The Role of Scholars and Rulers in Spreading Reform in Society
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
Question:
What are the obligations for spreading reform in the Ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and what about suppressing religious innovations in this regard?
Answer:
It is obligatory upon scholars and rulers to spread what benefits the Ummah, to teach their religion, and to make clear what is obligatory upon them in their prayer, zakah, fasting, and Hajj, and indeed in their creed, which is the foundation, and in everything.
So it is obligatory upon rulers and scholars to spread the religion of Allah, to guide people through the path of knowledge, what Allah said and what His Messenger said, and to encourage the callers to Allah to spread the truth and call to it, and to warn people of what Allah has forbidden them in the Friday sermons, in lectures and seminars, in public gatherings, and on every occasion.
Thus, it is obligatory upon the people of knowledge, and upon the rulers if they are from the people of knowledge, or through the scholars, if the rulers are from the people of knowledge, they do it, and if not, it is obligatory upon them to order the people of knowledge, encourage them, and facilitate their path in spreading knowledge, calling people to good, and guiding them; because Allah created the creation to worship Him, and He commanded them to do so, and there is no path to worship except through explanation, teaching, and legal instruction, so that every Muslim knows what is obligatory upon him, and every Muslim woman knows what is obligatory upon her, through the people of knowledge, through the pulpit, on Friday and other days, through writing, through public institutions, through radio, through the press, through television, all these paths should be filled with calling to Allah and directing to good.
And in the broadcasting of the Qur'an there are many benefits; the broadcasting of the Qur'an in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has great benefits. So I advise all my brothers to benefit from this broadcasting, the broadcasting of the Qur'an, men and women in the Kingdom and outside it. I advise everyone in the Kingdom and outside it, men and women, to benefit from the broadcasting of the Qur'an; and what is in it of admonitions, and recitation of the Qur'an with proper recitation and tajwid, and what is in it of lectures and guidance, and what is in it of the program "Light on the Path." This program has a great benefit, and it is run by a group of people of knowledge from the people of the Sunnah and the community.
So I advise all Muslims in every place to benefit from this program, and from the broadcasting of the Qur'an. And I advise all my brothers from the scholars in every place in the Peninsula, and outside the Peninsula in every place, I advise them to spread knowledge, and to convey to people what Allah has made obligatory upon them, and to focus on the creed more than anything else, so that people know the reality of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and so that they know the reality of shirk (associating partners with Allah), and so that they believe in Allah with the correct faith, and so that they believe in His names and attributes in the manner that befits Him, and so that they worship Him alone, without anything other than Him, and so that they know the ruling on what the worshippers of graves do, calling the dead and seeking aid from the dead, and making vows to them, and that this is major shirk, and it is the religion of the polytheists like Abu Jahl and his like.
So my advice to the people of knowledge, in every place in every country, my advice to the scholars of the Sunnah, to the scholars of the truth, my advice to them is to fear Allah, and to teach the servants the religion of Allah, and to spread among them what Allah and His Messenger said, in the creed, and in the rest of the rulings in prayer, zakah, fasting, Hajj, jihad, and righteousness—righteousness to parents—and maintaining family ties, and enjoining good and forbidding evil, and in explaining the evidence for what Allah has forbidden of sins, and warning against them. Allah the Exalted says: [Al-Nahl: 125] And He the Exalted says: [Fussilat: 33] And He the Exalted says to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): [Yusuf: 108] meaning: with knowledge [Yusuf: 108] So the followers of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) are the callers to Allah with insight, and they are the role models, and they are the successors of the messengers.
So it is obligatory upon all scholars—scholars of the Shari'ah—it is obligatory upon them to fear Allah, and to spread knowledge among people, and to strive to clarify the rulings with evidence, what Allah said, and what His Messenger said, and to beware of speaking about Allah without knowledge, and to beware of being lax and lazy in that. Rather, it is obligatory to speak the truth, and to spread the truth with good methods, and clear words that the addressees understand. And every people have their language, so if in a country they have a language other than Arabic; speak to them in it, and advise them in it, like Kurdish, or English, or French, or otherwise.
Each people are to be informed of what they know. Allah the Exalted said:[Ibrahim 14:4] And Ali, the Commander of the Faithful, Ali ibn Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Inform the people of what they know. Do you love that Allah and His Messenger be lied about?"
The meaning: Convey to them the knowledge in the words and languages that they understand so that they understand the truth with insight. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sahih Muslim 1893a So you, O scholar, are upon a great good, guiding people, benefiting them, clearing your conscience, and spreading the religion of Allah, and you will have like their rewards. This is a great good, and a great favor.
I ask Allah to guide us and all our brothers from the people of knowledge and others to what pleases Him, and to protect us all from the evils of our souls, and from the badness of our deeds, and to grant us all understanding in His religion, and steadfastness upon it. Indeed, He (Exalted and Majestic is He) is Generous and Kind. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
What are the obligations for spreading reform in the Ummah of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), and what about suppressing religious innovations in this regard?
Answer:
It is obligatory upon scholars and rulers to spread what benefits the Ummah, to teach their religion, and to make clear what is obligatory upon them in their prayer, zakah, fasting, and Hajj, and indeed in their creed, which is the foundation, and in everything.
So it is obligatory upon rulers and scholars to spread the religion of Allah, to guide people through the path of knowledge, what Allah said and what His Messenger said, and to encourage the callers to Allah to spread the truth and call to it, and to warn people of what Allah has forbidden them in the Friday sermons, in lectures and seminars, in public gatherings, and on every occasion.
Thus, it is obligatory upon the people of knowledge, and upon the rulers if they are from the people of knowledge, or through the scholars, if the rulers are from the people of knowledge, they do it, and if not, it is obligatory upon them to order the people of knowledge, encourage them, and facilitate their path in spreading knowledge, calling people to good, and guiding them; because Allah created the creation to worship Him, and He commanded them to do so, and there is no path to worship except through explanation, teaching, and legal instruction, so that every Muslim knows what is obligatory upon him, and every Muslim woman knows what is obligatory upon her, through the people of knowledge, through the pulpit, on Friday and other days, through writing, through public institutions, through radio, through the press, through television, all these paths should be filled with calling to Allah and directing to good.
And in the broadcasting of the Qur'an there are many benefits; the broadcasting of the Qur'an in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has great benefits. So I advise all my brothers to benefit from this broadcasting, the broadcasting of the Qur'an, men and women in the Kingdom and outside it. I advise everyone in the Kingdom and outside it, men and women, to benefit from the broadcasting of the Qur'an; and what is in it of admonitions, and recitation of the Qur'an with proper recitation and tajwid, and what is in it of lectures and guidance, and what is in it of the program "Light on the Path." This program has a great benefit, and it is run by a group of people of knowledge from the people of the Sunnah and the community.
So I advise all Muslims in every place to benefit from this program, and from the broadcasting of the Qur'an. And I advise all my brothers from the scholars in every place in the Peninsula, and outside the Peninsula in every place, I advise them to spread knowledge, and to convey to people what Allah has made obligatory upon them, and to focus on the creed more than anything else, so that people know the reality of tawhid (the oneness of Allah), and so that they know the reality of shirk (associating partners with Allah), and so that they believe in Allah with the correct faith, and so that they believe in His names and attributes in the manner that befits Him, and so that they worship Him alone, without anything other than Him, and so that they know the ruling on what the worshippers of graves do, calling the dead and seeking aid from the dead, and making vows to them, and that this is major shirk, and it is the religion of the polytheists like Abu Jahl and his like.
So my advice to the people of knowledge, in every place in every country, my advice to the scholars of the Sunnah, to the scholars of the truth, my advice to them is to fear Allah, and to teach the servants the religion of Allah, and to spread among them what Allah and His Messenger said, in the creed, and in the rest of the rulings in prayer, zakah, fasting, Hajj, jihad, and righteousness—righteousness to parents—and maintaining family ties, and enjoining good and forbidding evil, and in explaining the evidence for what Allah has forbidden of sins, and warning against them. Allah the Exalted says:
Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best
ادْعُ إِلَى سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ وَجَادِلْهُمْ بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُAnd who is better in speech than one who invites to Allah and does righteousness and says, "Indeed, I am of the Muslims."
وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ قَوْلًا مِمَّنْ دَعَا إِلَى اللَّهِ وَعَمِلَ صَالِحًا وَقَالَ إِنَّنِي مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَSay, "This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight
قُلْ هَذِهِ سَبِيلِي أَدْعُوا إِلَى اللَّهِ عَلَى بَصِيرَةٍI and those who follow me
أَنَا وَمَنِ اتَّبَعَنِيSo it is obligatory upon all scholars—scholars of the Shari'ah—it is obligatory upon them to fear Allah, and to spread knowledge among people, and to strive to clarify the rulings with evidence, what Allah said, and what His Messenger said, and to beware of speaking about Allah without knowledge, and to beware of being lax and lazy in that. Rather, it is obligatory to speak the truth, and to spread the truth with good methods, and clear words that the addressees understand. And every people have their language, so if in a country they have a language other than Arabic; speak to them in it, and advise them in it, like Kurdish, or English, or French, or otherwise.
Each people are to be informed of what they know. Allah the Exalted said:
And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِنْ رَسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوْمِهِThe meaning: Convey to them the knowledge in the words and languages that they understand so that they understand the truth with insight. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
One who guides to something good has a reward similar to that of its doer.
من دل على خير؛ فله مثل أجر فاعلهI ask Allah to guide us and all our brothers from the people of knowledge and others to what pleases Him, and to protect us all from the evils of our souls, and from the badness of our deeds, and to grant us all understanding in His religion, and steadfastness upon it. Indeed, He (Exalted and Majestic is He) is Generous and Kind. Yes.
The presenter : May Allah reward you with good, and may He do you good.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.