In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Imaam Al-Awzaa’ee [rahimahullaah] said, “If Allaah wishes to deprive a servant of His the blessing of knowledge, He places the Aghaaleet on his tongue”. (1)

What Are The Aghaaleet? The intent behind the word Aghaaleet are the odd issues and their difficulties which a person pursues whilst exceeding the limits and harboring an evil intent when questioning and thus results in doubts, so debate becomes rife and argumentation increases. Therefore, whoever’s desire is confined to pursuing the odd issues and not to acquire understanding from Allaah [i.e. the Qur’aan] and the Messenger [i.e. the Sunnah], and knowledge of the prescribed limits in what has been legislated which leads to action, then indeed he has wasted his time and has been deprived of the blessing of knowledge”.(2)

Imaam Muhammad Ibn Saaleh Al-Uthaymeen (rahimahullaah) said: [الطبوليات ] are those Masaa’il (affairs related to the religion) by way of which fame is sought. They are called ‘Tubooliyyaat’ because it is similar to a Tabl (drum) which has a sound and an echo. So when an odd affair comes to the people and a (person) becomes famous by way of it, then it becomes as if it is the sound of a drum. (3)

A Lofty Ambition In Seeking Knowledge

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: The loftiest ambition in seeking knowledge is to acquire knowledge of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah- to be granted understanding by Allaah [i.e. granted Tawfeeq to acquire sound knowledge] and through the Sunnah of the Messenger, and acquaint oneself with the boundaries of the revelation [i.e. neither going into excess nor being lackadaisical]. And the most baseless ambition of the students of knowledge is to confine their ambitions in following the bizarre affairs and that which has neither occurred nor has it been revealed, or acquainting (oneself) with the differences of opinion and pursuing the statements of the scholars, whilst having no ambition to acquaint oneself with what is correct among those statements. Little is there to benefit from the knowledge of these people. (4)

[Ref 1: Jaami Bayaan Al-Ilm 1087]
[Ref 2: https://al-badr.net/muqolat/2693. Paraphrased]

[Ref 3: Sharh Hilya Taalib al-Ilm, page: 19]
[Ref 4: An Excerpt from Al-Fawaa’id. page: 99. Slightly paraphrased]