Some Signs Of A True 'Aalim

In Islam, an 'Aalim refers to an Islamic scholar. The criteria for a real and true 'Aalim must thus be clearly defined so that we do not mistaken the genuine and the fake. This is absolutely necessary for us to protect and safeguard our Deen.

Many people get deceived by the eloquence and the speeches of "scholars", although those "scholars" might go against Shari'ah. They set the criteria that so and so 'Aalim is famous, his speeches are good or he looks very innocent etc. etc. They might spice-up new ideas as "best-practices" or "the way" to revive the Ummah whereas those methods have nothing to do with Rasulullah SAW and his Companions RA.

Below are just some hints that an ordinary Muslim may use in order to recognise and identify the 'Aalim and Ulama of Haqq (Truth):


1. The reverred Tabi'in - Hasan Al-Basri RA comments:

"An 'Aalim is that person who fears Allah in secrecy and openness, he desires those things that Allah encourages and he dislikes those things that Allah dislikes."


2. The reverred Sahabi - Saiyidina Abdullah ibn Mas'ud RA said:

"'Ilm (knowledge) is not a lot of speech, but rather Ilm is a lot of fear of Allah."

The summary of this is the amount which he fears Allah, is the level of his Ilm.


3. Ahmad ibn Saalih Al-Misri RA said:

"Plentiness of Ilm is not the means of recognising Taqwa (Fear of Allah) but rather - the following of the Qur'an and Sunnah is the means of recognising Allah."


4. Shaykh Shihabuddin RA said:

"A person who does not have the fear of Allah in him, he is not an 'Aalim."


5. Rabee ibn Anas RA said:

"Verily, the 'Aalim is that person who fears Allah."


6. "Sa'd ibn Ibrahim RA was asked:

"Who is the most learned person in Madinah?"

He replied:

"The one who has the most Taqwa (Fear) for his Lord."


7. One of the greatest Sahabi - Saiyidina Ali ibn Abi Talib RA also explained the attributes and qualities of a true Faqih in this manner:

"A complete 'Aalim is that person who does not make a person despondent of the mercy of Allah, nor does he give them leeway in their sins, nor does he give them security from the punishment of Allah, nor does he abandon the Qur'an desiring some other objective."


8. Saiyidina Ali RA also says:

"There is no good in any Ibadah (Worship) in which there is no Ilm (Knowledge); and there is no Ilm in which there is no deep insight into it; and there is no recitation in which there is no pondering into it." (Ma'riful Qur'an: Volume 6: Page 336)