Manhaj Benefits: Does a Scholar Lose His Past Rewards After Deviating from the Sunnah?

Questions: A scholar followed the Sunnah for a long time—spreading it, defending it, and teaching it to people—but later his heart changed, and he turned away from it and began criticising the Sunnah and its followers. The question is: will the good he previously did still count for him, and will he receive rewards similar to those who continue to act upon what he taught, based on the hadith that whoever calls to guidance receives a reward like those who follow it, without reducing their reward? Sheikh Abdurrahman Ash-Shimeeri: If he was sincere in his earlier work for the sake of Allah, and his later deviation did not take him out of Islam but only away from the Sunnah—meaning he is still a Muslim—then we hope that Allah will still reward him for his earlier deeds because of his good intention. However, if he completely rejects what he previously taught and no longer believes it to be guidance or good, but instead considers it misguidance and evil, then he would not receive that reward. But if he does not reject it and still believes it was correct and good, then we hope Allah will record his reward and not let it be lost, as Allah says: “Indeed, We do not allow the reward of those who do good to be wasted.” https://t.me/almanhajussalafi/2256