Advice directed at scholars and students of knowledge to fulfill their duty

Question:
I believe that Muslims want jihad, they want knowledge, they hate ignorance, and they hate weakness, but the scholars among them are falling short in not speaking the word of truth with complete frankness and complete sincerity, and they lack sincere leadership from the scholars. What is your opinion?

Answer:
Much of this has indeed happened. There is no doubt that this has occurred. Many of the scholars today do not have full care for teaching people and guiding people to good.
And just as the deviation of the scholars occurred among the Jews and the Christians, so too has it occurred in this Ummah (the Muslim community) for a long time: the deviation of many scholars, contentment with the immediate, and failure to fulfill the obligatory duty of teaching and guidance. However, there are remnants—praise be to Allah—who teach and guide.
The scholars are the heirs of the prophets, and they are the leaders in every age. But today we are in the state of estrangement from Islam, and there are few scholars, as the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: and so on.
This matter has occurred over long periods. The scholars have become few, ignorance has become widespread, and it has prevailed over most souls. You will find many lands and many tribes devoid of scholars and those who have deep understanding of the religion of Allah.
The scholars who can truly be called scholars are those who have gained deep understanding of the religion of Allah, taking their knowledge from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). The scholar is not the one who blindly follows so-and-so, or so-and-so, who knows a summary from the summaries, or a book from the books, and follows their authors, without knowing about the Book of Allah or the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). This person is not considered among the scholars by the consensus of the people of knowledge. Rather, the scholar is the one who takes his knowledge from the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). This type is very few today in the cities and countries. This type is extremely few.
And movements have appeared—praise be to Allah—in many places and many Islamic countries, seeking the truth, demanding evidence, and caring for the Book and the Sunnah. This is a sign of good. So we ask Allah to grow these good movements, to increase them in good, to bless the existing scholars, to grant them insight, and to help them in fulfilling the duty and in spreading the truth.
It should be known that even though many scholars have fallen short, and so have the people, the nations, and the students—there is much falling short—few come to the scholar, ask him, and encourage him to study or for the scholar to spread knowledge. This may happen, and that may happen.
So it is obligatory to cooperate. If the scholar is asked, and the questioners from the students of knowledge and others connect with him, this helps him to care for knowledge, review the verses and hadiths, and prepare to answer the questioners and to display and spread knowledge among people. If they are negligent, this one becomes negligent, and this one turns to his worldly affairs, and this one to his worldly affairs, and the questioners become few.
The scholar too may become negligent, may turn away, or may be occupied with something else from the matters of his worldly life. So it is not permissible for everyone to be negligent of this matter. Rather, it is obligatory for the scholar to care for the Qur'an and the Hadith, to take his knowledge from them, to focus on that, and to spend much of his time, or the majority of his time, in this great path, so that his knowledge may be beneficial Islamic knowledge, by which Allah benefits the people.
And the Muslims should ask, be discerning in their religion, and gain deep understanding. Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) said: : [Al-Nahl: 43]. And the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . So if a student of knowledge comes to a scholar and asks another scholar, he confirms it with him, and asks someone above him, or if the layperson asks the scholar or the student of knowledge, seeking knowledge and seeking benefit, then for him is great good and great merit, and he has striven on a path to Paradise.
Likewise, if one attends the circles of knowledge to benefit from the Shari'ah (Islamic sacred law) and its purpose, even from afar, even through travels, even if he travels long distances to attend the circles of knowledge and ask the scholar, this is also among the important matters and among the obligations when there is need.
Likewise, the students of knowledge who are in the schools, institutes, and colleges must care for the true, beneficial knowledge, which is taken from the Book of Allah and from His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him), so that their knowledge may be true, beneficial knowledge, leading to the Hereafter, to Paradise, and to honor.