Seeking Knowledge and Following Scholars

This subtopic gathers questions on seeking religious knowledge and its obligation. It also covers the schools of law, following one scholar over another, scholars' qualifications, and the sources of legislation.

Questions readers ask here:

What is the ruling on one who is ignorant of the necessary Sharia rulings related to worship?
How did the Salaf treat their shaykhs, and what should be done when a scholar enters the mosque?
What should be done when there is doubt about something being forbidden or permissible?
What is the difference between Sharia and Fiqh?

Whether a particular hadith is authentic belongs under Hadith and Authenticity.

193 questions

Is there a book called "Al-Jami' Al-Kabeer," and who is its author, and has it been authenticated?
Is learning obligatory for someone who possesses the mental capacity and intelligence in both scientific and literary fields, and is the concept of knowledge in Islam limited to the religious sciences only?
What are the recommended books for strengthening faith, understanding the rulings of the Qur'an and the reasons for the revelation of its verses, in addition to books on Tawhid (Monotheism), the Prophet's biography (Sirah Nabawiyah), ethics, creed (Aqidah), transactions (Mu'amalat), and Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) to broaden one's knowledge of Islamic sciences?
Is the confirmed Sunnah considered an obligatory duty (fard), and is one sinful for saying it is an obligatory duty?
What are the reliable books and imams in the Sharia sciences that can be depended upon to receive sound Islamic knowledge free from weakness or fabrication?
Is the jurisprudential disagreement regarding the invalidation of wudu by touching the private parts considered a permissible difference of opinion that does not affect the validity of a Muslim's prayer, regardless of which view they adopt?
Who is Al-Jazuli mentioned in "Mawahib al-Jalil"? Is he one of the Maliki scholars? And who is Shaykh Yusuf ibn Umar, referred to in the same book?
Can one become an alim (scholar) through self-learning via encyclopedias and modern means, and by listening to scholars' lessons remotely, without the companionship of a scholar? And what are the names of Salafi scholars known for their knowledge and piety in Arab countries, especially in Sana'a?
What should a Muslim do if faced with a problem and unable to consult scholars? Should he make an effort based on his limited knowledge, logic, and general principles such as the default state of things being permissibility and ease?
What does the mujtahid's deserving of reward indicate, whether he is correct or mistaken, and is the ruler's ijtihad on an issue sufficient to preclude the renewal of ijtihad on similar issues, and why?
Does al-maslahah al-mursalah include acts of worship?
What is the ruling on one who asks about fabrications against Islam but does not answer?
What is the best option for a mosque imam in Ukraine who fears issuing fatwas but possesses great skill in preaching, knowing that the mosque needs him and it is difficult to bring a replacement?
What are the most important books by Imam Al-Shafi'i?
What is the meaning of the juristic principle: "The general [term] from which a specific meaning is intended" with an illustrative example?
What is the solution to my feelings of apathy and lack of enthusiasm when studying subjects, especially a foreign language, and my questioning the usefulness of memorization?
Which principle is stronger when there is a conflict: "The event is attributed to its nearest time" or "The default is the absolution of liability"?
Am I sinful if I incline towards the opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Baz—may Allah have mercy on them—regarding one who abandoned prayer and fasting and then repented, that repentance suffices and he is not required to make up what he missed?
Did Imam Malik issue a fatwa permitting the killing of one-third of the Ummah for its rectification?
How can a student with a bachelor's degree in engineering study Fiqh and Sharia, and what are the well-known universities or colleges that accept his current qualifications to pursue postgraduate studies in Sharia?
What is your opinion on what the two Egyptian preachers, Amr Khaled and Muhammad Hidayat, offer to young people? Are their followers rightly guided or astray?
Is it permissible to issue a fatwa based on taqlid (adherence to a particular madhab or jurist)?
Is there a reward for two people gathering once or twice a week after the Asr prayer to study a religious book, and what are the hadiths that speak about the virtue of gatherings of remembrance (majalis al-dhikr)?
Who is Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani?

Seeking Knowledge and Following Scholars

Is there a book called "Al-Jami' Al-Kabeer," and who is its author, and has it been authenticated?

Is learning obligatory for someone who possesses the mental capacity and intelligence in both scientific and literary fields, and is the concept of knowledge in Islam limited to the religious sciences only?

Is the confirmed Sunnah considered an obligatory duty (fard), and is one sinful for saying it is an obligatory duty?

What are the reliable books and imams in the Sharia sciences that can be depended upon to receive sound Islamic knowledge free from weakness or fabrication?

Is the jurisprudential disagreement regarding the invalidation of wudu by touching the private parts considered a permissible difference of opinion that does not affect the validity of a Muslim's prayer, regardless of which view they adopt?

Who is Al-Jazuli mentioned in "Mawahib al-Jalil"? Is he one of the Maliki scholars? And who is Shaykh Yusuf ibn Umar, referred to in the same book?

Can one become an alim (scholar) through self-learning via encyclopedias and modern means, and by listening to scholars' lessons remotely, without the companionship of a scholar? And what are the names of Salafi scholars known for their knowledge and piety in Arab countries, especially in Sana'a?

What should a Muslim do if faced with a problem and unable to consult scholars? Should he make an effort based on his limited knowledge, logic, and general principles such as the default state of things being permissibility and ease?

What does the mujtahid's deserving of reward indicate, whether he is correct or mistaken, and is the ruler's ijtihad on an issue sufficient to preclude the renewal of ijtihad on similar issues, and why?

Does al-maslahah al-mursalah include acts of worship?

What is the ruling on one who asks about fabrications against Islam but does not answer?

What is the best option for a mosque imam in Ukraine who fears issuing fatwas but possesses great skill in preaching, knowing that the mosque needs him and it is difficult to bring a replacement?

What are the most important books by Imam Al-Shafi'i?

What is the meaning of the juristic principle: "The general [term] from which a specific meaning is intended" with an illustrative example?

What is the solution to my feelings of apathy and lack of enthusiasm when studying subjects, especially a foreign language, and my questioning the usefulness of memorization?

Which principle is stronger when there is a conflict: "The event is attributed to its nearest time" or "The default is the absolution of liability"?

Am I sinful if I incline towards the opinion of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn Baz—may Allah have mercy on them—regarding one who abandoned prayer and fasting and then repented, that repentance suffices and he is not required to make up what he missed?

Did Imam Malik issue a fatwa permitting the killing of one-third of the Ummah for its rectification?

How can a student with a bachelor's degree in engineering study Fiqh and Sharia, and what are the well-known universities or colleges that accept his current qualifications to pursue postgraduate studies in Sharia?

What is your opinion on what the two Egyptian preachers, Amr Khaled and Muhammad Hidayat, offer to young people? Are their followers rightly guided or astray?

Is it permissible to issue a fatwa based on taqlid (adherence to a particular madhab or jurist)?

Is there a reward for two people gathering once or twice a week after the Asr prayer to study a religious book, and what are the hadiths that speak about the virtue of gatherings of remembrance (majalis al-dhikr)?

Who is Abu Nu'aym al-Isfahani?