Who Are The Scholars of This Time? | Shaykh Ṣāliḥ Al Fawzān
The Questioner: Certainly, those who associate themselves with calling [to Allāh and His religion] have become numerous in these days; [and this is] from the things that require knowledge and identification the true people of knowledge in order to direct the Muslim community and its youth towards the correct methodology.
So who are the scholars who you would advise the youth to benefit from and to follow their lessons and listen to their recorded audios and take knowledge from them and who they should return back to in the most important matters of the religion and the at the times of calamity and times of turmoil?
Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān: “Calling to Allāh is an affair which is essential. And the religion was established upon calling the people and jihād; upon calling the people and jihād after beneficial knowledge. The knowledge is the foundation; the beneficial knowledge is the foundation then comes calling [to it] and then jihād.
‘Except those who believe and do acts of righteousness and mutually advise one another with the truth and mutually advise one another with patience.’ [Sūrah al-ʿAṣr 103:3]
and true faith is knowledge of Allāh the Glorified and Exalted by His names and attributes and by His worship and righteous actions are an extension of beneficial knowledge because actions must be based upon knowledge and then calling to Allāh and commanding the good and forbidding the evil and the Muslims advising one another which is a matter which is required of them.
However, it is not for every good doer to take it upon himself to fulfil these responsibilities. These affairs should not be performed except by people of knowledge and people of keen insight. This should not be performed by just anyone from the people. This is because these are weighty matters and important affairs that should not be attempted or performed except by someone who is equipped to fulfill such responsibilities.
And from the great afflictions of today is that the door of calling [to Allāh] has become wide such that everyone enters into it and the one who ascribes to calling [to Allāh] may be ignorant such that he is not proficient in calling [to Allāh] and thus he corrupts far more than he rectifies. He may be enthusiastic and as such acts hastily in matters and is reckless and as a result of his action far more evil occurs than whatever he is able to remedy and whatever he intended to rectify.
In fact, perhaps he may be from among those who ascribe to calling [to Allāh] are those who are motivated by desires or ulterior motives which they call to and hope to accomplish at the expense of calling [to Allāh]. Perhaps some of them wish to misguide the people and confuse the understanding of the youth in the name of calling [to Allāh] and in the name of wanting good for the religion while in reality he intends other than that.
Instead, he intends to cause the youth to deviate and cause the understanding of the impressionable to deviate while driving the youth against their community, their leaders and their scholars; they come to them as though they are advising them and apparently calling them [to Allāh while this is the hidden goal.
Just like the hypocrites among this nation who wish evil upon the people under the pretense of good. I will cite for you an example in the form of the people of Masjid al-Ḍirār. The people of Masjid al-Ḍirār built a Masjid which apparently in the eyes of the people was a Masjid and an act of righteousness.
And they asked the Prophet () to pray in it in order to encourage the people regarding it and in order for him to approve of it. However, Allāh knew what the intentions of these people and that they wished to harm the Muslims with it.
They wished to use it to harm Masjid Qubāʾ which was the first Masjid established upon righteousness (taqwá). And they wished to undermine the unity of the Muslims who used to gather at Masjid Qubāʾ. So Allāh clarified for His Messenger the plot of these people and sent down the statement of Allāh:
‘And those who took a Masjid as a means of causing harm, disbelief, and disunity among the believers and in order to prepare those who fought against Allāh and His Messenger previously; they most certainly swear: ‘We desired nothing but good,’ but Allāh bears witness that they are surely liars.
You [O Prophet] should never pray there. A Masjid founded upon righteousness (taqwá) from its very first day is more deserving for you to pray there. In it, are men who love to purify themselves and Allāh loves those who purify themselves.’ [Sūrah al-Tawbah 9:107-108
Translated By: Abul-Layth Qasim Mutiva
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUa-ZJEPopc&list=RDLVBlBT9WKA7to&index=14
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