It is a great spiritual irony that
knowledge and divine guidance may not always intersect. In fact, they may
diverge on most occasions if we go by the distilled wisdom of spiritual
history. Whenever a Messenger of Allah appears, it is the priestly class of apparently-learned- men who opposes and rejects him. On the one hand, the Islamic tradition venerates and privileges knowledge and wisdom. Yet, on the other hand, it warns believers to be wary of scholars and the priestly class when they deviate from the Divine Path despite the knowledge they otherwise seem to possess.
In his Friday Sermon of September 30, 2011 the Khalifatullah Hadhrat Munir Ahmad Azim Sahib of
“The example of those who were entrusted with the Torah and then did not
take it on is like that of a donkey that carries volumes (of books). Wretched
is the example of the people who deny the revelations of Allah. And Allah does
not guide the wrongdoing people.” (62: 6)
Knowledge cannot
guarantee guidance. It implies that guidance does not depend on knowledge but
it is in the power of Allah Almighty. The Quranic verse above condemns those
Mullahs who have gone astray.
“And had We willed We could have raised him with Our
signs; but he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desires. His
similitude is that of a dog: if you attack him, he sticks out his tongue, or if
you leave him alone, he (still) sticks out his tongue. That is the similitude
of those who reject Our signs; So relate the story; perhaps they may reflect.” (7: 177)
There are many other
verses and sayings of the Holy Prophet (sa) on this theme. The subject is so
crucial that according to one Hadith, the angels of hell will get hold of these
insolent Mullahs even before the idolaters. These so-called Mullahs will
protest, wondering why they are being dealt with before the worshippers of the
idols. The divine answer shall be:
“Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night,
prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the
mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, “Are those who know equal to
those who do not know?” Only they will remember [who are] people of
understanding.” (39: 10)
Brothers and sisters! We
respect the Mullah because we look upon him as an heir to the Holy Prophet (sa).
The lawful heir to the prophet is a person who is on the right path. An
insolent person, who is on the wrong path, is an heir to Satan rather than the
prophet. To respect true and Muttaqi Mullah is to respect the Holy Prophet (sa) and Hazrat Massih Maoud
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) and to respect an insolent Mullah is to respect the
Satan.
A man who is not on the
right path cannot bring others to the right path. The leaders of unbelievers
and infidels cannot be regarded as the leaders of Muslims. A scholar who uses
insulting language for Hazrat Muhammad (sa) is like an unbeliever or a
disbeliever. He does not deserve to get any respect from the Muslim
Community.
O my brothers and
sisters! Knowledge is useful, if it strengthens faith, otherwise a
scholar of Christianity is also regarded as a distinguished scholar in his own
community. Iblis was a distinguished
scholar and yet not even a single Muslim respect him. He was known as the
teacher of angels, which implies that he used to impart knowledge to the
angels. He became cursed and rejected when he refused to pay obeisance to
Prophet Adam (as). From that moment, the former pupils of Iblis changed their
behaviour with him; they cursed him, all because their prior obeisance is to
Allah and His Prophet.
Brothers and sisters! It
is a matter of serious regret that the Muslims should show more respect to
their teacher than Allah Almighty and His prophet (sa). The rule is that a
Muslim in this world should not love his brother or his friend or anything else
more than Allah Almighty and His Beloved Prophet Muhammad (sa).
May Allah guide us and help us to become true Muslims
by the grace of His infinite mercy and by the honour of His beloved (peace be
upon him). Ameen.