In a noble hadith about Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), it is narrated that one night he encountered one of his companions named Harith ibn Mughirah. Harith was one of the trustworthy companions of the Imam. He recounts that while passing through a path, he met the Imam, who said a sentence to him that amazed him and occupied his mind for a long time. The Imam said to him:
"Surely your scholars must bear the sins of your fools."
(The original phrase in Arabic: "أما لتحملن ذنوب سفهائکم علی علمائکم")
The narrator relates that after the Imam spoke these words and left, his mind was preoccupied with them for a long time. It was difficult for him to understand and accept why scholars should bear the burden of the sins of the foolish. He could not find a reason until one day he went to the Imam and expressed his difficulty in understanding the statement. The Imam confirmed: Yes, it is so.
The "Lam" in "Latahamalanna" (لتَحمِلنَّ) is a lam of oath and the "Nun" at the end is a heavy nun of emphasis. Both are used for emphasis. Imam al-Sadiq emphatically told Harith ibn Mughirah that the sins of the ignorant are recorded in the records of the scholars. Harith was astonished by this and pondered it, but he could find no reason and even thought it contradicted the Qur’anic verse that says:
"And no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another." (Qur'an 6:164)
This verse means that on the Day of Judgment, no one carries the sins of another. Scholars have their own responsibilities which they are obliged to fulfill, so why should they bear the responsibility for the sins of others? This question troubled Harith deeply. Eventually, he had to ask Imam al-Sadiq himself for the reason.
The Imam told him that scholars are a cause. If scholars convey their knowledge to the ignorant, they to some extent prevent them from sinning, so some of the responsibility for the sins of the ignorant rests on the scholars. Because if scholars feel responsible for others, they should not remain indifferent to their behavior and fail to guide them. Of course, it is clear that not all misguided people accept the words of scholars. Some are stubborn and insist on sinning. But overall, if scholars had guided them, ignorant people generally would not fall into sin.
In summary, the scholar does two things through their teaching:
In this case, scholars have made the matter clear to them and will be excused before God regarding their sins, because the scholar offered knowledge but the ignorant refused to accept it. But if the scholar does not teach and guide, the responsibility for the sinner’s sin will be on the scholar.
The Wretched and the Blessed
Among the companions of the Imams, many abandoned sin and were rightly guided through their guidance, and they in turn caused others to be guided. Thousands joined the ranks of the righteous because of their preaching. Clearly, this success is owed to the efforts of scholars who have caused the guidance of the ignorant. It should be noted that scholars are not necessarily those who have extensive knowledge and spend their lives seeking it, but anyone with some level of knowledge is considered a scholar and naturally responsible for the sins of sinners.
One scholar may be knowledgeable in beliefs, another in ethics, another in religious laws or in the history of the prophets, and so on. The important thing is that the amount of knowledge that brings happiness and wards off misery is both obligatory to learn and to teach.
Therefore, learning knowledge is obligatory. A person must first learn it so that they can guide others. This learning, to the extent of ability, is a collective obligation ("wajib kifayah")—meaning it is obligatory on the community so that if some learn enough to guide others, the obligation is lifted from the rest. But if this minimal amount is not fulfilled, learning remains obligatory for all. Thus, learning is obligatory for teaching. Teaching, like learning, is also a collective obligation.
The Qur'an says:
"Among them [some] are wretched, and [some] are happy." (Qur'an 7:179)
Some, despite receiving knowledge, do not act on it and thus become wretched. The responsibility for this misery rests on themselves and scholars cannot be held responsible. Others accept the truth and become happy. Naturally, if the scholar had not expressed their knowledge, these would not have attained happiness.
Unjust rulers, oppressors, and tyrants throughout history have not welcomed educational and promotional programs that teach religious laws, ethics, manners, traditions, and correct Islamic beliefs. These programs were generally unpleasant to them, so they resisted the spread of religious knowledge with all their power. In many historical periods, scholars who fulfilled their religious duty to educate and guide the people were arrested, tortured, or exiled to distant and unfamiliar places. Ultimately, they could not tolerate their presence and executed them. Many companions of the Imams, such as Salman, Abu Dharr, Ammar, and Miqdad, suffered various forms of torture and persecution from the enemies of Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).
The Responsibility of Scholars in Expressing Knowledge
So far in the discussion, it has become clear that scholars must not conceal their knowledge, but rather should openly express it for others. We also mentioned that expressing and conveying the knowledge of the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them) displeases tyrannical rulers. Throughout history, scholars who shared their knowledge and considered it obligatory to guide and educate people suffered many hardships.
On the other hand, those scholars who did not exert themselves and did not risk their worldly status or interests were safe from the oppression of tyrants. In the traditions, these scholars are called “bad scholars” or “evil scholars” because mere possession of knowledge does not make a person happy or blessed. Rather, it is the propagation, teaching, and correct use of knowledge that determine the goodness or badness of a scholar. These scholars do not feel any duty to guide others. The result of their neglect is that many people remain deprived of knowledge and trapped in the darkness of ignorance.
According to Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him), silent scholars share in the sins of the ignorant because if they had guided others, they themselves would not have been stained with sin. Narrations from the infallible Imams (peace be upon them) state that God did not command the ignorant to abandon sin unless He first tasked the scholars with guiding the ignorant. Imam al-Sadiq said regarding this:
“I read in the book of Ali (peace be upon him) that God did not take a covenant from the ignorant to seek knowledge until He took a covenant from the scholars to impart knowledge to the ignorant, because knowledge preceded ignorance.”
Also, Imam Ali (peace be upon him) said in the noble book Nahj al-Balagha:
“God did not obligate the ignorant to learn until He obligated the knowledgeable to teach the ignorant.”
Thus, it is clear that learning is obligatory for the scholar, and teaching is obligatory for the non-scholar. God commands the scholar to teach and obliges the ignorant to learn. If the scholar fulfills their duty, the ignorant can no longer use ignorance as an excuse, either by neglecting to teach or refusing to act on knowledge. In either case, the scholar’s obligation is lifted and the ignorant become responsible for their own deeds.
Furthermore, regarding the scholar and their definition, it is understood that being a scholar is relative—anyone can be a scholar in proportion to their scientific knowledge. Just as the companions of the Imams (peace be upon them) were not all on the same level of knowledge—some higher, some lower—so too, Harith ibn Mughirah, the narrator of the aforementioned hadith, was not a complete scholar. His difficulty in understanding the Imam’s words indicates he did not know everything. No scholar knows everything; complete knowledge is exclusive to the infallible Imams and the Fourteen Infallibles. Everyone else benefits from knowledge according to their capacity. Therefore, everyone is responsible for teaching and guiding others according to their own level.
A scholar must first learn knowledge as a prerequisite to teaching. Then they become responsible for the ignorant. The ignorant are also obliged to learn and act upon what they learn. Any negligence in learning or acting is their own responsibility.
Thus, the scholar is responsible for both themselves and others. This dual responsibility is due to their high and weighty status. A scholar who fulfills their duty holds a position far above others, while a scholar who neglects their responsibility is guilty and shares in the sins of others, and therefore their rank is far lower than others. So, although a scholar has a high status, their responsibility is greater.
The responsibilities on scholars bring both privileges and hardships. The privileges have been explained, but hardships are inseparable from the life of true scholars. Reviewing the lives of the sincere scholars and loyal companions of the pure Imams (peace be upon them) shows clearly their hardships. The Imams themselves—who are the masters and primary teachers and the source of all knowledge—lived lives full of hardship and turmoil. It is narrated from the infallible Imams:
“None of us exists except that he will either be poisoned or killed.”
The noble Imams and all the Fourteen Infallibles endured this painful fate. According to narrations, this inevitable destiny will also befall the Master of the Time, Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his reappearance), who will be killed like his noble ancestors after his return. The reason for the killing of our Imams was solely their teaching of knowledge. Imprisonment, torture, and murder were only because they were committed to guiding people. If it were not for their duty to express knowledge, the tyrants and oppressors of their times would not have been hostile to them, and they could have lived more comfortable and peaceful lives.
It is clear that scholars who follow the path of the Imams will also be honored and rewarded by God.
I hope that Almighty God grants all success in acquiring knowledge and teaching it to others so that they may fulfill this great responsibility.
Peace be upon our master and prophet Muhammad and his pure family.
