Can a student of knowledge be content with books and encyclopedias for seeking knowledge, or is a shaykh indispensable for him?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Relying on books without taking from scholars involves pitfalls and dangers. Some of the predecessors said: "He whose shaykh is his book, his errors will be more than his correctness." We advise acquiring video and audio recordings from the lessons of trustworthy shaykhs, as they are akin to direct oral transmission and suffice the student of knowledge in various aspects of seeking knowledge. If you feel you have insight in knowledge and can distinguish right from wrong, then there is no fear in relying on books rather than shaykhs.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/131213
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 131213
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy