The danger of blindly following people

Ever met someone so knowledgeable

so inspiring

that you hung onto every word they said?

I have.

And honestly - it’s a dangerous thing to do.

Let me tell you why.

There’s a story about a noble Islamic Jurist, Sahnun bin Sa’eed.

This man wasn’t just a scholar -

he was the person people would travel miles to learn from.

Names you and I read about in books would sit at his feet, ask their questions, and walk away with answers that shaped generations.

But not everyone got answers.

One day, a man named Ibn Dinar noticed something strange.

When the big names like Malik and Abdul-Aziz asked questions -

Sahnun would answer them.

But when Ibn Dinar and his people asked, they got silence.

He finally confronted the scholar:

“Why do you answer them but not us? Is it lawful for you to withhold knowledge like this?”

And Sahnun’s reply wasn’t what you’d expect from someone of his rank.

He said:

“I’ve grown old.

My body is weak, and I fear what’s happened to my body has happened to my mind too.

Malik and Abdul-Aziz - they’re scholars. When they hear truth, they take it. When they hear error, they leave it.

But you… you and your people accept everything I say, without question.”

SubhanAllah.

Makes you think, doesn’t it?

It’s easy to imagine this happening in the past

but the truth is -

we do this today, just with different faces.

How many times do we hear a reminder, a post, a quote from someone with a million followers and instantly share it without asking:

“Is this actually from the Qur’an and Sunnah? Or just an opinion dressed in piety?”

(of course, if it’s beneficial and aligns with truth, share it - khayr is khayr)

How often do we attach status to the person, not the message?

We forget that the Qur’an is the final authority.

That status belongs to Allah’s words alone -

not to scholars, speakers, da’ees, or influencers.

Even the best of people made mistakes.

Even the most righteous could slip.

And this is why the companions corrected one another.

Why Imam Malik, one of the greatest scholars of our Ummah, said:

“Everyone’s statement can be accepted or rejected -

except the one in this grave.”

(as he pointed to the grave of the Prophet ﷺ)

The deeper I sat with this story, the more I realised how easy it is to let admiration become blind loyalty.

And in doing so -

we risk putting the words of men in a place only revelation belongs.

Let’s be real -

we live in an era where 30 second reels and trendy threads carry more weight than actual Qur’anic ayat in people’s hearts.

A polished video

a trending voiceover

a dramatic caption…

and suddenly we’re convinced it must be haqq (truth).

But our faith isn’t built on viral clips.

It’s built on seeking, verifying, and weighing everything against the Book of Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger ﷺ.

And if the companions questioned each other -

who are we to blindly accept everything without pause?

A little reminder for myself (and you)

When you admire somone’’s knowledge, character, or wisdom -

appreciate them, love them for the sake of Allah, but remember:

Their words are not revelation.

It’s okay to question.
It’s okay to verify.
It’s okay to leave behind what doesn’t align with Qur’an and Sunnah - no matter how beautifully it’s presented.

Because at the end of the day, when we stand before Allah, it won’t be those people we followed who answer for us.

It’ll be our own hearts, intentions, and actions

Has this ever happened to you?

Hit reply and let me know.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

And if this reminder spoke to you today, share it with someone you care about.

Let’s raise a generation that seeks truth over trends.

P.S. I share more like this on Threads and Instagram. Come say Salaam.

Until next time, stay seeking

- hidvyaa