Signs Of The Scholars Of The Heareafter

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Living in America back then was not easy to find learned person to teach Islam, at least they were not visible. So, we learned Islam mainly through getting together and read some Islamic books together, and whoever had some knowledge would impart it. Of course, this is not the way to learn Islam, but that was all we had. We looked forward to a rare Islamic convention coming to town or a rare event presenting some unknown Shaykh from out of state, at a distant, more active masjid or town.

Today, so much things have changed with the creation of the internet. You can find Islamic knowledge everywhere. They are many local Shaykhs who give lessons and many conventions where you can see and hear various Shaykhs giving their lectures. Some are vibrant and some are mellow. Some are down to earth and some would not even respond to your salaams (maybe they are too busy with fans that they could not hear your salaams or maybe they don't need your salaams).

You pick and choose who you want to listen to and who you would not want to ever listen to. Once I asked a Shaykh, where do I find a good scholar. The Shaykh did not give me a direct answer, but he said, send a lot of blessings on the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace.

Like all humans, all scholars have faults. Some have more faults than others. So we take what is good and ignore what is bad. But we have to be careful of the so called scholars. They can be a huge distraction and time waster, for all they are good at is rowdy up the audience. These people cause problems for the Muslim ummah and they are more dangerous than anything else. Just because they have a title Shaykh or the like before their names or just because they have 10s of thousands fans, that doesn't mean you can take from them.

One who is a learned man of the Hereafter will receive salvation and gain nearness of Allah. There are many signs of the scholars of the Hereafter.

1. He does not seek the world by his learning. He considers the world as insignificant and the hereafter as great and ever lasting.

2. His words and actions are the same, rather he does not order an action to be done without first doing it himself.

3. The Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Don't company every learned man. Be with the learned man who calls towards five matters towards faith from doubt, sincerity from show, modesty from pride, love from enmity, and asceticism from worldliness.

4. His mind would be directed towards such learning that will be useful for the next world and give encouragement to pious deeds. He will avoid those learning which will bring lesser benefit but much arguments.

5. He has no attraction for various kinds of foods and drinks, luxury in dresses, furniture and houses, but rather he adopts moderate course in all these things following the earlier sages and he is best satisfied with the least of everything.

6. He is a man who fears of Allah and to avoid all manner of risk.

7. He keeps himself distant from the ruling authorities and avoids their company, because this world is sweet, ever new and its bridle is in their hands. He who get closer to them is not free from their pleasures and harms. They are mostly unjust and do not obey the advice of the learned men.

8. He does not give fatwa in a hurry but tries to be relieved of it. When he is asked and if he knows he gives his opinion. When he has doubt, he says, "I don't know." He is careful not to commit himself but refer the matter to someone else who is more capable than him.

(The great Imam Malik, Allah be pleased with him, once was asked about 40 questions by someone who traveled from a far away land of Iraq to Madina to present these questions from his people, and he all he could say was "I don't know" for all of them except a few.")

9. His main object of anxiety is to learn sacred knowledge, observation of the heart, and knowledge of the paths of the hereafter, to travel thereon and to have abiding faith in finding self-mortification.

10. He is sincere and upright for making his faith firm and strong as firm faith is the root of religion.

11. Another sign of the learned man of the next world is that he becomes humble and adopts silence. The effect of the fear of Allah appears on his body, dress, character movements, speech and silence. His sight reminds one of Allah and his nature and character are proofs of his actions. His eye is a mirror of his mind. The signs of the learned man of the hereafter are recognized in his face, tranquility, modesty and freedom from pride and vanity. A sage said, "Allah has not given a man with a garment better than the garment of the fear of Allah. It is the garment of the Prophets, Siddiqs (the truthful) and the learned men". (From Ihaya ul Uloom)

May Allah guide us to the righteous scholars of this time and preserve them for the ummah. Ameen. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. JazakAllahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam