Evil Scholars in Islam -1

Allah says: 

وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِي آتَيْنَاهُ آيَاتِنَا فَانسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ ۝ وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَٰكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ ۚ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِن تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَث ۚ ذَّٰلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا ۚ فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ 

“And recite to them the news of the one to whom We gave Our signs, but he detached himself from them, so Shaytan followed him, and he became of those who went astray. If We had willed, We could have raised him by them, but he clung to the earth and followed his desire. His example is like that of a dog: if you chase it away, it pants, or if you leave it, it still pants. That is the example of the people who denied Our signs. So relate the stories so that they may reflect.” 

Qur’an 7:175–176 

    This passage is devastating. Allah gave him signs, and those signs could have raised him. The problem was not lack of access to guidance. The problem was that he detached himself from it, clung to the earth, and followed desire. This is the danger of knowledge when the heart loves dunya more than Allah. Revelation may be present, but the person no longer allows it to lead him upward. Instead, he drags sacred knowledge down into the service of earthly desire. 

    This is a central disease of Ulama-e-Soo. They are not always ignorant of the texts. Some may know many proofs, rulings, stories, and principles. Their corruption lies in what they do with that knowledge. They use it to defend their side, protect their status, satisfy their patrons, silence critics, or justify desires. Knowledge that should have raised them becomes something they detach themselves from in practice, even while they continue quoting it with their tongues. 

    A person who follows desire through ignorance is in danger, but a person who follows desire after knowledge is in greater danger. The first may be corrected by learning. The second already knows enough to fear Allah, but he chooses another master. He may not say with his tongue that he prefers dunya, but his choices reveal it. When truth and benefit conflict, he chooses benefit. When revelation and popularity conflict, he chooses popularity. When justice and loyalty to his circle conflict, he chooses his circle. 

    Knowledge becomes a trial when it is used for argumentation. Some people do not seek knowledge to worship Allah better, purify their hearts, or guide others. They seek it to defeat opponents, embarrass people, build a reputation, and become feared in debate. Their joy is not in discovering truth, but in winning. Their sadness is not that Allah has been disobeyed, but that they have been challenged. This kind of knowledge hardens the heart because it trains the soul to love victory over sincerity. 

    Argumentation can be necessary when truth must be defended, falsehood must be refuted, or doubts must be removed. Islam does not command silence before every error. But there is a difference between defending truth for Allah and loving dispute for the self. The first is worship when done with knowledge, justice, and wisdom. The second is a disease, even if the person quotes correct proofs. A person may win an argument and lose sincerity in the same moment. 

    The one who loves argument begins to collect knowledge like weapons. He remembers evidences that defeat others but forgets evidences that correct himself. He studies the mistakes of his opponents more than the diseases of his own heart. He becomes sharp in refutation but weak in worship. He can identify the faults of many groups, but cannot identify pride, envy, harshness, and showing off within himself. Such knowledge may make him appear strong in front of people while making him poor before Allah. 

Excerpt: Evil Scholars in Islam-

www.amazon.com/dp/B0GYJT3BH1