Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) regarding latter day Ulema
1. Hudhayfah ibn al-Yaman (RA) narrated that Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “There will be nothing left of knowledge. People will make the ignorant their leaders and will seek guidance from them in matters of religion. These leaders will issue fatwas (edict) without any knowledge. They will themselves be misguided and will lead others astray”. (Mishkat al-Masabih, Kitab-ul-Ilm)
2. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said: “In my ummah, a time will come when there will be disputes and there will be hostilities. Conflicts will rise. Usually common people will fight among each other, but the blame should not rest with them. People will turn to their Ulema to find out what is going on, and to see why they are the victims of violence and mayhem. When the people go to their Ulema in the hope for guidance, they will find the Ulema religious scholars like monkeys and swine”. (Kanzul al-Ummal, vol. 7, p. 190)
3. Hadrat ‘Ali (RA) narrates that the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) said: “A time will come in the near future when there will be nothing left of Islam except its name. And there will be nothing left of the Holy Qur’an except its words, (meaning the Holy Qur’an would not be understood and followed). The mosques will be full of people, but will be empty of righteousness. The Ulema will be the worst creatures under the canopy of the heavens. evil will rise from them and to them it will return”. (Mishkat al-Masabih, Kitab-ul-Ilm, Chapter 3, p. 38 and Kanzul al-Ummal, chapter 6, p. 43)
