Sharh Riyad as-Saliheen by Ibn Uthaymeen — Volume 2 (شرح رياض الصالحين) — Page 16

Arabic text · النص

Line-by-line translation · المعاني

وَمِنَ النُّصْحِ أَيْضًا لِعُلَمَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ: أَنْ لَا يَتَتَبَّعَ الْإِنْسَانُ عَوْرَاتِهِمْ وَزَلَّاتِهِمْ وَمَا يُخْطِئُونَ فِيهِ؛

Part of the counsel given regarding Muslim scholars is that one should not go hunting for their shortcomings, lapses, or mistakes.

لِأَنَّهُمْ غَيْرُ مَعْصُومِينَ، قَدْ يَزِلُّونَ وَقَدْ يُخْطِئُونَ، وَكُلُّ بَنِي آدَمَ خَطَّاءٌ، وَخَيْرُ الْخَطَّائِينَ التَّوَّابُونَ،

They are not infallible; they may slip or err, for every human being is prone to mistakes, and the best of those who err are those who repent.

وَلَا سِيَّمَا مَنْ يَتَلَقَّى الْعِلْمَ فَإِنَّهُ يَجِبُ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَبْلَغَ النَّاسِ فِي تَحَمُّلِ الْأَخْطَاءِ الَّتِي يُخْطِئُ بِهَا شَيْخُهُ، وَيُنَبِّهُهُ عَلَيْهَا،

This is especially true for students of knowledge, who should be the most patient of people when their teacher errs, while still gently bringing such matters to his attention.

فَكَمْ مِنْ إِنْسَانٍ انْتَفَعَ مِنْ تَلَامِيذِهِ؛ يُنَبِّهُونَهُ عَلَى بَعْضِ الشَّيْءِ؛ عَلَى الْخَطَأِ الْعِلْمِيِّ، أَوْ عَلَى الْخَطَأِ الْعَمَلِيِّ، وَعَلَى أَخْطَاءٍ كَثِيرَةٍ؛ لِأَنَّ الْإِنْسَانَ بَشَرٌ.

Many a scholar has benefited from students who pointed out a theoretical or practical error, or any number of other mistakes, for a scholar is only human.

لَكِنَّ الشَّيْءَ اللَّهُمَّ أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ حَرِيصًا عَلَى تَلَقِّي الزَّلَّاتِ،

The essential point, however, is that one must not be obsessed with finding these lapses.

فَإِنَّهُ جَاءَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ: يَا مَعْشَرَ مَنْ آمَنَ بِلِسَانِهِ وَلَمْ يَدْخُلِ الْإِيمَانُ قَلْبَهُ، لَا تُؤْذُوا الْمُسْلِمِينَ، وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا عَوْرَاتِهِمْ،

The Hadith states: 'O you who have professed faith with your tongues while faith has yet to enter your hearts, do not harm the Muslims or pry into their private affairs.'

فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ تَتَبَّعَ عَوْرَةَ أَخِيهِ فَضَحَهُ اللَّهُ وَلَوْ فِي بَيْتِ أُمِّهِ،

Whoever seeks out the faults of his brother, Allah will expose him, even if he were hiding in the depths of his own home.

هَذَا وَهُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ عَامَّةً فَكَيْفَ بِالْعُلَمَاءِ؟

If this applies to the general Muslim population, how much more so does it apply to the scholars?

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَلْتَقِطُونَ زَلَّاتِ الْعُلَمَاءِ لِيُشِيعُوهَا لَيْسُوا مُسِيئِينَ لِلْعُلَمَاءِ شَخْصِيًّا وَحَسْبُ، بَلْ مُسِيئُونَ لِلْعُلَمَاءِ شَخْصِيًّا، وَمُسِيئُونَ إِلَى عِلْمِهِمُ الَّذِي يَحْمِلُونَهُ، وَمُسِيئُونَ إِلَى الشَّرِيعَةِ الَّتِي تُتَلَقَّى مِنْ جِهَتِهِمْ؛

Those who scavenge for the slips of scholars to broadcast them do not merely harm the individuals themselves; they damage the very knowledge those scholars carry and undermine the Sharia that is taught through them.

لِأَنَّ الْعُلَمَاءِ إِذَا لَمْ يَثِقِ النَّاسُ فِيهِمْ، وَإِذَا اطَّلَعُوا عَلَى عَوْرَاتِهِمُ الَّتِي قَدْ لَا تَكُونُ عَوْرَاتٍ إِلَّا عَلَى حَسَبِ نَظَرِ هَذَا الْمُعْرِضِ، فَإِنَّهُ تَقِلُّ ثِقَتُهُمْ بِالْعُلَمَاءِ وَبِمَا عِنْدَهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ،

When people lose trust in scholars—often due to perceived faults that exist only in the eyes of the critic—they lose faith in the knowledge those scholars possess.

فَيَكُونُ فِي هَذَا جِنَايَةٌ عَلَى الشَّرْعِ الَّذِي يَحْمِلُونَهُ مِنْ سُنَّةِ الرَّسُولِ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ.

This constitutes an offense against the sacred law they carry from the Sunnah of the Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him.

لِذَلِكَ مِنْ نَصِيحَتِكَ لِأَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَنْ تُدَافِعَ عَنْ عَوْرَاتِهِمْ، وَأَنْ تَسْتُرَهَا مَا اسْتَطَعْتَ وَأَنْ لَا تَسْكُتَ إِذَا سَمِعْتَ شَيْئًا بَلْ نَبِّهِ الْعَالِمَ، وَابْحَثْ.

Therefore, your duty to the leaders of the Muslim community is to defend them, shield their faults whenever possible, and if you hear something, do not remain silent; instead, approach the scholar, alert him, and investigate the matter.

Vocabulary · المفردات (25 verbs · 45 nouns)

• تَتَبَّعَ — to follow
• أَخْطَأَ — to err
• زَلَّ — to slip
• تَلَقَّى — to receive
• وَجَبَ — to be necessary
• كَانَ — to be
• حَمَلَ — to carry
• نَبَّهَ — to alert
• اِنْتَفَعَ — to benefit
• جَاءَ — to come
• آمَنَ — to believe
• دَخَلَ — to enter
• آذَى — to harm
• فَضَحَ — to expose
• اِلْتَقَطَ — to pick up
• أَشَاعَ — to spread
• وَثَقَ — to trust
• اِطَّلَعَ — to look into
• قَلَّ — to decrease
• دَافَعَ — to defend
• سَتَرَ — to cover
• اِسْتَطَاعَ — to be able
• سَكَتَ — to be silent
• سَمِعَ — to hear
• بَحَثَ — to search
• نُصْح — advice
• عَالِم — scholar
• مُسْلِم — Muslim
• إِنْسَان — human
• عَوْرَة — fault
• زَلَّة — slip
• خَطَأ — mistake
• آدَم — Adam
• خَطَّاء — sinner
• خَيْر — best
• تَوَّاب — repentant
• عِلْم — knowledge
• نَاس — people
• تَحَمُّل — endurance
• شَيْخ — sheikh
• تِلْمِيذ — student
• شَيْء — thing
• عِلْمِيّ — scientific
• عَمَلِيّ — practical
• بَشَر — human
• حَرِيص — eager
• حَدِيث — hadith
• مَعْشَر — group
• لِسَان — tongue
• إِيمَان — faith
• قَلْب — heart
• أَخ — brother
• بَيْت — house
• أُمّ — mother
• عَامَّة — general
• شَخْصِيّ — personal
• شَرِيعَة — law
• جِهَة — side
• نَظَر — view
• مُعْرِض — opposer
• ثِقَة — trust
• جِنَايَة — crime
• شَرْع — law
• سُنَّة — tradition
• رَسُول — messenger
• صَلَاة — prayer
• سَلَام — peace
• نَصِيحَة — advice
• إِمَام — leader
• أَهْل — people