Nevertheless, it is surprising that many Muslims doubt its obligation. Rather, most of them do not consider it obligatory; because, according to their supposition, acquiring knowledge is obligatory for a group among them and is lifted from others by the action of this group, and it is sufficient for others to imitate them. However, seeking knowledge is obligatory due to the necessity of knowledge, and imitating others—whether they are dead or alive—does not lead to knowledge. Therefore, imitators are not considered knowledgeable, and this is something that is undisputed. Based on this, most Muslims are ignorant; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَهُمْ يَجْهَلُونَ﴾[1]; “But most of them are ignorant”; because their understandings are imitative. Rather, those among them who have acted to acquire knowledge are mostly not considered knowledgeable either; because they have acquired knowledge based on imitating the predecessors. However, knowledge is not acquired based on imitation; considering that knowledge is certain, while imitation is conjectural, and what is certain is not acquired through what is conjectural; as Allah Almighty has said: ﴿وَمَا لَهُمْ بِهِ مِنْ عِلْمٍ ۖ إِنْ يَتَّبِعُونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لَا يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا﴾[2]; “They have no knowledge of it. They follow nothing but conjecture, while conjecture is not sufficient for (proving) the truth.” Therefore, most Muslims who imitate these individuals are, in fact, imitating those who themselves are imitators of others, and this is nothing but acquiring conjecture through a conjectural method, about which Allah Almighty has said: ﴿ظُلُمَاتٌ بَعْضُهَا فَوْقَ بَعْضٍ﴾[3]; “Layers of darkness, some of which are above some others.”

[Ignorance: The Origin of Muslims’ Problems]

There is no doubt that the problems of Muslims are primarily due to the ignorance that has surrounded them, as they are encircled by ignorance from three directions:

[Ignorance of Islam]

From one direction, they do not know Islam and make no effort to understand it; rather, their efforts are directed toward the world, and their understanding is based on imitation;