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Is It Wrong To Learn From International Scholars Instead of Local Scholars?


Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad

Question

I’m from Bangladesh, and I’m doing a major in religious studies. I want to learn Islam & the rulings in-depth, but I don’t find local teachers welcoming and trustworthy because of their ill & insensitive treatment towards women. I do believe there are good ones, and I respect them all. My inability is that the more I listen to them, the more I fall into depression. Now I am learning online from scholars abroad, and I plan to study in repudiated institutions if Allah wills. I plan to work & teach in the academic field.

Answer

Assalamu alaykum,

Thank you for your question.

Scholars

There is absolutely nothing wrong with learning from international scholars, as reliable knowledge can and should come from anywhere and everywhere. I would typically tell you to study locally first, but it seems that you have already done so and that you are ready to move on. Please listen to this podcast on choosing a teacher:

https://seekersguidance.org/show/030-rawha-daily-guidance-seekers/

Resources

Consider studying with SeekersGuidance, as we have complete tracks on different subjects taught by authentic scholars. You won’t find any ill or insensitive treatment of women here, alhamduliLlah. Please see these links for more details on seeking knowledge:

https://seekersguidance.org/articles/general-artices/study-guide-for-seekers-of-knowledge/

https://seekersguidance.org/articles/general-artices/path-seeking-knowledge/

https://seekersguidance.org/articles/knowledge/the-place-of-knowledge-in-islam/

I pray that Allah makes you of the people meant in this hadith, “For whomever Allah wants good, he gives him understanding in the religion.“ [Tirmidhi] May Allah give you tawfiq in your journey and bequeath you knowledge of that which you never knew, and allow you to benefit from it.

May Allah give you the best of this world and the next. 

[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad  

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, Tafseer, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She recently moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.