The Characteristics of the Rabani Scholars and the Scholars of Evil

Question:
This questioner says: In our contemporary time, there are many pretenders to knowledge and half-educated people, among them are callers to fitnah (trial, discord or temptation) and division, until some of the youth have become confused about how to know the scholars and distinguish them from others. And the question is, O our Shaykh: What are the characteristics of the Rabani scholars from whom we take knowledge and fatwa (a scholarly legal ruling)? And what are also the characteristics of the scholars of evil so that we may beware of them?

Answer:
This is a long question. The firmly rooted scholars and the people of knowledge are those who studied under the scholars, took knowledge from its sources and its scholars, and inherited it. As for the pretenders to knowledge, they are those who took knowledge from ignorant people, or took it from their own readings and studies. They read something they do not understand. And praise be to Allah, now the mosques are open for lessons, and the schools, institutes, and colleges are open for lessons. So whoever wants to know the beneficial knowledge, let him join this scientific course in the mosques or in the formal study.
And let him not be with these pretenders to knowledge who have isolated themselves from knowledge and the scholars, and who studied under themselves or under their like from among the ignorant and the malicious. Yes.