Explanation of the hadith: "Indeed, Islam began as a foreign thing, and it will return as a foreign thing, just as it began."

The Shaykh : Imam Muslim narrated in his Sahih from the hadith of Sa'd ibn Abi Waqqas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Our discussion now is not about these foreigners who study the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) due to their small numbers and their foreignness. Rather, our discussion is about the majority of scholars who are content with following one of the schools of jurisprudence. Is this following the knowledge we are discussing? The answer is no. That is because, by the consensus of the scholars of the Muslims, with no difference between their independent legal reasoners, their followers, and their imitators, knowledge is defined as knowing the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). I say there is no difference in defining knowledge in this way among all the scholars of the Muslims, whether they are independent legal reasoners, followers, or imitators. Among the explicit evidence for this is what is found in the Book of Judging, from the book al-Hidayah, one of the relied-upon books of the Hanafis, where it says: The commentator Ibn al-Humam (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book titled "Fath al-Qadir," explaining the word "ignorant": "That is, the imitator." This is a very important point. It is not permissible to appoint an ignorant person to the position of judge, unless he is a scholar. Who is the scholar? The one who knows the Book and the Sunnah. Who is the ignorant one? The one who imitates one of the followed schools of the independent legal reasoners. Why is this following not knowledge? For two reasons: one is transmitted, and the other is rational and practical. As for the transmitted matter, it is when the Exalted said in the Noble Qur'an: Knowledge of a thing has no relation to following, because it necessitates certainty regarding the known and being firm in it, especially what relates to creed, and more specifically what relates to the foundation and origin of creed, which is tawhid (the oneness of Allah), "La ilaha illa Allah." Thus, knowledge means nothing but firm knowledge of what came from Allah and His Messenger; because anything other than that does not make one a scholar, it becomes a guess, and a guess may be wrong or may be right.