The Unaware Ulama Su’

The most dangerous ulama su’ are not necessarily those who deliberately lead people astray.

Even more alarming are those who never realise that they themselves have gone astray.

They study. They read. They memorise. They obtain certificates. Then come followers, status and power.

And they become increasingly convinced:

“I KNOW.”

“I UNDERSTAND.”

“I AM RIGHT.”

Allah says:

أَلَا إِنَّهُمْ هُمُ الْمُفْسِدُونَ وَلَٰكِن لَّا يَشْعُرُونَ

“Indeed, it is they who cause corruption, but they do not realise it.”

Al-Baqarah 2:12

And:

الَّذِينَ ضَلَّ سَعْيُهُمْ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَهُمْ يَحْسَبُونَ أَنَّهُمْ يُحْسِنُونَ صُنْعًا

“Those whose efforts have gone astray in the life of this world, while they think they are doing good.”

Al-Kahfi 18:104

This is the danger:

WRONG — YET CONVINCED THEY ARE RIGHT.

LACKING UNDERSTANDING — YET CONVINCED THEY UNDERSTAND.

ASTRAY — YET CONVINCED THEY ARE GUIDING OTHERS.

The problem begins when a certificate is mistaken for proof of understanding.

Allah says:

وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ

“And above every possessor of knowledge is one more knowledgeable.”

Yusuf 12:76

Every person’s knowledge has its limits.

But when the limits of one’s own knowledge are mistaken for the limits of truth:

What is found in the books is accepted.

What is absent is viewed with suspicion.

What has never been read is readily labelled as deviant.

Allah says:

بَلْ كَذَّبُوا بِمَا لَمْ يُحِيطُوا بِعِلْمِهِ

“Rather, they have denied what they have not encompassed in knowledge.”

Yunus 10:39

THEIR KNOWLEDGE HAS NOT YET REACHED THAT POINT,

YET THEIR JUDGEMENT HAS ALREADY BEEN PASSED.

Tawhid is not merely memorisation. Tawhid requires reason to think, evaluate and understand.

أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

“Will you not use your reason?”

Memorisation stores answers.

Understanding grasps the method.

A student may memorise multiplication tables up to 12 × 12.

When faced with 20 × 20, if the student has relied only on memorisation, they will be bewildered.

The problem is not that 20 × 20 is wrong.

The problem is that their memorisation stopped at 12 × 12.

The same applies to religious knowledge.

When you cannot find an answer in a book, do not immediately declare:

“DEVIANT!”

Allah says:

وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ

“Do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge.”

Al-Isra’ 17:36

If you do not yet understand, say:

“I DO NOT YET KNOW.”

The problem becomes more serious when knowledge depends solely on lifeless textbook teachers, without a living spiritual teacher to provide guidance.

Books can provide information.

But books do not confront the ego.

They do not recognise arrogance.

They do not correct the condition of the heart.

A living spiritual teacher can:

ADMONISH.

SHAPE.

GUIDE.

AWAKEN.

Then come FOLLOWERS.

Then STATUS.

Finally, POWER.

This is where one person’s mistake can become the mistake of many.

CERTIFICATE → A SENSE OF BEING KNOWLEDGEABLE

MEMORISATION → A SENSE OF UNDERSTANDING

FOLLOWERS → A SENSE OF BEING RIGHT

STATUS → A SENSE OF SUPERIORITY

POWER → THE ABILITY TO IMPOSE ONE’S WILL

Allah says:

فَلَا تُزَكُّوا أَنفُسَكُمْ

“So do not claim yourselves to be pure.”

An-Najm 53:32

This is the culmination:

NOT KNOWING — YET UNAWARE OF ONE’S OWN IGNORANCE.

NOT UNDERSTANDING — YET BELIEVING ONE UNDERSTANDS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE.

BEING WRONG — YET BELIEVING ONE IS MORE RIGHT THAN ANYONE ELSE.

BEING ASTRAY — YET BELIEVING ONE IS GUIDING OTHERS.

Do not treat certificates as absolute proof of knowledge, memorisation as proof of understanding, books as the limits of truth, followers as proof of being on the right path, or power as proof of being right.

THE GREATEST DANGER IS A PERSON WHO DOES NOT KNOW,

YET BELIEVES THEY ALREADY KNOW EVERYTHING.

And when such a person gains power—

THE LIMITS OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE CAN BECOME THE LIMITS IMPOSED UPON THE ENTIRE UMMAH.