Is it better for a beginner in seeking Islamic legal knowledge to combine eight disciplines, or to start with one discipline and then move on to another? And what are the recommended books for beginners in noble Prophetic narrations (Hadith Sharif) that gather authentic Hadiths? And is seeking knowledge for a specific subject by relying on a recording of a sheikh without meeting him personally considered seeking knowledge directly from him?

The beginning of seeking Islamic knowledge is broad, and it is recommended that the student start by understanding the Book of Allah from reliable exegeses like those of Ibn Kathir and Al-Baghawi, then what is authentic from the Sunnah from reliable books such as Bulugh Al-Maram and the two Sahihs of Al-Bukhari and Muslim, then sound creedal books, and then concise books of Fiqh. For the beginner in Hadith, Riyadh Al-Salihin, Al-Arba'in Al-Nawawiyyah, Umdat Al-Ahkam, and Al-Tajrid Al-Sarih are recommended. Listening to academic recordings is useful, but it does not substitute for direct reception from scholars, because sitting with them and obtaining ijazaat (licenses) from them is better and more beneficial.