The novice believes books offer knowledge without a guide!

والصَّلَاةُ والسَّلاَمُ عَلَى سَيّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ أَشْرَفِ اْلمُرْسَلِيْنَ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ الطَّيّبِيْنَ الطَّاهِرِيْن

Allah ta^ala said:

﴿وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ  إِنَّ السَّمْعَ وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولَٰئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْئُولًا﴾

“Do not pronounce judgments on which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart—[the slave] will be questioned about each of these.”

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

مَنْ أَفْتَى النَّاسَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ لَعَنَتهُ مَلَائِكَةُ السَّمَاءِ وَالأَرْضِ

"Whoever issues a fatwa to the people without knowledge, the angels of the heavens and the earth curse him."

Narrated by Hafidh As-Suyutiyy.

It is recounted that there was a man who professed to be a doctor, though he scarcely knew anything of medicine beyond its name. He concealed his incompetence by poring over books, administering treatments based on what he had gleaned from them.

His name was Tuma l-Hakim, and his father, a doctor, had passed away, leaving behind a collection of medical books. With these books in hand, Tuma began to treat people, asserting that his practice was based on what he had read. However, some of the texts contained transcription errors. In one such instance, he mistakenly read 'the black seed is a cure for every ailment'[1] as 'the black snake is a cure for every ailment'[2]. Consequently, many lives were lost due to his blunder.

The scholars cited Tuma as a prime example of extreme ignorance. ’Abu Hayyan al-‘Andalusiyy composed verses about him that became proverbial, widely circulated among scholars in their writings. He declared:

يَظُنُّ الْغُمْرُ أَنَّ الْكُتْبَ تَهْدِي             أَخَا جَهلٍ لِإِدرَاكِ العُلُومِ

The novice believes that books provide
The ignorance’s brother a path to knowledge wide.

وَمَا يَدْرِي الْجَهُولُ بِأَنَّ فِيْها             غَوَامِضَ حَيَّرَتْ عَقْلَ الفَهِيْمِ

Yet the ignorant fails to see the hidden depths,
That leave the discerning mind in perplexing breaths.

إِذَا رُمْتَ الْعُلُومَ بِغَيْرِ شَيْخٍ              ضَلَلْتَ عَنِ الْصِّرَاطِ الْمُسْتَقِيْمِ

If knowledge you seek without a guide,
You’ll stray from the path where truth does abide.

وَتَلْتَبِسُ الأُمُورُ عَلَيْكَ حَتَّى              تَكُونَ أَضَّلَ مِنْ تُوْمَا الْحَكِيْمِ

Matters will entangle, perplexing your self,
And more lost than Tuma l-Hakim, you’ll find yourself.

And among what was also said about him:

قَالَ حِمَارُ الحَكِيمِ تُومَا          لَوْ أَنْصَفُونِي لَكُنْتُ أَرْكَبْ

Tuma l-Hakim’s donkey did declare,
“I would ride, if only they'd been fair.

لِأَنَّنِي جَاهِلٌ بَسِيطٌ               وَصَاحِبِي جَاهِلٌ مُرَكَّبْ

 For I am but a simple fool, you see,
While my companion’s ignorance runs deep as the sea.”

[1] الحَبَّةُ السَّوْدَاءُ شِفَاءٌ مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ

[2] الحَيَّةُ السَّوْدَاءُ شِفَاءٌ مِنْ كُلِّ دَاءٍ

Next: Whoever practices medicine without being known for any medical knowledge is liable!