What is the ruling on one who learns religious knowledge to argue with the ignorant and to keep pace with the scholars?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you, O Shaykh. It is known that the comprehensive objectives of the Shari'ah, O Shaykh, are the purification of souls. But we see, O Shaykh, among the youth, and especially those called the callers to Allah, meaning those who guide people, that they learn religious knowledge not to purify the soul, O Shaykh, but to argue with the ignorant and to keep pace with the scholars.
The Shaykh : There is no power and no strength except with Allah. We belong to Allah and to Him we return.
The questioner : So the trials multiply and penetrate easily among the youth, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes
So division is occurring, O Shaykh. And these people, meaning the people of religion who want victory for the religion of Allah and its elevation, are complaining about this matter, O Shaykh. So what is the radical solution to this problem? When people reflect on the reality, O Shaykh, they do not see religion in it, but rather any trial that penetrates them and takes hold of them. So what is the sound reality that must be applied so that this phenomenon is removed?
The Shaykh : Yes, the sound reality is the fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Yes, what raises this matter is the fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And that the mufti knows that he is the boldest of people regarding the Fire, as it came in the athar: "The boldest of you in issuing fatwas is the boldest of you in entering the Fire."
And let the mufti know that he is speaking about Allah (Mighty and Majestic), so let him be cautious not to say about Allah what he does not know. But the problem, as you mentioned, is that some people want to keep pace with the scholars and argue with the ignorant, and they make a position for themselves. And as the common people say, "Oppose and you will be remembered." This is a problem. His work is futile, and the sin of his fatwa's deviation from the Shari'ah is upon him. And praise be to Allah, O my brother, you are in ease and in a state of being free from obligation. The Companions used to push the task of issuing fatwas away from themselves until the matter would return to the first one. And what is the matter with us that we rush for leadership? If Allah wills that you be an imam for the Muslims or for the pious, it will happen for you. But be certain that you will not be an imam for the pious while you are saying about Allah what you do not know, or while you are taking the path of being remembered and it is said, "So-and-so said this, and so-and-so said that." So I see what I see as a solution for this except the fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and that a person knows that any word that comes from him is written, and any word that causes harm to people, he is responsible for it, and its sin and the sin of those who follow it are upon him.
The questioner : ... This matter, O Shaykh, that some of the brothers from the da'wah groups, as a result of this matter, O Shaykh, and the lack of knowledge, and so on, you find, O Shaykh, one who is overly enthusiastic beyond what is necessary, O Shaykh, who corrupts the matter from its root. And some of them, O Shaykh, are very negligent. And all of this, O Shaykh, is the result, meaning, of some of the guides or some of the clinging to fatwas without, meaning, a matter that necessitates this clinging. A fatwa comes upon its shoulders... they cling to it, these groups, and another they reject, and so on. O Shaykh, what is the solution, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : As I told you, O my brother, the solution is taqwa (mindfulness of Allah).
The questioner : From the scholarly aspect, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Even from the scholarly aspect, even from the scholarly aspect. As for the youth who do not step forward for this, we say: Beware of the half-scholars, beware of them. The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book al-Fatwa al-Hamawiyyah: "Nothing has corrupted the world and the religion except the half-mutakallim, the half-faqih, the half-grammarian, and the half-doctor." These halves are the disaster. The half-mutakallim corrupted the religions, the half-faqih corrupted the lands, the half-grammarian corrupted the tongue, and the half-doctor destroyed the bodies. And this is true. One must be cautious of these people and be cautious of them. And it is said: Praise be to Allah, you have established scholars. Ask them. For this reason, some of the Salaf said: "Indeed, this knowledge is religion, so look to whom you take your religion from." Then, if you think about the conditions of some of the enthusiasts, you will find that they have much negligence in many matters. And how many women are now weeping with regret when they married committed men and found that they were among the worst people in treating their wives, even though the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 1977Hasan (Darussalam) This poor man argues, saying the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And al-'awani is the plural of 'aniyyah, which is the captive woman. But it is said that the Messenger did this to encourage gentleness toward them, not to open the doors of enslavement for them. To Allah we complain, O my brother. Allah is the one to be sought for help. Yes, the one after him.
The Shaykh : There is no power and no strength except with Allah. We belong to Allah and to Him we return.
The questioner : So the trials multiply and penetrate easily among the youth, O Shaykh.
The Shaykh : Yes
So division is occurring, O Shaykh. And these people, meaning the people of religion who want victory for the religion of Allah and its elevation, are complaining about this matter, O Shaykh. So what is the radical solution to this problem? When people reflect on the reality, O Shaykh, they do not see religion in it, but rather any trial that penetrates them and takes hold of them. So what is the sound reality that must be applied so that this phenomenon is removed?
The Shaykh : Yes, the sound reality is the fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Yes, what raises this matter is the fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And that the mufti knows that he is the boldest of people regarding the Fire, as it came in the athar: "The boldest of you in issuing fatwas is the boldest of you in entering the Fire."
And let the mufti know that he is speaking about Allah (Mighty and Majestic), so let him be cautious not to say about Allah what he does not know. But the problem, as you mentioned, is that some people want to keep pace with the scholars and argue with the ignorant, and they make a position for themselves. And as the common people say, "Oppose and you will be remembered." This is a problem. His work is futile, and the sin of his fatwa's deviation from the Shari'ah is upon him. And praise be to Allah, O my brother, you are in ease and in a state of being free from obligation. The Companions used to push the task of issuing fatwas away from themselves until the matter would return to the first one. And what is the matter with us that we rush for leadership? If Allah wills that you be an imam for the Muslims or for the pious, it will happen for you. But be certain that you will not be an imam for the pious while you are saying about Allah what you do not know, or while you are taking the path of being remembered and it is said, "So-and-so said this, and so-and-so said that." So I see what I see as a solution for this except the fear of Allah (Mighty and Majestic), and that a person knows that any word that comes from him is written, and any word that causes harm to people, he is responsible for it, and its sin and the sin of those who follow it are upon him.
The questioner : ... This matter, O Shaykh, that some of the brothers from the da'wah groups, as a result of this matter, O Shaykh, and the lack of knowledge, and so on, you find, O Shaykh, one who is overly enthusiastic beyond what is necessary, O Shaykh, who corrupts the matter from its root. And some of them, O Shaykh, are very negligent. And all of this, O Shaykh, is the result, meaning, of some of the guides or some of the clinging to fatwas without, meaning, a matter that necessitates this clinging. A fatwa comes upon its shoulders... they cling to it, these groups, and another they reject, and so on. O Shaykh, what is the solution, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : As I told you, O my brother, the solution is taqwa (mindfulness of Allah).
The questioner : From the scholarly aspect, O Shaykh?
The Shaykh : Even from the scholarly aspect, even from the scholarly aspect. As for the youth who do not step forward for this, we say: Beware of the half-scholars, beware of them. The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book al-Fatwa al-Hamawiyyah: "Nothing has corrupted the world and the religion except the half-mutakallim, the half-faqih, the half-grammarian, and the half-doctor." These halves are the disaster. The half-mutakallim corrupted the religions, the half-faqih corrupted the lands, the half-grammarian corrupted the tongue, and the half-doctor destroyed the bodies. And this is true. One must be cautious of these people and be cautious of them. And it is said: Praise be to Allah, you have established scholars. Ask them. For this reason, some of the Salaf said: "Indeed, this knowledge is religion, so look to whom you take your religion from." Then, if you think about the conditions of some of the enthusiasts, you will find that they have much negligence in many matters. And how many women are now weeping with regret when they married committed men and found that they were among the worst people in treating their wives, even though the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: