Comments on: Return Of The Poor Righteous Teachers: “Where Are The Ulema al-Haqq and the Imams Of Righteousness?” https://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/return-of-the-poor-righteous-teachers-where-are-the-ulema-al-haqq-and-the-imams-of-righteousness/ Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:18:37 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.4 By: speedy https://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/return-of-the-poor-righteous-teachers-where-are-the-ulema-al-haqq-and-the-imams-of-righteousness/#comment-9248 Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:18:37 +0000 http://www.virtualmosque.com/blog/?p=3525#comment-9248 Which came first? The chicken or the egg?

There is an increasing voice of frustration from the muslim masses regarding the visibility and profile of the Ulema/Scholars of Islam, “They need to stand up and be counted”, etc, etc.

BUT…The scholars are the offspring of the masses, a reflection, a manifestation of our own condition and character. Speaking from first hand knowledge the makeup of the madresahs, schools of Islamic theology, are not a composition of the best of what Islam and muslims have to offer.

The story is the same whatever country or region of the world you choose to analyse. The majority of the students (Note: not all) comprise of the following:
1. Those whose parents regard them as 'too dumb' or unable to become doctors, surgeons etc. (Intellectually challenged)
2. Those whose parents feel they are no longer able to control them. (Socially and morally challenged)
3. Those who are either orphans or from poor backgrounds. (Financially and economically challenged)
4, Those whose parents have studied in madresahs and therefore desire the same for their child(ren).

Very few of the children studying can say that they are there because they were the most intelligent of the siblings and their parents believed this to be the best path in life and best course of education for them.

WE REAP WHAT WE SOW

Yes, from amongst that motley crew every now and then we unearth a gem but it is rare and very few and far between. THE BLAME LIES NOT WITH THE ULEMA BUT WITH US!

It is never too late though and we should seek to re-dress this issue immediately. It is time for us to stand up and be counted. The cleverest most able and intelligent of our children should be sent to study and master the sciences of Islam. We should stop fearing, ' who will run the household, pay the mortgage and bring food to the table when i am too old to work'. The answer is simple, Allah will, he who fed those before you and will feed those after you. Rizq, sustenance lies with him. Success is for him who puts his complete trust in the Almighty and surrenders himself completely.

]]> By: Nomad78 https://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/return-of-the-poor-righteous-teachers-where-are-the-ulema-al-haqq-and-the-imams-of-righteousness/#comment-9247 Tue, 10 Mar 2009 02:27:24 +0000 http://www.virtualmosque.com/blog/?p=3525#comment-9247 Brother Abu Rumaysha,
Thank you for your input and I agree with you whole heartedly. My problem is “not really knowing where to start” and Alhamdullillah I am thankful for all the resources that are available and I have been working on improving myself Islamically but sometimes without the guidance of one who truely models our beautiful teachings the process gets a tad bit overwhelming and one, although not dispaired, starts to get a bit frustrated with the growing pains.
I ask Allah to keep us all steadfast and on the right path
Nomad78

]]> By: abu Rumaysah https://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/return-of-the-poor-righteous-teachers-where-are-the-ulema-al-haqq-and-the-imams-of-righteousness/#comment-9246 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:33:53 +0000 http://www.virtualmosque.com/blog/?p=3525#comment-9246 nomad78:
I agree with your concerns and I understand what you are saying, it is ideal to have mentors and teachers close to us to help each one of us in our spiritual development. However, in the real world, every Muslim cannot practically have one, so what is the solution?

In my opinion, a muslim has to do his best what the knowledge he/she has and try to improve. As you know, knowledge is defined as not only learning, but learning coupled with action. For example, some companions would come to the Prophet (saws) and learn some important points of faith and stay with the prophet (saw) for a short time and then return to their tribes to spread the message. Their sincerity, maturity, and steadfastness helped them grow spritiually, although they did not possess volumes of knowledge.

Today, alhamdulilah, we have access to volumes of knowledge online at our fingertips, access to video lectures of scholars, access to scholars easily, and so therefore, I think we have ample opportunities to elevate ourselves and we should be thankful..

]]> By: Umar https://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/return-of-the-poor-righteous-teachers-where-are-the-ulema-al-haqq-and-the-imams-of-righteousness/#comment-9245 Sat, 07 Mar 2009 00:04:56 +0000 http://www.virtualmosque.com/blog/?p=3525#comment-9245 It is one thing to get a new mindset, it is another to keep re-fueling that mindset. There needs to be a constant nourishment of the heart and mind. We have too many young Muslims who think they know it all after a few books and islamic lectures. Knowledge and development is for life. So the first lesson would be to realise that this process renewal and revival process must be done regularly and nobody should slack.

]]> By: Wyd https://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/return-of-the-poor-righteous-teachers-where-are-the-ulema-al-haqq-and-the-imams-of-righteousness/#comment-9244 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:37:17 +0000 http://www.virtualmosque.com/blog/?p=3525#comment-9244 the first thing which muslims should change is their mindset.
once they've changed their mindset, they are becoming new people. muslims have a perfect guidance for life and a perfect figure to be their good example but when they trap themselves into their narrow mindset, the perfect guidance will take them nowhere.

]]> By: Siraaj https://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/return-of-the-poor-righteous-teachers-where-are-the-ulema-al-haqq-and-the-imams-of-righteousness/#comment-9243 Fri, 06 Mar 2009 06:47:06 +0000 http://www.virtualmosque.com/blog/?p=3525#comment-9243 Salaam alaykum Abul Hussein,

Have you been sneaking peeks at our upcoming articles at MuslimMatters 😉 Insh'allah, we have a similar 4 part series coming out on this very topic, down to the analogy used, look out for it really soon.

Siraaj

]]> By: روح https://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/return-of-the-poor-righteous-teachers-where-are-the-ulema-al-haqq-and-the-imams-of-righteousness/#comment-9242 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 11:07:09 +0000 http://www.virtualmosque.com/blog/?p=3525#comment-9242 MashaAllah brilliant post. It hits the nail on its head, this is exactly what we need to be thinking about and trying to implement.

]]> By: tasfia https://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/return-of-the-poor-righteous-teachers-where-are-the-ulema-al-haqq-and-the-imams-of-righteousness/#comment-9241 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:36:54 +0000 http://www.virtualmosque.com/blog/?p=3525#comment-9241 This is so true–Muslims nowadays are so selfish into thinking about themselves w/ regard to financial security, their immediate family, that they forget about the slow demise of our deen in the succesive generations. Inshallah, I hope this changes.

]]> By: Nomad78 https://www.virtualmosque.com/islam-studies/return-of-the-poor-righteous-teachers-where-are-the-ulema-al-haqq-and-the-imams-of-righteousness/#comment-9240 Thu, 05 Mar 2009 03:52:56 +0000 http://www.virtualmosque.com/blog/?p=3525#comment-9240 Salam,

This questions has plagued my mind for many years and it is one that becomes somewhat of a vicious cycle for the one with just a little more than a basic understanding of Islam. That person becomes caught between the teachings and how to live and apply them to everyday life. That person becomes the teacher and the student, to his/her own self, because of the unforutante lack of true examples of how to live everyday life Islamically as it is meant to be. This phenomenon is every where and not just faced by those of us who live in the west.
The scholars, the teachers and the ones who are blessed with a strong will power are ones to be sought after to learn from, not to become students of Islamic Sharia but to get an understanding of that deep spiritual bliss.
We should start an “Islamic counceling services” group. I think that would be better than any councellor/spiritual teacher/psychiatrist out there. But where is that service and how can it be available outside of the typical lecture based format. We need “experiential/clinical/hands-on” training and orientation.
Jazak Allah khair for the article.

Nomad78

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