Does what Al-Qahtani mentioned in his "Nuniyyah" (ode rhyming in the letter "nun")—that medical and engineering sciences are "a wish for the physician"—mean that studying them is impermissible, and must we cease studying these sciences in emulation of his saying?

The answer regarding the meaning of Al-Qahtani's words in his Nuniyya concerning the condemnation of medicine and engineering is that:

1. The "medicine" that Al-Qahtani condemned was "philosophical medicine" related to Greek logic and philosophy, not "curative medicine," which is permissible by Sharia.

2. The "engineering" that Al-Qahtani condemned was that which claimed the Earth was spherical, based on his belief that it was flat, and not the science of engineering in general.

3. Decisions to abandon studies based on a misunderstanding of Al-Qahtani's verses are incorrect, as these sciences are beneficial and praiseworthy, and Imam Al-Shafi'i and Ibn Khaldun encouraged them.