I am scared about whether or not I should be an imaam

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.

Your desire to become an Alim is commendable and your fear for becoming an Alim also has merit.

There are great virtues to become an Alim and there are also warnings for an Alim abusing the knowledge bestowed upon him. We will address both issues and also present to you the solution to become an upright Alim and allay your fears for becoming an Alim.

Consider the following narrations:

قَالَ رَسُول الله – صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّم َ – من يرد الله بِهِ خيرا يفقه فِي الدّين

Translation: Rasulullah (ﷺ) said, “When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of Deen.” [1]

قَالَ النَّبيُّ صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم: (لاَ حَسَدَ إلاَّ فِي اثْنَتَيْنِ: رَجُلٌ آتاهُ الله مَالا فَسُلِّطَ عَلى هَلَكَتهِ فِي الحَقِّ، ورَجُلٌ آتاهُ الله الحكْمَة فَهْوَ يَقْضِي بِهَا وَيُعَلِّمُها)

Translation[2]: Rasulullah (ﷺ) said, “Envy is only permitted in two cases: A man whom Allah gives wealth, and he disposes of it rightfully, and a man to whom Allah gives knowledge which he applies and teaches it.”

فَوَاللهِ لَأَنْ يَهْدِيَ اللهُ بِكَ رَجُلًا وَاحِدًا خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ أَنْ يَكُونَ لَكَ حُمْرُ النَّعَمِ

Translation[3]: Rasulullah (ﷺ) said (to Ali may Allah be pleased with him), “By Allah, if a single person is guided by Allah through you, it will be better for you than a whole lot of red camels.

“ وَمَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَلْتَمِسُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ

Translation[4]: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “Allah makes the way to Jannah easy for him who treads the path in search of knowledge.”

فَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِي عَلَى أَدْنَاكُمْ» ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ وَأَهْلَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ حَتَّى النَّمْلَةَ فِي جُحْرِهَا وَحَتَّى الْحُوتَ لَيُصَلُّونَ عَلَى معلم النَّاس الْخَيْر»

Translation[5]: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “The superiority of the learned over the devout worshipper is like my superiority over the most inferior amongst you (in good deeds).” He went on to say, “Allah, His angels, the dwellers of the heaven and the earth, and even the ant in its hole and the fish (in water) supplicate in favour of those who teach people knowledge.”

أَن النَّبِي، صلى الله تَعَالَى عَلَيْهِ وَآله وَسلم، قَالَ: (من سلك طَرِيقا يطْلب فِيهِ علما سهل الله لَهُ طَرِيقا إِلَى الْجنَّة، وَأَن الْمَلَائِكَة لتَضَع أَجْنِحَتهَا رَضِي لطَالب الْعلم، وَأَن الْعَالم ليَسْتَغْفِر لَهُ من فِي السَّمَوَات وَمن فِي الأَرْض، حَتَّى الْحيتَان فِي المَاء. وَفضل الْعَالم على العابد كفضل الْقَمَر لَيْلَة الْبَدْر على سَائِر الْكَوَاكِب، وَأَن الْعلمَاء وَرَثَة الْأَنْبِيَاء، وَأَن الْأَنْبِيَاء، عَلَيْهِم السَّلَام، لم يورثوا دِينَارا وَلَا درهما، وَإِنَّمَا ورثوا الْعلم فَمن أَخذه أَخذ بحظ وافر)

Translation[6]: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “He who follows a path in quest of knowledge, Allah will make the path of Jannah easy to him. The angels lower their wings to the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he does. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth and even the fish in the depth of the oceans seek forgiveness for him. The superiority of the learned man over the worshipper is like that of the full moon to the rest of the stars (i.e., in brightness). The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who bequeath neither dinar nor dirham but only that of knowledge; and he who acquires it, has in fact acquired an abundant portion.

 ” «مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الْأَجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ، لَا يَنْقُصُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا

Translation[7]: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “He who calls others to follow the Right Guidance will have a reward equal to the reward of those who follow him, without their reward being diminished in any respect on that account.”

The above mentioned quotes from the Ahadith clearly expound the lofty position of an Alim. In order to achieve the virtues of becoming righteous Alim and serving the Deen of Allah for His pleasure, you should undertake to do two things.

1)    Correct intention.

Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam stated[8]:

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّمَا الْأَعْمَالُ بِالنِّيَّةِ، وَإِنَّمَا لِامْرِئٍ مَا نَوَى

Translation: Actions are according to intentions, and everyone will get what was intended.

Make intention to become an Alim to please Allah. The more sincere and honest the intention is, the more you will strive to earn the pleasure of Allah. You will not be distracted by bad intentions that would lead you astray.

2) Adopt the company of Ahlullah, Allah says[9]:

يَاأَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَكُونُوا مَعَ الصَّادِقِينَ

Translation: O you who have believed, fear Allah and be with those who are true.

 The company of Ahlullah has a positive impact on an individual. It creates Allah’s consciousness in an individual. An Allah consciousness individual measures everything according to the pleasure of Allah and Sunnah. If one studies the lives of the great and accomplished Ulama of the past, they all attached themselves to the Ahlullah and learned how to please Allah and lead their lives according to the Sunnah.

If you practice on those two points, you have all the reasons to be positive and to become an Alim of Deen.

And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best

Muhammad Yaasir Iunus Hussen 

Student Darul Iftaa
Mozambique 

Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.

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