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Is it permissible for a scholar to describe himself as a "Rabbani" scholar?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

A Rabbani scholar is one who acts [upon his knowledge], teaches [it to others]. A Muslim should not sanctify himself or describe himself with this title, because self-sanctification is forbidden by Sharia and naturally blameworthy, as Allah Almighty said: "So do not sanctify yourselves; He is most knowing of who is righteous." The pious predecessors avoided sanctifying themselves and disliked mentioning their virtues. The prohibition of self-sanctification applies when it is intended for boasting and arrogance. However, if it is for a legitimate Sharia purpose, there is no objection to it.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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