Who Are the Kibaar Ulama?

Ibn Masuood – radiAllahu anhu- said: ‘The People will not cease to be in good as long as their Knowledge comes from their Elders, for if their Knowedge comes from the young ones, then this the time of there Destruction’

Ibn Qutaiba said: He intends (by this) that the people will not cease to be in good, as long as their Ulama are the Mashaikh (The elder Scholars) and their Ulama are not the Young ones.

This is because the delights of youth have departed the Shaikh (elder scholar) and he is not excitable, hasty or foolish, and he has experience, so no doubt this enters into his knowledge and he is not overcome by desires nor turned by them, and the Shaytan does not cause him to slip like the Young one. As well as, (the Shaikh) having age and eminence, nobility and awe.

And it is possible for the Young one to affected by those things that the Shaikh is saved from, and if they affect him (i.e. the young one) and he then gives a ruling, he is destroyed and destroys others’

And the Prophet – peace be upon him - described the Khawarij who have gone astray as “Hudatha As’naan”: young in age.

And Nawawee -May Allah have mercy upon him - said:
‘The benefit from this, is that strong insight is at the perfection of age and an abundance of experience is gained and strong intellect’


Abdus- Salam al-Burjis –May Allah Protect him- says:

‘Indeed the ones who are worthy to be called (Aalim) are very few. And it wouldn’t be extreme if it was said ‘rare’ this is because an Alim has particular qualities, and most of them are not found amongst those who connect themselves to knowledge today, so an Alim is not one who is eloquent in language, and an Alim is not one who compiles a book or checks a manuscript; And, if an Alim is just understood by these affairs, and unfortunately, this is what is in the minds of many (of the people) who are not acquainted with who an Alim is, and for this reason, many of the General masses have humbled themselves to eloquence in language and the writings of other than the Ulama. So these things become a point of amazement with them. So an Alim in truth is the one who is well versed with the Ilm as-Shara’ee (legislative Knowledge) and is familiar with the general rulings of the Book and the Sunnah, acquainted with the Naasiq and Mansooq the Mutlaq and Muqayid and the Mujmal and Mufasar and also has read the statements of the Salaf in those areas in which they differed’.

Taken from the tape “Who are the Ulama”,