Why should we follow scholars?

Why should we follow scholars?

The Prophet Muhammed (peace be upin him) said:

“Scholars are the inheritors of the prophets.”

A Quran verse is said to coincide with this hadith:

“Then We gave the Scripture as inheritance unto those whom We elected of Our servants.” [Qur'an, 35.32]

Another hadith states:

”The superiority of a scholar (alim) over the devout (abid) is like my superiority over a worshipper or like that of the moon in the night when it is full over the rest of the stars, and truly the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets, and truly the Prophets do not leave behind them gold or silver, they only leave knowledge as their heritage. So whosoever acquires knowledge acquires a huge fortune.” (Transmitted by Ahmad, Abu Dawud and al Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah.)

Do not speak without Knowledge

 ﴿وَلاَ تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ إِنَّ السَّمْعَ
وَالْبَصَرَ وَالْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُولـئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولاً ﴾

(36. And follow not that of which you have no knowledge. Verily, the hearing, and the sight, and the heart of each of those ones will be questioned (by Allah).)

 
Tafsir In Kathir

`Ali bin Abi Talhah reported that Ibn `Abbas said: "This means) do not say (anything of which you have no knowledge).'' Al-`Awfi said: "Do not accuse anyone of that of which you have no knowledge.'' Muhammad bin Al-Hanafiyyah said: "It means bearing false witness.'' Qatadah said: "Do not say, `I have seen', when you did not see anything, or `I have heard', when you did not hear anything, or `I know', when you do not know, for Allah will ask you about all of that.'' In conclusion, what they said means that Allah forbids speaking without knowledge and only on the basis of suspicion, which is mere imagination and illusions. As Allah says:

﴿اجْتَنِبُواْ كَثِيراً مِّنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ﴾

(Avoid much suspicion; indeed some suspicions are sins.) ﴿49:12﴾ According to a Hadith:

«إِيَّاكُمْ وَالظَّنَّنَفَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ أَكْذَبُ الْحَدِيث»

(Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the falsest of speech.) The following Hadith is found in Sunan Abu Dawud:

«بِئْسَ مَطِيَّةُ الرَّجُلِ: زَعَمُوا»

(What an evil habit it is for a man to say, `They claimed...')

According to another Hadith:

«إِنَّ أَفْرَى الْفِرَى أَنْ يُرِيَ الرَّجُلُ عَيْنَيْهِ مَا لَمْ تَرَيَا»

(The worst of lies is for a man to claim to have seen something that he has not seen.) In the Sahih it says:

«مَنْ تَحَلَّمَ حُلْمًا كُلِّفَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ أَنْ يَعْقِدَ بَيْنَ شَعِيرَتَيْنِ وَلَيْسَ بِفَاعِل»

(Whoever claims to have seen a dream (when he has not seen) will be told on the Day of Resurrection to make a knot between two barley grains, and he will not be able to do it.)

﴿كُلُّ أُولـئِكَ﴾

(each of those ones) means these faculties, hearing, sight and the heart,

﴿كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْؤُولاً﴾

(will be questioned.) means, the person will be asked about them on the Day of Resurrection, and they will be asked about him and what he did with them.

Hadith on Knowledge: When scholars die, people will then take the ignorant as their religious leaders

عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنْ الْعِبَادِ وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يُبْقِ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُءُوسًا جُهَّالًا فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا 

100 صحيح البخاري كتاب العلم باب كيف يقبض العلم

2673 صحيح مسلم كِتَاب الْعِلْمِ يتقارب الزمان ويقبض العلم وتظهر الفتن

Abdullah ibn Amr reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say, “Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people but rather He takes away knowledge with the death of the scholars until He leaves no scholar behind and the people turn to the ignorant as their leaders. They are asked to give religious judgments without knowledge, thus they are led astray and lead others astray.”

Source: Sahih Bukhari 100, Sahih Muslim 2673

Grade: Muttafaqun Alayhi (authenticity agreed upon) according to Al-Bukhari and Muslim

It is instructive that the departure of knowledge is not the result of a literal taking away of knowledge from the hearts of ordinary men and woman, for there is little knowledge there to begin with. What thirst- quenching sustenance is there in empty eater- skin?

Knowledge is a combination of data and understanding. Data is abundant, understanding is not. Data grows exponentially, understanding retreats. Data is revered, methodology is scorned. With the departure of religious scholars, goes the distillation of data. Nobody to quality and quantify data. All that remains is data, and the methodology that laymen and laywomen can resort to in interpreting the data is a kind of half-hearted literalism and confused obsolutism.

There is no more mortal blow than this.

AHADITH ON INTERPRETING THE HOLY QUR'AN WITHOUT SOUND KNOWLEDGE
 

There are a number of Hadith related to the issue of interpreting the Holy Qur'an without sound knowledge. Two of them are found in the collection of Ahadith known as Mishkatul Masabih by Imam al-Tabrizi (ash-Shafi'i), one from Ibn Abbas and the other from Jundub (Allah be pleased with them):-

(A) Ibn Abbas (Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (Peace be upon him) as saying: "He who speaks about the Qur'an on the basis of his personal opinion (only) would find his abode in Hell fire. In another version: He who speaks about the Qur'an without sound knowledge of it would find his abode in Hell fire." (Tirmidhi).

(B) Jundub (Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (Peace  be upon him) as saying: "He who speaks about the Qur'an on the  basis of his personal opinion (by any accord) he commits an error,  even if he is right." (Tirmidhi and Abu Dawood). (See Mishkatul- Masabih, 1/234-235, English ed'n)

Imaam Ibn Seereen (rahimahullaah) said: 'Indeed, This knowledge Is Deen, So Look To The One You Take Your Deen From

إن هذا العلم دين ، فانظروا عمن تأخذوا دينكم

“This Knowledge is a Matter of Deen, so be careful whom you take your deen from.”

— Muhammad Ibn Sirin (d. 110 AH) [Sahih Muslim]

Sheikh Ahmad Bin Umar Bazmool (hafidha-hullaah) stated in explanation of the above statement of Imaam Ibn Seereen (rahimahullaah):

Indeed, Allah (Azza-Wa-Jal) has commanded us this (affair) when He (Azza-Wa-Jal) said: 'So ask the people of the Dhikr (the Reminder), if you do not know'. [21:7]

Allah commanded us to ask the people of the Dzikr (the Reminder), and the Salafus Saalih clarified that the Ulama are the people of the Dhikr.  So Allaah (Azza-Wa-Jal) specifying the Ulama as (those) to be asked is evidence that others besides them are not to be asked.  And likewise, Imaams Bukhaari and Muslim reported in the Saheehayn on the authority of Aa'isha (radiyallaahu-anhaa) that the Prophet (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) recited the statement of Allah (Azza-Wa-Jal):

''It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad) the Book (this Qur'aan)
In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book [and those are the Verses of Al-Ahkaam (commandments, etc.), Al-Faraa'id (obligatory duties) and Al-Hudud (legal laws for the punishment of thieves, adulterers, etc.)]; and others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials, etc.), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allaah.'[3:7]  

(Then after reciting the above ayah), he (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) said: 'If you see those who follow thereof that is not entirely clear, then they are those whom Allaah has named [as having deviation from the truth].  So beware of them'[1]

In this hadeeth is a warning against a people who give out knowledge, teach and issue verdicts.  So their condition must be known.  

Imaam Nawawi (rahimahullaah) said: ''In this hadeeth is a warning against mixing with the people of deviation, the people of bidah and those who seek after the difficult affairs (of the Religion), seeking by it fitnah.  So they are not to be consented to, rather (they are to be) restrained and subdued just as Umar Ibnul Khattaab (radiyallaahu-anhu) subdued Sabee Bin Asl when he sought after the Mutashaabih (the unclear verses).

The Book Of Knowledge: The Salaf Statements On Who One Should Take Knowledge From
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Muhammad Ibn Sireen said:

“This knowledge is a matter of deen, so be careful who you take your deen from.“

Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadee said:

"It is befitting for the student that he should turn his attention to those scholars who are famous for their practise of the Religion. Those who are known for their good and for their repute upon good in the Religion."

He also said:

"He should be such that he is characterised by patience, mildness, modesty, and being kind, mild and tolerant with his companions, but who speaks the truth and gives sincere advice to the creation, and the rest of the praiseworthy attributes and beautiful characteristics."

Shu’bah said:

“ Take knowledge from people well known for their knowledge.”

Ibn ‘Awn said:

“ Knowledge is only taken from a person acknowledged for seeking Ilm.”

Abdur Rahman ibn Yazeed ibn Jabir said:

“ Knowledge isn’t taken from anyone, except a person viewed to be a seeker of knowledge.”

Sufyan Ath-Thawri:

"Take information about something being Halal or Haram from the people noted for knowledge"

Imaam Maalik said:

"it is not enough for someone to be a worshipper, and to be known for Zuhd, outward expression of worship, that you take from them"

Abu Usamah said:

"If you find a man known for avidly seeking knowledge and sitting with people of knowledge, then learn from him".

Ali ibnul Hussain ibn Shaqeeq said: Abdullah ibn Mubarak was asked when does a person have the authority to give religious verdicts? He said:

“ When he has knowledge about Athar and has insight about subjective opinions.”