What To Look For When We Earnestly Set Out to Look for a Role Model

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Allah, The Most High, said:

وَلَا تُطِعْ مَنْ أَغْفَلْنَا قَلْبَهُ عَنْ ذِكْرِنَا وَاتَّبَعَ هَوَاهُ وَكَانَ أَمْرُهُ فُرُطًا

And obey not him whose heart We have made heedless of Our Remembrance, one who follows his own lusts and whose affair (deeds) has been lost. [Al-Kahf 28]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

When a servant wants to take a man as an example to follow, then let him observe: Is this person among the people who remember Allah or from the heedless? Is he ruled by desires or the revelation? If desires is what rules over him, he is from the heedless, and is one whose affair has been lost, then he (i.e. the one looking for someone to follow) should not take him as an example or follow him, for he will lead him to destruction. And the meaning of “One whose affair has been lost” has been explained as neglecting the thing that a person is obligated to adhere to and fulfil, and through which he attains sound guidance and success, and fallen short in fulfilling it. It has (also) been explained as excess, meaning that he has gone beyond the proper bounds. It has also been explained as destruction, and as opposition to the truth. All these explanations are close in meaning.

And what is intended is that indeed Allah, Glorified be He, free from all imperfections, The Most High, has forbidden obeying someone who combines these characteristics. Therefore, it is obligated to man to observe his Shaikh, his role model, and the person he follows. If he finds him to be like this, then let him keep away from him. But if he finds him to be someone who is predominantly occupied with the remembrance of Allah and following the Sunnah, and his affairs are not neglected, but he is firm and resolute in his affairs, then let him hold firmly to his way. [Al-Wābil al-Ṣayyib min al-Kalim al-Ṭayyib, pp. 92-93] [end of quote]

We all know that regardless of how virtuous a person is, he will not be free from shortcomings. Therefore, the issue is not to set out looking for someone perfect, but someone who is upon the Sunnah and known for good conduct. All praise and thanks be to Allah, such people are many, including our senior scholars and their upright students.

Also Read: https://salafidawahmanchester.com/2025/02/17/i-have-met-the-mashayikh/