Fake Scholars

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

Today, so many things have changed with the creation of the internet, wifi and smartphones. You can find Islamic knowledge at your fingertips. There is no excuse for anyone to not learn Islam, Arabic and Qur'an.

You pick who you want to listen to and choose who you don't want to listen to. If you are confused about what they said, then you have to recognize something. 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 very careful of the so-called scholars. They can be huge distractions and time wasters, for all they are good at is riling 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, Ustaz, Imam or the like before their names or just because they have tens of thousands fans, that doesn't mean you can take from them.

People are driven away because of fake scholars. Who are the fake scholars? These are people who think they have knowledge but when we compare it with their character, we get shocked.

Knowledge is what benefits you and what is manifested in your person. Knowledge leads you to better your character and increases your understanding.

Imam Ghazali said that knowledge is not to narrate a lot but to have piety, righteousness and fear of Allah.

Knowledge is a vehicle that leads you to a destination. The destination is meeting with Allah. Very few people know the purpose of knowledge.

A person who teaches others and spreads knowledge and does not manifest it in himself, his character is like a doctor who prescribed medicine for others and he himself is sick.

Until the purpose of knowledge is clear to the person, he will harm himself with his knowledge. He becomes of those who are lost and his destiny may be hellfire. The scholar who doesn’t apply his knowledge will be punished before idol worshippers.

Allah Almighty says,


يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لِمَ تَقُولُونَ مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٢﴾ كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِندَ اللَّـهِ أَن تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ ﴿٣﴾

O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do? (2) Great is hatred in the sight of Allah that you say what you do not do. (3)

[Qur'an As-Saff 61:2-3]

Abu Hurayrah (radi Allahu anhu) narrated that the Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said:

"The first of men (whose case) will be decided on the Day of Judgement will be a man who died as a martyr. He shall be brought forth. Allah will make him recount His blessings (i. e. the blessings which He had bestowed upon him) and he will recount them (and admit having enjoyed them in his life). (Then) will Allah say: ‘What did you do (to requite these blessings)?’ He will say: ‘I fought for You until I died as a martyr.’ Allah will say: ‘You have told a lie. You fought so that you may be called a brave warrior. And you were called so.’ (Then) orders will be passed against him and he will be dragged with his face downward and cast into Hell.

Then a man will be brought forward who acquired knowledge and imparted it (to others) and recited the Qur’an. He will be brought forth and Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them (and admit having enjoyed them in his lifetime). Then Allah will ask: ‘What did you do (to requite these blessings)?’ He will say: ‘I acquired knowledge and disseminated it and recited the Qur’an seeking Your pleasure.’ Allah will say: ‘You have told a lie. You acquired knowledge so that you may be called a scholar, and you recited the Qur'an so that you may be called a Qari and such has been said.’ Then orders will be passed against him and he shall be dragged with his face downward and cast into the Fire.

Then a man will be brought whom Allah had made abundantly rich and had granted every kind of wealth. He will be brought forth and Allah will make him recount His blessings and he will recount them and (admit having enjoyed them in his lifetime). Allah will (then) ask: ‘What have you done (to requite these blessings)?’ He will say: ‘I spent money in every cause in which You wished that it should be spent.’ Allah will say: ‘You are lying. You did so, so that you may be called a generous person, and so it was said.’ Then Allah will pass orders and he will be dragged with his face downward and thrown into Hell.”

[Sahih Muslim]

May Allah purify our hearts and make us of the sincere people. Ameen.

Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.

And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.

Wassalaam