Becareful when speaking about the Ulema and Awliya-Allah

The gravity of the sin of contempt and malice towards the Righteous Ulema and Awliya-Allah

The Blessed Prophet [saws] said "Whoever bears malice towards Allah’s wali, Allah will declare war upon him." (Sahih Bukhari) 

Ponder upon the words, “I declare war upon one who bears malice towards my wali.” 

Would anyone who prepares himself for war against Allah be successful in this world, let alone in the hereafter? 

The message of this hadith is narrated with various wordings which indicate that the Blessed Prophet [saws] relayed this message to us in different times and in different circumstances. The aforementioned hadith is the narration of Abu Hurairah RA as related in Bukhari. 

This narration is also by Aishah RA, Maimuna RA, Muadh RA, Anas bin Malik RA, Usama bin Zaid RA, and Wahab Bin Munaba RA. In another narration it says, ‘whosoever bothers my 'wali', has prepared himself for war against me.’ In a different narration the words are, ‘whoever ridicules my wali, challenges Me.’” (Fath-ul-Bari) 

Imam Nawawi writes in Sharhul-Muhazzab: 

"It is narrated in Bukhari that Allah said, “I declare war upon the one who troubles my wali.” Khatib Baghdadi relates from Imam Abu Hanifah (rahmatullahi alayh) and Imam Shafi'i (rahmatullahi alayh) that “If the fuqaha (jurists) and ulema (scholars) are not the Auliyah of Allah, then nobody is a wali of Allah .” Abdullah bin Abbas RA says, “Anyone who troubles a faqih troubles the Blessed Prophet [saws]” 

Ahmed Ibn Athir writes in Jaami'-ul-Usool: 

"To be contemptuous of the Sufia who follow the Sunnah, destroy the bida, hold knowledge of the Deen and are pious in their actions, and who are the keepers of the esoteric meanings, is a disaster. In Islam, the threat against one who holds hard feelings against them is severe. What a dangerous position, to be in war with Allah . It is bearable if ones ears are cut, eyes gouged, and legs and arms broken in punishment for this heinous crime, because the difficulties and pains of this world will end. If this happened to someone, at least the doors of repentance are still open, but what is one to do if he is corrupted in his Deen? The scholars say that aside from these two (Riba and malice towards the Auliya), no other sin has been recorded which incites war with Allah . It indicates the graveness of these two sins and that a person involved in them may die in the state of kufr.” (Mirqat-Commentary on Mishkat- by Imam Mulla Ali Qari RA) 

The Blessed Prophet [saws] said, “The one whom Allah befriends cannot be humiliated and no person whom Allah makes his enemy can have any respect.” (Tirmidhi) 

Anas bin Maalik RA narrates that Rasulullah [saws] said: "Indeed, the example of the 'Ulama is like that of stars in the sky, by which guidance is obtained in the darkness of the land and water..." (Musnad Ahmad)

Rasulullah Sallalahualaihiwassallam said, “The virtue of an Alim to a worshipper (Aabid) is similar to the virtue of the moon when it is full to the rest of the stars. And verily the Ulema are the inheritors of the Prophets. Verily the Prophets did not leave behind dirhams and deenars, but rather they left behind knowledge. ” – Authentic, narrated by Abu Dawood, Tirmidhi, and Ibn Majah. 

The Holy prophet [saws] prophesized regarding the current fitna of people abandoning the Ulema and following the non-qualified leaders as-

"...the people will take the ignorant as leaders, who are asked for and who give Islamic legal opinion without knowledge, misguided and misguiding." (Sahih Bukhari)

It is reported that Imam Abdullâh bin-Mubârak – Allâh have mercy on him – said:
It is right that an intelligent person does not undervalue three [types of people]: the scholars, the rulers, and [his Muslim] brothers. Whoever undervalues the scholars will lose his afterlife, whoever undervalues the rulers will lose his worldly life, and whoever undervalues his brothers loses his good character and conduct. [Al-Dhahabî, Siyar A’lâm Al-Nubalâ`17:251.]


Awn bin Abdullah said: I said to (Ameer ul Momineen) Umar bin Abdul Aziz:It is said: 'Indeed if you are able to become a scholar, then become a scholar, and if you are unable, then become a student, and if you are unable to become a student, then love them, if you are unable to love them, then do not have hatred towards them' so 'Umar bin 'Abdul Azeez replied, 'Subhaan Allaah! Allaah the Mighty and Majestic has even given this one an exit.
[Narrated by Abu Khaythama, Faswi in Muarifat al Tareekh 3/398,399, Ibne Abdul Bar in Jame Byan al Ilm 1.142-143]

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TORMENTING THE Ulema and AULIYA-ALLAH IS A MAJOR SIN

The scholars list tormenting or troubling the Auliya-Allah as a major sin since doing so can lead to kufr and is foreshadowed with a dire threat. 

Imam Dhahabi writes in his book Kitabul-Kabair: 

“The 51st major sin is tormenting the Auliya-Allah and bearing malice against them. Allah says: "Verily, those who annoy Allah and His Messenger, Allah has cursed them in this world, and in the Hereafter, and has prepared for them a humiliating punishment. And those who annoy believing men and women undeservedly, bear on themselves the crime of slander and plain sin". (Ahzaab 57:58)

The Blessed Prophet [saws] stated that Allah said, “I have declared war upon him who makes an enemy of my wali.” (Bukhari) And in another narration of Bukhari, “He invites Me (Allah) to war.”

The Blessed Prophet [saws] said, “O Abu Bakr ! If you incensed the poor muhajireen (i.e. those who migrated from Mecca) you have incensed your lord.” (Kitabul-Kabair)

Hafiz bin Hajar writes in his book on major sins, Al-Zawajir An Qataratil-Kabair:

 “The 65th major sin is tormenting the Auliya-Allah and making them an enemy.” After this, he mentions the hadith of Bukhari and of the declaration of war against one who makes the Auliya-Allah his enemy. Then Hafiz bin Hajjar says: "Some scholars have classified this as a major sin since the dire threat is mentioned so explicitly in the Qur’an. And really, what could be a greater threat than the fact that one is inciting war with Allah? Nothing indeed is so damning as to declare war against Allah, except for the person who deals in usury.

It is obvious that a person whom Allah declares His enemy can never succeed (may Allah I save us). The consequences of declaration of war against Allah can be nothing less than dying in kufr. May Allah save us from this through his infinite kindness and mercy.

Further, he writes, “I have read in the book, Al-Khadim by Zarkashi, that after mentioning the hadith of Bukhari, he writes, ‘Notice that the threat issued against this person is the very same as the one who deals in usury.’”

Hafiz Ibn Asakar writes:

"O brother! May Allah grant us the ability to perform good deeds and may He guide us on the straight path. The flesh of the scholars is extremely poisonous. It is the way of Allah that He cuts down those who insult them and corrupts the heart of those who expose their faults. Allah says in the Qur’an:

And let those who conspire to evade orders beware lest a fitnah strike them or a painful punishment. (Surah Nur: 63)

Ali Shari’ wrote a comprehensive treatise on the subject of those who make the Auliya-Allah their enemy and ridicule them. He writes in his book, Al-Zawajir fi Tahzir min Al-Kabair, the 51st major sin is tormenting the Auliya-Allah and making them one’s enemy. He writes: 

"Auliya-Allah is the plural of wali. Wali is a person who loves Allah and obeys Him; a wali is knowledgeable in Deen and worships in sincerity."

Ali Shari’ continues narrating the same ahadith and ayah as mentioned above. In the end, he summarizes in these words: 

"Making one of the Auliya-Allah an enemy, deriding them, treating them rudely, and verbally lashing at them, are all indications of the prevalence of ignorance. A sign of the Day of Judgment is when low-level and ignorant people will take positions of authority and the pious (mutaqeen) will be disregarded. The Blessed Prophet [saws] said, “The Day of Judgment will not come until the lowly and vile, and those whose fathers and grandfathers were lowly and vile, are considered the most fortunate of all people."

Remember, hurting the Auliya-Allah and making them enemies are declarations of war against Allah and a challenge to His greatness. How can those who challenge Allah be successful?

Keeping a grudge against the Auliya-Allah is such a wicked act that it comprises a major sin. Such a person is heaving destruction upon his head, and nothing good can be expected in the outcome of a person against whom Allah has declared war.

Shaikh Muhammad Zakariya was emphatic about loving the Auliya-Allah, staying in their company, avoiding deriding them and creating discontent in their hearts. He carried this message throughout all of his books. At one point he says, 

“This is one of the most sensitive and frightening matters. Whether they are ulema, muhaditheen, fuqaha, or Sufia, deriding them is certainly a blasphemy. Allah says in the Qur’an: “And the forerunners [in the faith] among the Muhajireen and the Ansar, and those who followed them with good conduct, Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has prepared for them gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. That is the supreme success.” (Surah Taubah: 100). In Durri Manthoor, many ayahs and ahadith are mentioned which explain this ayah. In one of the narrations of Imam Auzai, he says Atia bin Hasan, Makhul, Ubda Bin Abi Lababa, Qasim, and others heard from a large number of Sahaba RA that, ‘When this ayah was revealed, the Blessed Prophet [saws] said, ‘This is for my Ummah, and there is no anger after Allah is pleased.’

Those Sufia who come under the definition of the hadith of ihsan also fall under this ayah. This subject has been explained extensively in the book Al-I’tidaal. Regarding this matter, I will only add that those who make a career of finding faults in scholars and are proud of it, only hurt themselves not the ulema they criticize. And even if they could hurt the ulema the most they could do is to deprive them of worldly things (i.e. material possessions) or dignity and respect, all of which are temporary and insignificant. Of course, this is only possible if they have power over decreasing whatever is written in their (ulema) destiny (which they do not). In essence, their criticism and prejudices against the ulema backfire on them.

The Blessed Prophet [saws] said, ‘He who does not respect our elders, is not kind to our children, and does not value our scholars, is not from amongst us.’

Some consider themselves of this Ummah; however, according to this hadith, the Blessed Prophet [saws] wants them to have nothing to do with this Ummah. The Blessed Prophet :saws: said, ‘Those who carry the revelations (e.g. the scholars) are the wali of Allah.’"

The great faqih and Muhaddith, Shaikh Abdul-Hai R.A.writes in his Fatawa:

 "The fuqaha decree that one who swears at the Auliya or ulema due to his contempt for knowledge is a kafir. If there is another reason for his contempt of the scholars, he will be at the very least a fasiq or fajir (sinner) and will be deserving of the wrath of Allah in this world and in the hereafter.” 

He further corroborates this with the statements of the fuqaha, verses of the Qur’an, and the ahadith.

The door of Tawba is open still. May Allah guide us all.

 -Excerpted from the book 'Consequences of Debasing The Auliya-Allah' By Shaykh Dr. Ismail Memon