SHEIKH AJIA AND THE NEED TO PRESERVE THE HONOUR OF SCHOLARS

By

Ibn Abdillah As-sudaisiy Al-Iloori

23rd December 2024

One of the things Islām values so much in human beings is reputation. Allāh does not want us to tamper with people's honour. Even the dead body of a human being is sacred. It must not be mutilated whether the deceased was a Muslim or not. Allāh says:

وَلَـقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِيْۤ اٰدَمَ وَحَمَلْنٰهُمْ فِى الْبَرِّ وَا لْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنٰهُمْ مِّنَ الطَّيِّبٰتِ وَفَضَّلْنٰهُمْ عَلٰى كَثِيْرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيْلًا

And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [definite] preference. (QS. Al-Israa: Verse 70)

However, the best way an individual can protect and preserve this honour is to follow the directives of Allāh in the Qur'ān and Sunnah. No doubt, disobedience to Allāh and His Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم is one of the factors that strips honour from people. Allāh's aid is sought. Therefore, if a person is firm upon the path of Allāh and Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم to the best of his ability and anyone attempts to humiliate him, he will be vindicated and the one who attempts to humiliate him will be the one to face humiliation. This is in line with the verse of the Qur'ān where Allāh said to the Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم:

اِنَّ شَا نِئَكَ هُوَ الْاَ بْتَرُ

Indeed, your enemy is the one cut off. (QS. Al-Kawthar: Verse 3)

This is the case of our honoured scholars, Sheikh Abdulwahab Abubakar Ajia حفظه الله as he was vindicated yesterday over his reputation that was tampered by one of our younger brothers, Abu Anwar. May Allāh rectify his affairs. What happened yesterday was a victory for Islam (and Sunnah), not only in Ilorin but Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole. 

With the advent of social media, a lot of people have lost shame hiding under keypads to disrespect and defame those that are above them in almost everything. Whereas, what Islam and Sunnah teaches is for us to have manners with all kinds of people, especially the scholars who Allāh made to be inheritors of the Prophets  عليهم السلام. If we try to imagine what scholars go through in attaining knowledge and their sacrifices, no one will misbehave towards them. If you cannot commend and pray for them over their efforts, why attacking them?

In the first place, it is an evil to defame or lie against other people whether they are Muslim or not. It is not even Islamic to lie or defame people of bid'ah, let alone scholars of Sunnah upon whom Allāh specifically places His honour. Allāh says:

يَرْفَعِ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيْنَ اٰمَنُوْا مِنْكُمْ ۙ وَا لَّذِيْنَ اُوْتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجٰتٍ ۗ 

Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees. (QS. Al-Mujaadila: Verse 11)

What we have witnessed recently from many Muslim youth claiming to be upon the Sunnah has been very sad to say the least. Sometimes, one wonders the source of the audacity to defame and lie against people in them. But the truth that cannot be denied is that the ideology of attacking personalities in the name of defending the Sunnah in our society is traceable to the Jabatiyyah group and its offshoots. 

The Sunnah is free from da'wah of defamation and character assassination. Scholars cannot be perfect. They can err because they are not Angels. Their attention can only be called to their perceived mistakes with respect and they will either correct it or make clarification where necessary. Even if they do not correct their error, you have done your own part. It is not for you to begin to attack them. Even in the case of those who are not scholars, they have to be corrected and treated with wisdom, not to talk of scholars. 

It is dangerous to move with people who don't care about their own reputations, let alone that of others. Then, I fear more, those who are bold enough to insult or malign people of knowledge under whatever guise. Parents should endeavor to watch those their children mix with, especially in their schools. Before your child begins to study from or listen to any scholar, ask the trustworthy scholars of Sunnah in your area about him and where he belongs in terms of ideology and creed. Who are his teachers and mentors in the da'wah front? Some children genuinely wanted to learn the Sunnah, but they fall in the hands of extremists who believe the truth is exclusive to them and their favourite Shuyukh. They are hasty in throwing scholars out of Sunnah. It is very sad that some of those who fell into these mess used to be with us. May Allāh bring them back to the moderate path.

I hope yesterday's event at Toiba Masque, Gaa Saka, Ilorin will put a stop to the evil of defaming scholars in our society. Those who are still in the business of insulting or mocking scholars whether directly or indirectly (with innuendos) should fear Allāh and take a lesson from what happened yesterday. There are some people that are subtle in their insult and mockery of scholars claiming they are retaliating for their favourite scholars. Who sent you? The truth is that some of those mocking Abu Anwar for the apology and repentance he offered yesterday are also guilty of the same offence. They need to also repent sincerely. They know themselves. The fact that they don't mention names is immaterial. 

It is no longer going to be business as usual. If you defame a scholar or student of knowledge, you will be taken up no matter who you think you are and how influential you may be. I thank our noble learned colleagues for a good job. Their efforts was not to punish anyone unjustly. It was to defend the honour of our Sheikh and restore sanity in the da'wah scene. This clearly shows that we need mentorship in this da'wah now than ever before. The da'wah scene has been infiltrated by crude and unrefined elements that are drawing the Ummah backwards in so many ways. We need several seminars and symposia to treat these problems.

In a way, the Deen has now been turned to a football or game of politics by which preference is given to location and race over knowledge and substance. No one will force anyone to follow our indigenous scholars. You can follow your favourite foreign based scholars as you wish, but please hold your tongues and pens on our highly respected home based scholars. Otherwise , they may be forced to seek redress in Court to clear their names. I also wish to strongly encourage anyone defamed to use this medium in order to stop these evil. We do not discriminate among scholars (foreign or indigenous), but we believe strongly that some local issues are best handled by indigenous trustworthy scholars of repute. It is unreasonable for anyone or any group to think that there are no scholars that we can take knowledge from in this country. In fact, the truth is that some of the home based scholars are more knowledgeable and respected by many of the foreign scholars of their generations.

The brother who defamed Sheikh Ajia should repent sincerely and forgiveness from other scholars he had defamed in the past following all the shurut for tawbah (repentance). It is just so sad that as knowledge, humble, calm, patient, kind and generous as Sheikh Ajia is, some people can hate and slander him for no reasonable reason. This world is just scary. No matter how good you are, you must have enemies. This confirms the truthfulness of these lines of poem:

 وما احد من السن الناس سالما

And there is no one immune from the tongue of other people

ولو انه ذاك النبي المطهر

Even if he was a purified prophet

فان كان مقداما يقولون: اهوج

If he was brave, they (people) will say reckless

وان كان مفضالا يقولون: مبذر

If he was hospitable, they'll say money waster

وان كان سكيتا يقولون: ابكم

If he was mostly quiet, they'll say dumb

وان كان منطيقا يقولون: مهذر

If he's fluent and eloquent in speech, they'll say talkative

وان كان صواما وباليل قائما

If he fasts a lot and prays at night

يقولون:زرّافُ يرائي ويمكر

They'll say he is a show off and a deceiver 

فلا تحتفل في الناس بالذم والثـنا

Therefore pay no heed to what people say whether it's an insult or a compliment 

ولا تخشى غير الله فالله اكبر

And fear non beside Allah, for Allah is bigger than all