This knowledge of Islam, Allaah bestows it on whomever He wishes, and when He so does we should recognise that fadl (honour) upon whom it has been bestowed.
Allaah the Mighty decried the Jews for hating the Muslims for the knowledge He bestowed upon the latter.
Ø£ÙŽÙ…Û¡ یَØۡسÙدÙونَ ٱلنَّاسَ عَلَىٰ مَاۤ ءَاتَىٰهÙم٠ٱللَّه٠مÙÙ† ÙَضۡلÙÙ‡ÙÛ¦Û– Ùَقَدۡ ءَاتَیۡنَاۤ ءَالَ Ø¥Ùبۡرَ Ù°â Ù‡Ùیمَ ٱلۡكÙتَـٰبَ وَٱلۡØÙÙƒÛ¡Ù…ÙŽØ©ÙŽ وَءَاتَیۡنَـٰهÙÙ… مّÙلۡكًا عَظÙیمࣰا
'Or do they envy people for what Allah has given them of His bounty? But we had already given the family of Abraham the Scripture and wisdom and conferred upon them a great kingdom.'
[Surah An-Nisâ': 54]
So knowledge is a Fadl - honour - from Allaah.
ÛŒÙؤۡتÙÛŒ ٱلۡØÙÙƒÛ¡Ù…ÙŽØ©ÙŽ Ù…ÙŽÙ† یَشَاۤءÙÛš ÙˆÙŽÙ…ÙŽÙ† ÛŒÙؤۡتَ ٱلۡØÙÙƒÛ¡Ù…ÙŽØ©ÙŽ Ùَقَدۡ Ø£ÙوتÙیَ خَیۡرࣰا ÙƒÙŽØ«Ùیرࣰاۗ وَمَا یَذَّكَّر٠إÙلَّاۤ Ø£ÙÙˆÛŸÙ„Ùوا۟ ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبÙ
'He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding.'
[Surah Al-Baqarah: 269]
And all the knowledge being shared by all the creatures, including those profound in it, are but little compared with what Allaah the All-Knower possesses of Knowledge.
'And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little.'
وَمَاۤ Ø£ÙوتÙیتÙÙ… مّÙÙ†ÙŽ ٱلۡعÙلۡم٠إÙلَّا Ù‚ÙŽÙ„Ùیلࣰا
[Surah Al-Isrâ’: 85]
This knowledge of Islam is however what whoever possesses it should not take pride in such that he belittles and show arrogance over others with it.
The Messenger of Allaah - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - said:
مَنْ تعلَّمَ العلْمَ ليÙباهÙÙŠÙŽ بÙه٠العلماءَ، أوْ ÙŠÙمارÙÙŠÙŽ بÙه٠السÙهاءَ، أوْ يصرÙÙÙŽ بÙه٠وجوهَ الناس٠إليه، أدخَلَه٠الله٠جهنَّمَ
'Whoever acquires knowledge to pride himself with it before the scholars, or to cajole the fools, or to turn people's faces to himself, Allaah will make him enter the Hell.' (Saheeh Al-Jaami)
The first set of people to be punished in the Last Day are those who acquired knowledge on earth so that people can say they are scholars.
It is for this reason many knowledgeable people will always run away from being praised for their knowledge, or being referred to as scholars.
Ash-Shaykh Al-Albaani - rahimahullah - would cry anytime anyone praised him for his knowledge. He would often say, 'I am but a little leaner.' Allaah's mercy on him.
Islam gives a lot of recognition to those who are elderly and have been long in the Deen.
The Messenger of Allaah - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - said:
إنَّ من إجلال٠اللَّه٠إÙكْرامَ ذي الشَّيبة٠المسلÙÙ…ÙØŒ ÙˆØامل٠القرآن٠غير٠الغالي Ùيه٠والجاÙÙŠ عنهÙØŒ وإÙكْرامَ ذي السّÙلطان٠المقسÙØ·Ù
'It is from honouring Allaah to honour those with the grey hair on their head, so also the bearers of the Qur'aan who do not go overboard about it, or who do are not lax with it; so also is honouring the just ruler.' (Saheeh Abee Daawud)
And he - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - said
البَرَكَة٠مع أَكابÙرÙÙƒÙمْ
'The blessing is with your elderly (knowledgeable) ones.' (Saheeh at-Targheeb)
Allaah praised the older Sahabah would had been with the Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) right from Makkah, and the Ansaar who first met him at the First and Second Aqabah.
They were the Saabiqoonal Awwaleen (the First Forerunners).
Allaah said He had forgiven all those who fought in the Battle of Badr - the First Islamic Battle.
لَا یَسۡتَوÙÛŒ Ù…ÙنكÙÙ… مَّنۡ Ø£ÙŽÙ†ÙÙŽÙ‚ÙŽ Ù…ÙÙ† قَبۡل٠ٱلۡÙَتۡØ٠وَقَـٰتَلَۚ Ø£Ùو۟لَـٰۤىٕÙÙƒÙŽ أَعۡظَم٠دَرَجَةࣰ مّÙÙ†ÙŽ ٱلَّذÙینَ Ø£ÙŽÙ†ÙÙŽÙ‚Ùوا۟ Ù…ÙÙ†Û¢ بَعۡد٠وَقَـٰتَلÙوا۟ۚ ÙˆÙŽÙƒÙلࣰّا وَعَدَ ٱللَّه٠ٱلۡØÙسۡنَىٰۚ وَٱللَّه٠بÙمَا تَعۡمَلÙونَ خَبÙیرࣱ
'Not equal among you are those who spent before the conquest [of Makkah] and fought [and those who did so after it]. Those are greater in degree than they who spent afterwards and fought. But to all Allah has promised the best [reward]. And Allah , with what you do, is Acquainted.'
[Surah Al-Hadîd: 10]
The matter was such that when one of the latter Sahabah spoke ill of one the early Sahaba, the Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) reprimanded him.
He - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - said:
لا تسبوا أصØابي، Ùوالذي Ù†Ùسي بيدÙه، لو أنÙÙ‚ÙŽ Ø£ØدÙكم مثلَ Ø£ÙØÙد٠ذهبًا ما بلغَ مدَّ Ø£ØدÙهم ولا نَصÙÙŠÙÙŽÙ‡
'Do not revile my Companions, I swear by He in Whose Hand is my soul, if any of you were to spend the like of Mount Uhud as gold (as charity), you will never attain the worth of their mudd (spending) not even its half.' (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)
It is instructive to be said here that the Sabab (cause) of that statement was between one of the latter Sahaba and one of their former. Here, the Messenger of Allaah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) established the superiority of the early Sahaba.
It is an agreed rule that Aboo Bakr comes first among the Sahabah then Umar them Uthman then Alee, and so on.
Age, knowledge, experience, sacrifice, etc, were factors in the grading.
To a keen learner, he would know that there were Kibaar As-Sahabah and Sighaar As-Sahabah.
Aboo Bakr, Umar, Uthmaan, Alee, Sa'd bn Abee Waqqaas, Abdurrahman bn Auf, Talhah bn Ubaydillah, Az-Zubayr bn Awwam, Abdullah bn Mas'ood, etc, were the Kibaar.
Abdullah b. Abbaas, Abdullaah b. Umar, Abdullah b. Zubayr, Abdullah b. Amr, Anas b. Maalik, Baraa b. Aazib, Abu Hurairah, etc, were the Sighaar when those Kibaar were alive.
Many of the Sighaar Sahabah such as Aboo Hurairah, Ibn Abbaas, etc, actually learnt Hadeeth from the Kibaar.
Whenever you hear Aboo Hurairah narrate happenings in pre-Hijrah period, those were mostly reports he heard from the Senior Sahabah.
The Sighaar were very respectful of the Kibaar, and the former would never undermine the latter.
So Allaah the Mighty blessed all of them.
Then came the era of the Taabioon. There were elders among them too such as the Mukhdramoon (those who were alive during the time of the Messenger of Allaah - sallallahu alayhi wa sallam - but missed meeting him whike they had believed in him), Sa'eed bn Musayyab, Ur'wah bn Zubayr etc.
The Sighaar among the Sahabah became the Kibaar for the Kibaar among the Taabioon.
Then the Sighaar among the Taabioon became the Kibaar for the Kibaar among Taabit-Taabieen.
That wasy how it came down all through the history till our present time.
Allaah the Mighty asked those who came after to always supplicate for those before them in righteousness.
وَٱلَّذÙینَ جَاۤءÙÙˆ Ù…ÙÙ†Û¢ بَعۡدÙÙ‡ÙÙ…Û¡ یَقÙولÙونَ رَبَّنَا ٱغۡÙÙرۡ لَنَا ÙˆÙŽÙ„ÙØ¥Ùخۡوَ Ù°â Ù†Ùنَا ٱلَّذÙینَ سَبَقÙونَا بÙٱلۡإÙیمَـٰن٠وَلَا تَجۡعَلۡ ÙÙÛŒ Ù‚ÙÙ„ÙوبÙنَا غÙلࣰّا لّÙلَّذÙینَ ءَامَنÙوا۟ رَبَّنَاۤ Ø¥Ùنَّكَ رَءÙÙˆÙࣱ رَّØÙیمٌ
'And [there is a share for] those who came after them, saying, "Our Lord, forgive us and our brothers who preceded us in faith and put not in our hearts [any] resentment toward those who have believed. Our Lord, indeed You are Kind and Merciful."
[Surah Al-Hashr: 10]
But in our time, some youths in the UK, US, Asia and Africa (namely Nigeria) curse and disparage those who preceded them in Tawheed and Sunnah in the various localities.
This is what exactly the Neo-Hizbees of Ilorin, the 'Pristine' Methodology guys, who coined a name to conceal their partisanship with, are doing today. They have rubbished all the efforts of scholars of Tawheed and Sunnah (many of whom were sabab of their guidance.
That however is just the sub-theme of this series, their hypocrisy and deceit around hyping certain scholars as Kibaar in this present time while disregarding many other scholars even those who are more knowledgeable and experienced, is the major theme.
We will get there, Inshaa Allaah.
