BENEFIT 450: University Degrees Are Considered a Form of Tazkiyah

A questioner from outside this country asks: Some students of knowledge, upon returning to their home countries to teach people the matters of their religion and creed, are required to obtain a recommendation (tazkiyah) from a Salafi scholar. His question is: Is such a tazkiyah obligatory in order to teach people, especially given that it may be difficult to obtain... Sheikh Salih Al-Fawzan hafidahullah: If the individual holds a university degree from an Islamic university — such as the Islamic University of Madinah, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud University, Umm Al-Qura University, or another recognised Islamic University — then this degree serves as a tazkiyah in itself. Personal or individual tazkiyah is only necessary for those who do not possess a degree from such universities; in that case, they need a recommendation from well-known scholars.