Is it possible to study Islamic Fiqh independently, or is it necessary to receive instruction from scholars? What are the recommended books for different levels of Fiqh, taking into consideration the Shafi'i school of thought? Is the Kuwaiti Fiqh Encyclopedia suitable for independent Fiqh study, and does it include the Shafi'i opinion?

The fundamental principle for acquiring knowledge is to do so at the hands of scholars, for they abbreviate time, remove difficulties, and clarify obscurities. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Indeed, Allah does not seize knowledge by snatching it from people, but rather He seizes it by seizing the scholars." If this is not possible, one can benefit from audio recordings and by reading accessible books.

For those wishing to study the Shafi'i madhhab, they can begin with a concise text like Matn Abi Shuja' and its commentary by Ibn Qasim. Then, they can expand to lengthier commentaries such as Al-Iqna' by Al-Khatib Al-Shirbini. Among the beneficial books are Al-Fiqh Al-Manhaji by Mustafa Al-Khinn and Mustafa Al-Bugha. After that, one can move on to reading Al-Minhaj by Al-Nawawi with one of its commentaries, such as Mughni Al-Muhtaj by Al-Khatib Al-Shirbini. For a more extensive study of the madhhab, it is recommended to consult Sharh Al-Muhadhdhab by Al-Nawawi and the works of the verified Shafi'i scholars like Tuhfat Al-Muhtaj and Nihayat Al-Muhtaj.

As for encyclopedias of jurisprudence, they are useful for understanding scholarly disagreements, but it is preferable to defer examining these disagreements until one has mastered the madhhab.