Referring to non-Aalim as Maulana

Question

There are huffaaz or those who have studied at a Darul Uloom for a year or so, and did not qualify, yet they are being referred to as “Maulanas” or “Sheikh”? When they are giving lectures or performing Jumuah Salaah, the posters being sent out refer to them as “Moulana/Sheikh” and they are introduced as “Moulana/Sheikh”. Therefore, there are people who are under the impression that they are Ulama. Please advise.

Maulana Abdul Kader Fazlani · Accepted Answer

When a person is referred to as ‘Maulana’ in our context, then it mostly refers to one who studied the complete Alim course which generally extends over a 6-year period and qualified under his tutors as an Alim of Deen. It is therefore, not correct to refer to one that hasn’t studied the entire Alim course as ‘Maulana’, as he is not deserving of such a title. Similarly, one that hasn’t memorized the entire Quraan Sharif from cover to cover, should not be referred to as a ‘Hafiz’, as only a person that memorized the entire Quraan Sharif is referred to as a ‘Hafiz’.

Hadrat Abu Hurairah Radiallahu Anhu narrates that Rasulullah Salallahu Alaihi Wasallam is reported to have said, “Whoever takes up arms against us is not from amongst us, and whoever deceives us is not from amongst us.”

By referring to a non-Alim as an ‘Maulana’ or a non-Hafiz as a ‘Hafiz’ is tantamount to deception and giving false testimony, as one is attesting that so and so is a ‘Hafiz’ or ‘Maulana’ by addressing him with these titles, whereas the reality is contrary to it. One should therefore be careful in these matters so that people are not deceived.

In conclusion, one should attach the correct titles to names of speakers when advertising programs.

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