What is needed to become an alim (Islamic scholar)?

In a Nutshell: The title of Ulema is granted to a person with extensive expertise in the Islamic sciences, including theology, law, history and philosophy. Topic The Prophet (pbuh) said: "Allah permits the one whose good He wills to have a good understanding of the deen" (in both Sahih) It can be deduced from this that the one whose good Allah does not want, He does not allow him to have a good understanding of the religion. Whoever commits himself to the path of seeking knowledge, Allah facilitates his discovery of the path that leads to paradise. "Among the servants of Allah, the Ulema are those who truly fear Him" He further said: "Only the knowers grasp them (the verses)." He also says: "And they said: "If we had listened or reasoned, we would not be among the people of the Furnace." (Qur'an, 67:10) and: Say: "Are they equal, those who know and those who do not know?" (Qur'an 39:9) The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Knowledge is not acquired except by learning. According to Qays ibn Kathir a man from Medina went to Abu Darda in Damascus. The latter said to him: "What brings you here, O brother?" "A hadith that you reported to the Prophet (blessings and salutations be upon him) according to my information" "You have not come here for any need; or business?" "No, I have come only to collect the hadith." "I heard the Messenger of Allah (pbuh) say: "He who embarks on the path of seeking knowledge, will be led by Allah to paradise. The angels lower their wings in satisfaction to the seeker of knowledge. Those who are in heaven as well as those who are on earth, including the fish in the water, seek divine forgiveness for the Ulema. The merit of the Ulema in relation to the devotee is like that of the moon in relation to the other stars. Ulema are the heirs of the Prophets. The Prophets did not bequeath dinar or dirham, but knowledge. Whoever receives them will have been fortunate." (Tirmidhi, 2606) These are some of the merits of acquiring knowledge. The path to knowledge is through the fear of Allah and the awareness of his control in secret and in public. Then one must learn from reliable ulama in both their knowledge and their faith. When one finds an Ulema who meets these qualities, one should stay with him and consult him on how to acquire knowledge. If one does not find him, one should be content with a seeker of knowledge. If not, one can use tapes and basic books. Which books should we study? The answer is that we need to take a step-by-step approach to acquiring religious knowledge. There are specific books for each discipline. Start first with the study of aqidah and then the knowledge that helps to understand the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (pbuh) such as grammar, jurisprudence, hadith criticism, exegesis of the Qur'an and law. But all this must be preceded by learning the Qur'an by heart. For the other disciplines are studied only to have a good understanding of the Qur'an. Conclusion In the end, to become an Ulama, one must devote time and effort to the study of Islamic sciences, the practice of religion and the acquisition of in-depth expertise in the various disciplines of Islamic sciences.