In order to remain any faith alive, we need genuine, well read and sincere scholars to explain the religious scriptures in their true perspective, devoid of any prejudice and personal ambitions. However, as the world is progressing and means to spread knowledge increasing manifold, fake and illiterate pseudo scholars are thriving and by twisting the religious matters in a way that these look based on truth and logic.
In many Muslim countries, specially in Asia, such pseudo intellectuals are on the increase and we find them in abundance. Since such people have a clout of their own, they are able to lure in the illiterate and the ignorant ordinary people and feed them with something which is tangent to the actual teachings of Islam. Since Qur'an is in Arabic, such fake scholars take advantage of the ignorance of Arabic language of their followers and teach them things that suit their personal ambitions and glorification.
Prophet Muhammad ﷺ could feel a similar time to come and warned his followers to beware of such time and fake scholars. A hadith, attributed to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, highlights the importance of religious knowledge and the role of scholars in guiding the Muslim community.
This Hadith is mentioned in Sahi al-Bukhārī (Book 3 Knowledge / كتاب العلم / Chapter 34: How the (religious) knowledge will be taken away / بَابُ كَيْفَ يُقْبَضُ الْعِلْمُ ) as Hadith 100, given herein under:
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As:
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "Allah does not take away the knowledge, by taking it away from (the hearts of) the people, but takes it away by the death of the religious learned men till when none of the (religious learned men) remains, people will take as their leaders ignorant persons who when consulted will give their verdict without knowledge. So they will go astray and will lead the people astray."
Arabic Text:
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا، يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ الْعِبَادِ، وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ، حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يُبْقِ عَالِمًا، اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُءُوسًا جُهَّالاً فَسُئِلُوا، فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ، فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا ".
قَالَ الْفِرَبْرِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبَّاسٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ هِشَامٍ نَحْوَهُ.
Let us try to interpret this Hadith in our present times and see how fake scholars are fast taking over genuine scholars and a God forbids a time may come when these fake scholars my take lead over the genuine scholars, for the quest for true knowledge is a laborious thing and learners consult the social media for answers to their queries.
Gradual Loss of Knowledge:
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) emphasizes that Allah does not remove knowledge from people abruptly or directly from their hearts. Instead, knowledge diminishes over time as scholars (religious learned men) pass away.
The Role of Scholars:
Religious scholars are the custodians of Islamic knowledge. Their presence is essential for maintaining the correct understanding and practice of the faith. As they die, the knowledge they possess diminishes unless it has been passed on to the next generation.
The Consequence of Ignorance:
- When there are no scholars left, people may turn to unqualified individuals for religious guidance. These individuals, lacking proper knowledge, will give incorrect rulings or interpretations (fatwas) when consulted.
- As a result, these ignorant leaders will not only lead themselves astray but also misguide the people who follow them.
Implications of the Hadith:
- The Value of Religious Education: The hadith underscores the importance of religious education and the preservation of knowledge. It encourages the Muslim community to learn from qualified scholars and to prioritize the transmission of knowledge from one generation to the next.
- Warning Against Ignorance: The hadith serves as a warning against taking religious knowledge lightly or neglecting the study of it. It highlights the dangers of ignorance, especially in matters of faith, and the potential for widespread misguidance when unqualified people assume leadership roles.
- Responsibility to Seek Knowledge: Muslims are encouraged to seek knowledge actively and to consult those who are truly learned. This hadith also serves as a reminder to scholars to pass on their knowledge to others, ensuring that future generations can continue to uphold the teachings of Islam correctly.
In nutshell, this hadith teaches the importance of religious scholars in preserving Islamic knowledge and warns of the dangers that arise when they are no longer present to guide the community. The gradual loss of such scholars and the rise of ignorant leaders can lead to widespread misguidance, making it crucial for Muslims to value, seek, and preserve authentic religious knowledge.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
Reading the Qur'ān should be a daily obligation of a Muslim - Reading it with translation will make it meaningful. But reading its Exegesis / Tafsir will make you understand it fully. It will also help the Muslims to have grasp over social issues and their answers discussed in the Qur'an and other matter related to inter faith so that they are able to discuss issues with non-Muslims with authority based on refences from Qur'an.
Note: When we mention God in our posts, we mean One True God, we call Allah in Islam, with no associates. Allah is the Sole Creator of all things, and that Allah is all-powerful and all-knowing. Allah has no offspring, no race, no gender, no body, and is unaffected by the characteristics of human life.
Please refer to our reference page: Collection of Hadiths of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ about Warning and Cautions for more Hadiths on the subject
For more hadiths on varying subjects, refer to our reference page: Sunnah and Hadith of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to know more about Hadiths and Sunnah of Prophet of Allah. You may also refer to our Reference Pages for knowing more about Islam and Qur'ān.
Disclaimer: The material for this post has been collected from the references as given above. If anyone differs with the material contained in this post, one may consult the references and their authors. If someone has more material about the subject, he/she is most welcome to share in the comments box to make the post all encompassing.
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