Ibn Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه) said, “the people will continue to be upon goodness so long as they take knowledge from the Companions of the Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and from their elders but if they take the knowledge from the youngsters they will be destroyed.”1
Abu Umayyah Al-Jumahee (رضي الله عنه) said that the Messenger of Allaah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “From the signs of the hour is that people will seek knowledge from the youngsters.” Related in Sharh Usoolul-I’tiqaad no. 102 of Imaam Al-Laalikaa’ee.
Abdullaah Ibn Mas’ud (رضي الله عنه) said, “How will you be when the trials and tribulations befall you, in which the young one grows old and the old one becomes senile and when something (of the customary acts) is abandoned it is said the Sunnah has been abandoned.” It was said, “when will that be, O Abu Abdurrahman?” He said, “That will be when your scholars disappear and your ignorant ones become many, When your reciters increase and your people of understanding become few. When the world is sought with the actions of the Hereafter and learning and understanding are sought of matters other than this Religion.” [Taken from ‘Sharh Usool ‘Itiqaad Ahl-is-Sunnah wal-Jamaa’ah’ vol.1/2 p.103 no.123]
Footnotes
1 Saheeh reported by Abdullah Ibn Mubarak in Az-Zuhd and Ibn Abdil-Barr in Jaami’ Bayan Al-‘Ilm 1/616,617. Quoted from Silsilatul-Athaar As-Saheehah by Abu Abdillaah Ad-Daani Ibn Muneer Az-Zahwee p.27.
Source: Understanding Islam, the solution for Trials of Life by Sheikh Saalih Ibn Fawzan Al-Fawzan, translated by Abdulilah ibn Rabah Lahmami & Muhammad Nadeem Ahsan-Shah, pp.95-96
