Welcome to Mindful Ramadan 2022 – Leaving a legacy. This year, our goal is to inspire each of you to choose how you want to be remembered and ignite your passion for contribution, whether at home or on a global scale.

Today, we have Dr. Mohammad Salah, a name that needs no introduction. Millions of people throughout the globe love him and know him as the religious adviser on Huda TV. He is the host of several popular shows and has produced over 1500 hours of broadcasted programs in both English and Arabic.

Today, let us take a look at reviving the legacy of sincere scholarship. 

From a psychological perspective, having role models and people that we look up to is highly important. We feel motivated and believe that it is possible to achieve higher goals. Having a role model is one of the greatest means of maintaining steadfastness, especially nowadays where the trials are numerous and people are losing their deen and slipping away from Islam at a rapid rate. 

Whom to emulate

In Islam, we have our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) followed by his companions for us to look up to. The Messenger of Allah (pbuh) has shown as the most excellent pattern to follow. When we strive hard to follow his teachings, our reckoning on the Day of Judgement will be made easy and our path in this dunya and our akhirah will be made blissful. 

If you want to follow a particular role model, it is better to emulate those who have already passed away. This is because those who are still alive are not yet free from fitna, and can slip or err. This has been particularly visible with some renowned scholars and speakers too!  

What makes a person outstanding?

Irrespective of which profession a person might want to follow, there are certain characteristics that will make them outstanding, whether it’s a physician or a businessman or any other. So, what are these characteristics and how can we embody them? 

A true scholar will want their students to succeed and be better than them! While everyone is busy trying to build their own legacy, a true scholar would want his students to thrive and continue the legacy that he has left behind. This way, the scholars make sure that their legacy continues to survive even after their death. When this happens, they continue to collect good deeds even in their graves. Such a scholar wants goodness for everyone, not just him. This is what makes a person outstanding and different from the rest. 

It’s always about Allah

When we impart religious knowledge, we must remember that we are dealing with Allah, and not the audience. A good scholar does not debate for the sake of debating. He knows that he could be wrong, and the other person could be right, and therefore, does not spend his time and energy on focussing on inconsequential matters. He has the humility and sincerity to accept that he may be wrong. This is a crucial quality that is often lost in this age of social media, where everyone wants to give their opinions and expects others to follow them no matter what. Maintaining humility, sincerity and remaining kind are crucial characteristics of a respectful scholar.  

You will be questioned…

When Allah blesses you with knowledge, He will question how you used it on the Day of Judgement. Nowadays, people are more focussed about how many followers they have on social media rather than worrying about how they are using their time and energy in imparting whatever knowledge they have gained. 

What is the role of a scholar in society? 

The role of a scholar should not be limited to leading the congregation in prayer, or teaching in Sunday schools. He must truly be a leader that the community can look up to and seek help from. When a scholar understands the power of his leadership, it will significantly reduce the ills facing the ummah these days!  When we have a sincere scholar, we can greatly reduce the number of youth falling outside the fold of Islam and becoming agnostic or atheist.    

How does a person develop their character and do the internal work needed to exemplify true scholarship? 

Knowledge is more accessible than ever before. But real scholarship can only be achieved when scholars have exemplary character. You can read all you want about becoming a great scholar, but no amount of theory can set you up for reality. You will have to walk the talk and take the lead. You have to do the internal work and strive hard to seek Allah’s pleasure and mercy in order to be successful.

What are some of the common temptations and downfalls to be aware of when becoming a student of knowledge? 

Allah has asked us to ask Him. We are encouraged to say, “Oh Allah, increase me in knowledge.” Therefore, it doesn’t matter how much you think you know. You must always be humble enough to understand that there could be people out there who know more than you, and you are always on the journey of learning. You must never assume that you have learnt enough or learnt everything. The ocean of knowledge is vast and deep, and no matter how much we strive to learn, we must always be willing to keep ourselves updated and learn more, in order to be a good student of knowledge.      

The more you learn, the more it humbles you. The more you learn, the more you’ll be cautious with regards to what you eat. what you say, how you react and how you spend your time. Always remember that Allah is pleased with  a student of knowledge. When you strive to learn Islamic knowledge and impart it to others, all the angels will invoke Allah’s blessings on you. Therefore, strive hard to learn as much as possible but always stay humble. 

What should you do when your favourite scholar falters?

When you see a scholar whom you respected and looked up to, failing and falling away from Islam, you can be shaken to the core and feel numb. Sometimes, people associate their imaan levels to a particular scholar, so much so that when they learn about the wrongdoings about a particular scholar, they drift away from Islam. This is because they connected their deen to the scholar, and not to Allah! 

We must firstly remember that every scholar is human. It is human to make mistakes. Our hearts can deviate and falter because that’s how our hearts have been made. Therefore, do not associate Islam with a scholar. Your connection to your deen should be independent of any scholar or role model you look up to. Perfection can only be attributed to Allah, not His creation.  

Becoming a scholar and leaving a legacy come with great responsibility but carry tremendous rewards. When you are sincere towards Allah, you will always have success following you, no matter what path you choose to travel in this duny