Khutba on True Role of Ulema

الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي حفِظ دينَه بالخلفاء والأمراء والسلاطين، وجعل مبايعتَهم وطاعتَهم الطريق إلى وحدة الأمة والنصر المبين، نحمده تعالى ونستعينه، ونشكره تعالى ونستغفره ونستغيثه، نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهد الله فهو المهتد ومن يضلل فلن تجد له وليا مرشدا، ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير،  ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، وحبيبه وصفيه، بلغ الرسالة وأدٌى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، النبي الأمي الذي أرسله الله بالهدى والدين الحق، بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة، صلى الله عليه وسلم وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع 

الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما. اتقوا الله فيما أمر وانتهوا عما نها عنه وزجر.

We have talked in a previous khutba about some of the fundamental differences between us and the Shi’a, with particular emphasis on their hatred of the majority of the Sahaba and their bizarre rituals of self-flagulation on the day of ‘Ashura. But there is another perhaps even more fundamental difference that is related to leadership, to imarate. For, historically, the Shi’a have rejected the legitimacy of every single ruler of the Muslim umma except two – Ali ibn abi Talib and his son, al-Hasan. For them, the entire history of the Muslim umma is one of illegitimacy and usurpation. For them, it was all a mistake. For them, the only people with a right to rule were the twelve imams, all descendants of sayyidina Ali ibn abi Talib, and the only person with a legitimate right to rule today is Muhammad ibn Hasan, their twelfth imam who was born some 1150 years ago and who is currently, according to them, in occultation, alive but hidden from sight. These are essential doctrines of belief for them, along with the belief that all those imams were protected from sin. For them, belief in these imams is one of the essential doctrines of their belief, and so any one who does not believe in them is not truly a believer. One of their main scholars, Abu al-Qasim al-Khuu’i says,

إنكار الولاية والأئمة حتى الواحد منهم والاعتقاد بخلافة غيرهم يوجب الكفر والزندقة

"Rejecting the wilaya and the imams – even just one of them, and believing that others can be khalifah necessitates that one is an unbeliever and a zindiq." Indeed, they often place those imams above the Prophets, saying that only five of the Messengers reached the level of imamate, and saying that Ali had a higher station than sayyidina Isa. One of their scholars, al-Hilli, said,

الإمامة لطف عام والنبوة لطف خاص لإمكان خلو الزمان من نبي حي بخلاف الإمام لما سيأتي وإنكار اللطف العام شر من إنكار اللطف الخاص

“Imamah is a universal grace (lutf ‘amm) while Nubuwwah (prophethood) is a special grace (lutf khass), because it is possible that a specific period in time can be void of a living Nabi, while the same is not true for the Imam. To reject the universal grace is worse than to reject the special grace.” In other words, for them not believing in the imams is worse than not believing in the Prophets, a doctrine never espoused by the Prophet who said that iman was, 

أن تؤمن بالله وملائكته وكتبه ورسله واليوم الآخر ، وتؤمن بالقدر خيره وشره

“to believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers and the Last Day, and to believe in the Decree, the good of it and bad of it.” 
In the view of the Shi’a, in the absence of the Imams, and in the “occultation period” of the twelfth imam, the only ones permitted to regulate the lives of humankind are the transmitters of their religious traditions, their ulama. To them they delegated all authority, since they were, in their eyes, the sole hujja – proof – of the living imam – and were his representatives on the earth. And when they passed judgement and spoke – they passed judgement on his behalf and spoke with his voice. And since, according to them, he is infallible and has been granted full knowledge, it is impossible that he or his representatives would make a mistake in terms of their judgements. And so the door of absolute ijtihad is always open according to the Shi’a, and whatever the high-ranked Shi’a ulema say is regarded as law, even if it goes against what has gone before. They are the sole intermediaries by which Allah’s will is known and hence they have come to call themselves the Signs of Allah – the ayat Allah. And in recent times, Khomeini developed the doctrine of Wilayat al-faqih, which permitted the ulema to enter the political sphere, an arena they had previously said was forbidden them and permitted only to the Imam in absentia.
So the Shia have become a religion dominated by an ulema class, in effect a priesthood with a defined hierarchy – the status and rank of its members being defined by their title and what they wear. And those mullas and ayatollahs are, for the Shi’a rank and file, the sole source of law.  And so, like the Jews and the Christians, as Allah says

ٱتَّخَذُواْ أَحْبَارَهُمْ وَرُهْبَانَهُمْ أَرْبَاباً مِّن دُونِ ٱللَّهِ

the translation of which is, "They take their rabbis and priests as Lords apart from Allah" The Prophet said, when asked about this, 

أما إنهم لم يكونوا يعبدونهم ولكنهم كانوا إذا أحلّوا لهم شيئاً استحلّوه وإذا حرّموا عليهم شيئاً حرّموه

"They did not worship them, but when they made something halal for them, they took it as being halal. And when they made something haram, they took it as being haram." This is not the role of the ‘ulema and this is where the Shia, just like the Christians and the Jews before them, have gone fundamentally wrong. The ulema must not be a body set apart from the rest of the Muslim umma, or a force and a law unto themselves. That is not their role. Rather, they are a check and a balance for the umara, whom Allah has commanded us to obey:

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ

the translation of which is, “O you who believe! Obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in command among you.” They form a symbiotic relationship with them whereby they issue judgements and the umara enforce them and make sure they are carried out. They keep the umara straight and the umara keep them straight, making sure that their knowledge is put into action and is a tool for social renewal and justice, not just books and information stored away in their brains, not just tomes carried by donkeys.
Muslims, the truth is that in the absence of leadership, many of the ulama in our own communities have lost track of what it means to be an alim, and have turned it into a club, like an elite fraternity of academics quibbling over minutiae of the Law. And many are in danger of going down the same route as the Shi’a and becoming a priesthood isolated and cut off from the common people. Like them, they have their distinguishing garb, their clothing that sets them apart from the masses – their Azhari caps or their robes of learning. And like them, they are revered by the people merely on the basis of the title they are given and the clothing that they wear. But that step is not one that we should be encouraging for a number of reasons. 
Firstly, the Prophet said, as narrated by Ibn Umar,

من لبس ثوب شهرة في الدنيا ألبسه الله ثوب مذلة يوم القيامة

“Anyone who wears clothes of fame in this world, Allah will make him wear clothes of humiliation on the Day of Rising.” When explaining what was meant by ‘thawb shuhra’ – clothes of fame, Ibn al-Athir said,

المراد أن ثوبه يشتهر بين الناس لمخالفته لونه لألوان ثيابهم ، فيرفع الناس إليه أبصارهم

“It means that his clothing is such that it is well-known among the people on account of its being different in colour or type from theirs, thereby drawing people’s gazes to them.” In other words, wearing special clothing that sets you apart is blameworthy. When the famous Maliki scholar, al-Harith ibn Miskin was appointed qadi of Egypt in 237, and was instructed to wear the black robes of state by the khalif al-Mutawakkil, he refused to do so, not wanting to wear something that set him apart from the people, even though the khalif threatened him with the dislocation of his hips and flogging if he did not obey. And he remained resolute in his decision not to wear it until a compromise was reached when one of his companions suggested that he wear a Yemeni garment of his that was of a similar colour. 
And the second reason it is blameworthy is that wearing a uniform takes away personal responsibility, since he now has an entire institution backing him up. So, instead of such-and-such an alim issuing a fatwa, we now have such-and-such an institution. So, we now hear of fatwas issued by the Azhar or the MJC or the Muslim council of Britain, much like we used to hear of edicts passed by the church. Truly, we are following the practices of those who came before us, the Jews and the Christians, inch by inch and cubit by cubit so that even were they to enter a lizard’s hole, we would follow them.
We have lost sight of what the point of knowledge is. Knowledge has become the end and not the means to the end. Many of our ulama are now no different to university academics, wearing their club ties, taking part in their conferences and debates, and arguing over minor points of detail. They spend their lives so caught up in their heads and in the details, that they lose sight of the broader picture and lack any sense of social responsibility. They argue with one another – and even take each other to court – over what may be marked as halal and what not, the entire time overlooking the fact that the whole concept of halal certification is wrong and that the Muslims face much greater problems than that. They argue about the validity or lack of validity of individual instruments used in halal banking, the entire time overlooking the fact that the whole thing is rotten to the core. They spend weeks arguing about nail varnish and never touch on the fact that the money system we use forces us to engage in riba on a daily basis, or that the pillar of zakat is missing. They have become exactly like the Shi’a, whose scholars spend their time discussing issues such as where the qibla might be on the moon or how many arms you should wash in wudu if you have more than two. It is not for that that Allah has given us knowledge. No, we have been given knowledge so that we can act rightly – ‘amal salih. And since many right actions are impossible without leadership, it is upon the establishment of such leadership and the advising of such leaders that the efforts of the ulama and of us all should be directed. So we ask Allah to benefit the umma by its men of knowledge, and turn their knowledge into the weapon that we know it can be. And we ask Him to make them people of action who help find and support the leaders who will once again make this umma strong.

أقول قولي هذا و أستغفر الله العظيم لي و لكم و لسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو التوّابُ الرَّحيمالحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله أن لا إله إلا الله وليُّ الصالحين، والعاقبة للمتقين، ولا عدوانَ إلا على الظالمين، والصلاةُ والسلام الأتِمَّانِ الأَكملَانِ على أشرفِ الأنبياءِ وإمامِ المرسلين، وعلى آله وصحابتِهِ أجمعين، والتابعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.

أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته وأحذركم وإياي عن معصيته ومخالفته. 

Muslims, today is the sixth of Rajab. And Rajab is one of the four months that Allah has declared sacred and the start of a section of the year that is very special indeed, for Rajab is followed by Sha‘ban, the month most beloved by the Prophet for supererogatory fasting, and then by Ramadan. Imam as-Suyuti transmitted that the Prophet said,

“رجبُ شهرُ الله وشعبانُ شهري ورمضانُ شهر أمّتي”

 ‘Rajab is the month of Allah, Sha‘ban is my month and Ramadan is the month of my Ummah.’ Rajab has also been referred to by some ulama as the month of istighfaar, seeking forgiveness. There are a large number of hadiths that highlight the excellence and reward for fasting in this month and filling it with other acts of worship. For example, at-Tabarani narrates that the Prophet said, 

“رجب شهر عظيم يضاعِفُ اللهُ فيه الحسناتِ، فمن صام يوما من رجبَ فكأنما صام سنةً…الحديث”

“Rajab is an immense month in which Allah multiplies the reward for good actions. If anyone fasts one day of Rajab, it will be as if he has fasted a year…” and the hadith goes on to enumerate the rewards of fasting certain numbers of days during the month. Now, there is considerable disagreement among the scholars regarding the veracity of this hadith and those like it, but the fact remains that many of the sahaba and the men of Allah acted by them. And there is no disagreement that Rajab is an important month in the year. Firstly, within it falls the night upon which the Messenger of Allah was taken on his journey to Jerusalem and then through the seven heavens to the Lote tree of Furthest Limit and beyond – the night of Isra and Mi’raj. Secondly, when the Prophet explained why he fasted so much in Sha‘ban, he said ‘This is a month to which people do not pay attention, between Rajab and Ramadan’, mentioning Rajab in the same breath as Ramadan and acknowledging that it was accepted as being important. And thirdly, there is the fact that it is, as I mentioned earlier, one of the four sacred months which Allah refers to in the Qur’an when He says:

إِنَّ عِدَّةَ الشُّهُورِ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ اثْنَا عَشَرَ شَهْرًا فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ يَوْمَ خَلَقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضَ مِنْهَا أَرْبَعَةٌ حُرُمٌ  ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ فَلَا تَظْلِمُوا فِيهِنَّ أَنْفُسَكُمْ

the translation of which is, “There have been twelve months with Allah in the Book of Allah, from the day He first created the heavens and earth. Four of them are haram (sacred). That is the true deen. So do not wrong one another during them” These months have a special status with Allah and so the reward for good deeds and punishment for bad deeds are magnified during them, as is attested to by Ibn Abbas in his tafsir on Allah’s Words, “So do not wrong one another during them.”  And fasting is recommended for all of them, as is attested to by any book of fiqh you care to look at.
So, during this month, you should redouble your efforts to perform ‘ibadat, with specific emphasis on fasting, seeking forgiveness and standing the night in prayer, and take extra care to not fall into any wrong action. And by taking full advantage of the opportunities and times during these months, Allah will make it easier for you to derive benefit from your time throughout the rest of the year. Every reward is magnified in this month of Rajab so take full advantage while it lasts! O Allah, we ask You to protect us from our laziness, listlessness and incapacity. We ask You to make us people who live in the now, people who do not let even one moment go to waste, people who take advantage of the times when they present themselves. O Allah, make this a month of increase and forgiveness for all of us and keep us from what is haram and displeases You.

إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً. اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ  أَجْمَعِينَ. 

وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.

اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شَيْخِنَا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ.  

اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ. 

اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ (3) وَاخْذُلِ الْكُفْرَ وَالْكَافِرِينَ، وَانْصُرِ المُجَاهِدِينَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ. وَاجْعَلْ كَلِمََتَكَ هِيَ العُلْيَا وَكَلِمَةَ الْكُفْرِ هِيَ السُّفْلَى.

رَبَّنَا ءَاتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقَِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ. 

اللَّهُمَّ لاَ تَدَعْ فِي مَقَامِنَا هَذَا ذَنْباً إِلاَّ غَفَرْتَهُ، وَلاَ عَيْباً إِلاَّ سَتَرْتَهُ، وَلاَ مَرِيضاً إِلاَّ شَفَيْتَهُ وَعَافَيْتَهُ، وَلاَ مَسْجُوناً إِلاَّ طَلَقْتَ سَرَاحَهُ، وَلاَ مُسَافِراً فِي بَرِّكَ وَبَحْرِكَ إِلاَّ سَلِِمْتَهُ وَغَنِمْتَهُ.

إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. وَقُومُواْ إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللهُ.