Scholars Are Very Few In the Ummah Today

Shaykh al-Albaanee (may Allah have mercy on him) stated:

Whenever I hear this kind of talk, I am reminded of the old proverb, which is well known amongst the scholars: 

“Verily, the small bird (bughaath) in our lands has now become an eagle.”

Some people are unaware of what is intended by this statement or by this proverb. The bughaath is a small bird that is worthless - but this small bird becomes like an eagle to the people – due to their ignorance…

This proverb is true about many of the people who call to Islaam, whether upon truth and correctness or upon error and falsehood. But Allaah knows that the entire Muslim world [today] is void – except for very, very few individuals, whom it is correct to say about them that, “So and so” is a scholar.’   In an authentic hadeeth reported by Imaam Al-Bukhaaree in his Saheeh, from the report of ‘Abdullaah Ibn ‘Amr Ibn Al-‘Aas (may Allaah be pleased with him), who said: “Allaah Messenger (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) said: “Verily, Allaah will not snatch away the knowledge from the chests the scholars, rather He will take away the knowledge by taking away the scholars. Until there does not remain any scholar- this is the point- until there does not remain any scholar, the people will take ignorant leaders, who will be asked questions and then give fatwa (religious rulings) without knowledge. So they will go astray and cause others to go astray.”

When Allaah wants to take away the knowledge, He will not snatch it way from the hearts of the scholars, such that the scholar becomes like someone who never learned anything in the first place, no. This is not from the Sunnah (way) of Allaah when dealing with His servants, especially His righteous servants – to take away the knowledge that they have acquired for the sake of Allaah, azza wa jall… Allaah is just and fair in His rulings – He does not snatch the knowledge away from the hearts of the true scholars. Rather, it is from the Sunnah of Allaah with His creation that He takes away the knowledge by taking away scholars (i.e. causing them to die), as He did with the chief of all scholars and prophets and messengers, Muhammad (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam)

“…Until there does not remain any scholar, the people will take ignorant leaders, who will be asked questions and they give fatwa (religious rulings) without knowledge. So they will go astray.”

This does not mean that Allaah will leave the earth void of any scholar, through which Allaah’s proof can be established upon his servants; rather it means that the more that time continues to pass, the more that knowledge decreases And we will continue increasing in this condition of less and deficient knowledge, until there does not remain on the face of this earth, anyone who says: Allaah, Allaah.” You hear this hadeeth many times, and it is an authentic hadeeth.

Source: A tape entitled: Hadhihi Da’watunaa (This is our Call), p. 1-2 by Imaam Muhammad Naasirud-Deen al-Albaanee;   translated into article format by Abu Maryam