Question
Despite us having the authentic evidence (Qur’an and Sunnah) on an issue, and the view of a scholar being erroneous, some people say: ‘Do you know better than the scholars? So every scholar is wrong now? His opinion is valid!’ How should we respond to them?
Answer
1. The chain of transmission for these beliefs
Since these people believe this is an Islamic claim, we must first ask them to bring the Islamic source for this statement. And an Islamic source is what the Qur’an and the Sunnah say or approve of. And since these people have no Islamic source to present the evidence for this claim, I will be kind enough to present the evidence and Asaneed (chain of transmission) for these claims of theirs on their behalf:
- Evidence number one: They negate opinions and desires from the Imams and scholars, despite Allah only negating opinions and desires from his infallible Prophet. The people of opinion narrated from those who use their opinions to claim that the scholars are infallible, from the accursed Satan: ‘Allah forbid! How can the scholars be from the people of opinions and desires?!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
- Evidence number two: They negate the Imams speaking from their desires, affirming that they only speak from revelation. The people of opinion narrated from those who claim that the scholars are infallible since they do not speak from their desires; it is only revelation that descends upon them, from the accursed Satan: ‘The scholars never speak from their desires or opinions!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
And the people of opinion narrated from those who claim that the scholars are infallible since they do not speak from their desires; it is only revelation that descends upon them, from the accursed Satan: ‘The scholars never speak except with the speech of Allah and His Messenger!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah. - Evidence number three: They negate the Imams sinning deliberately, despite Allah affirming it when He said: ‘…but only for what your hearts intend.’ [33:5] The people of opinion narrated from those who use their opinions to claim that the scholars are infallible, from the accursed Satan: ‘Allah forbid! How can the Imams sin deliberately?!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
- Evidence number four: They restrict learning and seeking knowledge upon the path of listening, seeing, and being devoted to the Imams. The people of opinion narrated from those who claim that the scholars are infallible, from the accursed Satan: ‘Are you like the Companions or the Imams that you find in yourself the ability to understand the words of Allah?!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
- Evidence number five: They prevent others from pondering and reflecting upon the Qur’an, despite pondering and reflecting upon the Qur’an being a command from Allah. The people of opinion narrated from those who claim that the scholars are infallible, from the accursed Satan: ‘You are a blind-follower of the Imams! You do not have the right to strive on your own!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
- Evidence number six: They make the scholars an associate with Allah in everything related to knowledge. The people of opinion narrated from those who claim that the scholars are infallible and attribute to them knowledge of what had happened and what will happen, from the accursed Satan: ‘The Salaf did not leave behind anything for the successors!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
- Evidence number seven: They command everyone who came after the Imams to blind-follow the Imams as they are infallible, despite Allah prohibiting this. The people of opinion narrated from those who made the opinions of the scholars lawful in Islam and commanding people to blind-follow them, despite Allah declaring this to be unlawful, from the accursed Satan: ‘Whoever hasn’t reached the level of Ijtihad from the scholars is obliged to blind-follow an Imam!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
And the people of opinion narrated from those who made the opinions of the scholars lawful in Islam and commanding people to blind-follow them, despite Allah declaring this to be unlawful, from the accursed Satan: ‘If the scholars differ, it is obligatory to blind-follow the scholars of your land!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
And the people of opinion narrated from those who made the opinions of the scholars lawful in Islam and commanding people to blind-follow them, despite Allah declaring this to be unlawful, from the accursed Satan: ‘If the scholars differ, upon you is to blind-follow the more-knowledgeable of the two!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
And the people of opinion narrated from those who made the opinions of the scholars lawful in Islam and commanding people to blind-follow them, despite Allah declaring this to be unlawful, from the accursed Satan: ‘Whoever is a layman is obliged to blind-follow a Mufti!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
And the people of opinion narrated from those who made the opinions of the scholars lawful in Islam and commanding people to blind-follow them, despite Allah declaring this to be unlawful, from the accursed Satan: ‘You will not understand Islam except with the understanding of the Salaf, and you cannot follow any path except the path of the Salaf!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah. - Evidence number eighth: They prohibit everyone from mentioning the errors of the Imams or to speak about the Imams in light of the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
The people of opinion narrated from those who claim that the scholars are infallible, from the accursed Satan: ‘It is not for you to point out the errors of the Imams!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
And they describe those who mention the errors of the Imams as people who deny the virtues of the Imams. The people of opinion narrated from those who claim that the scholars are infallible, from the accursed Satan: ‘Whoever speaks about the errors of the scholars has rejected their virtues!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
And they describe them as people who bring down the scholars. The people of opinion narrated from those who claim that the scholars are infallible, from the accursed Satan: ‘Whoever speaks about the errors of the scholars has only brought down the scholars!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
And they describe them as people who call to abandon seeking knowledge from the scholars. The people of opinion narrated from those who claim that the scholars are infallible: ‘Whoever speaks about the errors of the scholars has only called towards not seeking knowledge from the scholars!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
And they describe them as people who eat the flesh of the scholars, and as belittlers who are agitators in turning people away from the scholars. The people of opinion narrated from those who claim that the scholars are infallible: ‘The flesh of the scholars is poison, and the practice of Allah in humiliating those who belittle the scholars is well-known!’ This was narrated by the People of Opinion in the Book of Conjecture in the Chapter of false Hadiths which have been fabricated from opinions which was prohibited by Allah.
So these are eight of the most famous evidences used by the people of opinions to reject the commands of the Qur’an and the Sunnah and prove that their scholar is correct. And none of these evidences have a foundation in the Qur’an and the Sunnah.
2. The scholars aren’t infallible
In the Islamic legislation of Allah, Allah negated the scholars being infallible from sinning deliberately or by mistake, by affirming that they sin deliberately or by mistake. Allah said: ‘There is no blame on you if you make a mistake in that regard, but only for what your hearts intend.’ [33:5]
Hence, no scholar is infallible, and none from the Muslims say that any scholar on earth is infallible. So if he is fallible, then people will start to follow whatever scholar they like! And countless decades have passed, and that which isn’t part of the Deen of Islam has been narrated from the scholars.
So opinions and Qiyas was conveyed by the scholars, despite the presence of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. And Al-Ijtihad was conveyed by the scholars, despite the presence of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. And doing the Tafsir of the Qur’an and the explanation of the Sunnah using linguistic meanings was conveyed by the scholars, despite the presence of the Qur’an and the Sunnah. And deriving evidences using the ambiguous texts was conveyed by the scholars, despite the existence of the unambiguous texts. And opposing the Qur’an and the Sunnah due to a ‘difference of opinion’ was conveyed by the scholars. And opposing the Qur’an and the Sunnah due to rationale was conveyed by the scholars. And opposing the Qur’an and the Sunnah due to the speech of a scholar was conveyed by the scholars. And opposing the Qur’an and the Sunnah due to the actions of a worshipper was conveyed by the scholars.
So their opposition to the Qur’an and the Sunnah will be with that which was mentioned above, because none of this is related to the Deen of Islam. Despite this, there will still remain parts of the Deen of Islam in what was conveyed by the scholars. And the followers of the scholars are not afraid to be judged by Allah and His Messenger, because this is obligatory in their sight. Allah said: ‘As for the believers, when they are called to Allah and His Messenger so that he may judge between them, they say, ‘We listen and obey.’ It is they who are successful.’ [24:51]
3. Which scholar should be followed, and in what should he be followed?
If the scholar guides people to the words of the Qur’an and the Sunnah, it is a must to obey him, but if he guides people to blind-following individuals, opinions, or to the views of a Madhab, it is prohibited to follow him, because the Prophet said: There is no obedience in matters of sin; obedience is only in matters of goodness. [Bukhari 7257]
As for the scholars mentioned in this Verse, ‘So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know.’ [16:43], they are the ones who possess the following three traits which necessitate them being obeyed:
- They issue verdicts to the people using the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Allah said: ‘So ask the people of knowledge if you do not know. On the basis of clear proofs and scriptures. [16:43-44]
- They judge between the people using the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Allah said: ‘And judge between them [O Prophet] according to what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their desires. And beware of them, lest they entice you away from some of what Allah has sent down to you. If they turn away, then know that it is Allah’s will to punish them for some of their sins, and many people are indeed rebellious.’ [5:49]
- They command the people to return to the Qur’an and the Sunnah in matters of disputes and differing. Allah said: ‘If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day; that is better and more commendable in the end.’ [4:59]
So whoever obeys the scholars has only obeyed Allah, on condition that the scholars stick to the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and only issue verdicts based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and rule between disputes using the Qur’an and the Sunnah. This is in contrast to the scholars of a Madhab and opinions, who use opinions to issue verdicts and to rule between disputes. And these scholars are not asked about what Allah and His Messenger have ruled in an Islamic affair, and they themselves condemn those who ask them for the evidences! Their behavior is such because instead of busying themselves in researching the rulings of the Qur’an and the Sunnah on an issue, they busied themselves with researching the opinions of their Madhab, which is what they convey to their followers.
So the scholars of Islam command the people to follow the Qur’an and the Sunnah, and they prohibit blind-following! And what is surprising is that the Imams to whom these Madhabs have been attributed prohibited blind-following, conveying opinion, and the concept of establishing a Madhab! So their elders, scholars and followers all claim to be upon their Imam’s way in their foundational matters, but they weren’t upon a Madhab. So what foundation are these people really upon? Their Imams had no Madhab, but they made a Madhab. Their Imams didn’t blind-follow, but they blind-follow. Their Imams prohibited opinions, but they legislate it. Their Imams allowed everyone to oppose their statements if it opposed the Qur’an and the Sunnah, but they prohibit it! Their Imams taught the Qur’an and the Sunnah, but they teach and learn the statements of the scholars of their Madhab. Their Imam busied themselves in spreading the message of Islam, and these people busy themselves in spreading their Madhab. So how can these people claim to be upon the path of their Imam, when he is free from them and their innovations from every angle!?
4. Allah’s Command to demand His speech as evidence from anyone who speaks regarding his deen, and challenging those who do not do so
Verily, Allah prohibited performing an act for which no evidence exists from the Speech of Allah. Allah said: ‘Do not follow that of which you have no knowledge.’ [17:36]
And Allah issued a strong warning to everyone who performs any act which has no evidence from the Speech of Allah. Allah said: ‘Whoever invokes another god besides Allah, for which he has no proof, his reckoning will be with his Lord. Indeed, the disbelievers will never succeed.’ [23:117]
And Allah commanded us to demand the Speech of Allah as evidence from anyone who speaks about Allah, His Deen, and His Prophet. Allah said: ‘Tell me on the basis of knowledge, if you are truthful.’ [6:143]
And Allah said: ‘Bring me a Scripture revealed before this, or some remnant of knowledge, if you are truthful.’ [46:4]
And Allah commanded us to demand the Speech of Allah for every religious speech. Allah said: ‘And they say, ‘None will enter Paradise except a Jew or a Christian.’ That is their wishful thinking. Say, ‘Produce your proof, if you are truthful.’ [2:111]
And Allah commanded us to demand the Speech of Allah for every religious action. Allah said: ‘Or have they taken other gods besides Him? Say, ‘Bring your proof.’ [21:24]
And Allah commanded us to demand the Speech of Allah for every religious claim. Allah said: ‘Is there any god besides Allah? Say, ‘Produce your evidence, if you are truthful.’ [27:64]
And Allah commanded us to demand the Speech of Allah for every religious ruling passed as lawful or unlawful. Allah said: ‘Say, ‘What do you think about the provision that Allah has sent down to you, of which you made some unlawful and some lawful.’ Say, ‘Has Allah given you permission or are you fabricating lies against Allah?’ [10:59]
And Allah commanded us to demand the Speech of Allah from anyone who claims that the legislation of the scholars is the Legislation of Allah. Allah said: ‘Or do you say that Ibrahim, Ismael, Ishaq, Yaqub, and the descendants [of Yaqub] were Jews or Christians?’ Say, ‘Are you more knowledgeable or Allah?’ [2:140]
And Allah informed us about the dangers of making religious statements without evidence from the Speech of Allah. Allah said: ‘And they falsely attribute to Him sons and daughters without knowledge.’ [6:100]
As for what the legislation of the scholars in the Madhabs legislated in mentioning a religious ruling without evidence from Allah’s Speech, then Allah declared this to be falsehood. Allah said: ‘Say, ‘Do you have any knowledge that you can present to us?’ [6:148]
And Allah Himself asked for the Speech of Allah as evidence from those who spoke about Allah! Allah said: ‘They say, ‘Allah has taken a son.’ Glory be to Him! He is the Self-Sufficient. To Him belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth. You have no proof for this. Do you say about Allah something that you do not know?’ [10:68]
And Allah Himself asked for the Speech of Allah as evidence from those who spoke about Allah’s Deen! Allah said: ‘Is it that We have sent down to them any authority that speaks in support of their associating partners with Him?’ [30:35]
And Allah Himself asked for the Speech of Allah as evidence from those who issue rulings! Allah said: ‘What is the matter with you? How do you judge? Will you not then take heed? Do you have any compelling proof?’ [37:154-156]
And Allah rejected those who worship others besides Allah without any evidence from the Speech of Allah. Allah said: ‘Yet they worship other than Allah that for which He has not sent down any authority, and of which they have no knowledge.’ [22:71]
And Allah rejected those who speak without evidence from the Speech of Allah. Allah said: ‘Then why do you dispute about that of which you have no knowledge? Allah knows and you do not know.’ [3:66]
And Allah rejected those who argue without any evidence from the Speech of Allah. Allah said: ‘Those who argue against the Verses of Allah without any proof given to them, there is nothing in their hearts but a quest for dominance which they will never attain. So seek refuge with Allah, for He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.’ [40:56]
And Allah said: ‘There are some people who dispute concerning Allah without knowledge, and they follow every rebellious devil.’ [22:3]
And Allah rejected those who give religious names without evidence from the Speech of Allah. Allah said: ‘These are no more than names you and your forefathers have made up, for which Allah has not sent down any authority. They follow nothing but conjecture and what their souls desire, although there has come to them guidance from their Lord.’ [53:23]
And if it weren’t for the Daleel (evidence), then everyone would say whatever they liked! And the Kalami and Sunni Madhabs–including worshipping the scholars alongside Allah–only came into existence after demanding evidence from the Speech of Allah was abandoned and conclusions were derived from the speech of the scholars. Abdullah bin Amr narrated that the Prophet said: ‘Then only ignorant people will remain. They will be asked to issue verdicts. They will issue them with their opinion; hence they will become misguided and misguide others and as well.’ [Bukhari 7307]
So whoever acts upon the command of Allah by asking for evidence from the Speech of Allah, and he rejects what Allah rejected in speaking about Allah, His Deen, and His Prophet without evidence from the Speech of Allah; then he has protected his Deen from distortion.
And Allah knows best.