What a student of knowledge should be: a scholar in theory and a scholar in education
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The Shaykh : What a student of knowledge should be is a scholar in theory and a scholar in education. This means he should not issue a ruling on everything he knows. It may be in the public interest not to issue a ruling based on what you know, and it may be in the public interest to issue a ruling based on a view you do not hold, but which someone else has held.
Look at the policy of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), O people. This is an important issue for students of knowledge, because some students today issue rulings based on what they see and do not care whether they corrupt people with that ruling or not. This is not correct. The divine scholar is the one who educates people with knowledge, not the one who wastes people with knowledge. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) knew that the triple divorce is one divorce, but when the triple divorce became widespread during his time, he said: "I see that people have become hasty in a matter in which they used to be deliberate, so if we were to enforce it upon them", and he enforced it upon them. He prevented a man from taking back his wife, which is his right, in order to educate the people, so that they would not indulge in the forbidden triple divorce.
Now, if someone were to say: Why did 'Umar prevent people from a right that belongs to them?
We say: Yes, he prevented them in order to prevent them from the forbidden act, which is the triple divorce.
The mothers of children were sold during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When 'Umar saw that people did not fear Allah regarding these slave mothers, he prohibited the sale of the mothers of children. He said: How can you sell the mother of your child? If she gives you a child, you go and sell her and separate her from her child? So he prohibited it.
So did he prevent people from a right that belongs to them or not?
Yes, he prevented them, but for the sake of the public interest.
The punishment for intoxicants is not a fixed limit established by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). During the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the drinker would be brought and struck with palm branches, sandals, and the ends of garments, approximately forty lashes. During the time of Abu Bakr, he was struck with forty lashes or approximately that number. During the early part of 'Umar's caliphate, it was the same. When people became bold in this matter, committed open sin, and increased in drinking intoxicants, he gathered the Companions and said: What do you say? This is a problem; drinking intoxicants has become widespread among the people, what do you say? 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf said: The lightest of the fixed punishments is eighty, or eighty lashes, meaning raise the punishment to the lightest of the fixed punishments, which is eighty. What is the lightest of the fixed punishments?
The fixed punishment for falsely accusing someone of zina is eighty[An-Nur 24:4]. What is the punishment for zina?
One hundred lashes. So 'Umar raised the punishment for the fixed limit of the drinker of intoxicants to eighty. Why? Meaning, if someone were to say: How can he transgress against people and increase their punishment? We say: He did that to educate the people, may Allah be pleased with him, and this is undoubtedly wise policy.
Look at the policy of 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him), O people. This is an important issue for students of knowledge, because some students today issue rulings based on what they see and do not care whether they corrupt people with that ruling or not. This is not correct. The divine scholar is the one who educates people with knowledge, not the one who wastes people with knowledge. 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) knew that the triple divorce is one divorce, but when the triple divorce became widespread during his time, he said: "I see that people have become hasty in a matter in which they used to be deliberate, so if we were to enforce it upon them", and he enforced it upon them. He prevented a man from taking back his wife, which is his right, in order to educate the people, so that they would not indulge in the forbidden triple divorce.
Now, if someone were to say: Why did 'Umar prevent people from a right that belongs to them?
We say: Yes, he prevented them in order to prevent them from the forbidden act, which is the triple divorce.
The mothers of children were sold during the time of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When 'Umar saw that people did not fear Allah regarding these slave mothers, he prohibited the sale of the mothers of children. He said: How can you sell the mother of your child? If she gives you a child, you go and sell her and separate her from her child? So he prohibited it.
So did he prevent people from a right that belongs to them or not?
Yes, he prevented them, but for the sake of the public interest.
The punishment for intoxicants is not a fixed limit established by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). During the time of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), the drinker would be brought and struck with palm branches, sandals, and the ends of garments, approximately forty lashes. During the time of Abu Bakr, he was struck with forty lashes or approximately that number. During the early part of 'Umar's caliphate, it was the same. When people became bold in this matter, committed open sin, and increased in drinking intoxicants, he gathered the Companions and said: What do you say? This is a problem; drinking intoxicants has become widespread among the people, what do you say? 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf said: The lightest of the fixed punishments is eighty, or eighty lashes, meaning raise the punishment to the lightest of the fixed punishments, which is eighty. What is the lightest of the fixed punishments?
The fixed punishment for falsely accusing someone of zina is eighty
lash them with eighty lashes
فاجلدوهم ثمانين جلدةOne hundred lashes. So 'Umar raised the punishment for the fixed limit of the drinker of intoxicants to eighty. Why? Meaning, if someone were to say: How can he transgress against people and increase their punishment? We say: He did that to educate the people, may Allah be pleased with him, and this is undoubtedly wise policy.