So we were talking about the respect for ‘ulamâ’. Allah Ta’alasays:

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Ask the people of dhikr if you do not know (anything about Islam).

(Surah Nahl, verse 43)

All the past and latter commentators say that the people of dhikr refer to the people of knowledge. The question which arises here is that why have the people of knowledge been referred to as the people of dhikr? My shaikh, Hazrat Shâh ‘Abdul Ghanî rahimahullâh used to say that the actual people of knowledge are those who are immersed in the excessive remembrance of Allah Ta'ala. It is for this reason that Allah Ta’alareferred to them as the people of dhikr.

Hakeem-ul-Ummah Thânwî rahimahullâh says: “I have love for the Sufis as I have love for my brothers, but I have love for the ‘ulamâ’ as I have love for my father.” In other words, respect the imam just as you respect your father. Do not resort to evil thoughts, objections and backbiting [about the imam] over trivial matters and thereby earn the wrath of Allah Ta'ala. The person who has evils in himself will see evils in everyone else.