Rogue Scholars

Rogue Scholars – علماء السوء

Islamic Studies are a science, like the worldly sciences we study – for example MEDICINE.

If a MEDICAL DOCTOR goes ROGUE, the government will REVOKE his qualifications, SHUT DOWN his pharmacy and put him in PRISON.

There are plenty of rogue medical doctors who: sexually abuse patients, deliberately prescribe the wrong medicines, deliberately infect people, deliberately amputate limbs of patients without need etc.

Such doctors cannot turn around and say: “But I’m qualified!”

No – this doctor was DISQUALIFIED the moment he abused his position and went against the principles of his profession.

A paper certificate does not give impunity.

Now apply the same principle on religious scholars, i.e. ‘Imams’, ‘Muftis’, ‘Shaykh’s’, ‘Pirs’ etc.

1- The Prophet said:

إِنَّمَا أَخَافُ عَلَى أُمَّتِي الأَئِمَّةَ الْمُضِلِّينَ

“I only fear for my Ummah from the misguiding Imams.”

[“Tirmidhi”, 2229 – authentic صحيح ].

2- And the Prophet said:

: أَكْثَرُ مُنَافِقِي أُمَّتِي قُرَّاؤُهَا

“Most of the hypocrites in my nation are among its reciters.”

[“Musnad Ahmad”, 6455 – authentic صحيح ].

3- The Prophet said:

سَيَكُونُ فِي آخِرِ أُمَّتِي أُنَاسٌ يُحَدِّثُونَكُمْ مَا لَمْ تَسْمَعُوا أَنْتُمْ وَلاَ آبَاؤُكُمْ فَإِيَّاكُمْ وَإِيَّاهُمْ

“There will be in the last of my nation a people narrating to you what you nor your fathers heard, so beware of them.”

[Sahih Muslim, 6].

4- Sufyan al-Thawri says:

تعوذوا بالله من فتنةِ العابد الجاهل ، وفتنة العالم الفاجر

“Seek refuge with God against the trials (fitnah) of an ignorant worshipper and a corrupt/evil scholar.”

[“Akhlaq al-Ulama”, 63].

Don’t think that just because someone has a big BEARD, or a big TURBAN, or has studied at Azhar or Madinah – that everything they ‘DO’ or ‘SAY’ is REVELATION from GOD.

Scholars are human beings – not Angels that descended from heaven.

There are plenty of ROGUE scholars, just like there are ROGUE doctors.

Any Muslim religious scholar, who abandons the principles and agreed upon teachings of Islam – he/she is a ROGUE.

A religious scholar is still capable of lying, stealing wealth, committing Zina, drinking wine, murder, envy etc.

He’s still a human being, not infallible.

Don’t depend your religion on personalities – because people will disappoint you.

It was the mistake of ahlal-kitab, that they followed their Rabbis and Priests in good and bad.

We don’t do that.

The vast majority of our scholars are good Rabbani scholars. We love and respect them. We follow them and learn from them.

This post is not about them, but about the ROGUE scholars.

We should be wary of them and not be deceived by their outward appearances or eloquent tongues.