Have you asked Imam Mahdi about the scholars of the End Times, before you asked the scholars of the End Times about Imam Al-Mahdi?
In Islam, scholars are revered to be highly respected individuals who are thought to have extensive knowledge of Islamic teachings. They have a profound impact on shaping the beliefs and practices of the Muslim community across the world. Their interpretations of religious texts and traditions influence how individuals perceive and practice their faith. I think we can all agree, it is a responsibility of utmost significance, one that should not be left to those whose connection with God is deemed inadequate. Would you entrust your beloved children in the hands of negligence? Or your hard-earned business to the hands of incompetence? Just as one would carefully select a trusted adviser for matters of great importance, then would it not be wise to extend the same expectation to those who are chosen as our spiritual guides? This is a matter that should not be taken lightly, especially when such a pivotal role wields the power to determine our ultimate fate - whether it be salvation or damnation.
It is concerning to think that the Prophet himself mentioned those whom Muslims regard as knowledgeable to be ignorant. This fact alone raises questions - why is there a plethora of unfavorable narrations circulating the subject of religious authority? Why do Muslims differ among themselves about which Hadith is authentic? And who truly knows what the prophet said? Questions that take sincere reflection. How is it that those who are seeking closeness with God put their faith in the very hands of those that the prophet himself warned us against? Let us look at some of what the prophet said about the scholars of Islam in the end of times.
Prophet Mohammed said,
“Almighty Allah will not take back knowledge after having bestowed it on you. However, He will take scholars, together with their knowledge, from within their communities and take their souls. All that remains will be an ignorant body of people. The people will ask them about their religious needs, and they will issue fatwas (religious opinion on a matter) in the light of their own ideas and desires and will both deviate themselves and lead others into deviation.” (Sahih Bukhari, Tajrid as-Sarih: 2174)
Imam Ali said,
“The Prophet said: 'A time will come when there will be nothing left of Islam except its name, and nothing will remain of the Qur'an except its letters. Their mosques will be full of people, but they will be empty of guidance. Their scholars will be the worst people under the heavens; strife (fitnah) will come from them and return to them.” (Sunan al-Darimi, Introduction, Hadith 239)
Scholars who lack true knowledge and humility pose a significant threat to Islam, contributing to the state of confusion and division within the Muslim community. When ignorance clouds judgment and prevails, the so-called guidance offered by such non working scholars falls into misguidance, causing their followers to stray from the authentic teachings and principles of the very prophet they yearn to draw close to - Prophet Mohammed and his Holy Household .
Aba al-Sadiq noted that scholars have significantly corrupted their religion by engaging in practices not instructed by the Prophet. They have dismissed the Torah and the Gospels, deeming them entirely corrupt and ignoring their texts, including the truths within them. This has led to a disregard for the prophets and messengers associated with those texts. Consequently, people have deviated from the true path, choosing to follow their scholars instead of Muhammad and his family. The Prophet said:
"There will come a time when the worst creatures under the heavens will be scholars. From them, there will be misguidance and misguiding others." - (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 22723)
It's troubling to see the non working scholars in Islam, due to their lack of proper knowledge, inadvertently keeping their followers in a state of ignorance. As Jesus said, it's the blind leading the blind,
“Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.” - (Matthew 15:14)
Scholars, without an understanding of the Quran and Hadith, spread misguided teachings. This results in entire communities embracing beliefs that miss the true beauty and wisdom of Islam. When leaders are not well-informed, they cannot guide others effectively, leaving everyone stuck in the dark and unable to grow and learn in their faith.
Aba al-Sadiq said,
“The scholars act as a drug, a depressant, something which causes the populations to remain in a state of sedation and deep sleep. They don't issue fatwas to rise up against the oppression, rather they issue fatwas that you should never go out against the ruler or against the leader and that you have to be patient. And they teach the population that they should focus their hopes on a world that's yet to come - the Hereafter; and don't worry about this physical world.”
These scholars prevent people from taking action against injustice. They tell them to be patient and focus on the afterlife rather than trying to improve their current situation.
In the past the scholar Ibn Taymiyyah, during the Mamluk era, did not condemn the rulers even though they did not implement Sharia law. He believed that obeying the rulers was necessary to maintain social order, even if their governance was not in line with Islamic principles.
This is in complete contrast to Islamic figures like Imam Hussein , who fought against tyranny and oppression, demonstrating that true faith involves standing up for justice in this world.
Today, so-called scholars such as Sheikh Abdulaziz Al-Sheikh, the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, has consistently urged Muslims to obey the ruler. He not only works closely with the king but he also is paid by the government.
Furthermore, we frequently see this with many of their rulers, similarly supporting the Saudi government, which has faced criticism for human rights violations. Despite these issues, he emphasizes the importance of order and unity under the leadership of the non working scholars interpreting Hadith and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad to suit the ruler's agenda. Many non-working scholars are even appointed by the government through a ministry of religious affairs.
In Egypt for example, Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Al-Tayyeb, the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar since 2010, willingly supports the state and has cooperated with various governments, including those of Mohamed Morsi and Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Similarly, in Azerbaijan, religious figures also align with political leaders. Sheikh-ul-Islam Allahshukur Pashazade, who has led the Caucasus Muslim Board since 1980, maintains a strong relationship with President Ilham Aliyev. In fact, in Azerbaijan, religious leaders and figures need to be state approved and state appointed.
These scholars and rulers should be rejected, following Prophet Muhammad's instruction to question religious scholars who are at the feet of political rulers. There are many narrations that have warned the people against such treachery:
"Narrated Ka'b bin Malik: The Messenger of Allah said: 'Two hungry wolves sent in the midst of a flock of sheep are no more destructive to them than a man's greed for wealth and fame is to his religion.'" (Al-Mu’jam al-Kabeer by Tabarani, Hadith 10350)
This complicity with oppressive regimes not only distorts the teachings of Islam but also keeps followers ignorant and submissive to the ruler; meanwhile, leading the people to unwittingly elevate their scholars to positions of complete authority, relying solely on them to dictate what's permissible (halal) and forbidden (haram), and what's morally right or wrong.
“Abi Basir said I asked Abu Abdullah peace be upon him about the words of Allah ‘they took their rabbis and monks as Lords apart from Allah’ he said ‘by Allah they did not call them to worship themselves and if they had called them to worship themselves they would not have responded. But they made lawful for them what was forbidden and forbade for them what was lawful and so they worshiped them unknowingly.’” (Bihar Al-Anwar, Vol. 2 .p98)
It is a pure irony that many scholars preach that the ultimate sin, or haram, is shirk—the practice of associating partners with God—while simultaneously positioning themselves as the ultimate authorities on what is halal (permissible) and haram (forbidden). In doing so, they often assume a role that can be perceived as representing God, despite having no divine authorization to do so. How can they claim to pave the way for the Mahdi when there are thousands of scholars, each interpreting thousands of hadiths according to their own understanding and evaluations?
In the early 2000s, a prominent Egyptian scholar, Sheikh Mahmoud al-Habbash, issued a fatwa suggesting that women could breastfeed adult men to establish a familial bond, thereby allowing them to interact more freely in certain social contexts.
Fatwas on issues such as spatial segregation, women attending funerals, and women driving, among others, are equally contradictory and upsetting.
Many people mistakenly believe that religious scholars throughout history have always been the first to support appointed prophets, messengers, and Imams. They assume that these scholars, with their extensive knowledge of scriptures and prophecies, could easily identify and anticipate the next vicegerent of God. However, a closer examination of historical events reveals a completely different reality.
Aba al-Sadiq said,
“The Mahdi will not have a more evident enemy than the Muslim scholars. In the same way that the most evident and prominent enemies of Jesus were the rabbis, who were supposed to be the first people to pledge allegiance to him, and who were supposed to be the guardians of religion and the ones who called people towards him, yet they fought him. In the same way, the people who are supposed to be the guardians of religion—the scholars of Islam—are actually the traitors and the ones that fight the Mahdi. We have a plethora of extremely interesting narrations that describe the scholars of Islam as traitors. They are described as being the most evil of creation. Another narration describes them as being more dangerous to Muslims than the Dajjal (Antichrist) himself.”
Aba al-Sadiq has challenged the misguided dependence on non working scholars and urged believers to seek guidance directly from the family of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). The family of Muhammad warned that the scholars of the end times are the worst under the sky, calling them traitors and saying they are more dangerous to our ummah than the army of Yazid and even the Dajjal. We should always turn to the timeless wisdom of those closest to God - Prophet Mohammed, The Imams, and the Mahdis.
His powerful statement resonates:
“As my father, Imam Ahmad al-Hassan, the Yamani , advised: “Have you asked the family of Muhammad about the scholars of the end times before you ask the scholars of the end times about the family of Muhammad."
The appointment of authority is solely for God and only God's vicegerent can truly guide the people. Seeking knowledge from God's appointed vicegerent is crucial for maintaining the integrity of the faith and ensuring that the community is guided in the right direction. Only through divine leadership, can proper guidance, unity, enlightenment and our purpose be achieved.
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