Manhaj.Com | Is Tazkiyah (or Graduation) Required Before One Teaches and Gives Da'wah? Part 8: Shaykh Rabee bin Haadee

Following the role of Ahl al-Sunnah in the West of conveying the speech of the Scholars regarding certain figureheads who went astray, the followers of many of these figureheads spread doubts about some of the callers in the West, with respect to teaching and giving da'wah, claiming that a person must have a tazkiyah to teach, or he must have graduated from an institution and so on. However, the reality of the matter is that those whom they target in this way actually have connections with the Scholars, they travel to them, and take knowledge from them in aqidah, manhaj and fiqh, even if they have not formally studied in an institution, or graduated or have a specific tazkiyah. The real reason for these doubts is to undermine what the callers do in the West (in addition to calling to the Sunnah) of warning from doubts, innovations and desires and warning from the people who are upon them or promote them. The articles in these series will shed light on this matter and repel the doubts spread. No one article in this series should be read in isolation as it is possible for a person with ulterior motives to utilize some of these fatwas from the scholars to justify isolation and separation away from the main body of Salafis in that land and from their centres and mosques with the claim that everybody has the green light to teach, and so some of them teach in the mosques and centres of the hizbees and others teach in their homes (often secretly) whilst spreading poison that aims to isolate people from the students of knowledge. Rather, all the statements of all the Shaykhs should be put together and understood collectively to get a clearer picture of this whole affair. This is because there are generalizations in some fatwas, clarifications in others, important minor details in others, and contexts in some fatwas not found in others. All of this should be put together to get a full, comprehensive picture. Alongside the clarifications in these articles, it should be still be stressed that seeking knowledge from the Scholars, by travelling to them and sitting in their lessons is of utmost importance and should not be neglected as it is the primary route of seeking knowledge. And for those who are unable to do this, then they should take from the students of knowledge in their lands, those who have connections with the Scholars, have studied with them and take from them. So they should attend their lessons, in the Salafi mosques and centres, and any issues that arise such as requiring a fatwa, or removal of a shubhah or clarification in an issue of knowledge, then those students of knowledge can return these questions to the Scholars on behalf of the people of that land if the answer is not already known.
Here are links to all articles so far for easy reference:
Shaykh Abd al-Muhsin al-Abbaad (see here) Shaykh Zayd al-Madkhali (see here) Shaykh Muhammad bin Haadee (see here) Shaykh Ibn al-Uthaymeen (see here) Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (see here) Shaykh Ubayd al-Jaabiree (see here) Shaykh Abdullah al-Ghudayan (see here) Shaykh Rabee bin Haadee (see here) Shaykh Ibn al-Uthaymeen (see here) Shaykh Ahmad Bazmul (see here) Shaykh Saalih al-Fawzaan (see here).
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Shaykh Rabee' bin Haadee was asked the following question as occurs in the 2nd cassette in the series (الجواب الكافي لمن سأل عن الدواء الشافي), starting from 9m:15s onwards:

متى يحق لطالب العلم أن يقول هذا ما ترجح لي أو هذا ما أعتقده ومتى يستحق ان يستقل بحلقة تدريس فكثير من الشباب يتسرعون الى تصدر المجالس فما نصيحتكم؟

When is it right for a student of knowledge to say, "This is what appears most correct to me" or "This is what I believe" and when does he deserve to give circles of teaching independently, for many youth hasten to put themselves forward in gatherings (to teach), so what is your advice?

The Shaykh responded:

نصيحتي للشباب السلفي ان يشمروا على ساعد الجد في تحصيل العلم و يتعلموا و لكن اذا كان في بلد جهلاء و ليس فيها علماء و فيهم طالب علم يحتاجون إلى ما عنده من علمه القليل فأنا أرى أن يبذل ما عنده من علم و لا نعقد الأمور على الشباب الذي يرى الدنيا مظلمة بالخرافات و الجهل و الشرك فنقول له لا تتصدر لتعليم الناس إلا إذا بلغت درجة بن تيمية و أحمد بن حنبل قال الله تعالى: ﴿وَقَدْ فَصَّلَ لَكُمْ مَا حَرَّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ إِلَّا مَا اضْطُرِرْتُمْ إِلَيْهِ﴾ [الأنعام:119]. الضرورة تبيح المحظور كما يقال في القاعدة الشرعية

My advice to the Salafi youth is that they prepare themselves to strive (hard) in acquiring knowledge and that they learn. However, when they are in a land where there are ignorant people and there are no scholars (present), but there is a student of knowledge and (those people) are in need of the little knowledge he possesses, then I hold that he should offer what he has of knowledge. And we do not make binding the affairs upon the youth who sees the world darkened with deviations, ignorance and shirk such that we say to him, "Do not put yourself forward to teach the people until you have reached the level of Ibn Taymiyyah and Ahmad bin Hanbal." Allaah, the Exalted, said, "Allaah has made clear what He has made unlawful to you, except that which you are forced by way of compulsion" (6:119). Necessity makes permissible what is otherwise prohibited as is said in the legislative principle.

The Shaykh continues:

يعني اذا كان في بادية يرى البدع و يرى ترك الصلاة وهو يعلم ماهي البدع وماهي السنن وماهي كذا يعلم بعض الشباب شيئا من العلم :يعلمهم شيء من القرآن يعلمهم شيء من التجويد يدرسهم الكتب التي درسها الأصول الثلاثة، كتاب التوحيد، فأنا لا أشجع طالب العلم أن ينصب نفسه عالما. لا وانما إذا ألجأ ولا يوجد عالما غيره وعنده شيء من العلم فليبذل ما عنده من علم و لا يتكلم في دين الله بجهل أبدا حتى العالم لا يجوز له أن يقول على الله إلا الحق قالَ تعالى ﴿قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَأَنْ تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَاناً وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لاَ تَعْلَمُونَ﴾ (الأعراف:33). فالقول على الله بغير علم حرام و أكبر الكبائر بل أكبر من الكفر بالله عز و جل لأن الكفر و الضلال و البدع تنشأ من القول على الله بغير علم فهو أخبث الخبائث و أكبر الكبائر سواء صدر من عالم أو جاهل

Meaning, when he is amongst the peasantry (in desert regions) observating the innovations (that are present), the abandonment of prayer and he knows what are innovations and what are the sunnah affairs, likewise, some of you know something of knowledge, then he teaches something from the Qur'an, something of tajweed, he teaches them the books which he has studied, al-Usool al-Thalaathah (the three principles), Kitab al-Tawhid. Now, I am not encouraging a student of knowledge to position himself as a scholar, not, (but I am saying that) when he is forced, and there is not a scholar other than him, and he has something of knowledge, then let him offer what he has of knowledge and (at the same time) to never speak in the deen of Allaah with ignorance. It is not permissible for him except to ascribe to Allaah except the truth, He, the Exalted said, "Say: "(But) the things that my Lord has indeed forbidden are great evil (lustful) sins, whether committed openly or secretly, sins (of all kinds), unrighteous oppression, joining partners (in worship) with Allaah for which He has given no authority, and saying things about Allaah of which you have no knowledge." (7:33). So saying things about Allaah without knowledge is unlawful and is from the greatest of major sins. Rather, it is greater than disbelief in Allaah because disbelief in Allaah, misguidance and innovations all arise from speaking about Allaah without knowledge. Hence, it is the vilest of things, and greatest of major sins, irrespective of whether it appears from a scholar or an ignorant person.

The Shaykh continues:

فاذا رأى الناس مضطرين إلى ما عنده من العلم القليل فليتكلم فقط في حدود ما يعلم ولا يتجاوز حده فاذا سئل عما لا يعلم يقول الله أعلم يقول لا أدري فقد كان كبراء الكبراء و أئمة الأئمة يقول لا أدري بحيث أن أحد كبار تلاميذ مالك يقول لو شئت أن أملأ ألواحي من قول مالك لا أدري لفعلت وكلكم يعلم انه سئل عن اربعين مسألة فأجاب عن أربعة وقال في الباقي لا أدري و كان الرجل في ذلك الوقت اذا أكثرمن قول لا أدري عظم في أعين الناس و أما اليوم اذا قال في مسألة و مسألتين لا أدري قالوا جاهل يجب على هذه المقاييس ان تعدل و ان لا يدفع الناس أنصاف و أرباع العلماء إلى القول على الله بغير علم و على كل حال ينبغي على العالم ان يربي تلاميذه على قول لا أدري فهي نصف العلم

Hence, when he sees the people (in need) compelled towards the little knowledge he possesses, then let him speak only within the limits of what he knows and not to transgress his limit. So when he is asked about what he does not know, he says, "Allaah knows best", he says, "I do not know", for (indeed) the greatest of the greatest of the scholars and the leading Imaams amongst the Imaams say, "I do not know", where one of the major students of (Imaam) Maalik says, "If I wished to fill my slate (tablet) with the saying of Maalik, 'I don't know', I would have done so." And all of you know that he was asked about forty matters, he responded to four of them and said "I don't know" about the rest. And in that time, when a man repeated the saying "I don't know" often, he became great in the eyes of the people. But as for today, if he says "I don't know" in just one or two matters, they say, "Jaahil (ignoramus)". Upon these scales (of measure) it is necessary that one abstains and that (even) half or a quarter of the scholars are not led to speak about Allaah without knowledge on account of the people. But in any case, it is desirable for a scholar to cultivate his students to say "I don't know" for it is one half of knowledge (to not speak without knowledge).