Friday Khutba
The Status of Teachers and Scholars
24. September 2026
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Learning the truth and having someone to teach it, are matters of immense importance. It was our beloved Prophet (saw) who taught us the truths of our faith in their entirety. One day, the Messenger of Allah (saw) entered the mosque and came upon two groups: one was reciting the Qur’an and making dua, while the other was learning and teaching knowledge. After affirming that both groups were engaged in goodness, he said of the circle of knowledge, “These people are learning knowledge and teaching it. I was sent only as a teacher.”[1] He then sat among them. In doing so, he made clear that he had been sent to teach us our religion, both as a Prophet and as a teacher.
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
Today, it is our scholars, teachers, imams and people of knowledge who carry to us the legacy of knowledge left by the prophets. Indeed, our Prophet (saw) said, “The scholars are surely the inheritors of the prophets. The prophets left neither gold nor silver as an inheritance; the only inheritance they left was knowledge. Whoever takes hold of it has indeed taken a great share.”[2] Scholars are not only people who possess knowledge. They are those who enlighten others through what they know, help them distinguish truth from falsehood and set an example through the way they live. By conveying sound and authentic knowledge, a scholar protects society from false ideas, offers solutions to the challenges people face and leads the way in raising future generations with knowledge, faith and noble character.
A teacher is the person who takes a child by the hand and prepares them for life, draws out their abilities and helps them grow in confidence. Before anyone becomes a doctor, engineer, imam, administrator, tradesperson or professor, they first sit as a student before a teacher or mentor. For this reason, the teacher is, in truth, one of those who build society.
Dear Jama’ah!
We must learn our faith from reliable sources and from qualified scholars, imams and teachers. Indeed, Allah (swt) commands, “Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know.”[3] Today, access to information has become easier than ever, yet distinguishing truth from falsehood has become more difficult. Watching a few short videos, reading posts from unknown sources or accepting everything that appears in a search engine as true does not make a person knowledgeable. On the contrary, it may lead them towards unsound beliefs and misunderstandings. Let us remember false religious knowledge does not only confuse the mind, it can also harm our worship, our family life and our relationships with others. We must therefore learn our religion from sound sources and always ask those qualified to answer whenever we are uncertain about a matter.
Dear Brothers and Sisters!
The passing of a scholar is not merely the loss of one person, it also means the loss of a source of knowledge, wisdom and guidance. Indeed, the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “Allah does not take knowledge away by snatching it from His servants. Rather, He takes knowledge away through the passing of the scholars. When no scholar remains, people take the ignorant as their leaders. They are asked questions and issue rulings without knowledge. Thus, they go astray and lead others astray.”[4]
This hadith warns us that knowledge will diminish as scholars pass away and no one is raised to take their place. We must therefore guide our children towards knowledge and support the nurturing of new scholars and capable generations who will benefit society.
May Allah (swt) never allow us to stray from the straight path. May He protect us and our generations from falling into error. Ameen.
[1] İbn Mâce, Sünnet, 17.
[2] Tirmizî, İlim, 19.
[3] Surah An-Nahl, 16:43.
[4] Buhârî, İlim, 34.
