What is the response to those who say that the scholars are falling short and blame the scholars for the current reality?

The questioner : May Allah reward you with good. We mentioned that one should not place the burden on the people of knowledge, but did all the people of knowledge resist what is obligatory upon them by Allah?

The Shaykh : I do not know, by Allah.

The questioner : We, of course.

The Shaykh : I tell you about myself that I have not fulfilled everything that Allah made obligatory upon me.

The questioner : No, we are certain that many of the people of knowledge today do not fulfill the obligations of Allah upon them, because consequences result from that. So if these consequences do not result, there must be a burden on the people of knowledge. And we said that a person should not be certain to place a burden on the people of knowledge.

The Shaykh : Yes, indeed. He should not place a burden on them until he looks at what they have. Until he looks. Now, suppose the people of knowledge fulfilled what is obligatory, but the enjoining of good and forbidding of evil did not happen. What does he do?

The questioner : I mean, is this like something?

The Shaykh : Perhaps, perhaps. How is it not possible?

The questioner : That the people of knowledge agree on a matter. I mean, we truly read in the context of the people of knowledge and see the support from the Imams that they say to him the words of one man. And so, you see.

The Shaykh : Now, my brother, let us give you an example in the matter of the Mu'tazilah and the Jahmiyyah. Imam Ahmad (may Allah have mercy on him) stood up in a way that no one stood up in, as far as we know. Did anything change? Did anything change at all? It did not change until after two caliphs. When the third caliph came after al-Ma'mun, it changed because the caliph changed. No, not everything comes out in the hands of the scholars. For this reason, truly, I do not doubt that there is falling short. I do not say there is no falling short at all. But we cannot place the blame on the scholars for everything.

The questioner : But the matter of holding fast to the rope and unity.

The Shaykh : I do not doubt that unity and holding fast to the rope have their effect, without a doubt. For this reason, we hold that it is recommended for the scholars to agree on one word regarding the truth.

The questioner : The scholars. On whom did he place it? On whom is the blame for the scholars? No, no. As for the value of the other scholars who are not people of the community, we are in good condition. But the blame and the primary responsibility are on the people of knowledge and the division.

The Shaykh : I am not saying that the scholars have no burden, but I say: do not blame the scholars. Perhaps the scholars brought the obligatory, and perhaps they fell short. You have spoken well. But do we rule that there is falling short? Now, if we see or imagine that there is falling short, the obligatory thing is to ask. We say to the scholars: such and such happened.

The questioner : No, no, absolutely not. The reality is not correct. The reality has not been known for a long time, and the reality is not known.