In the Name of Allaah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

The great scholar, Shaykh Saalih al-Fowzaan (may Allaah preserve him), was asked:

What is “ta’aalum”? And what is your advice to the youth who face trials due to people engaged in ta’aalum?

He replied:

Ta’aalum is to feign knowledge. Feigning knowledge. It is when a person claims knowledge, while he is not knowledgeable in reality. He has not taken any knowledge directly from the scholars. Rather, he merely learned some things from books, solely from reading. He lacks sound fundamentals to build upon; he just reads things in books and proceeds according to his own understanding, likely erring more than being correct. This is a person of ta’aalum. He is a danger to himself (firstly) and to everyone (at large), since he plays games with the religion of Allaah, the Mighty and Majestic.

If a man came out and said to the people, “I’m a physician, I’m a doctor, and I treat (the sick),” while he does not have any medical qualifications, no medical qualifications at all, would he be allowed to treat (the sick)? Would he be allowed to perform surgeries, opening patients up and performing heart operations? He would not be allowed to do that, because it would be harmful. So how can a person of ta’aalum be allowed to play with the religion?! Playing with the religion is more serious than meddling with people’s bodies!

So they must fear Allah and not speak about Allah without knowledge, for Allah has made speaking about Him without knowledge worse than shirk (polytheism)!

قل إنما حرم ربي الفواحش ما ظهر منها وما بطن والإثم والبغي بغير الحق وأن تشركوا بالله ما لم ينزل به سلطانا وأن تقولوا على الله ما لا تعلمون

Say, “My Lord has only forbidden immoralities, what is apparent of them and what is concealed, sin, oppression without right, that you associate partners with Allaah which He has sent down no authority for, and that you say about Allaah what you do not have knowledge of.” (Al A’raaf 7:33)

Such people must fear Allaah and get an education before speaking.