Shaykh Unayd Al-Jaabiree حفظه الله:

Some words of immense benefit from the great scholar ash-Shaykh al-Allāmah Ṣāliḥ ibn Fawzān al-Fawzān hafidthahullaahu ta’aala.

“The people of knowledge they are well-known. It’s not that everybody who has a certificate or graduated from a college or just someone who memorized ḥadīth or verses from the Qur’aan. Not everybody who’s read books becomes a person of fiqh, a faqeeh, a scholar. The people of fiqh, the scholars of fiqh are well-known among the people. Some people orrather many of the people all they want is that which is in their personal interests. He goes and he seeks out that which is in his interest [meaning from the Islamic rulings and the teachings that are available]. Even if he was to take it from the most ignorant of people or from the most astray of the people – what’s important to him is that whatever is in correspondence with his desires, whatever is in agreement with his desires, that’s what he goes and he takes. This is a serious danger, especially in these times. The scholars are few. The scholars of fiqh who have understanding are few but the people who recite are many. The people who recite the Qur’aan they are numerous but the people of fiqh, the scholars of understanding, they are few. And in his statement, the statement of the Prophet, may Allaah raise his rank and grant him peace, says,

‘Verily, Allaah does not snatch…verily Allaah [Shaykh hafiẓahullāh crying] does not take away this knowledge. He doesn’t take this knowledge away from the people by snatching from the chests of people but instead He takes the knowledge by taking the lives of the scholars. And rather, knowledge is only taken [meaning from the earth] through the death of the scholars. To the point that when there are no…not a scholar left the people will go and take leaders that are ignorant. Take the ignorant as their leaders and their going to give fatwas without knowledge and they’re going to be astray themselves and lead others astray.’

And there is no power or any ability except through Allaah. I’m afraid that this has begun in our time. So we should be very careful. We should be afraid and we should be very careful in how we select and we should chose the scholars. Those who are trustworthy as much as we are able…as much as we’re able based on the people who are available. As for the real scholars of the past and the real knowledgeable ones, those are gone; however, look to the best of those who remain, the best of those who are present now. Fear Allaah to the best of your ability. We ask Allaah to give us and all of you success. Knowing the truth and working in accordance to it and may Allaah ta’aala raise the rank of His Messenger and grant him peace.”