News Right Now: At the Rulers Gates

Welcome to News Right Now: At the Rulers Gates

"إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يَتْرُكْ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُءُوسًا جُهَّالاً فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا ‏"

“Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people but He takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars, so that when He leaves no learned person, people turn to the ignorant as their leaders; then they are asked to deliver religious verdicts and they deliver them without knowledge, they go astray, and lead others astray.” (Sahih Muslim 2673)

Ever since the colonial invasion of the Muslim world, the Ummah has struggled to bring about political change that liberates the Muslims from the subjugation that currently dominates her affairs. The Ummah’s deep attachment to Islamic scholars is a stunning testament to the fervent love and devotion to Islam that courses through her. From worship, to hygiene, to marriage and divorce, to financial transactions, to political activity; Muslims around the world seek counsel and guidance from the sincere and Islamic scholars. As the Ummah looks to the scholars to advise and guide us on important personal issues, we also need scholars to properly advise and counsel us on the vital economic, social, and political issues that plague us as an Ummah.

The scholars are the ones that should present Islam as a complete ideology, capable of tackling the most complex and most nuanced issues in terms of politics, economics, and social life. And they should do it without appeasing, flattering, or coddling any of the existing systems and governments that have all flatly rejected religion and its influence in the public sphere. In fact, we Muslims look to the scholars to challenge authority, hold the rulers accountable, correct their mistakes, and convey the Haqq.

Instead, in Muslim countries, we see Muslim scholars appeasing, approving, and quote-unquote “advising” the illegitimate Muslim rulers, and in the Western countries we see them working the government councils and quote-unquote “advising” them. Recently Hamza Yusuf was quoted as saying “I don't believe the Prophet (saw) established a form of government.” and “If you hate the West, immigrate to a Muslim country...”

But an Islamic scholar “advising” an illegitimate ruler is no different than a scholar quote-unquote “advising” a boyfriend on how to treat his girlfriend or quote-unquote “advising” a Muslim on how to operate a casino, or quote-unquote “advising” a Muslim on how to perform any other activity that Allah has made haram. Clearly, the role of a scholar is not to make the tyrants tyranny less oppressive, or to legitimize the illegitimate.

The prophet (saw) said, "ومن أتى أبواب السلاطين أُفتُتن"

“whoever stands at the gates of rulers will be tested”.

The reality is that the Prophet saw commanded us to distance ourselves from oppressors and rulers and to hold them to account and not side with them. The Prophet (saw) informed us that the scholars are inheritors of the prophets - and the Muslim Ummah relies on them to provide proper Islamic evidences, and to have the courage to act on them.

We urge all Islamic scholars to join the work for the revival and unification of the Ummah and to present Islam as an alternative to the secular-democratic way of life.

JazakAmullah Khair for joining us... Wasalaamu alaykum wa rahamtullah hee wa barakathu hu