How Should I React to a Scholar Who Won’t Respond to My Requests for Help?
Answered by Ustadha Shazia Ahmad
Question
I am disheartened by the behavior of a scholar. I have learned that when a person seeks sacred Islamic knowledge, it is not good for him to study it alone, but he should study with a teacher.
Recently I have tried many times to contact the scholar closest to me, but unfortunately, Shaykh no longer replies to my messages, nor does he seem very interested in helping me while online or at his school. The Shaykh seemed willing to help those in need, but as soon as I asked for help through the site, his behavior changed, and it seemed that I was just a burden to him, and now he doesn’t even answer my messages. I am very demoralized by this.
Answer
Thank you for your question. May Allah reward you for your desire to acquire Sacred Knowledge, and may He facilitate a path to it for you.
Response
I urge you to make excuses for the scholar and to seek knowledge elsewhere. You don’t know his personal situation, and you don’t know why he is not responding. He may very well have a good reason. It seems to me that your spiritual sustenance is not with him, and this can happen for people who live down the street from great scholars. You might mesh better with someone who is further away, even overseas. You don’t know where your destiny lies.
Overlook his lack of response, following the Prophet’s advice (Allah bless him and give him peace), who said, “Overlook the slips of respected people.” [Bukhari; Abu Dawud; Nasa’i]
And Hamdun al-Qassar, one of the great early Muslims, said, “If a friend among your friends errs, make seventy excuses for them. If your hearts are unable to do this, then know that the shortcoming is in your own selves.” [Bayhaqi, Shu‘ab al-Iman]
Please see these links as well:
Remembering Our Own Faults
Know Your Own Faults
May Allah give you the best of this world and the next.
[Ustadha] Shazia Ahmad
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadha Shazia Ahmad lived in Damascus, Syria, for two years, where she studied aqidah, fiqh, tajweed, tafsir, and Arabic. She then attended the University of Texas at Austin and completed her Master’s in Arabic. Afterward, she moved to Amman, Jordan, where she studied fiqh, Arabic, and other sciences. She later moved back to Mississauga, Canada, where she lives with her family.
