Exegesis of the saying of Allah the Exalted: {So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know}

The Shaykh : It is a school of thought among the schools of the guided imams who follow the path, but he is unable to distinguish the truth from the error in what people have disagreed upon. He is unable to distinguish the Sunnah from the bid'ah (religious innovation) when the Sunnahs have become mixed with the innovations, and how much this mixing has increased in this time. Therefore, the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in his other answer regarding the strangers: This is undoubtedly a description of the specific strangers, and especially the saved group. Therefore, whoever lives among you and reaches this time, which is disturbed by various trials, must first and foremost be from the saved group. And this does not necessarily mean he must be a scholar, because it is not an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) for every Muslim to be a scholar. But it is an individual obligation (fard 'ayn) for every Muslim to know what is obligatory for him regarding his creed, regarding his worship, and regarding his actual obligatory conduct. If he is not a scholar, as is the case with most people, then here comes the saying of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) in the Noble Qur'an: Here, we are addressing the general Muslims who may ask today about the disagreements they hear here and there, and in many, many issues. So they must apply this Noble Verse in themselves: There is no doubt that before these general people apply this verse, they must obviously know who the people of knowledge are. The people of knowledge are the people of the Qur'an. And the people of the Qur'an are not those who read the Qur'an and recite it well with good tajwid, but then they hardly understand anything from it, even a little. These are not the people of the Qur'an. The people of the Qur'an are those whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) praised in a specific hadith, namely his saying: They are those who understand the Qur'an and interpret it as it was in the time of its revelation upon the heart of the Prophet (peace be upon him), meaning as it was with our righteous predecessors. These are the people of knowledge whom the general Muslims must ask. And it is very regrettable that these are the few whom the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) referred to specifically in his first and second answers. His first answer said: And the
second answer: These are the ones to whom the general Muslims must turn when the trials become severe for them, multiply, and become overwhelming, so that they are confused and do not know which opinion to follow. So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know. And I believe that the problem of trials returns to ignorance of Islam and the correct Islam. So it is upon all of us, each according to his capacity, to strive earnestly to know what he must know of Islam, especially when trials surround them from every time and place. So I repeat the advice to the general Muslims: do not live in a state of negligence, but rather they must seek knowledge of their religion, each according to his capacity, as I mentioned earlier. And I conclude this word with the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), which is agreed upon as authentic: It seems there are some questions, so we must take advantage of the time and answer what is possible of them, if Allah wills.