Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Bismillahir- Rahmanir-Rahim
1. Opening
Friends beloved by Allah, let us imagine a super-magnificent metropolis. Skyscrapers tower high, luxury cars stream by, and its technology is unbelievably advanced. Yet, imagine if in that city there were not a single doctor or hospital. What would happen? When an epidemic strikes, that grand city would turn into a mass grave in an instant.Scientifically and spiritually, this law applies absolutely to the human soul. Religious knowledge is the central axis of Islamic life. It is the key to success in this world, the guarantee of salvation in the Hereafter, and the sturdy bridge that connects both. If a city or nation no longer has scholars or experts in Sharia law, then the people of that city are, in truth, suffering from severe spiritual illness—slowly dying in moral darkness.This is alluded to by Allah SWT in the Qur’an, that there must be a group of people focused on guarding this axis of knowledge:
وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنْفِرُوا كَافَّةً ۚ فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنْذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ
“And it is not for the believers to go forth to battle all at once. For there should separate from every division of them a group remaining to obtain understanding in the religion and warn their people when they return to them, that they might be cautious.” [QS. At-Tawbah: 122]
The absolute urgency of this is emphasized by Rasulullah ﷺ in his saying about the danger of a civilization that loses its scholars:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ الْعِبَادِ، وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ، حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يُبْقِ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُؤُوسًا جُهَّالًا فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا
“Indeed, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the hearts of people, but He takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars. Until when no scholar remains, people will take ignorant leaders. When they are asked, they will give fatwas without knowledge, so they will go astray and lead others astray.” [HR. Bukhari and Muslim]
2. Lessons and Message
The precious lesson for us is this: chasing the world without religious knowledge is spiritual suicide. Financial success without the compass of Sharia will only breed greed. We need scholars not only when we die to perform our funeral prayer, but we need them every second we live so we know how to be a saved human being. There is a heart-wrenching historical record from when Andalusia [modern-day Spain] fell and collapsed. For hundreds of years, Islam thrived there through knowledge. But in its final phase, the rulers and society began to distance themselves from scholars, ignore religious law, and busy themselves with flaunting wealth. When scholars were expelled, imprisoned, and madrasahs were closed, the people’s morality collapsed instantly. Within just a few generations, their grandchildren no longer knew how to perform wudu, forgot how to pray, and even failed to recognize the name of Allah. A city once filled with the light of knowledge became a city spiritually dead. They were alive, their bodies walked, but the faith in their chests had perished because the guardians of knowledge were gone. Truly, that is the most sorrowful death. So we can smile yet reflect, let’s liken religious knowledge to the Google Maps or GPS app on our phone.
Imagine you’re heading to a place you’ve never visited out of town, at night, in heavy rain, on winding roads along the edge of a cliff. Because you feel great, you turn off the GPS and throw away all the road signs along the way [this is like living without the guidance of scholars]. You speed because your car is a luxury sports car [this is like worldly success]. At a sharp turn, you keep going straight because you don’t know the way. What happens? Your luxury car plunges straight into the ravine! As you fall, you finally regret it: “Man, I should’ve used the GPS!” Well, a city without scholars is exactly like a bunch of drivers recklessly driving at night without GPS and without headlights. The cars may be cool, but it’s only a matter of time before they all crash into the ravine together. Funny but tragic, right?
3. Conclusion and Closing
Friends, the conclusion is this: knowledge in every field is not merely a lifestyle choice, but an absolute necessity. Scholars and experts in religious law are the spiritual doctors who safeguard the legacy of Rasulullah so that our hearts do not die and rot from the poisons of the world. So let us revive the gatherings of knowledge. Make our gadgets a means to draw closer to the fatwas of upright scholars. Do not let our environment, our families, or our cities become “dead” spiritually just because we are too busy chasing wealth and forgetting the knowledge that guides us to Paradise.
. والله أعلم بالصواب
الحمد لله رب العالمين
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh.
Abu Sultan Al-Qadrie
