After the
Messenger of Allaah (sallallaahu alayhi wa sallam), no one is free from
mistakes. Therefore, no scholar is free from mistakes. And if a scholar should
make a mistake then he should not be scrutinized for it, nor should the mistake
be taken as a pretext to disgrace the Shaykh or warn against him. Rather, the
rare times that the Shaykh was wrong about something are pardoned due to the
many, many times that the Shaykh was right. And if the scholar was from the
scholars of the past, then we should benefit from his knowledge while being
careful not to follow him in his mistakes. And we should supplicate Allaah on
his behalf and ask Allaah to have mercy upon him.
However, if the
scholar or the student of knowledge is still alive, then his mistake should be
corrected by utilizing kindness and gentleness, and with a strong desire to see
him freed from the mistake and return to what is correct. Some of the scholars
of the past made mistakes in matters related to ‘aqeedah, but despite those
mistakes, the scholars and students of knowledge are unable to dispense of
their knowledge. Rather, their books are some of the most important references
used by those who are busy seeking knowledge, such as the books of Imam
Al-Bayhaqee, and Imam An-Nawawee, and Al-Haafidh Ibn Hajar Al-‘Asqalaani.
I will now
mention the statements of some of the scholars that both confirm and clarify
the fact that the mistakes of a scholar are pardoned due to the many, many
times that the Shaykh was right.
Sa‘eed
ibn-ul-Musayyib (died 93H) said: “There
is no scholar, or nobleman, or respected person except that they have some
fault. However, anyone whose virtues outnumber his faults, then his faults are
swept away by his virtues. Likewise, anyone whose faults outnumber his virtues,
then his virtues are swept away by his faults. Someone else said: ‘No scholar
is free from mistakes. If he makes a few mistakes and is right most of the
time, then he is a scholar. But he who is seldom correct and makes mistakes
most of the time, then he is ignorant.’”
‘Abdullah
ibn-ul-Mubaarak (died 181H) said: “If the
good deeds of a man are greater than his bad deeds, then his bad deeds are not
remembered. But if his bad deeds are greater than his good deeds, then his good
deeds are not remembered.”
Al-Imaam
Adh-Dhahabee (died 748H) said: “If the
major scholar is right most of the time, and his meticulous concern for the
truth, and the vastness of his knowledge, and his intelligence are all well-known;
as is his righteousness and piety, and his adherence (to the Sunnah), then his
mistakes are forgiven. And we do not say that he is astray and throw him away,
forgetting all of the good that he has done! That’s right! However, (at the
same time) we do not follow him in his bid’ah or his mistake, and we hope that
he will repent.”
Al-Imaam
Adh-Dhahabee also said: “If we rendered the scholars as people of bid’ah and
ostracized them every time they made a mistake while deducing a legal ruling
about some issue after thorough research (i.e. every time they made ijtihaad),
then the likes of Ibn Nasr and Ibn Mandah would not have been safe from us, nor
would any scholar - even those greater than them. It is Allah Who guides His
creation to the truth, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy. And
we seek refuge with Allah from (following our) desires and from being harsh
hearted and rude.”
Al-Imaam
Adh-Dhahabee also said: “If every (scholar) who made a mistake while deducing a
legal ruling after thorough research (ijtihaad) were to be destroyed by us
(making all of his efforts in vain) and rendered from the people of bid’ah –
despite the soundness of his faith, and his intention to follow the truth, then
only a few of the scholars would have been safe from us. May Allah have Mercy
upon them all, with His Benevolence and Generosity.”
Al-Imaam
Adh-Dhahabee also said: “We love the Sunnah and the people of the Sunnah. And
we love the scholar because of his adherence (to the Sunnah) and because of his
virtues and praiseworthy characteristics. However, we do not love any bid’ah
that he came with as a result of an erroneous interpretation (of a text from
the Qur'aan or the Sunnah). And the most important thing to take into account
is the great number of (his) good deeds.”
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali
(died 795H) said: “Allah has refused to make any book
perfect except His Book (i.e. the Qur’aan)! And the just and righteous man is
the one who pardons the few mistakes that someone may make due to the many,
many times that the he was right.”
Source: People
of the Sunnah, Be Kind With One Another pg. 33-41 by Shaykh Abdul-Muhsin Al-‘Abbaad
(may Allaah preserve Him)
