‘Allâmah ‘Âlûsî rahimahullâh writes in RûhulMa‘ânî that Allah Ta’alasays:

???????? ????? ?????????? ???????? ????????

(???? ????????? ???: 11)

“Allâh will raise the ranks of those who believe among you.”

(Sûrah al-Mujâdilah, 58: 11)

He follows this by saying:

???????????? ???????? ????????? ?????????

“And those who have been given knowledge.”

Those who have been given knowledge [‘ulamâ’] are also included among “those who believe” and their praise is included in the first part of the verse. So why did Allah Ta’alamention them separately by saying “and those who have been given knowledge”?

‘Allâmah Âlûsî Sayyid Mahmûd Baghdâdî rahimahullâh says that no matter how great propagators all the believers may become, no matter how great worshippers they may become, even if they have the ability to fly in the air, they cannot compare with “those who have been given knowledge”. ‘Allâmah Âlûsî rahimahullâh says that by Allah Ta’alamentioning the ‘ulamâ’ separately in this verse, He accorded them with honour which He did not accord to anyone else. It is for this reason that our elders say that do not make such statements whereby the honour of the ‘ulamâ’ will be reduced in the hearts of the masses. If the masses have no respect for the ‘ulamâ’, it will result in a great tribulation. This will result in the ‘ulamâ’ despising the masses, and now both sides will suffer losses. The ‘ulamâ’ will suffer less and the masses will suffer more. The ‘ulamâ’ will not have the opportunity of serving the masses, while the masses will despise the ‘ulamâ’ and become totally deprived. They will neither remain on the straight path nor adhere to the limits.