[Caunnysup]

Abdulwahhab,

The ´ulama are the inheritors, but not only in the outer aspects, also the inner aspects; or is all that they inherited a beard and short pants? Rather, they should not be deficient in any Sunnah if they are true embodiments of their inheritance, this includes their inner states. And I assure you, every single ´alim or shaykh on earth fails to live up to the Nabawi standard. The Shuyukh are not only emulated in their beard and dress, but in their akhlaq and other aspects. When I mentioned "hidden" I did not mean those which Allah Ta´ala has concealed from people, rather their acting contrary to the Sunnah in things other than the outer aspects (beard, clothes etc), such as displaying poor akhlaq etc. This is something we sometimes see from big bearded shuyukh as well. Some of them manage to conceal it in front of the masses, while those who get to sit and associate with them get to see their shortcomings. Other shuyukh have this bad akhlaq in public, speak ill, slander, talk down to people etc, and people do not raise an eyebrow; and if you do you are often being told that you cannot speak against the ´ulama etc. This is hypocrisy at it's best which is found in most communities, Deobandis included. I know clean shaven scholars who have the greatest akhlaq; and I know those with big beards who lack basic adab; yet they are hailed as Sufi Masters by tens of thousands.

wassalam