asalamualikum... *Who are the scholars and from whom should knowledge be taken?* by *Shaykh Ahmed Muhammed Al-Munayee حفظه الله* on Sunday, June 18, 2006 http://www.albaseerah.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1910
As for the person who does not possess these qualifications, when he opens his mouth, it is as though he is speaking about Allaah and His Messenger صلى الله عليه و سلم without knowledge. This person is actually representing the Book of Allaah as ibn Qayyim mentions in his book *إعلام الموقعين عن رب العالمين*. One who examines this book understands the importance of the matter, and recognizes the mistake of some of the people in dealing with matters which they are not qualified to deal with; in the name of da’wah, admonition, clarification, rectification, teaching, or in the name of commanding what is right, or in the name of forbidding what is wrong, or from other than that from matters which Shaytaan beautifies for them in their heart. From the effects of this is becoming indulgent in desiring popularity, and to be at the forefront of things. He feels very safe putting himself at the level of the People of Knowledge, which he does not deserve. He places himself at the position of the Scholars at times of dealing with trails and tribulations when in reality he is not qualified to deal with this. These days many of the people do not differentiate between a recitor of the Qur’aan or one who narrates a story to the people; or one who warns the people and one who reminds them, or between the *khateeb* who gives the * khutbah* and one who gives sincere advice (*naseehah*) and the one who is in charge in the Islaamic community and capable of giving commands to enjoin the right and forbid the wrong and the person who is deeply involved in research. They do not differentiate between these and likewise they do not differentiate between - The person who is deeply in involved in research - a student of knowledge - the Scholar who specializes in an area, - the *Faqeeh* (jurist) – the Jurist who is well grounded in Islaamic Jurisprudence (*Fiqh*) and the Jurist who has mastered *Fiqh* - a student of knowledge working with hadith, or experienced in hadith or well grounded in hadith - a student of knowledge working with tafseer, or experienced in tafseer or well grounded in tafseer And they do not differentiate between the Mujtahid al-Mutluq (absolute Mujtahid), the Mujtahid al-Muqayyid (restricted Mujtahid), the Scholar proficient in the Sciences, the scholar firmly grounded in the Sciences and all the other levels. You find the people listening to one Shaykh or Scholar. How do they differentiate between their different statuses and ranks? It is necessary to lower every group to the place at which they deserve to be without being influenced by emotion or (word unclear). However, belittling people is oppression, and raising them above their station is also oppression and equating them above the station they really deserve is oppression. For this reason you find people going back to du’aat, or those that are simply callers, or those who admonish, or those only involved in training, or those who are good at telling stories, and they take from them religious rulings at the same level – all of them. They have statements, tapes and the like available. The person who is wise in his understanding knows who to take from. How many people don’t really have anything to invite you to? They claim to have what they don’t possess. It is important therefore, if you are going to take from an individual, that the individual has also taken from someone who is himself scholarly, and it is known that he has spent some time in acquiring knowledge. *Summary* The Shaykh حفظه الله continued: I would like to end our session, but before I do so I would note the characteristics of the scholars in another way. The well grounded scholar (الراسخ العالم) has signs or characteristics: 1. He has become known for the purity of his belief. 2. He is known for the purity of his manhaj (methodology). 3. He is well grounded in Islaamic Sciences, he is known for his research in it and for entering into the issues concerning it. 4. It is known that he has graduated from the sittings of the Scholars that came before him who were grounded (الراسخ) in knowledge. 5. He is well-known in his establishment of Tawheed al-Uboodiyyah – to seclude and make Allaah unique in your worship towards Him. He teaches it, implements it and incorporates it in all aspects of his life. 6. He is known for his glorifying and honoring the Sunnah and teaching it to the people, and making it established and well-grounded in the people, and glorifying it for the people, and calling them to it and incorporating it in all aspects of their life. 7. He has spent the majority of his life in knowledge – learning it and teaching it. 8. From the signs of the scholar who is well-grounded in knowledge is that he is not young in age, rather he is one who is well-experienced, and has been tested with trials and has been put in tough situations. 9. His knowledge is not little. Rather, he is one who has entered into knowledge, delved into it and has put much time into seeking knowledge. He has also participated in knowledge with its people and looked into the rulings. He also has experience in the rulings concerning the nawaazil (overwhelming incidents). 10. He has sound intellect and is patient with the affairs. He is not hasty in serious affairs – he understands and he is not from the lowly/despicable people. 11. His knowledge in the fundaments and branches of Islaam – not in one Science without the other. He is one who has looked into all the sciences and has knowledge of all, or the majority, of the sciences of Islaam. So, he is not someone you would find strong in one area and weak in another area e.g. being strong in one area but being weak in *Fiqh*, or being strong in *Fiqh* and weak in the methodology and the way of the Salaf – the aqeedah. This one is not from the People of Knowledge. The Scholar knows about the fundamentals, foundations and principles of Islaam – the Shar’eeah, and its branches as well. 12. He threads upon the path of those who came before him from the People of Knowledge. He does not oppose or contradict them except after he has attained a level of knowledge, and has come forward in knowledge, and his level has been raised and the proof has become clear to him and he has an imaam, a predecessors from the Scholars, that has the same stance on that issue that he is opposing the scholar in, so he has a predecessor for what he is saying. 13. The Scholars give testimony to him; that he is firmly grounded in knowledge, and to the purity of his methodology (*manhaj*) and the scholars that testify to this continue to testify to it and are still upon it i.e. their testimony is not nullified. 14. Knowledge has become apparent upon him when you see him – his characteristic, his manner, his dealings, his humility to Allaah in his worship, and his being ascetic in this world i.e. he does not indulge too much in the *duniyaa*. 15. Having wisdom and knowing the boundaries within which to deal. Knowing the boundaries of the politics of the Sharee’ah of Da’wah, meaning, that he knows how to give da’wah, in his fatwa, in his teaching, and ordering with good and forbidding from wrong. This is due to his knowledge of the reasons for legislation – why the legislations were sent down. 16. His preserving the Jama’ah of the Muslims and uniting them and taking into consideration what is best for them, and his being serious and forth-going in that. And forbidding them from that which will split and divide their Jama’ah and its unity. This is due to his preserving the fundamental principles of Sharee’ah. 17. He does not try to make the ruler go against those that are being ruled, nor does he try to incite those that are being ruled against their ruler. And other that these, are characteristics that clarify to us that the person is from the People of Knowledge, and not from those that are just seeking fame, or those that just have some thoughts that are political or concerning business or other than this, from those that put on the clothing of the People of Knowledge, primarily in order to attain their goal. We ask Allaah عز و جل to grant us success to all that is good. *Transcriber’s Footnotes* 1. Sunan Abi Dawuud [3/317] #3641 Shaykh al-Albaani says with a Saheeh chain. 2. Saheeh al-Jaami’ #6611, Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal Vol. 4 #16924 3. The translator mentions that this narration (regarding the similitude of the scholars and the stars) as being from Abu Haakim, however in the Arabic it seems that the Shaykh حفظه الله mentioned that the hadith was collected by Imaam Ahmad رحمه الله in his Musnad from Anas رضى الله عنه. 4. What the Shaykh mentioned was found as *part* of the following hadith from the Musnad of Ahmad bin Hanbal Vol. 3 #12621. Note that Shaykh al-Albaani says it (hadith #12621) is da’eef in Da’eef al-Jaami’ #1973. 5. Iqtidaa’ul-Ilmil ‘Amal إقتضاء العلم العمل of Khateeb al-Bahgdaadi with tahqeeq Shaykh al-Albaani who said the hadith is saheeh, pg. 58. 6. Reference pending 7. Occurs as part of a hadith in Saheeh Muslim, Chapter: The Merit of Wudu’, Vol. 1 #223, also as part of hadith in at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa’ee and others. 8. Saheeh Bukhaari, Book of Knowledge, Vol. 3, #100; Saheeh Muslim, Book of Knowledge, Vol. 4, #2673. -- Masjid Ahlul-Quraan wa As-Sunnah of New york http://www.seekknowledge.org http://www.albaseerah.org --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Asalam o Alaikum, You Are Receiving This Message, Because You Are A Member Of FOCUS ON ISLAM, A Google Group [..:: The Best Group For Nice Islamic Mails ::..] \/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<<<<>>>>\/<>\/ You can Post Your Comments and Suggestions to Me [Moderator of this Group] on this email address: [email protected] To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.google.com/group/focusonislam/ To post messages/mails to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] Please forward our Mails to Your friends, and convence them to join our Group. 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