Being older than others in our communities does not, in and of itself, make us one of “The Elders”
In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.
Sahl Bin Abu Hathma and Rafi’ Bin Khadij reported that Abdullah Bin Sahl Bin Zaid and Muhayyisa Bin Mas’ud Bin Zaid went out and as they reached Khaibar they were separated. Then Muhayyisa found Abdullah Bin Sahl having been killed. He buried him and then came to Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him].
They were Huwayyisa Bin Mas’ud and ‘Abdur Rahman Bin Sahl, and he (the latter one) was the youngest of the people (those three who had come to seek an interview with the Prophet) began to talk before his Companions (had spoken). Thereupon Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “The eldest one (in age should speak)”. So, he kept quiet, and his companions (Muhayyisa and Huwayyisa) began to speak, and he (Abdur-Rahmaan) spoke along with them and they narrated to Allah’s Messenger the murder of Abdullah Bin Sahl. Thereupon he said to them, “Are you prepared to take fifty oaths so that you may be entitled (to blood-wit) of your companion (or your man who has murdered)?” They said, “How can we take an oath on a matter which we have not witnessed?” He (the Prophet) said, “Then the Jews will exonerate themselves by fifty oaths”. They said, “How can we accept the oaths of people who are unbelievers?” When Allah’s Messenger saw that, he paid his blood-wit. [Sahih Muslim 1669]
After three Ahaadeeth were quoted – including the above one regarding the murder of Abdullah Bin Sahl, Imam Abdul Azeez Bin Baaz [may Allah have mercy upon him] stated, “These three Ahaadeeth are the same as those before them in clarification of giving precedence to people of virtue, knowledge, and those of old age over those younger than them, giving concern to the affair by placing them in their deserved position in which Allah has placed them, as has preceded in the statement of the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him], “The one who is well grounded in Allah’s Book and is distinguished among them in recitation should act as Imam for the people, and if they are equally versed in reciting it, then the one who has most knowledge regarding Sunnah; if they are equal regarding the Sunnah, then the earliest one to emigrate; If they emigrated at the same time, then the oldest one in age. No man must lead another in prayer in the latter’s house or where (the latter) has authority, or sit in his place of honour in his house, except that he permits you or with his permission”. [1]
Imam Muhammad Ibn Saalih Al-Uthaymeen [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “The apparent context of the hadith is that the three came to Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] to relate the news, so Muhayyisa wanted to speak because he was the one who had the story and knew about it, and Abdur Rahman Bin Sahl did not speak because he was not present, or because he was the youngest of the people, or because the intent was to mention the case without making a claim; otherwise who would have had more right to speak? It would have been Abdur Rahman Bin Sahl, Abdullah’s brother because he is his heir. Muhayyisa and Huwayyisa are cousins of the murdered, but why did Muhayyisa want to speak even though he was lesser than a brother in relationship? That is because he had the story and knew about it. And why did Abdur Rahmaan not speak? It was either because of his young age or because he was sufficed with the statement of Muhayyisa due to him being the witness of the incident or because the intent was to mention the case and not the claim, otherwise if the intent was the claim, then Abdur Rahmaan Bin Sahl would have been the most entitled to speak, then Huwayyisa and then Muhayyisa”. [2]
First, what we want to emphasise here is that, in terms of age comparison, being older than someone else does not automatically make us one of the “elders” in your community. While one may be older and perhaps more experienced than those around him in some important matters, that does not automatically make him one of “The Elders of a Community” because that comes with other specific matters. As for the behaviour expected from a Muslim towards others, Al-Allaamah Rabee bin Haadi Al-Mad’khali [may Allah preserve him] said, “The student of knowledge should respect the elders, honour his contemporaries and shows mercy to those below his age”. [3] In essence, “the elders of communities ” are people who have reached the age of 50 and above, both inside and outside of the community. Here, we don’t mean elders in terms of knowledge; rather, we mean elders in terms of age and they are the ones we refer to as Shaikh in age. “Shaikh is the one whose age has become manifest and gray hair has appeared. It was said, ‘he is a Shaikh (when one reaches) 50 until the end of his life’, and it said, ‘he (is a person who has reached) 51 until the end of his life’. It was said, ‘It is from 50 to 80′”. [4] Also, the term can be used to refer to a righteous man, as Abdur Rahmaan Bin Abee Haatim [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: I heard my father saying, “Hajjaaj Bin Firaasatah is a righteous Shaikh – one devoted to worship”. [5]
Second, as for when the term is used to refer to a person of knowledge, Raaghib Al-Isfahaanee [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: “It is said about the one who is aged ‘The Shaikh’. And it may be used among us regarding someone who has a lot of knowledge because one of the affairs related to a Shaikh is that he has a lot of experience and knowledge”. [6] However, someone who is under 50 may be called a “Shaikh” because of their understanding of the Shariah. Many of us are well aware of the fact that Shaikh Abdus Salaam Burgess [may Allah have mercy upon him] was a Shaikh even before he turned 40. Shaikh Abu Khadeejah [may Allah preserve him] and other elder students of knowledge can give you an insight into the knowledge of this virtuous Shaikh because they knew him well.
Third, Abdullah Ibn Mas’ud [may Allah be pleased with him] said, “The people will not cease to be upon good as long as knowledge comes to them from the companions of Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him], and from their elders. If knowledge comes from their young ones, then that is when they will be ruined”. [7]
Ibn Qutaybah [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “The intent behind this statement is that the people will not cease to be upon good as long as their scholars are Shaikhs and not young because the Shaikh (in most cases) have lost the pleasure-seeking of youth, its intensity, haste, and foolishness. He is accompanied by experience and insight, so (in most cases) neither ambiguity enters his knowledge nor is he overcome by (vain) desire, nor inclined towards covetousness, nor does Shaytan make him slip as he does to a young person. Age accompanies composure, dignity, and veneration, but the young people may be subject to these matters that the Shaikh is safe from, which if they enter a young person, he issues a fatwa and thus destroys him and others”. [8] However, this is not absolute regarding the young ones because there were a group of the Sahaabah and the Taabi’een who taught and gave verdicts at a young age, whilst the elders were present, but the likes of these people are hard to find among those who came after them. So, if they are found and are known for being upright- upon a sound [guidance], possess knowledge, and their firmness is manifested, whilst there are no elders to be found, then knowledge of the Shariah is acquired from them if they are free from Fitnah! Therefore, the intent is not that the knowledge possessed by the young person is boycotted, whilst the elders are present; rather the intent is that the people are placed in their rightful positions. [9]
Finally, Ahlus Sunnah always return to their senior scholars in times of adversity, as Al-Allaamah Ubaid Bin Abdillah Al-Jaabiri [may Allah have mercy upon him] said: “When the people of virtue and righteousness were faced with adversity and an intricate affair, they would go to the Senior people of knowledge to ask them and seek a Jawaab Ash-Shaafee Al-Kaafee [i.e. an appropriate answer that would bring about the rectification of the religious affairs and preservation of the well-being of the people based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah]. This is a followed path –beginning since the era of the Prophet’s companions, then the Imaams of the Taabi’een, and then –after them- the people of knowledge, virtue, religion, and Iemaan. And beautiful is what Ibn Mas’ud said, ‘The people will not cease to be righteous and upright as long as knowledge comes to them from the companions of Muhammad [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] and their elders; but if knowledge comes to them from their young ones, they will be ruined'”. [10]
Read:
https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2023/12/15/1-returning-to-the-scholars-a-well-known-affair-among-the-senior-and-jenior-salafi-students-in-the-west/
https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2023/12/17/2-returning-to-the-scholars-how-old-were-you-in-2004/
[1] Paraphrased https://binbaz.org.sa/audios/2335/128-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AB-%D8%A7%D9%86%D8%B7%D9%84%D9%82-%D8%B9%D8%A8%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%84%D9%87-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D8%B3%D9%87%D9%84-%D9%88%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%B5%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AE%D9%8A%D8%A8%D8%B1-%D9%88%D9%87%D9%8A-%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85%D9%89%D8%B0-%D8%B5%D9%84%D8%AD-%D9%81%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%B1%D9%82%D8%A7
[2] https://alathar.net/home/esound/index.php?op=codevi&coid=33690
[3] An Excerpt from Marhaban Yaa Taalibal Ilm’ page 123
[4] Lisaan Al-Arab 8/174
[5] Al-Jarh Wat-Tadeel 3/164
[6] Al-Mufradaat Fee Ghareeb Al-Qur’aan
[7] Tabaraareen “Al-Mujam Al-Kabeer” 8510
[8] Naseehah Ahl Al-Hadeeth By Al-Baghdaadee. page 8
[9] Awaa’iq at-talab 29-35
[10] الطيب الجني على شرح السنة للإمام المزني – page 19.