[WATCH] Ml Sulaiman Moola: “Which Islamic Scholar Should You Follow?”

*This opinion and analysis article was first published on 1 September 2021

Esteemed Islamic scholar Ml Sulaiman Moola has advised Muslims to follow Islamic scholars who fear doom for themselves and are optimistic for the pardon of others

Ml Moola was rendering advices following many questions from the community about who is a true scholar and which scholar should they follow.

In recent times, there have been varying and differences of opinion among Islamic scholars on a number of issues, which has left the Muslim community confused.

Ml Moola says Imam Shafi (RA) defines a true scholar as someone whose knowledge is not limited to his verdicts but rather complimented by his actions.

“Abdullah bin Umar (RA) said: ‘A person cannot occupy a respectable position as a scholar unless he does not harbor jealousy for those above him, he does not look down upon those beneath him and he does not seek a prize for his knowledge.’”

Ml Moola says Ali (RA) was asked to describe four qualities of a true scholar…

“The first quality Ali (RA) said, ‘the one who does not make people despondent of the mercy of Allah.’ That brings me to the answer of the second question, which scholar should you follow. Follow the one who fears doom for himself and is optimistic for the pardon of others and keeps a safe distance from the one who’s dispatching everyone to hell and reserving paradise for himself and his cronies.”

Quoting an Urdu couplet, Ml Moola says “Muslims are of various sects, one calls the other a disbeliever, but the non-believer is the one who calls all of them Muslims.”