I don't think that the public should be blamed if they copy the Ulema, e.g.

Answer

The public is not as dumb as you portray. They will go to Jahannum with the ulama-e-soo' they had copied and followed, and in Jahannum according to the Qur'aan Majeed, they will blame one another for their predicament. Allah Ta'ala holds the public responsible for their perpetration of haraam, fisq and fujoor. The argument which you have presented will hold no water and will not mitigate the public's plight in Qiyaamah. Categorically rejecting your argument, the Qur'aan Majeed states: "They (the public of Bani Israaeel) take their Ulama and their Mashaaikh as gods besides Allah…" This aayat is a severe rebuke and a warning for the public to beware of following the ulama-e-soo'. Allah Ta'ala has endowed every Mu'min sufficient intelligence to be able to distinguish between truth and falsehood, vice and virtue. Haraam and doubtful issues are not intricate, academic masaa-il which require only expert brains for comprehension. These are not juridical issues which need intellectual expertise for understanding. Reflect on the Qur'aanic aayat. Why did Allah Ta'ala castigate the Bani Israaeel public for following the baatil of their ulama-e-soo'? The public is extremely shrewd, like foxes. They are adept in the art of constructing smokescreens for their nafsaani indulgence. While they do not follow even the ulama-e-soo', they will quickly cite these ulama to justify their indulgence in haraam and perpetration of fisq and fujoor.