Abusing the Scholars of Religion

Question

If a Muslim abuses a scholar of the Sacred Law, or out of enmity abuses all the scholars of religion — for instance, says “there is much evil in the scholars of religion” or “the scholars are great scoundrels” — what ruling does the Sacred Law give on such a man: is he a kafir, a fasiq or a munafiq? And what is the ruling on one who abuses an imam impermissibly?

Answer

Abusing even an ordinary Muslim is not right — it is wickedness: [ar]سِبَابُ الْمُسْلِمِ فُسُوقٌ[/ar] (“reviling a Muslim is wickedness”, hadith). But if he abuses the scholars of truth not because of some personal quarrel or the like, but because of their being scholars of truth, then it is hard to hold that iman remains intact; there is strong danger of an evil end.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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