Qari Ziyaad Patel: “You Can be the Best Alim or Orator, if You Have No Character, You’ve Achieved Zero!

The Muslim community is always looking for guidance and spiritual enhancement. 

However, what happens when you turn to your local Islamic scholar who studied for years in the sciences of the religion and is perhaps best equipped to guide you along your spiritual path has a character that is unbecoming of a learned person? 

This is the sad reality of the times we live in today when even learned scholars perhaps have an agenda or motivation other than what is portrayed on the pulpit. 

Ultimately a Muslim must turn to Allah for spiritual enhancement and any request he or she may have, Allah through His Mercy will shower blessings upon that person. 

The reason for this post stemmed from a tweet I recently saw from a respected and well-known scholar, Qari Ziyaad Patel. 

Qari Ziyaad posted a comment which really got me wondering. 

“You can be the biggest Alim or the best orator, or the best reciting Qari, but if you have no Akhlaaq or character, you have achieved ZERO!” 

I thought to myself, if Qari Ziyaad’s tweet was indeed true and I have no doubt it is, then the world is a much scarier place than we initially thought because there are Muslim scholars without character, is this true? 

Islamic scholars in my humble opinion is to advocate the teachings of the greatest human to have set foot on this earth Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the beautiful religion of Islam gifted to Muslims by Allah. 

But look around you, look at social media and you will see the level to which some Muslims scholars have stooped to, its horrific. 

Their characters have left so much to be desired that many Muslims are left wondering that someone qualified to perhaps highest levels of Islam can have such an ugly side. 

I am not going to list the actions of Islamic scholars who have displayed a character that is contrary to when they are standing on the pulpits rendering messages of harmony, peace and hope.  

When you have a Muslim Ummah that is vulnerable and needs advice and turning to Islamic scholars who may not have a beautiful character for spiritual guidance, what happens to the generations to come? 

Perhaps Qari Ziyaad said it best when he tweeted: “Be very careful over which pond of knowledge you decide to drink from. It can either lead you to Jannah or Jahnum. Oh Allah Ta’ala, guide us upon the straight path.”