Indeed, this is an accurate statement. Muslims carry forward the responsibility of conveying the message of Islam, explaining its teachings, and inviting others to it — a duty that the Prophet (peace be upon him) originally established.
Among all Muslims, scholars hold the most rightful claim to this description. The great scholar ash-Shatibi (may Allah have mercy on him) stated that the mufti occupies the Prophet's position within the Muslim community.
Supporting Evidence
First: The prophetic traditions establish that scholars inherit from the prophets. What the prophets bequeathed was not material wealth but knowledge itself. In an authentic narration, the Prophet (peace be upon him) described a dream in which he was given milk to drink, and he interpreted this as representing knowledge.
Second: Scholars serve as the Prophet's successors in delivering Islamic rulings. He (peace be upon him) instructed: "Let those present inform those who are absent," and also said: "Pass on from me, even a single verse."
Third: The mufti functions as a legislator in a certain sense, since his work involves either directly transmitting the Prophet's rulings or deriving new rulings from prophetic texts through careful analysis and reasoning.
To summarize: the scholar communicates Allah's rulings to the people just as the Prophet (peace be upon him) did. This is why scholars are referred to as "those in authority" in the Quran, where obedience to them is mentioned alongside obedience to Allah and His Messenger: "Obey Allah, obey the Messenger, and those in authority among you" [an-Nisa' 4:59].