Do you as a student of knowledge act in arrogance or act in humility? Does your knowledge cause harm or does it edify?
Its hard to decipher but “knowledge puffs up." This is not a rebuke against a believe who is seemingly falling in love with learning. It is not argued here that since learning bring forth knowledge and knowledge brings forth arrogance, we should not make a learning a habit worthy of our love. Learning is necessary but the sole objective of learning is practice: ibadaah not showoff. Our goal as Muslims is to know Allah so that we can obey Him - not so that we can advertise our impersonal academic expertise on Aqeedah and Tawheed. We know far more about Allah than we can possibly follow, and so our focus must shift from the pride-feeding knowledge to application. My purpose for this article: let's get spiritual (not just academic!).
I don't mean that arrogance is intrinsic to knowledge. This in no way berates the Muslims who love learning and who demonstrate considerable knowledge of Islam. On the contrary, Islam lends itself to the high value of learning and knowledge, and yes to academics. Knowledge is desirous commodity to be sought in conjunction with Taqwa. However, if unabated, knowledge can quickly develop into arrogance and self-aggrandizing oneself.
So a serious and careful student of knowledge will refrain from becoming proud over her learning. Alongside more emaan, she will seek (inspiration for) amal saleh (good deeds), earnestness (sincerity) and humility from her knowledge. What I want to say is that knowledge teaches integrity, it does not buildup selfishness and insensitivity. A student of knowledge should not become so blinded by her learning to assume that she is always correct and she alone possess the right to speak in all gatherings. You will not find them ambitious for the spotlight.
There are three levels of knowledge: First, the student becomes familiar with halal and haram - right from wrong. Second, the student realizes the value of intention, ikhlaas and steadfastness in religion (it is not sufficient to have knowledge but to commit oneself to practicing it purely for the sake of Allah). Third and finally comes humility and adab. Knowledge should help the student adopt a bashful, courteous, docile, gentle and modest character. Out of their high reverence for knowledge, the student of knowledge should be subservient to Allah and soft-spoken with people. Timid and fearful in their ibadaah; and unpretentious, self-effacing and unobtrusive when dealing with others.
I love learning. I am a bit hesitant to publicly profess that in a subculture that has overtly become so insolent and egotistical upon such love in recent years. My love for learning doesn't mean that I want to be a teacher. I am happy being the quiet, shy, ordinary person that I am, with a book in front of me. The rallying cry that I endorse, "Let's get studious," must not preclude ibadaah and humility. If Allah wills, He will give us the permission, place and the acquisition of skill and audience to teach one day. We should not sacrifice the adab of knowledge to become teachers (popular) in haste.
“The only people who used to seek this knowledge were those who combined two characteristics: intelligence and devout worship. If a person was intelligent but not devout, it would be said that only the worshippers can attain this [knowledge], and so he would not try to seek it. And if a person was devout, but not intelligent, it would be said that only the intelligent can attain this [knowledge], and so he would not try to seek it.” Al-Sha’bî continued, “And I fear that today, people who are neither intelligent nor devout try to seek it.” - al-Sha'biA popular maxim for a worship—and an essential canon for excellence for a teacher—is that the student of knowledge should never allow her intelligence and her understanding to transform into arrogance. This oft-repeated truism attempts to protect the callow student of knowledge from thinking that she is a seasoned teacher without first perfecting her ibadaah and before embracing humility. When this habit of worship and humility correlation is not practiced consistently, and the emphasis of the student of knowledge is on teaching then false doctrines begin to emerge in the community.
Its hard to decipher but “knowledge puffs up." This is not a rebuke against a believe who is seemingly falling in love with learning. It is not argued here that since learning bring forth knowledge and knowledge brings forth arrogance, we should not make a learning a habit worthy of our love. Learning is necessary but the sole objective of learning is practice: ibadaah not showoff. Our goal as Muslims is to know Allah so that we can obey Him - not so that we can advertise our impersonal academic expertise on Aqeedah and Tawheed. We know far more about Allah than we can possibly follow, and so our focus must shift from the pride-feeding knowledge to application. My purpose for this article: let's get spiritual (not just academic!).
I don't mean that arrogance is intrinsic to knowledge. This in no way berates the Muslims who love learning and who demonstrate considerable knowledge of Islam. On the contrary, Islam lends itself to the high value of learning and knowledge, and yes to academics. Knowledge is desirous commodity to be sought in conjunction with Taqwa. However, if unabated, knowledge can quickly develop into arrogance and self-aggrandizing oneself.
So a serious and careful student of knowledge will refrain from becoming proud over her learning. Alongside more emaan, she will seek (inspiration for) amal saleh (good deeds), earnestness (sincerity) and humility from her knowledge. What I want to say is that knowledge teaches integrity, it does not buildup selfishness and insensitivity. A student of knowledge should not become so blinded by her learning to assume that she is always correct and she alone possess the right to speak in all gatherings. You will not find them ambitious for the spotlight.
There are three levels of knowledge: First, the student becomes familiar with halal and haram - right from wrong. Second, the student realizes the value of intention, ikhlaas and steadfastness in religion (it is not sufficient to have knowledge but to commit oneself to practicing it purely for the sake of Allah). Third and finally comes humility and adab. Knowledge should help the student adopt a bashful, courteous, docile, gentle and modest character. Out of their high reverence for knowledge, the student of knowledge should be subservient to Allah and soft-spoken with people. Timid and fearful in their ibadaah; and unpretentious, self-effacing and unobtrusive when dealing with others.
I love learning. I am a bit hesitant to publicly profess that in a subculture that has overtly become so insolent and egotistical upon such love in recent years. My love for learning doesn't mean that I want to be a teacher. I am happy being the quiet, shy, ordinary person that I am, with a book in front of me. The rallying cry that I endorse, "Let's get studious," must not preclude ibadaah and humility. If Allah wills, He will give us the permission, place and the acquisition of skill and audience to teach one day. We should not sacrifice the adab of knowledge to become teachers (popular) in haste.
Knowledge is sought after only so that one can use it to fear Allah (and ward off His punishment); It is in this context that knowledge is deemed a superior thing; otherwise, it is like all other things —Sufyān al-Thawrī
ReplyDelete