Many of our home scholars may not be aware of many things going on here, so don't ever make that mistake of using the social media gauge their knowledge about individuals. I was among those Allaah privileged to sit before a number of them, for some years, walhamdulilah, learning seriously from them. So I know how busy they used to be. Most times they make comments on information students bring to them, and students can be funny some time.
But by Allaah, those whom we sat with would never Lord themsleves over us. Many a times we would have fiqh positions different from theirs. I could recall one of our teachers telling us we were wrong on a particular fiqh issue but we were not convinced.
It used to be funny when one of the asaatidha from another area who was more inclined to one of the Shuyookh's fiqh positions would repeatedly ask questions to nail us, and the Shaykh would continously answer in his favour. That did not hurt us.
Sometimes some manhaj issues would come up especially in the area of warning about deviant people, most of the Shuyookh would take our attention away from that. We once asked one of them about Ali Jabata, as clear as his matter was, he still took our attention away from him, he told us, I don't like that names be mentioned before me. We observed the scholars were more interested in imparting the actual knowledge we came for. So we excused them.
Yet they would accord us respect even as learners under them. One of them once said in a public program we invited him to around 2013 that if any scholar returns home from abroad where he had gone to learn and thinks he can take the people at home for a ride, such a scholar would find himself to blame when those at home began to question him on some issues of Islam.
Therefore, the scholars understand the nature of the youths. Let's try to understand them too.
One, they are mostly more elderly, and elderly people will be naturally be more gentle and tolerating.
Two, most of them learnt from the same source, so that old-school association stuff will be inherent in their mutual dealings. It happens to those who attended the same secular schools too.
Three, they are not usually abreast of these matters we often drag here. I am very sure of this.
So we need to understand them when they gaffe. Don't we gaffe too?
Some of them can make statements tantamount to innovations in the Deen, please don't rush to nail them.
The maxim: 'not every one who falls into a bid'ah becomes a mubtadi' still applies.
By Allaah, a respected Ustaadh from Ilorin also referred to the-subject-matter doctor in respectful terms a couple of days ago, we 'all' seemed to excuse him.
Having said the foregoing, please note that the truth is superior to any personality. It is sinful to follow the confirmed error of any scholar be it Ibn Taymiyyah or Ibn Baz.
It is also bad to defend the glaring error of any scholar at the expense of the Truth.
But the other people too should not rush to write off a scholar of Sunnah, who is not defending the Tableegh, the Ikhwaan, and other deviants such as Qardawee, or who is not hell-bent on glaring deviations.
If those people watch their backs, they will see scholars whom they love too that would commit same error very soon. Are they not humans?. So if we make it a principle that when a scholar makes an error we send away, all our scholars would soon finish and the ignoramuses will take over.
Don't depict this matter of tabdee as a competition and history-breaking. Take it easy, so that Allaah will take it easy with you too.
Don't say what can the scholars do? They do a lot. See the twin effort of our two doctors last week and the effect of that all over the South West. The effect is still raging on. Were there not people doing radd before them?
Please let's understand the home scholars and excuse them, and always pray for their guidance.
And always know the truth and stick to it.
This piece cannot be perfect, I pray Allaah forgive me for my errors therein.
