BENEFIT 123: Is it permissible to seek instrumental sciences (علوم آلة) such as Arabic studies, Tajweed, and Qur'an memorisation from the people of innovation?

Sheikh 'Abdurraqeeb Al-Kawkabani rahimahullah said: ‟It is not permissible based on what you have heard from the Āthār warning against them. My brother in Islam, they inject poison (I.e. their corrupt ideology) into honey (I.e. the Islamic sciences), and even if a man teaches you mathematics or medicine while holding a corrupt belief, he can subtly incorporate it into his teaching. I remind my brothers that Sheikhul Islam Ibn Taymiyyah mentions the book "Al-Kashāf" of Az-Zamakhshari and says about it that, "It contains deviations of the Mu'tazilah that have to extracted using a chisel (due to them being so inconspicuous)." Indeed, the scholars warned against his book "Al-Kashāf," even though it may be beneficial with relation to the Arabic language, but it comes with doctrinal deviations, such as mentioning the pleasure of the people of Paradise and stating that it is eternal, without mentioning what it entails. He says, "What pleasure is there after this?" I.e. What pleasure is there after this while he is trying to deny the belief of the believers seeing their Lord in Paradise, and that some claim that this is impossible, etc. But look how they have to draw deviations from it like one using a chisel. He says, "What pleasure is there after this?" Meaning, after entering Paradise (there's no other pleasure - i.e. They won't see Allāh). So, my brother, may Allah protect you, you cannot ensure that one will not enter upon you from the aspect of language, grammar, morphology, or prosody. Then, the saying, "There is no one in our country to teach us, so how can we study?" My brother, may Allah bless you, we are not in a time where tools and educational means are scarce. Now you can connect with your Sunni brothers through the phone, access websites, and find lessons online that you couldn't complete even in six or seven years. So why not be content with the good that Allah has provided us and join the well-known websites of Ahl al-Sunnah, which have been praised by scholars, and take advantage of the lessons and scientific resources, and listen to explanations of "Al-Tahawiyyah," "Ibn 'Aqeel," and "Al-Qatr"? And on there you have Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen's explanations on "Alfiyyah" by Ibn Malik, so why not listen to that? For every era, there are means of acquiring knowledge, and in this era, the cassette tape allows you to invite Sheikh Ibn Uthaymeen or Al-Albani or Sheikh Muqbil to your home to listen to their words, which are like gems, and, by Allah's will, they will suffice you from seeking knowledge from people of innovation. It has been reported as a sign of the end times that knowledge will be sought from the Aṣāghir. Yes, one of the signs of the end times is that knowledge will be sought from the Aṣāghir. Ibn Al-Mubarak said, "The Aṣāghir are the people of innovation." So, my brothers in Islam, we should not raise the heads of the people of innovation by considering them esteemed scholars or teachers for us. Rather, Allah will suffice us from them. (As the Prophet ﷺ said) "You will not leave anything for the sake of Allah except that He will give you something better in return." By Allah, when we listen to educational lessons from tapes, it brings joy to the hearts. It feels as though we are sitting in that circle. So, seek blessings (from the sittings of Ahlus-Sunnah), my brothers in Islam. Sheikh Yahya, may Allah preserve him, said: "Whoever seeks knowledge from a person of innovation, Allah does not benefit him with what he hears." He quoted that from some of the Salaf.