بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

التعالم و آثره الخطيرة على الأمة
من: البيان لأخطاء بعض الكتاب
ردود و مقالت متنوعة
الجزء الثالث
معالي الشيخ الدكتور صالح بن فوزان بن عبدِ الله الفوزان
حفظه الله

‘Pretending to Have Knowledge and its Grave Effects on the Nation’

From: The Book of Clarification of Mistakes in Some Books,
Responses, and Miscellaneous Statements

Third Part
By Eminence Shaykh Dr. Salih bin Fawzaan bin Abdillah al Fawzan
May Allah Preserve him.

All praise is due to Allah and Peace and Blessing upon our Prophet and his family and his companions and he who follows him. Concern what follows:

For it is necessary for the nation (of Islam) to have knowledge and scholars because Allah Glorified is He sent the Messenger sallahu wa alayhi wa salam and He sent down the Quran guidance for the people and clear proofs evidence sign from the guidance and the Forqaan ( the truth between truth and falsehood). Allah the Most High said:

هُوَ الَّذِي أَرْسَلَ رَسُولَهُ بِالْهُدَىٰ وَدِينِ الْحَقِّ لِيُظْهِرَهُ عَلَى الدِّينِ كُلِّهِ وَلَوْ كَرِهَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ

“It is He Who has sent His Messenger sallahu wa alayhi wa salam with guidance and the religion of truth (Islam), to make it superior over all religions even though the Mushrikun (polytheists, pagans, idolaters, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah) hate (it).”
At-Tawbuh 33

And the guidance: it is the knowledge that is beneficial and the Deen of truth: and its righteous actions. So the Messenger sallahu wa alayhi wa salam was sent with knowledge and actions, and that knowledge is lifted up (obtain) by grasping to the scholars, and the people are seized by the ignorant heads (leaders) so they give verdict (Islamic opinions) without knowledge, so they are astray and astray others. Just as the Prophet sallahu wa alayhi wa salam informed us.

Knowledge is not obtained except by learning and obtaining it from the Scholars. Allah the Most High said:

وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُوا كَافَّةً ۚ فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ

“And it is not (proper) for the believers to go out to fight (Jihad ) altogether. Of every troop of them, a party only should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may get instructions in (Islamic) religion, and that they may warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware (of evil).”
At-Tawbah 122

So he does not take knowledge from merely books, without reading it with the scholars and obtaining its commentary and explanation from them. Knowledge is not obtained from the Mutaa’alimeen (individuals who pretend to have the knowledge, who have not to finish anything, those who do not take knowledge from the scholars ) those who took their knowledge from pages and they explain it from their thinking and their comprehension. So التعالم at-Taa’alim ( describing the action of those who pretend to have knowledge) it means make-believe knowledge (pretending or claiming to have knowledge), the result is confining oneself upon reading books. And the example of this it is said by him who al-Jahil al-Murakib (beyond ignorant) he who is ignorant and he does not know that he is jahil (ignorant) rather he thinks of his self as an Alim (scholar someone who understand Islam as a whole). How many are victimized from this path upon the old and current ummah (Islamic Nation) from these ordeals? So the first to graduate the schools of pretending to have knowledge ( taking knowledge without scholars) they are the Khawarij those who denied the companions may Allah be pleased with them and they fought against the companions and they killed Uthman and Ali and Talha and Zubar and others from the companions (of the Messenger of Allah sallahu wa alayhi wa salam) may Allah be pleased with them.
It continues this bands (to grow), graduating from this school, and coming out of its continuous upon the Ummah.

And from the event that happens in the Makkah and the events of explosions and scaring those who are secure (not at war, under the protection of the Muslim government ) in our present time. Except for the expanding of this evil misfortune school. Just as that it continues to bring out from this school those who takfeer ( deem Muslims disbelievers) or tab’deea (proclaim people as deviant without proper proofs) the Muslims and comes out from it those who give verdicts without knowledge. So they make Halaal (lawful) what Allah makes Haraam (prohibit) or they make Haraam what Allah makes Halaal. So the Islamic Nation will continue to suffer from the harms of those who abase the scholars and they describe them as being without awareness and understanding reality ( of affairs and peoples lives). And that they are scholars of the government (scholars for dollars) that they are sycophant (sell outs) and the companions of the chairs ( اصحاب كراسي what any person who is responsible for people like President or Minister of any affairs related to government) and other than that. And they flee from obtaining knowledge from the Ulimaa (scholars). It is obligatory on the nation’s youths to beware from these Mutaa’alimeen (those who pretend to have knowledge) and safeguards upon obtaining knowledge from the scholars and returning to them in resolving their problems. So indeed the scholars are the inheritors of the prophets and indeed Allah distinguishes them from other than them with knowledge ( those who are not like them). So He the Most High said:

قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

“ Say: “Are those who know equal to those who know not?” It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allah’s Signs and Verses).”
Az-Zumar 9

Just as it is obligatory the utmost effort to establishes firmly who educates and issuing fatwas, except he is known for knowledge and he knows where he obtained the knowledge.

May Allah give you all success with beneficial knowledge and righteous actions and peace and blessing be upon our prophet Muhammad and his family and his companions.

Translated by Abul Baraa Muhammad Abdullah bin Earl bin Earl A’l Allister al-Amreeki