عن ابن مسعود قال: لا يزال الناس صالحين متماسكين ما أتاهم العلم من أصحاب محمد صلى الله عليه وسلم ومن أكابرهم فإذا أتاهم من أصاغرهم هلكوا (مجمع الزوائد، الرقم: 569)

Hazrat ‘Abdullah bin Mas’ood (radhiyallahu ‘anhu) mentioned, “People will remain upon righteousness, and will continue to be steadfast (on the straight path), so long as their knowledge of deen is acquired from the Sahaabah (radhiyallahu ‘anhum) and from their learned, pious Ulama (i.e. those who are rightly guided and possess sound understanding of deen). When their knowledge of deen is acquired from people who are not knowledgeable, then they will be destroyed.”