How can we create the divine scholar around whom the Ummah can gather, so that he leads them with his knowledge, his da'wah, and his effort toward change?

The questioner : Another question: The other topic is about the methodology for building the divine scholar. Since the role of scholars is central in reforming the Ummah, and they bear the greatest burden in rectifying the condition of Muslims, we ask Allah to change it for the better.

The Shaykh: Amen.

The questioner : So, what is the methodology for building the divine scholar? We found Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah saying, for example, in his interpretation of the verse in Surat al-Sajdah: "The condition of leadership in religion is patience and certainty," from His saying—Exalted is He: . So how can we create the divine scholar around whom the Ummah can gather, so that he leads them with his knowledge, his da'wah, and his effort toward change ? Just as we found the Ummah gathered around al-Adhr al-Izz ibn Abd al-Salam in his time, and they went out behind him to support him in changing a simple evil, meaning, considering the convergence of types of evil in our time, right?

The Shaykh : This is the problem today. First, do not blame me for not seeing it as correct to say "how do we create the divine scholar?" because this is not within our power, nor within our capacity, nor in our hands. Although I understand what you mean, the inquiry is only in terms of the wording. In truth, I am always going around two words, and I say regarding the other one something in response to the previous word, which concludes that we need to focus on the most important things, as they say today, "priorities." They use this word a lot, but in my belief, they do not stop at it. Because we see major shirk (associating partners with Allah) doing its work among the righteous, not among the wicked—those we have washed our hands of. We see major shirk doing its work among the righteous, and yet we do not speak about this specifically, even as a passerby. So I am always going around two words for this reason. So I say the starting point is to begin with purification and education. Perhaps you have heard this word, either on a tape or quoted from some of the brothers. Yes.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : The word "purification" we took from some texts from the authentic Sunnah. You are hearing today a new bid'ah (religious innovation), and I mean the linguistic meaning of bid'ah, so that the legal meaning does not come to mind. This bid'ah is what some people have coined in later times, which they call "fiqh of reality" (fiqh al-waqi'). We used to speak a word, and then it was printed in a treatise on "fiqh of reality." We do not deny this, but we respond to those who cling to "fiqh of reality" while they are not scholars of the fiqh of the Book and the Sunnah. The one who wants to apply the legal rulings to the "fiqh of reality" must combine both: he must know the reality of his time and he must know its ruling with his Lord in His Book and in the Sunnah of His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). The point is also that I coined this word "purification and education," but my basis for it is some texts from the Book and the Sunnah, which are not hidden from students of knowledge, let alone from the preachers among them. Do you know the hadith of Abu al-Darda' or Thawban? By Allah, I do not remember now which one it is, in which the Messenger (peace be upon him) says: , . And when I speak with some detail about this hadith, I say, and this is a summary of what I say because time is short: this hadith is a report of something that will happen in the future after the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and that is without doubt by the information of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) to him that the Ummah will weaken and will be attacked by various disbelievers. The reason for that is that they engage in some diseases, such as love of the world and hatred of death. He described the disease because of that attack by the disbelievers until they are humiliated by them. Then he described (peace be upon him) at the end of the hadith the treatment and the medicine, and he said: . We now understand from the word "religion" in this hadith is what is mentioned in the texts of the Book, let alone the Sunnah: , . So it does not accept any religion other than this complete religion. And the meaning of this is that it is obligatory for us now, if we want to return to the medicine, which is the religion, it is the purified religion, free from all these trivialities that entered Islam in the name of Islam, either intentionally to corrupt Islam from the enemies of Islam, or from ijtihad (independent legal reasoning) issued by some scholars in error, which was contrary to the Book and the Sunnah. So if we want to respond to this hadith, it is obligatory upon us a very, very, very important matter. If the Islamic preachers today, or the Muslims today, engaged in this obligation, it would occupy them from being occupied with other matters, which may also be obligations, let alone voluntary acts, as we mentioned earlier. So we said we must return to the purified religion. And I think you are with me that things have entered Islam, whether in creed, or in rulings, or in morals, that are not part of it, without doubt. And we can say that Islam is innocent of them, as the wolf is innocent of the blood of the son of Ya'qub, as it is said.