The well grounded scholar has the following signs or characteristics:
1. He is known for the purity of his belief.
2. He is known for the purity of his manhaj (methodology).
3. He is well grounded in Islaamic Sciences. He is known for his research in it and for entering into the issues concerning it.
4. It is known that he has graduated from the sittings of the Scholars who came before him who were grounded in knowledge.
5. He is well-known in his establishment of Tawheed al-Uboodiyyah –to single out Allaah in all worship towards Him. He teaches it, implements it and incorporates it in all aspects of his life.
6. He is known for glorifying and honoring the Sunnah, teaching it to the people, making it established and well-grounded in the people, calling them to it and incorporating it in all aspects of their life.
7. He has spent the majority of his life in knowledge – learning it and teaching it.
8. He is not young in age, rather he is one who is well-experienced, and has been tested with trials and difficult situations.
9. His knowledge is not little. Rather, he is one who has entered into knowledge, delved into it and has put much time into seeking knowledge. He has participated in knowledge with its people, looked into the rulings and has experience in the rulings concerning nawaazil (overwhelming incidents).
10. He has sound intellect and is patient with the affairs. He is not hasty in serious matters and is not from the lowly, despicable people.
11. He has knowledge of both the fundaments and branches of Islaam– not in one science without the other. He has knowledge of all, or the majority of the sciences of Islaam. Thus, he is not someone you would find strong in one area yet weak in another, e.g. strong in Fiqh but weak in the manhaj and aqeedah of the salaf. The scholar knows about the fundamentals,foundations and principles of Islaam – the sharee`ah as well as its branches.
12. He treads the path of his predecessors from the people of knowledge.He does not oppose or contradict them except after he has attained a certain level of knowledge and the proof has become clear to him, and he has a predecessors from the scholars who has the same stance on that issue that he is opposing.
13. The scholars testify that he is firmly grounded in knowledge and his methodology (manhaj) is pure, and they continue to uphold this testimony i.e. their testimony is not nullified.
14. Knowledge has become apparent upon him by his characteristics, manners, dealings, humility in worshipping Allaah and not indulging too much in the duniyaa.
15. He has wisdom and knows the boundaries within which to function. He knows the boundaries of politics, the sharee’ah, da’wah etc. i.e. he knows how to give da’wah, and fatwa, how to teach and order with good and forbid from wrong. This is due to his knowledge of the reasons for legislation - why the legislation was sent down.
16. He is known by preserving the Jamaa`ah of Muslims, uniting them and taking into consideration what is best for them, whilst forbidding them from that which will split and divide the Jamaa`ah. He does this by preserving the fundamental principles of Sharee`ah.
17. He does not try to make the ruler go against those who are being ruled, nor does he try to incite those who are being ruled against their ruler. Other that these, there should be other indications that clarify to us that the person is from the people of knowledge, and not from those who are just seeking fame, or those who just have some thoughts that are political or concerning business or other than this,from those who put on the clothing of the people of knowledge, primarily in order to attain their goal.
We ask Allaah to grant us success in all that is good.
By
Shaykh Ahmed Al-Munayee
Imaam Muhammad Islamic University
1. He is known for the purity of his belief.
2. He is known for the purity of his manhaj (methodology).
3. He is well grounded in Islaamic Sciences. He is known for his research in it and for entering into the issues concerning it.
4. It is known that he has graduated from the sittings of the Scholars who came before him who were grounded in knowledge.
5. He is well-known in his establishment of Tawheed al-Uboodiyyah –to single out Allaah in all worship towards Him. He teaches it, implements it and incorporates it in all aspects of his life.
6. He is known for glorifying and honoring the Sunnah, teaching it to the people, making it established and well-grounded in the people, calling them to it and incorporating it in all aspects of their life.
7. He has spent the majority of his life in knowledge – learning it and teaching it.
8. He is not young in age, rather he is one who is well-experienced, and has been tested with trials and difficult situations.
9. His knowledge is not little. Rather, he is one who has entered into knowledge, delved into it and has put much time into seeking knowledge. He has participated in knowledge with its people, looked into the rulings and has experience in the rulings concerning nawaazil (overwhelming incidents).
10. He has sound intellect and is patient with the affairs. He is not hasty in serious matters and is not from the lowly, despicable people.
11. He has knowledge of both the fundaments and branches of Islaam– not in one science without the other. He has knowledge of all, or the majority of the sciences of Islaam. Thus, he is not someone you would find strong in one area yet weak in another, e.g. strong in Fiqh but weak in the manhaj and aqeedah of the salaf. The scholar knows about the fundamentals,foundations and principles of Islaam – the sharee`ah as well as its branches.
12. He treads the path of his predecessors from the people of knowledge.He does not oppose or contradict them except after he has attained a certain level of knowledge and the proof has become clear to him, and he has a predecessors from the scholars who has the same stance on that issue that he is opposing.
13. The scholars testify that he is firmly grounded in knowledge and his methodology (manhaj) is pure, and they continue to uphold this testimony i.e. their testimony is not nullified.
14. Knowledge has become apparent upon him by his characteristics, manners, dealings, humility in worshipping Allaah and not indulging too much in the duniyaa.
15. He has wisdom and knows the boundaries within which to function. He knows the boundaries of politics, the sharee’ah, da’wah etc. i.e. he knows how to give da’wah, and fatwa, how to teach and order with good and forbid from wrong. This is due to his knowledge of the reasons for legislation - why the legislation was sent down.
16. He is known by preserving the Jamaa`ah of Muslims, uniting them and taking into consideration what is best for them, whilst forbidding them from that which will split and divide the Jamaa`ah. He does this by preserving the fundamental principles of Sharee`ah.
17. He does not try to make the ruler go against those who are being ruled, nor does he try to incite those who are being ruled against their ruler. Other that these, there should be other indications that clarify to us that the person is from the people of knowledge, and not from those who are just seeking fame, or those who just have some thoughts that are political or concerning business or other than this,from those who put on the clothing of the people of knowledge, primarily in order to attain their goal.
We ask Allaah to grant us success in all that is good.
By
Shaykh Ahmed Al-Munayee
Imaam Muhammad Islamic University
