Title of Sermon: The Misleading Scholars
Elements of Sermon
1. The Danger of Misleading Scholars.
2. Why They Altered the Laws of Allah.
3. Corrupt Scholars of the Past and Present.
4. The Duty of Godly Scholars.
All praise be to Allah, the Absolute Truth, the Manifest, who guides from misguidance, teaches from ignorance, and leads the believers from darkness into light. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah, and I testify that Muhammad is His servant and messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace abundantly.
O servants of Allah, truly fear Allah with the fear that is His due, and be mindful of Him in secret and in private.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ
“O you who believe, fear Allah as He should be feared, and do not die except as Muslims” (Alu 'Imran:102).
Brothers in Islam:
Is there a trial in this world greater and more dangerous than the deception of the False Messiah, the Antichrist? One day, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, "Is there anything I fear for my ummah more than the Dajjal?" Abu Dharr al-Ghifari, may Allah be pleased with him, asked, "O Messenger of Allah, what do you fear for your ummah more than the Dajjal?" He replied, "Misleading scholars." This hadith was reported by Ahmad.
The misleading scholars, heads of misguidance, have gone astray and led others astray, bearing the ornamentation of speech, and they adorn falsehood, making it prevalent among the common people. A misleader might be an ignorant leader whom people have taken as a guide, thus he becomes a leader of misguidance for the ignorant, as the Prophet ﷺ told us: "Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people but takes it away by taking the scholars away. When no scholar remains, people will take as their leaders ignorant heads who, when consulted, will give verdicts without knowledge, thus they will go astray and lead others astray." This hadith was reported by both Bukhari and Muslim.
A misleader might also be someone whom Allah has given knowledge, yet he sold his religion for a trivial gain from this world and followed his desires, like Bal'aam son of Ba'ura, whom Allah has set as an example. Allah says:
وَاتْلُ عَلَيْهِمْ نَبَأَ الَّذِي آتَيْنَاهُ آيَاتِنَا فَانْسَلَخَ مِنْهَا فَأَتْبَعَهُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَكَانَ مِنَ الْغَاوِينَ * وَلَوْ شِئْنَا لَرَفَعْنَاهُ بِهَا وَلَكِنَّهُ أَخْلَدَ إِلَى الْأَرْضِ وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِنْ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثْ ذَلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا فَاقْصُصِ الْقَصَصَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَفَكَّرُونَ
“Recite to them the story of the one to whom We gave Our signs, but he detached himself from them; so Satan followed him, and he became of the misguided. And if We had willed, We could have elevated him thereby, but he clung to the earth and followed his own desires. His example is like that of the dog: if you chase him, he pants, or if you leave him, he [still] pants. Such is the example of the people who deny Our signs. So relate the stories that perhaps they will reflect” (Al-A'raf: 175-176).
He was given knowledge, yet he detached from it and did not act upon it; instead, he clung to the worldly life and its desires, thus he went astray and led others astray from the Straight Path.
O servants of Allah:
Allah took a covenant from the scholars of the Children of Israel to act according to the knowledge Allah gave them, to convey it to the people, and not to hide it. However, they broke these covenants and oaths. Allah says:
وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَكْتُمُونَهُ فَنَبَذُوهُ وَرَاءَ ظُهُورِهِمْ وَاشْتَرَوْا بِهِ ثَمَنًا قَلِيلًا فَبِئْسَ مَا يَشْتَرُونَ
“And [recall] when Allah took the covenant of those who were given the Scripture, [saying], ‘You must make it clear to the people and not conceal it.’ But they threw it away behind their backs and exchanged it for a small price. What a wretched purchase they made!” (Alu 'Imran:187).
And He said:
فَبِمَا نَقْضِهِمْ مِيثَاقَهُمْ لَعَنَّاهُمْ وَجَعَلْنَا قُلُوبَهُمْ قَاسِيَةً يُحَرِّفُونَ الْكَلِمَ عَنْ مَوَاضِعِهِ وَنَسُوا حَظًّا مِمَّا ذُكِّرُوا بِهِ
“So for their breaking of the covenant, We cursed them and made their hearts hard. They distort words from their [proper] usages and forgot a portion of that of which they were reminded” (Al-Ma'idah:13).
Why did they hide and alter the words of Allah? They did so for the sake of worldly gains, selling their hereafter for a trivial price, seeking the approval of the influential and powerful, and they were deluded by their desires. Allah says:
فَخَلَفَ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ خَلْفٌ وَرِثُوا الْكِتَابَ يَأْخُذُونَ عَرَضَ هَذَا الْأَدْنَى وَيَقُولُونَ سَيُغْفَرُ لَنَا وَإِنْ يَأْتِهِمْ عَرَضٌ مِثْلُهُ يَأْخُذُوهُ أَلَمْ يُؤْخَذْ عَلَيْهِمْ مِيثَاقُ الْكِتَابِ أَنْ لَا يَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّ وَدَرَسُوا مَا فِيهِ وَالدَّارُ الْآخِرَةُ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ
“Then there has succeeded them a posterity who inherited the Scripture [while] taking the commodities of this lower life and saying, ‘It will be forgiven for us.’ And if an [offer like] it comes [again], they will [again] take it. Was not the covenant of the Scripture taken from them that they would not say about Allah except the truth, and they studied what was in it? And the home of the hereafter is better for those who fear Allah; do you not understand?” (Qur'an 7:169).
Al-Bara' ibn 'Azib, may Allah be pleased with him, narrates an incident involving the Jews in the city of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, saying: "A Jew was brought before the Prophet ﷺ, his face blackened with coal (as a form of punishment for adultery), and whipped. The Prophet ﷺ called them and asked: 'Is this the punishment for the adulterer found in your Book?' They replied, 'Yes.' Then he called one of their scholars and said, swearing him by Allah who revealed the Torah to Moses: 'Is this the punishment for the adulterer in your Book?' The scholar said, 'No, and had you not adjured me by this, I would not have told you. We find the punishment to be stoning, but when it was someone of status among us, we let him go, and if it was someone weak, we applied the punishment. We said, let us agree on something we can apply equally to the noble and the lowly, so we adopted blackening the face and whipping instead of stoning.' Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'O Allah, I am the first to revive Your command when they have let it die,' and he ordered that the man be stoned." This hadith was reported by Muslim.
O servants of Allah:
Allah has narrated to us the conditions of the Children of Israel for us to take heed, for the Prophet ﷺ has informed us that many Muslims will follow their ways. Abu Sa'id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet ﷺ said: "You will follow the ways of those before you, inch by inch and arm by arm, so much so that if they entered the hole of a lizard, you would follow them." We asked, "O Messenger of Allah! The Jews and Christians?" He replied: "Who else?" This hadith was reported by both Bukhari and Muslim.
Indeed, reality is the best witness and the clearest proof. We have seen many who dress in the garb of the learned and carry titles, falsely and deceitfully appearing as the righteous, selling their hereafter. They remain silent about the truth, speak falsehoods, distort the law of the Merciful, lie about Allah, and bring what contradicts the definitive aspects of Allah's religion, to please the West, corrupt politicians, secularists, and the wicked.
The Prophet ﷺ accurately described them when he said: "Callers at the gates of Hell, whoever responds to them, they throw him into it." It was asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Describe them to us?" He said: "They are from our own people and speak our language," reported by Bukhari and Muslim.
We see them claim that the disbelievers might be forgiven by Allah and enter Paradise, while they know what Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَظَلَمُوا لَمْ يَكُنِ اللَّهُ لِيَغْفِرَ لَهُمْ وَلَا لِيَهْدِيَهُمْ طَرِيقًا * إِلَّا طَرِيقَ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أَبَدًا وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ عَلَى اللَّهِ يَسِيرًا
“Indeed, those who disbelieve and commit injustice, Allah is not to forgive them, nor to guide them to a path, except the path of Hell, abiding therein forever, and that is easy for Allah” (Al-Nisa:168-169).
And they know Allah's statement:
وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لَهُمْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ لَا يُقْضَى عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُوا وَلَا يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ مِنْ عَذَابِهَا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي كُلَّ كَفُورٍ
“And for those who disbelieve, for them is the fire of Hell; death is not decreed for them so they may die, nor shall its punishment be lightened for them. Thus do We recompense every ingrate” (Fatir:36).
And of these disbelievers are the Jews and Christians, as Allah says:
إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ وَالْمُشْرِكِينَ فِي نَارِ جَهَنَّمَ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا أُولَئِكَ هُمْ شَرُّ الْبَرِيَّةِ
“Indeed, those who disbelieve among the People of the Scripture and the polytheists will be in the fire of Hell, abiding therein. They are the worst of creatures” (Al-Bayyinah: 6).
They claim that the Prophet ﷺ will intercede for Muslims and disbelievers on the Day of Judgment, and they know what Allah narrated about the disbelievers on the Day of Judgment that they will say:
وَكُنَّا نُكَذِّبُ بِيَوْمِ الدِّينِ * حَتَّى أَتَانَا الْيَقِينُ * فَمَا تَنْفَعُهُمْ شَفَاعَةُ الشَّافِعِينَ
“And we used to deny the Day of Recompense until the Certainty (death) came to us; then the intercession of intercessors will not benefit them” (Al-Mudathir:46-48).
And the Prophet ﷺ said: "Every prophet has an answered prayer, and every prophet has hastened his prayer. I have reserved my prayer as an intercession for my ummah on the Day of Resurrection, and it shall be attained, by the will of Allah, for those of my ummah who die without associating anything with Allah." Reported by Muslim.
They claim that seeking help from the dead is permissible, reviving grave-worship and idolatry, and opposing the call to monotheism. They know the Quran's judgment on those who invoke others besides Allah, and that it is major shirk. Allah says:
وَالَّذِينَ تَدْعُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ مَا يَمْلِكُونَ مِنْ قِطْمِيرٍ * إِنْ تَدْعُوهُمْ لَا يَسْمَعُوا دُعَاءَكُمْ وَلَوْ سَمِعُوا مَا اسْتَجَابُوا لَكُمْ وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يَكْفُرُونَ بِشِرْكِكُمْ وَلَا يُنَبِّئُكَ مِثْلُ خَبِيرٍ
“And those you call upon besides Him do not own even a qitmir. If you call upon them, they do not hear your call, and if they heard, they would not respond to you. On the Day of Resurrection, they will deny your associating them, and none can inform you like the One who is All-Aware” (Fatir: 13-14).
They see what the Jews are doing to the Muslims and to Al-Aqsa Mosque, yet they claim that normalizing relations with Zionist Jews is permissible. They know that its reality is in fact siding with disbelievers against Muslims, and they know Allah's statement:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لَا تَتَّخِذُوا الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى أَوْلِيَاءَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ وَمَنْ يَتَوَلَّهُمْ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنَّهُ مِنْهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِي الْقَوْمَ الظَّالِمِينَ
“O you who believe, do not take the Jews and Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you—then indeed, he is [one] of them. Indeed, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people" (Al-Ma'idah: 51).
They legalize what is forbidden and fabricate lies against Allah, claiming that riba (usury) in interests and investment deposits is permissible, despite knowing that these are riba transactions, which are forbidden. And they are aware of Allah’s saying:
وَأَحَلَّ اللَّهُ الْبَيْعَ وَحَرَّمَ الرِّبَا
“But Allah has permitted trade and has forbidden interest” (Al-Baqarah: 275).
And His saying:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَذَرُوا مَا بَقِيَ مِنَ الرِّبَا إِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُؤْمِنِينَ * فَإِنْ لَمْ تَفْعَلُوا فَأْذَنُوا بِحَرْبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ وَإِنْ تُبْتُمْ فَلَكُمْ رُءُوسُ أَمْوَالِكُمْ لَا تَظْلِمُونَ وَلَا تُظْلَمُونَ
“O you who believe, fear Allah and give up what remains [due to you] of interest, if you should be believers. And if you do not, then be informed of a war [against you] from Allah and His Messenger. But if you repent, you may have your principal - [thus] you do no wrong nor are wronged” (Al-Baqarah: 278-279).
They claim that relationships between young men and women without marriage are permissible. Yet they know Allah’s saying:
فَانْكِحُوهُنَّ بِإِذْنِ أَهْلِهِنَّ وَآتُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ مُحْصَنَاتٍ غَيْرَ مُسَافِحَاتٍ وَلَا مُتَّخِذَاتِ أَخْدَانٍ
“Then marry those that please you of [other] women, two or three or four. But if you fear that you will not be just, then [marry only] one or [the captives] that your right hands possess. That is more suitable that you may not incline [to injustice]. And give the women [upon marriage] their [bridal] gifts graciously. But if they give up willingly to you anything of it, then take it in satisfaction and ease” (Al-Nisa: 3).
And His saying:
وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَا إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا
“And do not approach unlawful sexual intercourse. Indeed, it is ever an immorality and is evil as a way” (al-Isra: 32).
And the saying of the Prophet ﷺ: "Let no man be alone with a woman unless there is a mahram present, for otherwise, Satan will be the third one present." This hadith was reported by Tirmidhi.
How numerous are their falsehoods and their tampering with the religion of Allah! The common factor among their statements is that the truth stands between them and their desires. The Prophet ﷺ narrated about the Children of Israel, saying: "When the term was prolonged for the Children of Israel, their hearts hardened, and they concocted a scripture from themselves, which their hearts desired, and their tongues found lawful, and the truth stood between them and many of their desires, until they discarded the Book of Allah behind their backs, as if they did not know it." This hadith was reported by al-Bayhaqi.
May Allah bless us and you with the Noble Quran and benefit me and you with the guidance it contains. I ask Allah for forgiveness for me and for you, so seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.
They legalize what is forbidden, and lie about Allah, claiming that interest-bearing investments and deposits are lawful, knowing that they are interest transactions which are forbidden.
Second Sermon
All praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, his companions, and those who align with him. Henceforth:
Fear Allah, O servants of Allah, and be mindful of Him, obey Him and do not disobey Him.
Brothers and sisters in Islam:
Indeed, Allah has perfected our religion for us, clarified it in the greatest manner, and took a covenant from the people of knowledge to convey it to the people and not to conceal it. He warned against following desires and made it clear, exalted is He, that the wrongdoers will not avail the servant in the slightest, and that Allah is the supporter of His pious servants.
He, exalted is He, said:
ثُمَّ جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَى شَرِيعَةٍ مِنَ الْأَمْرِ فَاتَّبِعْهَا وَلَا تَتَّبِعْ أَهْوَاءَ الَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ * إِنَّهُمْ لَنْ يُغْنُوا عَنْكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَإِنَّ الظَّالِمِينَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَوْلِيَاءُ بَعْضٍ وَاللَّهُ وَلِيُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ
“Then We put you, [O Muhammad], on an ordained way concerning the matter [of religion]; so follow it and do not follow the inclinations of those who do not know. Indeed, they will not avail you against Allah at all. And indeed, the wrongdoers are allies of one another; but Allah is the protector of the righteous." (Al-Jathiya: 18-19).
Therefore, part of what the Prophet ﷺ took upon his companions at the time of allegiance, as Ubada bin As-Samit, may Allah be pleased with him, said: "And to speak the truth wherever we are, not fearing the blame of the blamers." Reported by Bukhari and Muslim.
Truly, the Rabbani (godly) scholars are the rightful heirs of the prophets, fulfilling the saying of Allah, the Almighty:
الَّذِينَ يُبَلِّغُونَ رِسَالَاتِ اللَّهِ وَيَخْشَوْنَهُ وَلَا يَخْشَوْنَ أَحَدًا إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَكَفَى بِاللَّهِ حَسِيبًا
“Those who deliver the messages of Allah and fear Him and do not fear anyone but Allah. And sufficient is Allah as Accountant." (Al-Ahzab: 39).
They are the ones from whom Muslims must ask and whose statements they must adhere to, known for their correct knowledge, piety, and integrity. Unlike the corrupt scholars who have sold their hereafter for their worldly life, you see them changing colors every day, dining at every table, supporting the oppressors in their oppression, participating in their corruption, bringing forth odd opinions, attending gatherings of falsehood and vice without condemning them, merciful to the enemies of Allah and harsh towards the people of Islam, such individuals cannot be trusted with the religion of Allah.
O Allah, rectify for us our religion which is the safeguard of our affairs, and rectify for us our worldly life in which is our livelihood, and rectify for us our hereafter in which is our return.
O Allah, do not make our calamity in our religion, and do not make the world our biggest concern or the limit of our knowledge.
O Allah, guide us to the Straight Path, and keep us away from the path of those who have incurred Your wrath and those who have gone astray, those who have changed, altered, and distorted the religion.
O Allah, prepare for this Ummah a matter of righteousness, in which the people of truth and faith are honored, and the people of falsehood and disbelief are abased, and in which good is commanded, and the reprehensible is forbidden, O Hearer of supplication!
O Allah, support Your servants who strive in Your way, and destroy the murderous Jewish criminals, and save with Your mercy Your weak servants.
O Allah, grant us security in our lands, rectify our leaders and those in charge of our affairs, and place our governance in those who fear You, abide by Your will, and follow Your approval.
O servants of Allah: remember Allah much, and glorify Him in the morning and the evening. And our final call is that all praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds.
