلاء يُفيدون، لكن يُنصحون أيضًا بأن لا يخوضون في المسائل الخلافية العويصة، يَكِلُونها إلى أهل العلم، ومن كان مُدَرِّسًا ومُعَلِّمًا أو إمام مسجد يُلْقِي في حَيِّهِ أو قريته فإِنَّا نوصيه بخدمتهم وهو أنه يَتَلَقَّى أسئلتهم التي يقدر على إجابتها فيجيب في حينه، والتي فيها اختلاف ومحل نظر يخدمهم بتوصيلها إلى أهل العلم، وأخذ الجواب عنهم، فهذه خدمة جَيِّدة من عَوْنِ المُسْلِم للمُسْلِم. نعم.
Question: Is it permissible for the one who seeks knowledge from some Shaikh – by way of books and audios – to say to him [i.e. the Shaikh], “Our Shaikh” and thus he becomes a Shaikh of his?
Answer: There’s no harm in considering someone as one’s Shaikh, but I bring your attention to the fact that there are two ways of acquiring knowledge.
The first path: Seeking knowledge in person and sitting to acquire knowledge from the scholar directly- sitting in his presence, learn good manners from him and good Tarbiyah. This is the ideal way and the loftiest. This is the way of the Sahaabah in acquiring knowledge from their Prophet ﷺ those who were with him in Madeenah and those who travelled to him. They acquired knowledge directly from the Prophet ﷺ and taught their people. Likewise, this is how the Taabi’oon acquired knowledge from the Sahaabah; they took knowledge [directly] from the Sahaabah, especially the seniors. Likewise, those who followed the Taabi’een did the same up to this era of ours. This is the correct and loftiest path of acquiring knowledge from a Shaikh.
The second path: It is to acquire knowledge from books and audios. There is no harm in this and it benefits, but it does not contain that which is found in the first method; rather it is for a woman and the one who is unable because of the difficulty in reaching the Shaikh due to distance, for one might not be able to sit in the presence of a scholar even in his own country. Not all women are able-some of them are sometimes able and unable at other times, and some are not able. So, these people benefit [i.e. from the books & tapes], but also they are not advised to enter into challenging [or very difficult] issues related to differences of opinion between the scholars; rather they entrust those affairs to the people of knowledge. And whoever is a teacher – one who gives instructions in knowledge [nurturing others] or an Imaam of a Masjid in his city district or town- we advise him to be at the service of the people and that he takes those questions of theirs which he is able to answer and respond to them in his city district. And those questions that carry difference of opinion and requires investigation, he offers his services to the people by sending those questions to the people of knowledge and take answers from them. This is a good service with regards to the Muslim helping another Muslim. [paraphrased]
Source: ar.miraath.net/fatwah/8603
Trans.: salaficentre.com/2020/08/29/two-haughty-categories-of-youth-and-short-sighted-people-who-desperately-seek-to-isolate-others-from-the-study-circles-of-upright-salafi-teachers-in-the-masaajid-and-maraakiz/
