Religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza arrested in Jhelum

[RidiculousMan]

I am not actively learning from a specific scholar though I should consider it because it is valuable to have a personal tutor which is local to you so it’s something someone can find out personally; in my local mosque there’s a syrian sheikh they’ve hired recently who has studied at Al Azhar & I attend seminars when I get the time. However, I’ve committed to reading the English translation of the Quran, there’s a very simple / renowned text by Abdel Haleem which is recommended for beginners, I prefer that opposed to Youtube and I am trying to focus more on that then anything & it’s an on-going challenge. As for other scholars, I’ve not explored his work enough but Abdal Hakeem ul Murad is very respected in the UK and has set up a college in Cambridge with a specific curriculum to train Imam’s to help the community access the religion much better.

Abdul Haleem's English translation is pretty good. Maulana Maududi also has an English translation now which is pretty good too.

I think usually for people who are serious. It is better to read translations of 2-3 scholars together. As you can see and compare different viewpoints in certain sections.

 

[shaz619]

Abdul Haleem's English translation is pretty good. Maulana Maududi also has an English translation now which is pretty good too.

I think usually for people who are serious. It is better to read translations of 2-3 scholars together. As you can see and compare different viewpoints in certain sections.

If you have the luxury, your parents should be the best teachers. I don’t see the point in comparing so many views personally unless I am trying to get a degree or something, Islamic theology is complicated, but the fundamentals are simple & for me, fine tuning those is important. If you’re reading multiple views, you are risking confusing yourself, I can see a revert doing that or someone who is struggling with their faith in general. But other then that, if I am reading the fairly simple & neutral text I suggested before, I don’t know what I’d be gaining by reading more of the same by somebody else. I rather just work on understanding the text before me. Each to their own.

 

[Justcrazy]

If I don't know any better. I'm asking you to tell me better. Who should I learn Islam from?

Everyone , no need to limit oneself for knowledge . Till they speak from Books , not from their own self. If I name one person here , i would be doing the same thing I have been speaking against , that is personality worship.

 

[Justcrazy]

I am not actively learning from a specific scholar though I should consider it because it is valuable to have a personal tutor which is local to you so it’s something someone can find out personally; in my local mosque there’s a syrian sheikh they’ve hired recently who has studied at Al Azhar & I attend seminars when I get the time. However, I’ve committed to reading the English translation of the Quran, there’s a very simple / renowned text by Abdel Haleem which is recommended for beginners, I prefer that opposed to Youtube and I am trying to focus more on that then anything & it’s an on-going challenge. As for other scholars, I’ve not explored his work enough but Abdal Hakeem ul Murad is very respected in the UK and has set up a college in Cambridge with a specific curriculum to train Imam’s to help the community access the religion much better.

So if someone wants to hear him , the person has to use you tube as a platform.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

I do see where you are coming from & I value your opinion, but having that same background as him and you to, in my profession we really value specialists. So anybody and everybody shouldn’t be qualified to talk about a religion as complex as Islam, if he is serious, he should further his education by training to be a sheikh at Al-Azhar university etc or a similar institution, that way he can combine his background with the deeper studies of religious texts and bring more benefit to peope opposed to relying on raige bait for views and getting himself arrested, that automatically will have the opposite impact in Pakistan, the average Joe Blogs in his country probably look at him as the Devil, you need to work a bit more differently if the goal is to spread knowledge in his home country but he clearly has a global fanbase. It’s not just him but I don’t listen to other such individuals either unless they are an expert in the field.

That's fine and a safe stance to take when it comes to religion.

From my own perspective and Using your example in STEM if I wanted to learn about certain topics in detail I would of course learn from a recognized lecturer who has a deep scholarly background in the field. Say for example I wanted to understand the design and structure of the Burj Khalifa in detail.

But if I wanted to learn about the history of cthr Burj Khalifa and the evolution of those designs, and the economics etc I wouldn't need to learn it from someone who had that indepth knowledge of the engineering. I could learn from some one who has studied the history themselves and is capable of analyzing it and understanding it. Engineer falls into this camp for me.

 

[DeadlyVenom]

Maulana Ishaq was a great scholar. I have never seen anyone like him. Off course he can make mistakes , but he never lied or hid facts. If he was talking with barelvi , he would talk through Barelvi books , if with shias he will use their rijal books , if with ahle hadeeth he used books of Nawab Siddik Hassan etc. He never used books of opposition to refute points.

He has been a tremendous influence on me considering I was started to get annoyed by Saudi style Salafi dawah, I found his works and was able to strengthen my own faith

 

[shaz619]

So if someone wants to hear him , the person has to use you tube as a platform.

It’s not necessary or the only path to be heard that way, but yeah maybe you are on to something because getting arrested is great publicity

 

[shaz619]

That's fine and a safe stance to take when it comes to religion.

From my own perspective and Using your example in STEM if I wanted to learn about certain topics in detail I would of course learn from a recognized lecturer who has a deep scholarly background in the field. Say for example I wanted to understand the design and structure of the Burj Khalifa in detail.

But if I wanted to learn about the history of cthr Burj Khalifa and the evolution of those designs, and the economics etc I wouldn't need to learn it from someone who had that indepth knowledge of the engineering. I could learn from some one who has studied the history themselves and is capable of analyzing it and understanding it. Engineer falls into this camp for me.

That’s fine because you understand what you’re consuming, for many of the plebs out there (a few in this thread evidently) they put these Youtubers on a pedestal and it’s the only platform to learn something

 

[LordJames]

Why Mirza?

I have had this conversation with many Pakistani Scholars, why do people of Pakistan turn to YouTube to learn their Islam in a country full of thousands of Scholars, Darul-ulooms and Mosques.

A young man prays in the Masjid behind an Imam but doesn't consult the same Imam for his religious needs but goes to YouTube and consults XYZ?

Why?

How did Mirza find an audience in the millions in a country with a Mosque at every corner, there are thousands upon thousands of Ulama in Pakistan (and thousands graduating) every year. In my opinion it is because:​

1. Youngsters (specially university graduate) do not trust the Ulama​
2. The Ulama do not relate to the Youngsters.​

There is the opposite side of this too where many Youngster cling to "religious figures" despite all evidence to the contrary so Pakistan is a society where:​

• Youngsters are clinging to "religious figures" be it Deobandi, Barelwee, Salafi, Khawarij or whatever​
• Youngsters are abandoning them and taking their Islam from YouTube or outside figures, the welcome given to Dr Zakir Naik in Pakistan was an eyeopener for me, why??? Pakistan has millions of scholars and many of the questions asked were childish!​

Pakistan has a problem and Mirza is a symptom. Since the discussions on PakPassion, I have heard his lectures and he has nothing significant to offer! How has this guy worshiped as a "celebrity" in Pakistan and despised from the other side, he is nothing special and has nothing special to offer.

I have now also heard Sahil Adheem with his "portal theory" and "psychology"

What is going on in Pakistan with all this YouTube celebrities???

 

[LordJames]

Why Mirza?

I have had this conversation with many Pakistani Scholars, why do people of Pakistan turn to YouTube to learn their Islam in a country full of thousands of Scholars, Darul-ulooms and Mosques.

A young man prays in the Masjid behind an Imam but doesn't consult the same Imam for his religious needs but goes to YouTube and consults XYZ?

Why?

How did Mirza find an audience in the millions in a country with a Mosque at every corner, there are thousands upon thousands of Ulama in Pakistan (and thousands graduating) every year. In my opinion it is because:​

1. Youngsters (specially university graduate) do not trust the Ulama​
2. The Ulama do not relate to the Youngsters.​

There is the opposite side of this too where many Youngster cling to "religious figures" despite all evidence to the contrary so Pakistan is a society where:​

• Youngsters are clinging to "religious figures" be it Deobandi, Barelwee, Salafi, Khawarij or whatever​
• Youngsters are abandoning them and taking their Islam from YouTube or outside figures, the welcome given to Dr Zakir Naik in Pakistan was an eyeopener for me, why??? Pakistan has millions of scholars and many of the questions asked were childish!​

Pakistan has a problem and Mirza is a symptom. Since the discussions on PakPassion, I have heard his lectures and he has nothing significant to offer! How has this guy worshiped as a "celebrity" in Pakistan and despised from the other side, he is nothing special and has nothing special to offer.

I have now also heard Sahil Adheem with his "portal theory" and "psychology"

What is going on in Pakistan with all this YouTube celebrities???

Al-Qaeda: The True Story of Radical Islam​

This is a superb book on the topic as to why university graduates shy away from traditional Scholats of Islam and get attracted to fringe figures. Mirza isn't a militant but a lot of what is discussed in this book makes sense and applies to Pakistan.​

Al-Qaeda: The True Story of Radical Islam: Burke, Jason: 9781850436669: Amazon.com: Books

Al-Qaeda: The True Story of Radical Islam [Burke, Jason] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Al-Qaeda: The True Story of Radical Islam

www.amazon.com

 

[LordJames]

Islami Nazayati Counil (Council of Islamic Ideology) of Pakistan
This is the same "Islamic Organization" which declared VPN Haram in November 2024.

Now, they have declared Mirza guilty of "blasphemy"

CII declares engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza blasphemy accused - Daily Times

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has declared renowned religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza guilty of blasphemy, stating his controversial remarks contained offensive words repeated without any lawful or religious purpose, warranting severe punishment.

dailytimes.com.pk

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has declared renowned religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza guilty of blasphemy, stating his controversial remarks contained offensive words repeated without any lawful or religious purpose, warranting severe punishment.

During a meeting chaired by CII Chairman Allama Dr. Raghib Hussain Naeemi, several members, including Justice (R) Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Rashid, Sahibzada Peer Khalid Sultan Qadri, and others, reviewed an FIA cybercrime complaint and discussed Mirza’s case extensively. The council concluded that some of his statements amounted to insulting the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and distorting Quranic meanings, recommending the inclusion of blasphemy-related clauses in the charges against him.

No wonder, citizens of Pakistan are sick of "Scholars for Islam"​

 

[ghalib kichlu]

Islami Nazayati Counil (Council of Islamic Ideology) of Pakistan
This is the same "Islamic Organization" which declared VPN Haram in November 2024.

Now, they have declared Mirza guilty of "blasphemy"

CII declares engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza blasphemy accused - Daily Times

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has declared renowned religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza guilty of blasphemy, stating his controversial remarks contained offensive words repeated without any lawful or religious purpose, warranting severe punishment.

dailytimes.com.pk

The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) has declared renowned religious scholar Engineer Muhammad Ali Mirza guilty of blasphemy, stating his controversial remarks contained offensive words repeated without any lawful or religious purpose, warranting severe punishment.

During a meeting chaired by CII Chairman Allama Dr. Raghib Hussain Naeemi, several members, including Justice (R) Zafar Iqbal Chaudhry, Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Rashid, Sahibzada Peer Khalid Sultan Qadri, and others, reviewed an FIA cybercrime complaint and discussed Mirza’s case extensively. The council concluded that some of his statements amounted to insulting the Holy Prophet (PBUH) and distorting Quranic meanings, recommending the inclusion of blasphemy-related clauses in the charges against him.

No wonder, citizens of Pakistan are sick of "Scholars for Islam"​

I always find it ironic when pakistans stick up for salafi scholars after cursing out wahabis for the last 30 years

 

[Stewie]

Why Mirza?

I have had this conversation with many Pakistani Scholars, why do people of Pakistan turn to YouTube to learn their Islam in a country full of thousands of Scholars, Darul-ulooms and Mosques.

A young man prays in the Masjid behind an Imam but doesn't consult the same Imam for his religious needs but goes to YouTube and consults XYZ?

Why?

How did Mirza find an audience in the millions in a country with a Mosque at every corner, there are thousands upon thousands of Ulama in Pakistan (and thousands graduating) every year. In my opinion it is because:​

1. Youngsters (specially university graduate) do not trust the Ulama​
2. The Ulama do not relate to the Youngsters.​

There is the opposite side of this too where many Youngster cling to "religious figures" despite all evidence to the contrary so Pakistan is a society where:​

• Youngsters are clinging to "religious figures" be it Deobandi, Barelwee, Salafi, Khawarij or whatever​
• Youngsters are abandoning them and taking their Islam from YouTube or outside figures, the welcome given to Dr Zakir Naik in Pakistan was an eyeopener for me, why??? Pakistan has millions of scholars and many of the questions asked were childish!​

Pakistan has a problem and Mirza is a symptom. Since the discussions on PakPassion, I have heard his lectures and he has nothing significant to offer! How has this guy worshiped as a "celebrity" in Pakistan and despised from the other side, he is nothing special and has nothing special to offer.

I have now also heard Sahil Adheem with his "portal theory" and "psychology"

What is going on in Pakistan with all this YouTube celebrities???

I could write pages on this topic but will try to keep it short.

Social media is a great tool but it needs to be understood by all that its credibility is as good as the content creator. Before this social media, what was considered a learning tool? A published article, book or expert at a university or in an academic setting. Such sources were/are authentic, peer reviewed, credible, qualified, etc.

People just need to learn the difference between the two and not blindly believe what they are seeing or reading on social media. It’s as simple as that.

Now regarding these Pakistani evangelicals: I find Engineer to mostly talk sense. Yes he is crude, loud and can be downright badtameez at times but he doesn’t claim to be a religious leader. He simply tries to spread the word about not believing the various “ulema” and leaders who have sprouted up everywhere and garner blind following.

Saahil Adeem, now I don’t understand him much. He seems to be all about sensationalism but little substance.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Why Mirza?

I have had this conversation with many Pakistani Scholars, why do people of Pakistan turn to YouTube to learn their Islam in a country full of thousands of Scholars, Darul-ulooms and Mosques.

A young man prays in the Masjid behind an Imam but doesn't consult the same Imam for his religious needs but goes to YouTube and consults XYZ?

Why?

How did Mirza find an audience in the millions in a country with a Mosque at every corner, there are thousands upon thousands of Ulama in Pakistan (and thousands graduating) every year. In my opinion it is because:​

1. Youngsters (specially university graduate) do not trust the Ulama​
2. The Ulama do not relate to the Youngsters.​

There is the opposite side of this too where many Youngster cling to "religious figures" despite all evidence to the contrary so Pakistan is a society where:​

• Youngsters are clinging to "religious figures" be it Deobandi, Barelwee, Salafi, Khawarij or whatever​
• Youngsters are abandoning them and taking their Islam from YouTube or outside figures, the welcome given to Dr Zakir Naik in Pakistan was an eyeopener for me, why??? Pakistan has millions of scholars and many of the questions asked were childish!​

Pakistan has a problem and Mirza is a symptom. Since the discussions on PakPassion, I have heard his lectures and he has nothing significant to offer! How has this guy worshiped as a "celebrity" in Pakistan and despised from the other side, he is nothing special and has nothing special to offer.

I have now also heard Sahil Adheem with his "portal theory" and "psychology"

What is going on in Pakistan with all this YouTube celebrities???

Another problem about it being the erratic system by which Imams of Masajid are selected. I don't think the imam has to be a scholar to be named as Imam of a Mosque in Pakistan something that needs remedying. When you do not know what these "scholars" are preaching in mosques, it's easy to lose trust in the system. Just over 10-15 years, the leaders of a lot of mosques especially in rural areas were misusing their position to preach extremism.
As long as there isn't any properly regulated induction and training of imams, the public may not put trust the leaders of their local mosques again. The lal masjid episode is a big blotch in Pakistan's history whose effects are still being felt.
On the other hand, there is no shortage of credible Islamic scholars in Pakistan either. Back in late noughties, Raiwand Ijtimah used to be full of big Islamic scholars.

 

[FollowThru]

Another problem about it being the erratic system by which Imams of Masajid are selected. I don't think the imam has to be a scholar to be named as Imam of a Mosque in Pakistan something that needs remedying. When you do not know what these "scholars" are preaching in mosques, it's easy to lose trust in the system. Just over 10-15 years, the leaders of a lot of mosques especially in rural areas were misusing their position to preach extremism.
As long as there isn't any properly regulated induction and training of imams, the public may not put trust the leaders of their local mosques again. The lal masjid episode is a big blotch in Pakistan's history whose effects are still being felt.
On the other hand, there is no shortage of credible Islamic scholars in Pakistan either. Back in late noughties, Raiwand Ijtimah used to be full of big Islamic scholars.

As a fact, there are and will always be true and genuine Molvis and Ulama.

Most of us want to find someone, to whom we can attribute our deficiencies and our wrongs.

Since we know the importance of practicing Islam but don't want to do hard yards and practice it consistently within realms, we seek association to someone who we think will take responsibility on our behalf ( or atleast so we think, a psychological illusion ). This creates opportunistic Molvi, Mullah and Ulama who don't follow ethics/books and compete amongst them for control over us and imposing power.

Good luck explaining it to people but in daily life we dont need Ulamas at every step. All we need is to come out of our comfort zones to follow Faith as a habit and not as a hobby.

 

[Stewie]

Another problem about it being the erratic system by which Imams of Masajid are selected. I don't think the imam has to be a scholar to be named as Imam of a Mosque in Pakistan something that needs remedying. When you do not know what these "scholars" are preaching in mosques, it's easy to lose trust in the system. Just over 10-15 years, the leaders of a lot of mosques especially in rural areas were misusing their position to preach extremism.
As long as there isn't any properly regulated induction and training of imams, the public may not put trust the leaders of their local mosques again. The lal masjid episode is a big blotch in Pakistan's history whose effects are still being felt.
On the other hand, there is no shortage of credible Islamic scholars in Pakistan either. Back in late noughties, Raiwand Ijtimah used to be full of big Islamic scholars.

Do we know how Imams of masajid were picked during the time of the Prophet? How is it done in other countries?

I would question the need for someone to be a highly qualified scholar of religion to simply lead a prayer. I think therein lies our problem. WE always tend to lean towards "ulema", qualified scholars, even for the slightest matter or question we start digging into who is qualified and who is not, and we completely and wholly invest ourselves into this research and then when we land on some guy, we tend to blindly follow him.


Why cant we keep it simple? why cant we trust ourselves? there are so many AI tools and translations and tafseer of Quran available to us now online? Just do the hard work where needed and leave the more involved aspects like governance to the scholars.

Something like leading a prayer at the masjid, should not be a task you need a highly qualified muslim scholar to do. Similarly, people also need to understand that the guy leading the prayer is just a normal guy who may or may not be highly qualified and does not need to be put on the pedestal.

We have turned Islam into a personality cult following, "hum issko maante hein" ya "hum ussko maante hein"

THIS is what Engineer Mirza tries to tell us.

 

[Boyka]

There is definitely a conversation to be had about taking knowledge from a teacher and understanding the basic fundamentals ourselves. The Quran is so unique, it’s God having a conversation with you. From this you can develop your own sense and theological awareness even without a tafsir. Any technical knowledge can be referred to a scholar.

If we are true converts like the resident Indians like to tell us, then Arabic should be taught as a second language throughout public schools. It’s a different experience once you combine the Arabic with a language you are familiar with. You realise it’s abnormal, it’s the closest we can get to “beyond the veil.”

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Do we know how Imams of masajid were picked during the time of the Prophet? How is it done in other countries?

I would question the need for someone to be a highly qualified scholar of religion to simply lead a prayer. I think therein lies our problem. WE always tend to lean towards "ulema", qualified scholars, even for the slightest matter or question we start digging into who is qualified and who is not, and we completely and wholly invest ourselves into this research and then when we land on some guy, we tend to blindly follow him.


Why cant we keep it simple? why cant we trust ourselves? there are so many AI tools and translations and tafseer of Quran available to us now online? Just do the hard work where needed and leave the more involved aspects like governance to the scholars.

Something like leading a prayer at the masjid, should not be a task you need a highly qualified muslim scholar to do. Similarly, people also need to understand that the guy leading the prayer is just a normal guy who may or may not be highly qualified and does not need to be put on the pedestal.

We have turned Islam into a personality cult following, "hum issko maante hein" ya "hum ussko maante hein"

THIS is what Engineer Mirza tries to tell us.

Having a regular person lead the prayer is fine. But there has to be some educational criteria to select that person when it's a "job of a person" With power, the element of abuse of power will always be present, which is why we need people who have some basic education to be given that mantle. If you hire a person with no education, and that guy is in charge of 50-60 youngsters in madarassahs (some orphans, some sent by parents to learn religion) and he starts corrupting their mind with his ill formed opinions about not just the world but discourages them to attain education etc, what next? The minds of youth are at formation stage and they need a guiding hand who is not just someone who can lead a prayer but also teach them about religion and the world and not hinder their development.
The decisions of Prophet SAW were absolute. He was guided by Allah so obviously how he did stuff was always correct.
The world 1400 years later doesn't have a person even 1/10th of the wisdom and stature of our beloved Prophet SAW which is why we need a system and criterion on which able people should be selected.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

As a fact, there are and will always be true and genuine Molvis and Ulama.

Most of us want to find someone, to whom we can attribute our deficiencies and our wrongs.

Since we know the importance of practicing Islam but don't want to do hard yards and practice it consistently within realms, we seek association to someone who we think will take responsibility on our behalf ( or atleast so we think, a psychological illusion ). This creates opportunistic Molvi, Mullah and Ulama who don't follow ethics/books and compete amongst them for control over us and imposing power.

Good luck explaining it to people but in daily life we dont need Ulamas at every step. All we need is to come out of our comfort zones to follow Faith as a habit and not as a hobby.

I agree. But we are not coming out of our comfort zones and following Islam as a habit especially in South Asia which is why the problems are ever present.

 

[Suleiman]

Feel like this thread should be split into 2-3 different threads. Many important topics discussed in here that go beyond this particular issue that need to be addressed and we need to come to agreement on as Muslims and unite.

 

[sweep_shot]

Feel like this thread should be split into 2-3 different threads. Many important topics discussed in here that go beyond this particular issue that need to be addressed and we need to come to agreement on as Muslims and unite.

Long threads generally get derailed.

Agree with you.

 

[Stewie]

Having a regular person lead the prayer is fine. But there has to be some educational criteria to select that person when it's a "job of a person" With power, the element of abuse of power will always be present, which is why we need people who have some basic education to be given that mantle. If you hire a person with no education, and that guy is in charge of 50-60 youngsters in madarassahs (some orphans, some sent by parents to learn religion) and he starts corrupting their mind with his ill formed opinions about not just the world but discourages them to attain education etc, what next? The minds of youth are at formation stage and they need a guiding hand who is not just someone who can lead a prayer but also teach them about religion and the world and not hinder their development.
The decisions of Prophet SAW were absolute. He was guided by Allah so obviously how he did stuff was always correct.
The world 1400 years later doesn't have a person even 1/10th of the wisdom and stature of our beloved Prophet SAW which is why we need a system and criterion on which able people should be selected.

I like what you have suggested here (I think)

The imam at a masjid is probably not a position that needs immense qualification but the madrasa point you raised is a genuine one. There are a few issues here that need to be addressed:

1. Anybody can open up a madrasa it seems
2. There is no qualification or requirement.
3. There are more madrasas than schools in rural areas.

I feel there should be stricter governance on how to teach religious education and who can teach it. Rather than allowing half bakes self proclaimed scholars or mulla to do it, there should be a structure, a governing body, and only accredited schools who do it even at the basic level. Just tackling these three points could probably help ease a lot of complications we see in the Pakistani religious landscape.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

I like what you have suggested here (I think)

The imam at a masjid is probably not a position that needs immense qualification but the madrasa point you raised is a genuine one. There are a few issues here that need to be addressed:

1. Anybody can open up a madrasa it seems
2. There is no qualification or requirement.
3. There are more madrasas than schools in rural areas.

I feel there should be stricter governance on how to teach religious education and who can teach it. Rather than allowing half bakes self proclaimed scholars or mulla to do it, there should be a structure, a governing body, and only accredited schools who do it even at the basic level. Just tackling these three points could probably help ease a lot of complications we see in the Pakistani religious landscape.

Yes this is what I said.
I would also suggest to please refrain from using terms like molvi, mullah etc as it is clearly done to throw shade at Islamic scholars and even towards any Muslim with a beard by pseudoliberals and desi atheists when in reality the job of Islamic scholar, Aalim, Imam etc are very respectable titles.

 

[Stewie]

Yes this is what I said.
I would also suggest to please refrain from using terms like molvi, mullah etc as it is clearly done to throw shade at Islamic scholars and even towards any Muslim with a beard by pseudoliberals and desi atheists when in reality the job of Islamic scholar, Aalim, Imam etc are very respectable titles.

I reserve those terms for self proclaimed "slims" , you have to call them out