Nor do we regard any of the awliya (saints) as superior to any of the Prophets, peace be upon them; indeed, we maintain that one single Prophet is better than all the saints put together.

The second branch of fiqh is no less significant than the greater jurisprudence in terms of importance; it is the fiqh that deals with practical rulings.

As for the virtue of the scholars, the Prophet ﷺ said, “The superiority of the scholar over the devoted worshiper is like the superiority of the full moon over the rest of the stars.” (1) The reason is that the scholar’s benefit reaches others. In another narration he said, “The superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like my superiority over the least of you.” (2) Thus, scholars are to be held in esteem and accorded honor.

It is therefore impermissible to revile or disparage them, even if some of them make a mistake in their ijtihad (independent legal reasoning). Such an error does not justify belittling them, for they may err while still earnestly seeking the truth. The Prophet ﷺ said, “When a judge exerts himself in ijtihad and reaches the correct ruling, he receives two rewards, but if he errs he still receives one reward.” (3) This applies to true scholars, not to self-styled pretenders, for the latter have no right to involve themselves in matters they do not master.

The author, may Allah have mercy on him, now moves from the scholars to the awliya.

The awliya (sing. wali) are those whom Allah has drawn near and loves; walaya denotes closeness and love. They are the people who enjoy nearness to Allah and His love, and they were called awliya for precisely that reason. The Most High said: “Indeed, Allah loves those who constantly repent and loves…"