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People often ask and query what a 'Shaykh' or Scholar in Islam is
There is sometimes dispute over which individuals should be referred to as a Scholar
Whilst there will be various definitions, debate & dispute, I looked at a few resources and commentary on this:
People often ask and query what a 'Shaykh' or Scholar in Islam is
There is sometimes dispute over which individuals should be referred to as a Scholar
Whilst there will be various definitions, debate & dispute, I looked at a few resources and commentary on this:
The titles 'Shaykh' & 'Alim' are often synonymous
The plural of Shaykh is 'Shayookh' and for Alim it is 'Ulema'
The plural of Shaykh is 'Shayookh' and for Alim it is 'Ulema'
The linguistic meaning of Shaykh is:
'The one who has become old and grey hair has started to appear"
Therefore, in someone contexts it is used as a form of respect towards someone of a certain age and not necessarily someone who is qualified
'The one who has become old and grey hair has started to appear"
Therefore, in someone contexts it is used as a form of respect towards someone of a certain age and not necessarily someone who is qualified
Alim means one who has knowledge (i.e 'ilm'
'Al-Alim' is also one of the names of Allah (swt) and means 'The Knowledgeable' or 'The All-Knowing'
'Al-Alim' is also one of the names of Allah (swt) and means 'The Knowledgeable' or 'The All-Knowing'
The Quran (35:28) says of an Alim:
"It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah".
i.e. A Shaykh or an Alim is one who knows and understands the true fear of Allah
"It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah".
i.e. A Shaykh or an Alim is one who knows and understands the true fear of Allah
Going back to what a Scholar in Islam is, there are a number of requirements and conditions set out for someone to reach that status
To be a Shaykh, one of the primary requirements is to master Arabic on many levels
To be a Shaykh, one of the primary requirements is to master Arabic on many levels
They must also have graduated from a recognised institute of higher Islamic learning
Some well known examples of this are the Islamic University of Madinah or Al-Azhar, but there are other institutes across the world
Some well known examples of this are the Islamic University of Madinah or Al-Azhar, but there are other institutes across the world
A Shaykh would also have learned directly from a recognised Shaykh or number of Shayookh
This is often referred to as 'learning at the feet of a Scholar'
The scholars you learn from would also need to give you an endorsement or recommendation, sometimes known as an 'Ijazah'
This is often referred to as 'learning at the feet of a Scholar'
The scholars you learn from would also need to give you an endorsement or recommendation, sometimes known as an 'Ijazah'
It takes a number of years, often 8, 10 or more, at these institutes and learning from Scholars to reach the required level
In terms of knowledge, a Shaykh is a person who has qualified in and has detailed and advanced knowledge of the Islamic sciences which include:
- The Quran (and tafsir)
- Hadith
- Aqeedah (Creed)
- Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence)
- The Quran (and tafsir)
- Hadith
- Aqeedah (Creed)
- Fiqh (Islamic Jurisprudence)
