The one whose book is his teacher...

He whose Shaykh is his book will be upon more correctness than error.

Yes, indeed, if his book is a Book that “falsehood does not approach from before nor behind; a revelation from One Wise and Praiseworthy.” [41:42]; a Book “in which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious (of Allah).” [2:2]; a Book Allah revealed to His slave “and did not make any crookedness therein.” [18:1]; a Book whose “verses were perfected, then presented in detail by One Wise and Informed.” [11:1]; a Book “containing precise verses, which are the foundation of the Book.” [3:7]; a Book, which “if it were from other than Allah, they would have found therein many contradictions.” [4:82]; a Book of which Allah said, “We have facilitated the remembrance of the Quran, so is there any who will remember?” [54:17], “Indeed, it is We who sent down the Reminder and, indeed, We will preserve it.” [15:9], and, “Say, ‘What is greatest in testimony?’ Say, ‘Allah is a witness between me and you, and this Quran was revealed to me, that I may thereby warn you and those whom it reaches.” [6:19]

Thus, he whose book is an uncreated word – which comes from Allah and belongs to Him – while the student possesses a heart and lends an attentive ear, he shall be – without a doubt – more correct than mistaken.

The same can be said for one whose teacher is Bukhari or Muslim and learns from them what they have reported from the most articulate person to have spoken the Arabic language who was gifted with comprehensive speech and what they related from the best nation brought forth to mankind – the best of generations.

The same goes for one whose book is the tafsir of at-Tabari, ibn al-Mundhir, or ibn Abi Hatim, or one whose book on creed is one of the books of As-Sunnah by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Harb al-Karmani, Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Khallal, al-Barbahari, or ibn Battah, or likewise, one whose book is the works of the revivers of Islam, such as ibn Taymiyyah or ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhab.

As for the one whose teachers are the “scholars” of the tawagheet, the deviant heretics, he will be mistaken more than he will be correct, except for those whom Allah has spared from such and how few they are. How worse then is one who follows them in what they propagate of corruption, bid’ah, and apostasy! Refuge is sought with Allah.

Thus, the seeker of knowledge is not to be honored by his studying under the “scholars” of taghout and the callers of deviance.

One of those ruwaybidah (pathetic persons too sluggish or feeble to achieve great matters) was truthful, though still a liar, when he said:

“The Sunnah praising the referral to books without taking individuals and role models into consideration is the definite proof supporting the favorers of books. This proof is his statement, when he said to his companions one day, ‘Which of creation, according to you, is most amazing in imaan?’ They said, ‘The angels.’ He said, ‘But how could they not believe while they are with their Lord?’ They said, ‘Then the prophets.’ He said, ‘How could they not believe when they are given revelation?’ They said, ‘Then us.’ He said, ‘How could you not believe whilst I am in your midst?’ They said, ‘Then who, O Messenger of Allah?’ He said, ‘A people coming after you, finding some pages in which they believe.’ Another wording has, ‘Rather, a people coming after you, receiving a book between two tablets, which they believe in and the contents of which they act upon. Their reward shall be greater than yours.’ Another wording has, ‘They find fastened pages and act according to their contents; thus, they are the best people in faith.’ This narration, in its clarity, commends the taking of knowledge through ‘fastened pages.’ Rather, he made those who do so the greatest of people in reward and the most excellent of them in faith. This shows that returning to books is the path for salvation when times change for the worse and are filled with the evil of corrupt role models who wrongly and deceptively claim the honor of knowledge and scholarship. The ‘nonconformist’ individuals who return to books should pay no heed to the words and opinions of so-and-so and so-and-so, as no one would abandon the shar’i paths for the heretical ones except out of ignorance, incapacity, or corruption, as ibn Taymiyyah has stated. This path of taking knowledge from ‘fastened pages’ is a shar’i path that prevents the scholar’s errors from leaping into the mind of the follower and settling therein under the guise of infallibility and deen.”

Thereafter, the one seeking knowledge should consider some of the narrations and reports that warn against the evil “scholars”.

Abu Dharr said, “I was walking with Allah’s Messenger (saws) when he said, ‘I fear something other than the Dajjal for my ummah.’ He said it three times. I said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, what is it you fear for the Ummah other than the Dajjal?’ He said, ‘Misguiding scholars (aimmah).’” [Musnad Ahmad]

He also said, “Indeed, Allah does not seize knowledge by taking it from His slaves, but He seizes knowledge by seizing the scholars until, when no scholar remains, the people appoint ignorant leaders. When they are asked, they pass verdicts without knowledge, by which they mislead and are misled.” [Bukhari and Muslim]

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib said, “There shall soon come upon the people a time in which nothing of Islam remains except its name and nothing of the Quran remains except its script. Their masjid will be built with splendor while they are ruins, void of guidance. Their scholars will be the worst creatures under the sky. Fitnah arises from them and is only due to them.” [al-Bayhaqi in Shu’ab al-Iman]

Thus, when the scholars have died and none of them remain except a few either as murabiteen on the front tiers, prisoners held by the tawagheet, or fugitives seeking refuge in caves – attaining knowledge from scholars is not respected except by someone who is ignorant of the reality of honorable knowledge. This is because useful knowledge is what bears fruits within the hearts and upon the limbs.

‘Ubadah ibn as-Samit said, “Shall I tell you what will be the first part of knowledge to be lifted from the people? It is khushu’ (humble submission, especially in salah). A time will soon come where you will not find a single man with khushu’ inside any major masjid.” [at-Tirmidhi]

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib said, “Indeed, the true faqih is he who does not make the people lose hope in Allah’s mercy, nor does he make allowances for them to commit disobedience of Allah, nor does he make them feel secure against Allah’s wrath, nor does he abandon the Quran, turning away from it for something else. There is no good in worship lacking knowledge, nor knowledge lacking understanding, nor recitation lacking contemplation.” [ad-Darimi]

Mujahid said, “Indeed, the faqih is he who fears Allah.” [ad-Darimi]

It was said to al-Hasan al-Basri, “That is not what the fuqaha say.” So he replied, “Woe to you! Have you ever seen a faqih? Rather, the faqih is the zahid in the Dunya, the desirous for the Akhirah, the perceptive regarding the matters of his din, the persistent in the worship of his Lord.” [ad-Darimi]

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib said, “O bearers of knowledge, act according to it, for the scholar is he who acts according to what he learns and whose deeds are consistent with his knowledge. Many peoples will come whose knowledge never passes their throats. Their deeds contradict their knowledge and their intentions contradict their claims. They will sit in circles, boasting before each other to the extent that a man will be angered if his companion leaves him to sit with someone else. Their deeds in these gatherings will not ascend to Allah.” [ad-Darimi]

Indeed, true knowledge is the fear of Allah, who said, “Only those of His servants who have knowledge fear Allah.” [35:28] Whoever does not fear Allah, by leaving that which Allah hates and that which angers Him, then such a person is neither a scholar nor a faqih, even if he studies, teaches and claims to be a scholar. Likewise, whoever does not call people to serious matters nor warns them against immoral concessions, then he is not a scholar. Thus, seeking knowledge from those who are “the worst creatures under the sky” and those who are from “the callers to the gates of Jahannam” is not praiseworthy. As for following the path of pages, during an era in which the scholars have disappeared – save those on the frontlines, in prisons, or in caves – then such is praiseworthy, according to the traditions.

One must also beware of conceit and arrogance, especially if Allah tests him through his accompanying of evil “scholars.” He should remember what ‘Abdullah ibn Ahmad ibn Hanbal reported from ‘Abdur-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, from Ubayy ibn Ka’b, that Allah’s Messenger (saws) said, “Two men proclaimed their lineages during the time of Musa. One of them (arrogantly) said, ‘I am so-and-so, the son of so-and-so, mentioning nine ancestors, and who are you, O pathetic one?’ The other man said, ‘I am so-and-so, the son of so-and-so, the son of Islam.’ Then Allah revealed to Musa, ‘Concerning these two who proclaimed their lineages, then as for you, O you who proclaims his descent from nine people in Hellfire, then you are the tenth of them! And as for you, O you who proclaims his descent from two people in Jannah, then you are the third of them in Jannah.’” [Zawa’id Musnad Ahmad]

Thus, can a seeker of knowledge ever be proud of a resume filled with sitting in the circles of corrupt, heretical and apostate individuals? O Allah, indeed we take refuge with You from knowledge that does not benefit, from a heart that does not fear, from a desirous soul that is never gratified and from a supplication that goes unheard.