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
Does God forgive a person upon hearing a recorded Islamic lecture via radio, by analogy with His forgiveness for those who attend it in person?
What is the meaning of the jurists' saying: "Doubt does not necessitate obligation," and what are examples of that?
Who is Ja'far al-Sadiq, and what are the reliable sources that deal with his biography?
Is it permissible for a teacher to compel a female student to follow certain jurisprudential opinions that differ from the student's own view?
Who is Ubaydullah?
What is meant by the saying: "Indeed, religion is ease and not hardship," and what are its examples?
How can a female student at Imam University teach the knowledge she has acquired so that it does not become a sin on the Day of Resurrection, and what is the way to revise and memorize four parts of the Qur’an that she has forgotten?
Must a text regarding matters of creed be definitive in authenticity and definitive in meaning, or is it sufficient for it to be definitive in authenticity even if it is presumptive in meaning?
What is the proposed curriculum for Islamic Studies for a group of students from the National School of Business and Management (ENSAM) in Tangier, with the aim of developing Islamic management?
What is the book "Fath al-Qarib al-Mujib," a commentary by Ibn Qasim al-Ghazzi al-Shafi'i, and is it considered a reliable reference in Shafi'i jurisprudence?
Which are the best books on Hadith, Sira, Tafsir, Islamic history, and general history?
What are the names of the simplified books specifically about the Qur'anic recitations, and where can they be found online?
What are the beneficial Islamic books (for the questioner and his family) regarding matters of this world and the hereafter that you recommend acquiring to build a home library?
Is reading fatwas daily for two hours considered seeking beneficial religious knowledge that carries great virtue? And is it permissible to continue doing so during a time of pressure, such as an approaching professional exam, or is it preferable to postpone it?
Is it true that Ibn Abd al-Hadi, Ibn Qudamah, and Ibn Muflih al-Hanabilah became Sufis and wore the Sufi khirqah?
Must I complete high school and university studies, even though that affects my acts of worship and my time, given that I have a provider and I wish to devote myself to home and worship, or is it permissible for me to abandon my studies?
What is the ruling on reading a book that describes Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah as a heretic (zindeeq), disbeliever (kafir), and sinner (fasiq), and how should its content be refuted?
What are the essential books a student of knowledge should have in their library across various disciplines?
Is it permissible to allocate separate times for learning, such as reading the Qur’an, listening to an audio recording, and reading a book or pamphlet?
Is it permissible to adopt the view of the Hanafis and Shafi'is that pubic hair is not an absolute sign of puberty, and the view of Ibn Taymiyyah that there is no obligation to make up fasts for one who abandoned them out of ignorance of their obligation?
Is it permissible for the Imam and Preacher to issue fatwas without a reference?
Is it permissible for me, a single woman in my twenties studying at the College of Engineering, to leave my studies and stay at home to draw closer to Allah and avoid mixing with strangers, knowing that my mother expects me to complete my studies? And is it sufficient for me to withdraw from a gathering upon hearing backbiting, if I am unable to rebuke the one engaging in backbiting, especially if he is a strange man?
Are the books mentioned in exegesis (Tafsir), jurisprudence (Fiqh), Hadith, creed (Aqidah), the Prophet's biography (Sirah Nabawiyyah), and Minhaj Al-Muslim sound and reliable, or do they contain errors, bearing in mind the rejection of the concept of Madhhabs (schools of thought)?
What is the ruling on ceasing to seek sacred knowledge due to the unavailability of trustworthy scholars and accessible means, and being content with not affirming or denying the validity of a speaker's words unless there is certainty of their error or innovation, out of fear of speaking about God without knowledge?