The Flesh of the Scholars is Poison

Lately we are witnessing a formidable issue known as "freedom of speech" become epidemic as people have started abusing this law to such an extent that human Karamah, or dignity has lost its value. It has reached an extent it is fearful for a mother to carry her child outdoors and start a conversation with anyone who do not share her opinion. Our tongues, given the freedom to say anything, have become weapons of mass destruction, which is tearing apart the brotherhood of Islam and turning friends in to rivals. But even if we have a law which gives us the freedom to speak what ever we want to, has Allah not given us the perception of good and bad to understand our limits in speech?

With the freedom of speech on one hand, let us examine what our intentions are when we use this freedom. What is causing disrupt and enmity in our hearts? Is our speech something which will be lead us closer to Allah or is it something which is slowly presenting us to the Punishment of Allah?

The Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) told Mu`adh ibn Jabal, "Is there anything which drags people into the Fire on their faces other than the harvest of their tongues?" And, it is established that he said, "Whoever believes in Allah and the last day, let him say [something] good or keep silent. And, it is narrated that he advised `Uqbah ibn `Amir, "Hold your tongue, let your house contain you, and weep over your misdeeds." Imam al-Ghazzali in Ihya `Ulum al-Din, has a copious section on the Vices of the Tongue. 

From this hadith alone we understand the limits and boundaries which Islam gives in speech. Offensive and abusive speech which can hurt another person's feelings can also be a form of oppression, and this is the limit where Islam forbids to go beyond.

Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“neither backbite one another. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would hate it (so hate backbiting). And fear Allah. Verily, Allah is the One Who forgives and accepts repentance, Most Merciful” [49:12]

Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said:
“Do you know what gheebah (backbiting) is?”
They said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.”
He said, “Saying something about your brother that he dislikes.”
It was said, “What if what I say about my brother is true?”
He said, “If what you say is true then you have backbitten about him, and if it is not true, then you have slandered him.”
[Muslim]

When it comes to Democracy which gives the freedom to speech/slander, if someone is given the opportunity to speak behind a podium in a political arena, or on a tv show, the primary goal of that person would be to insult as many people as he can and in return gain the respect of the supporting crowd. Very soon we found the supporting crowd taking these politicians as their role models and following their ways in speech and in all aspects of their lives. This delusive idea has given many of us the idea that there is nothing wrong in slander and it is not a sin anymore, as the politicians are doing it too!
When people started abusing this freedom the Ulama stood against the oppression of the tongue. In the end they too became targets.

A couple of decades ago, those who were more knowledgeable in Dheen and those who were learning Islam and its Shar'i rulings were extremely respected in our community. They taught the beautiful manners of dressing, communication, parenting and every other form of social behavior prescribed in Islam, and this resulted in a nation where there was unity and brotherhood which Islam calls for. Children loved their parents and neighbors would share meals and gifts. Even though the country was led by a dictator, the citizens were happy because they were holding on to good morals and respected each other. It would be rare to find two people arguing or fighting over anything.

After democracy came to "free" people, it has taken away the rights of the scholars to preach Islam by making people believe that politics and Islam are two issues and politics is something the scholars cannot fiddle with. Democracy claims to give freedom but it is only freeing our minds from God consciousness and turning us from being the slaves of Allah to slaves of Shaitan.

I urge my brothers and sisters to reflect on the status of our current social status. Islam has given the scholars some degree above the rest. A person can either be a scholar or a learner. A scholar must be trusted as long as he knows the Shar'i rulings and has the ability to derive Shar'i rulings from the evidence. He should have the knowledge of the texts of Quran and Sunnah and he should not innovate Islam. He should have knowledge of the issues of consensus (ijmaa') and he should be well versed in the Arabic language. He should have knowledge of usool al-fiqh (basic principles of Islamic jurisprudence), including analogy (qiyaas). He should have knowledge of what abrogates and what is abrogated (al-naasikh wa’l-mansookh). (Characteristic of Ulama; reference Islamqa)
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Some people are caught up in debates which may become furious that they may overlook their own insight in the knowledge of Islam and start coming up with their own rulings and views with no evidence from the Qur'aan of Ahadith what so ever. Eventually we see new things (bid'a) erupting and people finding it hard to distinguish between Haraam and Halaal. For example, all the scholars in the world unanimously agree that Music is Haraam, but a good number of Muslims reject the fact music is Haraam even though they do not have any knowledge of Quran and Hadith. We see people blaming and making accusations on the scholars, who have spent countless hours  learning and researching this Dheen.

Many Ulama of the past, including Ibn Asakir has warned us of the values of the scholars. He said, "Know, brother, the flesh of scholars is poisonous, and the Way of Allah concerning those who insult them is well-known. So, whoever insults the scholars of this ummah by his tongue, Allah will afflict him in this [very] world by death of the heart."

Undoubtedly knowledge is what came through the pious companions of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them). The rest cannot be considered as knowledge and all the new things that are invented in to Islam are Bid'a or innovations. Allah had promised to preserve the knowledge of Islam Revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and for each generation sent scholars with great learning power, only to hand the knowledge without altering it to the next generation. Quran and Hadith both had been handed down to us through scholars alone. So when it comes to learning Dheen, whom should we take as our preachers? Those slandering political figures who used to be film stars and taxi drivers, or those who have and are learning Islam?

When Democracy came, a part of it known as "secularism" crawled in to the governing system of Maldives. It made people believe that religious considerations should be excluded from civil affairs. And along with it another iniquity which Islam does not allow is about to erupt; the freedom to apostate to whichever religion you wish.

Mohamed Nasheed and his party shared similar views, like making Islam more "liberal" or "modern" by introducing innovations alien to this Dheen. To accomplish this, during his tenure he did everything he can to degrade the eminence and reputation of Islamic Scholars, as he very well knew that his goal can only be achieved by getting rid of the scholars who would stand in his way. We saw people blindly following he and his party members' false accusations and claims without even asking for proof. In cover, Mohamed Nasheed would say he was the only president who freed the Scholars tongues. But what many did not realize was that he was the president who took the value and trust of those tongues from the hearts of people to such an extent that the freedom he gave to the scholars had no price.

Why is it that we can give so much time to sit and listen to worthless slander in party meetings? Why is it we can't stand up for Islam and the scholars of Islam when they are being ridiculed not only in this country, but globally? Is the flesh of the non-Muslims more valuable than our scholars for us not to have anything better to do than slander them? Why when we hear a false claim regarding a scholar, we immediately believe, but cannot accept that anyone else in the community are falling short even though they are fondling with women in broad day light?

And He, the Mighty, the Majestic, has commanded justice, Saying, (translated), "O you who believe! Be establishers of justice, even if it be against your own selves, or parents or near-of-kin." [Surah al-Nisa'] 
"And let not your hatred of a people lead you to not be just; be just it is closer to piety. And fear Allah." [Surah al-Ma'idah]

Messenger of Allah (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) has said, "Whoever covers [the faults of] a believer, Allah will cover his faults on the Day of Arising." [authentic, Riyad al-Saliheen]

Indeed this country is infected with a deadly disease. Alcohol consumption, riba, gambling, slandering and all faahish deeds that ever existed are commong and widespread. And it is none other than the plot of Shaitan to cause disputes between the children of Adam (alaihissalam). 

"Shaitan only wants to cause between you animosity and hatred through intoxicants and gambling and to avert you from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. So will you not desist?"  [Surah al-Ma'idah verse 91]

For all the problems our community is facing today, Islam provides solution. And the only people who can heal the society are the Islamic Scholars. They are our scholars, and it is an obligation for us to protect their rights and stand by them.