Signs of Righteous Scholars
One who is a learned man of the hereafter will get salvation and gain nearness of Allah. There are many signs of the scholars of the hereafter.
1. He does not seek the world by his learning. He considers the world as insignificant and the hereafter as great and ever lasting.
2. His words and actions are the same, rather he does not order an action to be done without first doing it himself.
3. The Prophet (sallAllahu alaihi wa sallam) said, “Don’t company every learned man. Be with the learned man who calls towards five matters towards faith from doubt, sincerity from show, modesty from pride, love from enmity, and asceticism from worldliness.
4. His mind would be directed towards such learning that will be useful for the next world and give encouragement to pious deeds. He will avoid those learning which will bring lesser benefit but much arguments.
5. He has got no attraction for various kinds of foods and drinks, luxury in dresses, furniture and houses, but rather he adopts moderate course in all these things following the earlier sages and he is best satisfied with the least of everything.
6. He is a man who fears of Allah and to avoid all manner of risk.
7. He keeps himself distant from the ruling authorities and avoids their company, because this world is sweet, ever new and its bridle is in their hands. He who get closer to them is not free from their pleasures and harms. They are mostly unjust and do not obey the advice of the learned men.
8. He does not give Fatwa in a hurry but tries to be relieved of it. When he is asked and if he knows he gives his opinion. When he has doubt, he says, “I don’t know.” He is careful not to commit himself but refer the matter to someone else who is more capable than him.
9. His main object of anxiety is to learn secret knowledge, observation of the heart, and knowledge of the paths of the hereafter, to travel thereon and to have abiding faith in finding self-mortification.
10. He is sincere and upright for making his faith firm and strong as firm faith is the root of religion.
11. Another sign of the learned man of the next world is that he becomes humble and adopts silence. The effect of Allah fear appears on his body, dress, character movements, speech and silence. His sight reminds one of Allah and his nature and character are proofs of his actions. His eye is a mirror of his mind. The signs of the learned man of the hereafter are recognized in his face, tranquillity, modesty and freedom from pride and vanity. A sage said, “Allah has not given a man with a garment better than the garment of Allah fear. It is the garment of the Prophets, Siddiqs and the learned men”