Shaikh Jamaal al-Haarithi hafidhuhallah said:

“Shaikh Zaid al-Madkhali rahimahullah said that the term student of knowledge is used for the one who seeks knowledge. If he proceeds in seeking knowledge, then he is a student of knowledge. So a small student of knowledge is a beginner, then a intermediate student of knowledge, and then a senior, hard working student of knowledge. Everyone who goes out and treads a path of knowledge to obtain it, is a student of knowledge. It is a honorable title for verily it is the inheritance of the Prophets. Whoever seeks it then he seeks the highest inheritance and it is the inheritance of the Messengers and Prophets. Seeking knowledge does not have an end, rather every time a Scholar increases in knowledge he needs more knowledge than he has. So like this, the more the student of knowledge grows older then he does not dispense from seeking knowledge ever. He does not retire from seeking knowledge especially if it is possible to increase in knowledge that he needs as Allah said:

وقل رب زدني علما

and say: “My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.”

[20:5]

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Translated by

Faisal Ibn Abdul Qaadir Ibn Hassan
Abu Sulaymaan