Media's Pulpit of Religion - Where does the Scholar of Truth Stand?
Article (69) In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Knowledge of religion has always been the heritage of the prophets (peace be upon them), but the question has always remained alive in every era: What is the knowledge of truth and who is its bearer?
In today's era, when the pulpit and niche, social media, and public popularity have started weighing knowledge in the scales of fame, this question has become even more serious.
Furthermore, in the current era of media culture, we repeatedly see the scene where news anchors present individuals as "Islamic scholars" in the name of Islamic and complex religious issues, who neither have a strong Islamic academic foundation nor a mature religious temperament, even if they are modernly educated and skilled in oratory. These individuals, just for fame, applause, or personal gain, give wrong answers and not only put the Muslim nation in the dock of thought but also push the Ummah into a web of more confusion, objections, and trials, while they themselves remain safe and satisfied.
In such a turbulent environment, this saying of Hazrat Maulana Ashraf Ali Thanvi (may Allah have mercy on him) is not just advice but a measure of thought, which draws a clear line between the scholar of truth and the scholar of the world.
This article is a serious attempt to understand and examine this measure in the light of the Holy Quran.
The Foundation of the Scholar of Truth: The Pleasure of Allah
Hazrat Thanvi (may Allah have mercy on him) says that the scholar who changes his words to please someone in matters of Allah and religion is not a scholar of truth. (Ifazat-e-Ashrafia; Malfuzat. Hakim-ul-Ummat. p. 380.)
This principle is directly in harmony with this fundamental temperament of the Quran:
﴿QUL INNA SALATI WA NUSUKI WA MAHYAYA WA MAMATI LILLAHI RABBIL 'ALAMIN﴾ (Al-An'am: 162) Say: Indeed, my prayer, my sacrifice, my life and my death are all for Allah, the Lord of the worlds. The center of the life, thought, and position of the scholar of truth is only the pleasure of Allah, not the applause of the public, fame, or temporary interests. The recognition of truth is not from the majority. Hazrat Thanvi (may Allah have mercy on him) emphasizes that the criterion of truth is not the number of people or worldly acceptance. The same thing is clarified by the Quran in different styles: ﴿WA IN TUTI' AKTHARA MAN FIL ARDI YUDILLUKA 'AN SABILILLAH﴾ (Al-An'am: 116) And if you obey the majority of those on earth, they will mislead you from the path of Allah.
Therefore, the scholar of truth is the one who stands firm on the truth despite the opposition of the majority, not the one who changes his position after seeing the public trend. Expediency versus Sharia?
Maulana Thanvi (may Allah have mercy on him) says that if a person goes against the Sharia, then it is necessary to oppose him, even if it causes harm. This is the Quranic method: ﴿FALA WA RABBIKA LA YU'MINUNA HATTA YUHAKKIMUKA FIMA SHAJARA BAINAHUM﴾
(An-Nisa: 65) But no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves. Expediency against Sharia is actually a tribulation, and the scholar of truth does not remain silent on tribulation. Worldly Loss and Eternal Success According to Hazrat Thanvi (may Allah have mercy on him): Even if the world becomes against him, he does not take a step against the Sharia.
This is the standard that the Quran describes as follows:
﴿MAN KANA YURIDUL 'AJILATA 'AJJALNA LAHU FIHA MANA NASHA'U…﴾
(Al-Isra: 18-19)
Whoever desires only the world, he gets the world, but loses the Hereafter, and whoever gives priority to the Hereafter, he is the successful one. Our Responsibility in Today's Era
Today, the biggest tribulation is that a scholar is judged by numbers, likes, applause, and popularity, not by speaking the truth and steadfastness. While the decision of the Quran is very clear:
﴿ALLADHINA YUBALLIGHUNA RISALATILLAHI WA YAKHSHAUNAHU WA LA YAKHSHAUNA AHADAN ILLALLAH﴾
(Al-Ahzab: 39)
Those who convey the messages of Allah, fear Him, and fear no one but Allah. When the verses of the Holy Quran are seen from this angle, the reality becomes even clearer that the call to truth has never been an easy path. The history of the prophets (peace be upon them) is a witness that the reward for speaking the truth has always been trial, loneliness, and severe opposition, not popularity. Falsehood has always taken the support of the majority, power, and noise in every era, while truth has always stood on the support of reason, patience, and steadfastness. That is why the Quran has repeatedly warned us to make the command of Allah the measure, not the trend of the people. When knowledge deviates from this measure, it starts creating discord, prejudice, and tribulation instead of guidance, and when it remains on the same measure, it becomes a means of reforming the era. Finally, the truth comes out with full clarity that the path of truth has never needed a crowd. The scholar of truth is not the one who pleases everyone, but the one who has the courage to incur the displeasure of everyone in order to please Allah. The Quran teaches us that the price of truth may be loneliness, opposition, and worldly loss, but this price is actually a guarantee of eternal success. Today, there is a need for us to recognize the scholar not by his popularity but by his truthfulness, steadfastness, and unconditional adherence to the Sharia.
Because knowledge that is devoid of the fear of Allah becomes not light but tribulation. May Allah grant us the ability to recognize, accept, and stand firm on the truth. Amen, O Lord of the Worlds.
   Written by Mahmood-ul-Bari 
mahmoodulbari342@gmail.com