Q: I’m a youth and there’s just something that’s been bugging me for a while: Sometimes when you go out then you hear people saying that nowadays a lot of the Ulama only want to know you if you are wealthy or if you pious i.e. the ordinary person is overlooked ( I know this is not true for every Moulana and there are many Ulama who are not like this). This has happened to quite a few people who I know where a well known Aalim will greet selective people. This kind of attitude puts a young person in a position where they feel a bit despondent. I was just wondering if you could advice me on this.
A: We feel that this is just an imagination. Ulama generally greet all people, whether it is the well known, the wealthy or otherwise. It maybe that the Aalim did not greet at some time and he may have been occupied in some work or some conversation which prevented him from greeting. These matters should not be taken negatively.
یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوۡا کَثِیۡرًا مِّنَ الظَّنِّ ۫ اِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ اِثْمٌ وَّ لَا تَجَسَّسُوۡا وَلَا یَغْتَبۡ بَّعْضُكُمۡ بَعْضًا ؕ اَیُحِبُّ اَحَدُكُمْ اَنۡ یَّاۡكُلَ لَحْمَ اَخِیۡہِ مَیۡتًا فَکَرِہۡتُمُوۡہُ ؕ وَاتَّقُوا اللہَ ؕ اِنَّ اللہَ تَوَّابٌ رَّحِیۡمٌ ﴿۱۲﴾ (سورة الحجرات)
Answered by:
Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)