“Verily, The Worst Of Evils Is The Evil Of The Ulama, And The Best Of Goodness Is The Goodness Of The Ulama.”

Rasulullah(sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Verily, the worst of evils is the evil of the Ulama, and the best of goodness is the goodness of the Ulama.”

Hadhrat Umar Ibn Khattaab (radhiyallahu anhu) asked Hadhrat Ka’b (radhiyallahu anhu): “What expunges Ilm (Knowledge of the Deen) from the hearts of the Ulama?”

Hadhrat Ka’b (radhiyallahu anhu) said: “Greed.” “Verily the worst of the Qurraa’ (plural of Qaari) by Allah are those who visit the wealthy.” (Daarmi) People of Knowledge who visit the wealthy and the rulers for the attainment of worldly motives and to gratify their desire for wealth come within the purview of these strictures. The Hadith does not slate wealth and the wealthy.

The evil effects generated by wealth are the spiritual poisons to beware of. As far as wealth is concerned, Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Pious wealth is good for a pious man.” “Pious wealth” is wealth acquired in a halaal manner. A pious man will discharge the huqooq of the bounty of wholesome wealth. Others will benefit from ‘his’ wealth, for he understands that the wealth in his custody is an Amaanat (trust) which Allah Ta’ala has entrusted to him during this short worldly sojourn. He does not display

ingratitude to Allah Ta’ala by squandering the halaal wealth bestowed to him. Pious men of wealth who maintain a relationship with pious Ulama for the sake of the Deen are praiseworthy. Hence the Mashaaikh have coined the adage: “The wealthy man at the door of the Faqeer is praiseworthy while the Faqeer (i.e. the Aalim of the Deen) at the door of a wealthy man is evil.”

A salient attribute of the ulama-e-soo’ (the evil worldly ulama) is their constant concern to satisfy the whims and desires of the people of wealth. In this despicable process, the ulama-e-soo’ trade the Shariah for a miserable price. They fabricate opinions and ‘rules’ to satisfy their paymasters. In so doing they plod the path carved for them by the ulama of Bani Israaeel who were adept in the art of distortion and misinterpretation of the laws of the Shariah.

Castigating the ulama-e-soo’, the Qur’aan Majeed states: “O People of Imaan! Verily numerous of the Ahbaar and Ruhbaan (Ulama and Mashaaikh of Bani Israaeel) devour the wealth of people in unlawful ways and they prevent (people) from the Path of Allah” “And why do their Saints and Scholars not forbid them (the masses) from speaking falsehood and eating haraam? Indeed, most vile is what they were doing.” This vile cancerous disease has consumed innumerable ulama of this Ummah. May Allah Ta’ala save us from the evil of our nafs and the plots of shaitaan.