28. THE PURPOSE OF KNOWLEDGE IS NOT MERE UNDERSTANDING OF WORDS
I found most scholars occupied with the image of knowledge {sura al-‘ilm) without understanding its reality (baqiqa) and substance (maqsud).
The reciter of the Noble Qur’an is occupied with the methods of recitation (riwdyat), busying himself with the irregular ones {shawadh), thinking that it’s the recitation {talawa) itself that is desired without considering the Power of the Speaker {‘asqna al-mutakkalim), or the threats and promises that the Qur’an contains. He may think that memorising the Quran protects him, so you find him taking sins lightly. If he understood, he would know that he is more accountable than those who do not recite the Qur’an.
The hadith scholar {muhaditti) collects routes of narrations {jam’ al-turuq) and memorises chains of transmission (asanid) without pondering upon the meaning of the text {manqut). He believes that he preserved hadiths for people and hopes to be saved with that (alone). Perhaps he takes sins lightly, thinking that whatever he did will avail him.
The jurist (faqih ) believes that since he learned the art of intellectual reasoning that strengthens his arguments (Jidal)—and the cases {masa it) in which he knows the verdict—he has achieved what gives people his legal opinion, which will raise his status and remove his sins.
He may aggressively attack sins thinking that this will benefit him. He may not have memorised the Qur’an or learned the hadith and has understood they prohibit sins. In addition to being ignorant of them, he suffers from love of fame (hub al-riyasah) and leadership, love of winning arguments {ithar al-ghalba f i ’l-jadt) causing his heart to be harder {qaswa al-qalb).
Most people are like that since the image of knowledge is their craft, and it makes them arrogant (kibr) and prone to foolishness {hamaqa).
Some narrators tell the story of an old man who spent his life learning many religious sciences, that he was seduced in his later years with a sin upon which he insisted and with which he challenged Allah. His status almost spoke (as if to say), ‘My knowledge protects me from the evil I am doing and leaves no trace of it.’
As if he was certain of his own salvation (najat) and had no trace of fear (kan’f ) or regret {nadni) of sins.
The narrator states: He changed towards the end of his life and was accompanied by poverty (faqr), yet faced hardships without stopping his ugly ways. Until one day a fewKiratr1 were given to him in charity, so he became shy and said, ‘O my Lord! To this extent?’
The narrator continued, ‘I marveled at his unawareness, how he forgot Allah Almighty but still wanted His sustenance, maintenance and abundance of provision (was’at-al-rizq).” As if he never heard Allah’s saying,
“And [Allah revealed] that if they had remained straight on the way, We would have given them abundant provision.” [al-Jinn (72): 16]
Or did not know that sins block the doors of provision (abwab al-rizq), and that whoever neglects the Commands of Allah is neglected by Allah.
I have thus, never seen such useless knowledge, for when the scholar slips he becomes very regretful, but this one is persistent and not disturbed by his sins—as if his knowledge permitted him to do as he pleases or that he had the right to permit and forbid in this religion. He quickly became ill and died in the ugliest state.
The narrator said, ‘I saw yet another old man who attained the image of knowledge, which did not benefit him. He never avoided any sin within his reach. Whenever he was faced with a matter of fate that he did not like, he objected and blamed the One who decreed it. He lived the most unpleasant life and held the ugliest belief, until he passed away.’
These people did not understand the meaning of knowledge. Knowledge (ilm) is not the images of words, but rather to understand the purpose behind them, which instills awe (,khashya ) and fear (k auf) of Allah, gratitude (shukr) for the blessing of knowledge and awareness of the responsibility of such knowledge.
We ask Allah Almighty for an awareness that makes us understand the purpose and have full consciousness of the One being worshipped (ma’bud).
We seek refuge in Allah from the way of the laypeople who ascribe to labels of ‘scholars’, yet not instructed by the knowledge they carry; who know but do not apply their knowledge and are arrogant with people with what they do not do.
They chose the fleeting of worldly pleasures when they were forbidden to do so. They were overpowered by their habits and not disciplined by the knowledge they learn. They are only better than the ignorant laypeople,
“They know what is apparent of the worldly life, but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware.” [al-Rum (30): 7]
(Source: al-Hafiz Abu’l-Faraj ibn al-jawzl [d. 597AH] “CAPTURED THOUGHTS being” a translation of his masterpiece ‘Sayd al-K hatir)
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