Teachers Underestimating Students

𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 …

Once a teacher entered the wrong class and started teaching. At the end of the lesson, he was told that this is the wrong class. He then compared his students to cattle and said:

إِنَّ الْبَقَرَ تَشَابَهَ عَلَيْنَا
“𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝘀.” [Qur’an 2:70].

The truth is: some teachers do treat their students like dumb cattle.

All they say is: ‘العوام هوام’ [𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻]

They make people think that Islam is very difficult to understand, like Quantum Physics. They make them think they’re totally ignorant, so they never question and blindly follow – like sheep.

It’s like putting on ‘eye-blinders’ on their eyes, like horses – so they don’t look left and right.

They only see what their shaykh wants them to see.

As a result, they produce a generation of parrots, not critical thinkers.

When they then interact with the real world, they get shocked, because they see there are so many diverse opinions, which were held hidden from them. They then start distrusting their own shaykh.

Some teachers also suffer from inferiority-complex, so they have to put others down, to feel superior.

A good teacher recognizes the intelligence of his students and sees their potential.

Laymen don’t eat grass … don’t underestimate people’s intelligence.

Islam was revealed to an unlettered nation:
هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا
“𝗛𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗱𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿.” [Qur’an 62:2].

Islam can be understood by even an illiterate old grandma in an isolated village!

It is very simple ….

It wasn’t only to be understood by the elite professors.

Yes – there are SOME rulings that require deeper study, so laymen should not DIY – they should ask the scholars.

As for asking for proofs, it is not always necessary, but good for them to ask for evidences.

A huge gap has appeared between the Qur’an and Sunnah and laymen, especially among those who follow the madhaahib. They just hear the rulings according to the middle-men, without hearing what Allah and Rasool said.

Taqlid is allowed for laymen, but it is not something to be proud of … it’s not encouraged by default. The default is that we should learn and understand. If someone is incapable, then they can do Taqlid out of necessity.

Another way some institutions and shaykhs control their following is by telling them: stick with me, if you go elsewhere, you will get misguided, or you will get confused, etc.

This is actually a tactic used by cult-members, so they don’t lose their cult-members.

Imam Ayuub al-Sakhtiyani said:
إنك لا تعرف خطأ معلمك حتى تجالس غيره
“𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 [𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀].”
[“Jaami’ Bayan al-‘ilm”, 1/197 – إسناده صحيح].

They did not tell people: only ask me, don’t go to anyone else!

And many of these people live in their own echo-chambers, away from reality. It’s as if they’re frozen in time. In this age of knowledge and technology, they try to hide other opinions from their followers … how is this possible?

It’s like the story of that king, who had a beautiful bird in a cage…one day it escaped from the cage and flew away! Desperately he ordered the entire kingdom to lock their windows! As if that would contain the bird… the bird was already soaring the skies.

In this day and age, knowledge can no longer be hidden.

We live in a global-village, so it is time to be honest with the people and make them aware which issues are ikhtilafi, ijtihadi, etc.

They will understand, because there is no disagreement on the main fundamentals – the main trunk of the tree.

These disagreements are on the branches, which are minor and ijtihadi. Even the one who gets it wrong gets rewarded, if they try their best to find the right answer!

So there is no issue.

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻:

I’m not talking about all scholars, but just the ones who behave like this.

Don’t let them make you think you’re a sheep.

God has honoured the children of Adam with an intellect. Use it.

Respect and follow scholars, but never-ever go on auto-pilot … always ask questions and understand things.