In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy

Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but He takes it away by taking away (the lives of) the religious scholars till none of the scholars remains alive. Then the people will take ignorant ones as their leaders, who, when asked to deliver religious verdicts, will issue them without knowledge, the result being that they will go astray and will lead others astray. [Bukhaari Number 100]

This Hadeeth demonstrates the virtue of knowledge and its [high] status, and the virtue of the carriers of knowledge – the upright scholars through whom Allaah raises the affair of this Ummah and their status in paradise. Allaah said:

Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge.
[Surah Al-Mujaadilah’ Aayah 11]

The scholars have a high status in the sight of Allaah because they guide to the truth and establish justice by way of it. The pious scholars – those who act upon truth – are the ones praised in the Book of Allaah and in the Sunnah of Allaah’s Messenger [sallal laahu alayhi wasallam]. They are the ones about whom Allaah said:

It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah.
[Surah Faatir’ Aayah 29]

Fear of Allaah has a high status and Allaah has prepared a high status for its people in paradise.