What is the opinion of one who prioritizes some preachers and students of knowledge over the senior scholars?

The questioner : The committee, my Shaykh (may Allah preserve you), there are those who place some preachers on the same level as the senior scholars, and some of them even prioritize some students of knowledge over the senior scholars in their statements, their reverence, and the presentation of their opinions, placing them above the opinions of those scholars in practical and methodological issues, and this is due to his admiration for them.

The Shaykh : Perfect.

The questioner : What is your opinion on this, and what is its relation?

The Shaykh : My opinion is that it is obligatory for a person to judge between people with justice. If someone deserves something, let him be given it, and if he does not deserve it, do not accept it. We see that among the scholars who are scholars in the Shari'ah, meaning they possess a great deal of knowledge, there is a transmission of some acts of worship, some morals, and some transactions. These people must be given their right: they are praised for the knowledge they possess and criticized for the shortcomings they have, but this does not mean that we backbite them; rather, we advise them. We also see among the preachers those who have the ability to call people and influence them, and they also have knowledge from which people benefit. However, we also see among the preachers those who go to extremes in some matters, and their emotions lead them to behave in ways they should not. As for the other people, we tell them that it is obligatory to look at knowledge; knowledge is the foundation. As for the ability to influence and to call, that is another matter. How many people are ignorant by the measure of the people of knowledge, meaning in the knowledge of the Shari'ah, but they have a strong influence when they speak in preaching or the like? Therefore, it is obligatory for a person not to take his religion except from one who is qualified to be taken from, as some of the Salaf said: "This knowledge is religion, so look at whom you take your religion from." It is not sufficient for a person to be strong in argument and eloquent in expression; this is not enough. It is obligatory that we look at the knowledge he has and the conduct he has. As for what some people open up regarding the senior scholars, claiming that they do not understand reality, there is no doubt that this is from the category of fabrication and from the category of following what they have no knowledge of. Have these scholars been discussed and it was found that they do not have an understanding of reality?
And is the fiqh for which a person is praised that he understands reality? How many disbelievers and atheists in Western countries or elsewhere have a knowledge of the state of reality that many people do not have? Is a person praised merely for having knowledge of reality? The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Whoever Allah wills good for, He grants him understanding in the religion." In the religion, or in reality? In the religion. This is what carries any person. Understanding of reality comes from a person who worships Allah the Exalted and Majestic, who reveres Allah, and who is sincere to the servants of Allah, and it also comes from one who has no religion in his heart at all, and this is something observed. Look at the words of the politicians, which you hear on the radio and read in the newspapers; how they have an intelligence that is not found in many Muslims. Then their claim that the senior scholars, as they say about them, do not accept reality—this is a claim without right. Have they discussed them? Or because they are silent and see that it is wise not to incite the people against the rulers, they are silent, so people think that they do not accept reality. It may be that they have a knowledge of reality that the one who is obsessed with it does not have.

The presenter : May Allah bless you,