THE ‛ULAMĀ’ ARE THE PROTECTORS OF THE SHARĪ‛AT
THE ‛ULAMĀ’ ARE THE PROTECTORS OF THE SHARĪ‛AT
‛Allāmah Sha‛rānī rahimahullāh says the Hadīth states:
The ‛Ulamā’ are the heirs of the Prophets
Who does it refer to; the Auliyā’ or the Jurists? The
answer is that it refers to practising ‛Ulamā’,
Because they combine words with actions.
Now when we talk about practical application, the
masses get angry at us and want to know why we
speak about this. Whereas I am actually quoting the
words of Shaykh Akbar Muhīyy ad-Dīn ibn ‛Arabī to you.
The real heirs of the Prophets ‛alayhimus salām
are these very ‛Ulamā’ who combine words with
actions. Their inheritance is not restricted to words
but extends to actions and conditions as well. This is
how the ‛Ulamā’ of the past were. That is, they
combined words with actions. They also emulated
Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‛alayhi wa sallam in his
character and mannerisms. Later on, the majority of
people lagged behind in actions and conditions. They
had knowledge but not actions. Such ‛Ulamā’ are not
worthy of being referred to as heirs of the Prophets‛alayhimus salām.
We learn from the above that if there are only words
without actions, then this is misguidance. The
‛Ulamā’ and Sufis noticed that this special quality of
Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‛alayhi wa sallam was
disappearing from the people. If nothing was done to
preserve it, the very essence of Dīn will cease to exist
and misguidance will become common. They went
into deep discussions on this issue. Today words are
considered to be everything, while people know
nothing about actions and conditions.
I was going from my hometown to Thānah Bhawan,
and intended proceeding for hajj from there. I met a
student along the way. Whenever we stopped at a
station and I needed water, he would run and bring it
for me. He did his utmost to help and serve me in
whatever way he could. I asked him: “Where are you
going to?” He replied: “I am going to Madrasah
Mazāhir al-‛Ulūm, Sahāranpūr.” When we reached
the Sahāranpūr station and he was about to bid me
farewell, he said: “I am fully aware of the condition of
your journey. When you go there [Makkah], you must
make du‛ā’ that I become an expert orator.”
I thought to myself, he is asking me to make du‛ā’
that he becomes an orator, but not for the
acquisition of knowledge and practice. Nonetheless, I
made du‛ā’ for him.
Hadrat Maulānā Muhammad Anwar Shāh Sāhib
Kashmīrī rahimahullāh used to speak about an
illustrious Muhaddith. When he reached there
[Makkah], he made du‛ā’ that he must be able to
follow the Sunnat. There were others with him. They
made du‛ā’ that they become hāfiz, but he only made
du‛ā’ to be able to follow the Sunnat. Anyway, that
student requested me to make du‛ā’ for him. I
remembered him when I reached Makkah and made
this du‛ā’ for him. I was still astonished that at a
place where du‛ā’s are accepted, he did not ask me to
make du‛ā’ that he dies on īmān. He ought to have
asked me to make du‛ā’ for the acquisition of
knowledge and steadfastness on the Sharī‛at.
When I returned from hajj, I learnt that the student
passed away not long after that and could not even
reach the time when he could deliver lectures. Had
he remained alive, he probably would have learnt to
deliver lectures. Nonetheless, I ask, even if someone
did become an expert orator, of what benefit would
that be? A mere lecture which is devoid of action has
no benefit apart from making the masses your
followers. You will derive no benefit from this in the
Hereafter. Understand this well.
If you are irked by what I said, you may continue
being so. The fact remains that for you to be an heir
of the Prophets ‛alayhimus salām, words alone are
not enough. It is essential for you to couple your
words with action as was the case with our pious
predecessors. That is, they combined words with
actions.
Shaykh Muhīyy ad-Dīn ibn ‛Arabī rahimahullāh was
an esteemed scholar. He displayed the greatness of
the Sharī‛at. He said that the most essential thing
after Rasūlullāh sallallāhu ‛alayhi wa sallam and the
most blessed thing for those who come after him is
that it is the responsibility of the ‛ulamā’ to preserve
the Sharī‛at. It is really scholars like these who
preserve the Sharī‛at.
I say to you, it is necessary for everyone to practise
on the Sharī‛at – the ‛Ulamā’ and the masses.
However, preserving the knowledge of the Sharī‛at is
the responsibility of the ‛ulamā’. Just as tabarrukāt
(items of blessings of the pious) are preserved, the
Sharī‛at ought to be considered to be a tabarruk and
be preserved and protected.
If the ‛ulamā’ do not preserve it, knowledge of the Sharī‛at will depart and
their names will be struck off from the register of ‛Ulamā’.
Source: Marif Muslihul Ummat
