What is the ruling on exaggerating in the respect of scholars and obeying them, even in matters of critiquing narrators?
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Question:
What is your advice to the young people who exaggerate in their respect for some of their scholars, going to an excessive degree, and obey them even in matters of critiquing narrators, and what follows from that of the forbidden backbiting?
Answer:
There is no doubt that respecting scholars and holding scholars in high regard is obligatory because of their knowledge and because of benefiting from their knowledge. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) mentioned the status of scholars in the Noble Qur'an, saying:[Az-Zumar 39:9] And He the Exalted said: [Al-Mujadila 58:11] And you have heard His saying: [Al-Baqarah 2:230] This indicates the virtue of knowledge, but one should not exaggerate in this, meaning that the scholars, the divine scholars, do not desire and do not approve of their students being harsh with people and doing harm to people.
They do not approve of this; the true scholar does not approve of this. He wants to make reconciliation between people, he wants to unite words, he wants to spread love among the Muslims, and he wants to clarify the truth. This is what he wants. He does not want to spread enmity, partisanship, and division. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) forbade division:[Ali 'Imran 3:105] [Al-Anfal 8:46] The Muslims, praise be to Allah, are one community. The Muslim to the Muslim is like a building, each part strengthening the other: [Al-Hujurat 49:10] So this action is not permissible, and backbiting, talebearing, and slandering people are not permissible. Rather, the students of knowledge should be well-mannered and focus on seeking knowledge, and not occupy themselves with criticizing people and belittling people. They should not occupy themselves with this, because this prevents them from beneficial knowledge and plants enmity in their hearts for one another. And this is what the devils of mankind and jinn want; they want to divide the young Muslims.
And to scatter the young Muslims, and to make them into parties and sects, divided, so that it becomes possible for the enemy, so that it becomes possible for the enemy to target the Muslims and to undermine the dignity of the Muslims and the status of the Muslims.
What is your advice to the young people who exaggerate in their respect for some of their scholars, going to an excessive degree, and obey them even in matters of critiquing narrators, and what follows from that of the forbidden backbiting?
Answer:
There is no doubt that respecting scholars and holding scholars in high regard is obligatory because of their knowledge and because of benefiting from their knowledge. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) mentioned the status of scholars in the Noble Qur'an, saying:
Are those who know equal to those who do not know?
هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَAllah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees
يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍThese are the limits of Allah, which He makes clear to a people who know.
وَتِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ يُبَيِّنُهَا لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَThey do not approve of this; the true scholar does not approve of this. He wants to make reconciliation between people, he wants to unite words, he wants to spread love among the Muslims, and he wants to clarify the truth. This is what he wants. He does not want to spread enmity, partisanship, and division. Allah (Exalted and Majestic is He) forbade division:
And do not be like the ones who became divided and differed
وَلَا تَكُونُوا كَالَّذِينَ تَفَرَّقُوا وَاخْتَلَفُواand do not dispute and [thus] lose courage and [then] your strength would depart; and be patient
وَلَا تَنَازَعُوا فَتَفْشَلُوا وَتَذْهَبَ رِيحُكُمْ وَاصْبِرُواThe believers are but brothers, so make settlement between your brothers
إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِخْوَةٌ فَأَصْلِحُوا بَيْنَ أَخَوَيْكُمْAnd to scatter the young Muslims, and to make them into parties and sects, divided, so that it becomes possible for the enemy, so that it becomes possible for the enemy to target the Muslims and to undermine the dignity of the Muslims and the status of the Muslims.
Source
قناة «العلامة الدكتور صالح الفوزان»، ما حكم الغلو في المشايخ وطاعتهم حتى في مسائل نقد الرجال؟ للشيخ صالح الفوزان — youtube.com
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.