Abu Dhar said, “I was with the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) one day and I heard him saying: “There is something I fear for my Ummah more than the Dajjal.” It was then that I became afraid, so I said: " Oh Rasool Allah! Which thing is that?” He (sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam) said; “Al-'a’immah Al-Mudalleen.”
Recorded in Musnad Imam Ahmad (no.21,334 and no.21,335). Sheikh Shu’ayb al Arna’ut graded it sahih li ghayri (authentic due to corroborating narrations) in his tahqiq of the Musnad (1999 ed., 35:21,296-97).
Al-'a’immah Al-Mudalleen
الْأَئِمَّةَ الْمُضِلِّينَ
This includes within it
- **Rulers who misguide
** - **Scholars who misguide
** - **And Jaahil worshipers who misguide others
**
And this also happened in those who preceded us as Allah tells us
O you who have believed, indeed many of the scholars and the monks devour the wealth of people unjustly and avert [them] from the way of Allah . And those who hoard gold and silver and spend it not in the way of Allah - give them tidings of a painful punishment.
[9:34]
وقال السندي في " حاشية ابن ماجة " (2/465) :
Al-Sindi said in Haashiyah:
" ( أئمة مضلين ) أي : داعين الخلق إلى البدع " انتهى
'a’immah mudalleen are those who call the creation toward Al-Bidah. End quote.
May Allah keep us safe from these people. Ameen