When Muslims abandoned modernization in the 16th century and focused solely on religious knowledge, it cost the Muslim community dearly
By
Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam
25
November,2023
Knowledge
is Useless if it is not applied and does not benefit humans
Important
Points
·
The Quran and Hadith have always encouraged Muslims to pursue knowledge.
·
However, when Muslims abandoned modernization and focused solely on religious
knowledge, it cost the Muslim community dearly.
·
Muslim scholars differentiate between useful and useless knowledge in religious
gatherings.
·
According to a Prophet's hadith, knowledge that doesn't lead a servant to their
true God or provide truth gnosis is considered useless knowledge.
..
A
hadith in Sahih Muslim is mentioned, “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from
knowledge which does not benefit, from a heart that does not entertain the fear
(of Allah), from a soul that is not satisfied and the supplication that is not
answered”
This
hadith starts with the prayer for attaining refuge from knowledge that does not
benefit because that is the key to everything else. What is knowledge that does
not benefit? Here is the most important word that should follow knowledge:
action.
The
Muslims are lagging behind in knowledge. An important question to ask is: Which
knowledge domains provide no advantages? The obvious and rational
interpretation of the hadith is that Muslims should not look for knowledge that
will not benefit them in this life or the next. The knowledge that benefits
both domains includes both religious facts and modern knowledge. Thus, the
first prerequisite for Muslims is to become knowledgeable about both religious
and contemporary forms; they must then make use of this knowledge.
Putting
what has been taught morally into practise is another way to make use of the
knowledge. The hadith may also suggest that those who have acquired religious
knowledge—for example, the distinction between what is allowed and what is
forbidden—but who do not use this knowledge in their daily lives are the ones
whose knowledge is useless.
The
knowledge that proved to be beneficial was the one that the holy prophet (peace
be upon him) implanted in the minds of his companions, where it functioned as
direction until they put it into practise in its entirety.
Despite
the fact that we live in a culture that values accessibility and continuous
learning, we frequently find it difficult to put the wealth of knowledge we are
exposed to into practise.
In
order to further our studies, we often pray, "O Allah, increase me in
knowledge" [Qur'an, 20:114]. However, we should also start considering
increasing our practise because knowledge and application go hand in hand.
Are we
unaware that our parents deserve the best treatment possible? Clearly stated in
the Quran:
“And
your Lord has decreed that you not worship except Him, and to parents, good
treatment. Whether one or both of them reach old age [while] with you, say not
to them [so much as], "uff," and do not repel them but speak to them
a noble word.” (17:23)
However,
some people do not respect their parents the way they should; instead, they
neglect to give them the attention they need and occasionally use harsh
language. They do not always abide by the words of the aforementioned
scripture, even if they are aware of them. It follows that their knowledge is
not beneficial when they know that their parents should be respected yet choose
not to do so.
The
Quran asks the believers to “seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed,
Allah is with the patient” (2:153), guiding them that “patience is most fitting
(12:18). Many believers are aware of the virtue of patience mentioned in the
Quran, yet when we observe the circumstances facing Muslims, we discover that
they lack patience, are easily irritated, and do not frequently offer prayers.
This indicates that although they are knowledgeable, their knowledge is not
useful.
The
hadith reports that the Prophet sought refuge from unbeneficial knowledge and
from a heart that is fearless of Allah. If the heart were not fearful of Allah,
it would be remorseless and neither advice nor admonition would have any
positive effect on it. It would also not be afraid of what should be feared or
desirous of what is desirable.
The
Prophet (peace be upon him) also sought solace from an unsatisfied soul, which
eagerly pursues worldly pleasures and daringly seeks unlawful wealth, never
contented with what is sufficient for it. Therefore, it will continue to be
subject to the hardships of this world as well as the punishment of the Akhirah
(henceforth).
During
religious gatherings, the Muslim clerics are heard stating that there are two
kinds of knowledge: useless knowledge and useful knowledge. Beneficial
knowledge is defined as knowledge that does more than simply hold a store of
information; rather, it is knowledge that causes the heart to be illuminated
with divine light. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
said:
The
Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, "He who does not acquire
knowledge with the sole intention of seeking the Pleasure of Allah but for
worldly gain, will not smell the fragrance of Jannah on the Day of
Resurrection." [Abu Dawud/Sunan Abu Dawud 3661)
They
contend that Knowledge that does not guide a servant to their true God and does
not provide humans with the gnosis of Truth, or the gnosis of God, is
considered useless knowledge. Any knowledge is worthless if it does not aid
someone spiritually. Regarding this, they cite a hadith that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) frequently recited in order to make this
request:
"O
Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge that is not beneficial."
(Ibn
Majah, Al-Sunan, 250)
Religious
knowledge provides insight into beliefs and practices. Stated differently, this
knowledge imparts information about both the rights of God and the rights of
humans. Worshipping God is one way to satisfy the Rights of God Almighty.
Regarding human rights, in order to fulfil certain of them, one must be
knowledgeable about modern and technical knowledge.
Modern
knowledge, which includes physics, arithmetic, geography, history, and
technological skills is also useful.
These are necessary in this day and age to manage family finances and
obtain employment. Additionally, having modern and technological knowledge is
advantageous since it enables one to fulfil the divine mandate that men support
their families by working, something that can only be accomplished with the use
of modern and technical understanding. In addition, in order to explore the
truths contained in the Quran and Hadith, as well as the mysteries of the
planets, one must study modern knowledge such as science in order to gain an
understanding of the Creator.
The
Quran and Hadith have motivated Muslims to seek knowledge throughout Islamic
history. Islam teaches that life is a "learning journey from cradle to
grave." Following these precepts brought Muslims wealth for almost a
millennium. Muslims reached the height of civilization in part because of their
unquenchable curiosity about worldly knowledge.
When they abandoned modernization and assumed that their main
responsibility was to acquire religious knowledge, their decline started.
Humanity has suffered much as a result of the disconnection between knowledge
(science) and religion, which has severely damaged Islamic society.
The
hadith says that the Prophet used to “seek refuge in Allah from knowledge which
does not benefit, from a heart that does not entertain the fear (of Allah),
from a soul that is not satisfied and the supplication that is not answered”.
It refers to that knowledge which does not benefit. When is the knowledge
worthless? It is worthless if it is obtained with no intention of helping
oneself or others. Another pertinent hadith that supports this interpretation
is as follows:
“Knowledge
from which no benefit is derived is like a treasure out of which nothing is
spent in the cause of God.” (Tirmidhi)
Muslims
nowadays face several issues, and the only way they may find solutions is by
obtaining information that will benefit them both in this life and the next,
known as the Aakhirat. And people who possess knowledge ought to make use of it
and share it with others in order to benefit both others and themselves.
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Kaniz
Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam.
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