Warning against backbiting scholars and rulers, and explaining the categories of scholars.
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The Shaykh : Likewise, we also hear of errors by some scholars, and no one is free from error. So do we accept what we hear without verification? Answer. No, one must verify, because the one transmitting it may have misunderstood the scholar’s words, or may have asked about something that was not what he intended, and erred in his expression, so the scholar answered according to what he heard, and the scholar only answers according to what he hears, because he does not know what is in hearts. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This is the Messenger (peace be upon him) .
If it is established regarding a scholar what is reported from him, do we let our tongues run against this scholar? Answer, everyone. No, we do not do that, because this does not benefit the truth in any way. And perhaps the scholar will be overcome by arrogance in sin and will increase in the error he is upon. No, then what is the remedy? The remedy is that we go to him — that is, to this scholar — with good manners and a high style, and we say: It has reached us that you said such and such, so what is the basis for it? We hope you will clarify the basis for that to us, because you hold a high position with us for your knowledge and virtue, so inform us. If he explains a basis for what he said, and the basis is true, then it is obligatory for us now to accept what he said and to defend it in gatherings. And we say: He only said such and such for such and such reasons, so we rescue the man’s reputation and clarify the truth. And know — our brothers — know that backbiting scholars is not like the backbiting of ordinary people. Why? Backbiting a scholar undoubtedly affects him. But it affects something more important, which is the knowledge he carries, the knowledge of the Shari'ah, because if people do not trust the scholar, they will not accept his statement even if he says the correct thing. So now, if you backbite the scholar, you have wronged the scholar and? And the Shari'ah, because people do not trust his statement after this.
Likewise, the rulers and those in authority, their backbiting is not like the backbiting of others, and the backbiting of others is not like their backbiting. Why? Because if you backbite those in authority or spread their faults among people, people will hate them. And when they order what is right, people will say: This is invalid, and they will rebel against them. And what happens to the Muslim community if it rebels against its rulers? What happens? Answer, everyone. Chaos results. And perhaps the matter will reach the point where blood flows. It is not hidden from us all what happened in some Arab countries based on this. And it is obligatory for us, if we hear and confirm regarding the rulers what is not appropriate, that we advise them, that we offer them advice, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan an-Nasa'i 4197Sahih (Darussalam) How many are these? Five:
First: Advising Allah (Mighty and Majestic) by making your religion sincere for Him, and not seeking in worship anything other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic). You do not want people to praise you; if people praise you, it does not benefit you nor harm you. It does not benefit you except what Allah has written for you.
Advising the Book of Allah, which is the Qur'an: That you believe in its reports, that you comply with its commands, that you avoid its prohibitions, and that you defend it against the distortion of the falsifiers and the extremism of the extremists. The Qur'an is the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and it is a trust in our hands, and it is obligatory for us to defend it and to protect it.
Advising the Messenger: Believing that he is truly the Messenger of Allah, and that we believe in his report, and that we comply with his command and avoid his prohibition, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him. He is the leader, he is the role model, he is the example.
To the leaders of the Muslims: Who are the leaders of the Muslims? The leaders of the Muslims are those whom Muslims follow, either in legislation or in implementation. Who are these? The scholars and the rulers. The scholars are leaders who call people to the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic); they are the foremost in this. The rulers are leaders. For this reason, the one who has supreme authority is called what? The Imam. They are the Imams who implement the Shari'ah of Allah. And thus, who is the first Imam among the Imams? Who? The scholars, because the rulers must follow the truth that the scholars stated; the rulers are obligated to follow the truth that the scholars stated. So in reality, the Imamate, the Imamate, the Imamate is in the hands of whom? In the hands of whom, everyone? In the hands of the scholars. And what is meant by scholars: the divine scholars who are truly scholars, because if you reflect on the conditions of scholars, you will find that they are three categories: That scholars are three categories: The first: A scholar of the religion. The second: A scholar of the state. The third: A scholar of the nation, three categories.
The first: A scholar of the religion, and he is the one who spreads the religion and clarifies it for people and acts upon it, and no one’s blame in the way of Allah affects him, and no one’s blame in the way of Allah affects him. He wants to establish the religion and nothing else, to the extent that he issues a ruling to his father and says: O my father! This is forbidden, O my father! This is obligatory. He issues a ruling to the sultan and says: This is forbidden and this is lawful, but with wisdom.
The second: A scholar of the state, he looks at what the state desires and rules and issues rulings accordingly, even if it contradicts the explicit text of the Book and the Sunnah. And when it contradicts the explicit text of the Book and the Sunnah, he begins to distort it, saying: The meaning of such and such is such and such, so he distorts the Book and the Sunnah to please whom? To please the state.
The third: A scholar of the nation, he looks at what the common people want and issues rulings for them that they find comfortable, even if it is at the expense of the texts of the Book and the Sunnah. And for that reason, you find him following dispensations to please what? To please the common people, and he says: This is a matter of disagreement and the matter is broad. Glory be to Allah! The matter is broad, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says:[An-Nisa 4:59] What? [An-Nisa 4:59]. How do you say: There is disagreement in this and the matter is broad?! And Allah, the matter is narrow, and it is obligatory when disagreement is found that a person should investigate the matter more and more until the correct thing becomes clear to him. As for him being lax and saying: This is a matter of disagreement. And the matter is broad. And the door of independent legal reasoning is open, and the like of that. This is wrong. It is obligatory for a person to follow what the Book and the Sunnah indicate, whether it pleases the nation or angers it. And listen to the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic): [Al-Qasas 28:65] Who? . He did not say: What did you answer the common people? What did you answer the state? [Al-Qasas 28:65]. So let the scholar fear Allah when he is questioned about a matter in which he erred, let him fear Allah and follow the truth. And let him know that if he follows the truth after it becomes clear, then that is, by Allah, an elevation for him. And it is not as Satan imagines, a humiliation for him. Some people say: If I return to so-and-so and so-and-so in the discussion, it means that I am defeated and overpowered. But the reality is what? He is defeating himself, prevailing over his self that commands evil. Return to the truth wherever it is, and take it from any source. Did you not know that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), who is the most sound in intellect and the most correct in judgment, was commanded to consult people. So Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: [Ali 'Imran 3:159] What? [Ali 'Imran 3:159]. And he is who? The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). And it is known that if he consults, he will return to the correct opinion, whether it is his opinion or the opinion of another. So the Muslim must fear Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and follow the truth wherever it is, and know that by his humility and returning to the truth, Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) increases him in elevation and honor in this world and the Hereafter.
I ask Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) to make us all among those who saw the truth as truth and followed it. O Allah, make us among those who saw the truth as truth and followed it, and saw the falsehood as falsehood and avoided it, and do not make it ambiguous for us so that we go astray, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, we ask You in this gathering, we ask You, O Allah, to support our brothers in Chechnya, O Allah, support them, O Allah, firm their feet, O Allah, forgive their dead, O Allah, gather the unity of their living, O Allah, we ask You by Your majesty and power and dominion to destroy the state of the Russians, O Allah, destroy it with a destruction that serves as a lesson for people, O Allah, scatter their gathering, O Allah, disperse their unity, O Allah, defeat their army, O Allah, replace their strength with weakness, and their honor with humiliation, and their wealth with poverty, and their unity with separation, and their alliance with fragmentation, O Allah, make their wrath among them, O Lord of the worlds, O Allah, please our eyes with their defeat, soon and not delayed, indeed You are capable of all things, and all praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and all his companions. Now to the questions.
The questioner : May Allah reward the honorable Shaykh with the best reward and benefit us all with what we have heard.
I only judge according to what I hear.
إنما أقضي بنحو ما أسمعSo if I have taken from my brother something that is his right without justification—meaning: let him return it to him—I have only taken for him a piece of the Fire, whether it is small or large.
فمن اقتطعت له من حق أخيه شيئاً بغير حق - يعني: فليرده إليه - إنما أقتطع له جمرة من النار فليستقل أو ليستكثرIf it is established regarding a scholar what is reported from him, do we let our tongues run against this scholar? Answer, everyone. No, we do not do that, because this does not benefit the truth in any way. And perhaps the scholar will be overcome by arrogance in sin and will increase in the error he is upon. No, then what is the remedy? The remedy is that we go to him — that is, to this scholar — with good manners and a high style, and we say: It has reached us that you said such and such, so what is the basis for it? We hope you will clarify the basis for that to us, because you hold a high position with us for your knowledge and virtue, so inform us. If he explains a basis for what he said, and the basis is true, then it is obligatory for us now to accept what he said and to defend it in gatherings. And we say: He only said such and such for such and such reasons, so we rescue the man’s reputation and clarify the truth. And know — our brothers — know that backbiting scholars is not like the backbiting of ordinary people. Why? Backbiting a scholar undoubtedly affects him. But it affects something more important, which is the knowledge he carries, the knowledge of the Shari'ah, because if people do not trust the scholar, they will not accept his statement even if he says the correct thing. So now, if you backbite the scholar, you have wronged the scholar and? And the Shari'ah, because people do not trust his statement after this.
Likewise, the rulers and those in authority, their backbiting is not like the backbiting of others, and the backbiting of others is not like their backbiting. Why? Because if you backbite those in authority or spread their faults among people, people will hate them. And when they order what is right, people will say: This is invalid, and they will rebel against them. And what happens to the Muslim community if it rebels against its rulers? What happens? Answer, everyone. Chaos results. And perhaps the matter will reach the point where blood flows. It is not hidden from us all what happened in some Arab countries based on this. And it is obligatory for us, if we hear and confirm regarding the rulers what is not appropriate, that we advise them, that we offer them advice, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Religion is sincerity (An-Nasihah).' They said: 'To whom, O Messenger of Allah?' he said: 'To Allah, to His Book, to His Messenger, to the imams of the Muslims, and to their common folk
الدين النصيحة، الدين النصيحة، الدين النصيحة. قالوا : لمن يا رسول الله؟ قال : لله ولكتابه ولرسوله ولأئمة المسلمين وعامتهمFirst: Advising Allah (Mighty and Majestic) by making your religion sincere for Him, and not seeking in worship anything other than Allah (Mighty and Majestic). You do not want people to praise you; if people praise you, it does not benefit you nor harm you. It does not benefit you except what Allah has written for you.
Advising the Book of Allah, which is the Qur'an: That you believe in its reports, that you comply with its commands, that you avoid its prohibitions, and that you defend it against the distortion of the falsifiers and the extremism of the extremists. The Qur'an is the speech of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and it is a trust in our hands, and it is obligatory for us to defend it and to protect it.
Advising the Messenger: Believing that he is truly the Messenger of Allah, and that we believe in his report, and that we comply with his command and avoid his prohibition, may Allah’s prayers and peace be upon him. He is the leader, he is the role model, he is the example.
To the leaders of the Muslims: Who are the leaders of the Muslims? The leaders of the Muslims are those whom Muslims follow, either in legislation or in implementation. Who are these? The scholars and the rulers. The scholars are leaders who call people to the Book of Allah (Mighty and Majestic); they are the foremost in this. The rulers are leaders. For this reason, the one who has supreme authority is called what? The Imam. They are the Imams who implement the Shari'ah of Allah. And thus, who is the first Imam among the Imams? Who? The scholars, because the rulers must follow the truth that the scholars stated; the rulers are obligated to follow the truth that the scholars stated. So in reality, the Imamate, the Imamate, the Imamate is in the hands of whom? In the hands of whom, everyone? In the hands of the scholars. And what is meant by scholars: the divine scholars who are truly scholars, because if you reflect on the conditions of scholars, you will find that they are three categories: That scholars are three categories: The first: A scholar of the religion. The second: A scholar of the state. The third: A scholar of the nation, three categories.
The first: A scholar of the religion, and he is the one who spreads the religion and clarifies it for people and acts upon it, and no one’s blame in the way of Allah affects him, and no one’s blame in the way of Allah affects him. He wants to establish the religion and nothing else, to the extent that he issues a ruling to his father and says: O my father! This is forbidden, O my father! This is obligatory. He issues a ruling to the sultan and says: This is forbidden and this is lawful, but with wisdom.
The second: A scholar of the state, he looks at what the state desires and rules and issues rulings accordingly, even if it contradicts the explicit text of the Book and the Sunnah. And when it contradicts the explicit text of the Book and the Sunnah, he begins to distort it, saying: The meaning of such and such is such and such, so he distorts the Book and the Sunnah to please whom? To please the state.
The third: A scholar of the nation, he looks at what the common people want and issues rulings for them that they find comfortable, even if it is at the expense of the texts of the Book and the Sunnah. And for that reason, you find him following dispensations to please what? To please the common people, and he says: This is a matter of disagreement and the matter is broad. Glory be to Allah! The matter is broad, and Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says:
And if you disagree over anything
فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍrefer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.
فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلاًAnd [mention] the Day He will call them and say, "What did you answer
وَيَوْمَ يُنَادِيهِمْ فَيَقُولُ مَاذَا أَجَبْتُمْThe messengers.
الْمُرْسَلِينَWhat did you answer the messengers?"
مَاذَا أَجَبْتُمْ الْمُرْسَلِينَSo pardon them and ask forgiveness for them
فَاعْفُ عَنْهُمْ وَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَهُمْand consult them in the matter
وَشَاوِرْهُمْ فِي الأَمْرِI ask Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) to make us all among those who saw the truth as truth and followed it. O Allah, make us among those who saw the truth as truth and followed it, and saw the falsehood as falsehood and avoided it, and do not make it ambiguous for us so that we go astray, O Lord of the worlds. O Allah, we ask You in this gathering, we ask You, O Allah, to support our brothers in Chechnya, O Allah, support them, O Allah, firm their feet, O Allah, forgive their dead, O Allah, gather the unity of their living, O Allah, we ask You by Your majesty and power and dominion to destroy the state of the Russians, O Allah, destroy it with a destruction that serves as a lesson for people, O Allah, scatter their gathering, O Allah, disperse their unity, O Allah, defeat their army, O Allah, replace their strength with weakness, and their honor with humiliation, and their wealth with poverty, and their unity with separation, and their alliance with fragmentation, O Allah, make their wrath among them, O Lord of the worlds, O Allah, please our eyes with their defeat, soon and not delayed, indeed You are capable of all things, and all praise is to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and peace upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and all his companions. Now to the questions.
The questioner : May Allah reward the honorable Shaykh with the best reward and benefit us all with what we have heard.