Tree of Faith

شجرة الإيمان

'It is only the learned amongst His servants who truly fear Allah.'
[Fatir]

In His Book, Allah sometimes mentions knowledge in a praise-worthy way; referring to beneficial knowledge, and at other times in a blameworthy way, referring to knowledege that is not beneficial.

Both categories, their examples lie in the sayings of Allaah, Exalted is he.

The Qur'aan

Beneficial knowledge;

Other

'Say: are they equal, those who possess knowledge and those who do not?'

Books

[al-Zumar]

'Allah bears witness that none has the right to be worshipped save Him, and so do the angels and those firmly endowed with knowledge, upholding justice.'

Quotes/Ahadeeth

Articles

[Ali Imran]

Arabic

Non-Beneficial Knowledge;

'And they learn that which harms them and profits them not. And surely they know that he who purchases it would have no portion in the Hereafter.'

The Muslim woman and Knowledge

[al-Baqarah]

Tawakkul

And when their messengers brought them clear proofs, they exulted in the knowledege that they already had, but they were soon overtaken by that which they had mocked.'

[Ghafir]

'They know the outer things of the life of this world, but are heedless of the hereafter.'

[al-Rum]

The Sunnah also divides knowledege into that which is beneficial and that which is not, directing us to take refuge from knowledege that is not beneficial and to ask for knowledege that is.

Muslim records on the authorty of Zayd ibn Arqam that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say,

'Allah! I take refuge with You from knowledge that does not benefit; from a heart that has no fear; from a soul that is never content; and from invocation (da'wah) that is not responded to.'

Tirmidihi has also recorded on the authorty of Abu Hurayrah with the wording,

Muslim

'Allah! Benefit me by what You have taught me, teach me what will be of benefit to me, and increase me in knowledege.'

From amongst the matters rejected by the Imams of the Salaf was argumentation and dispution about issues concerning the lawful and prohibited, this was not the way of the Imams of Islam.

There is a hadith recorded in the Sunan concerning this in which the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him, said, 'A nation never went astray after being guided except by means of disputation,'[Tirmidihi] then he recited the verse,

'They only say this to you for argument's sake, they are indeed a disputatious people.' [al-Zukhruf]

Abu Dawood records on the authority of Abu Umamah that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, 'I stand guarantor that a house will be built on the outskirts of Paradise for whoever abondons argumentation, even if he be in the right; a house will be built in the middle of Paradise for the one who abandons lying even if it be in jest; a house will be built in the most lofty part of Paradise for one who makes good his morals and manners.'

Beneficial knowledge effectuates two matters:
1. Knowledge of Allah and what befits Him of Beautiful Names, Lofty Attributes, and Awe-Inspiring Actions. This necessarillleads to venerating Him, glorifying Him, having bfear of Him, being in awe of Him, loving Him, having hope in Him, putting ones reliance in Him, being content with His decree, and bearing His trials with patience.

2. Knowledge of what He loves and is pleased with and that which He detests and angers him of beliefs, actions - the outer and inner, and statements. This leads one to rush towards performing that which Allah loves and is pleased with and avoiding all that He detests and angers Him.

When knowledge sprouts these fruits, it is beneficial knowledege. When knowledge is beneficial and takes root in the heart, the heart fears Allah, submits to Him, and humbles itself in awe, glorification, fear, love, and veneration. When this happensthe soul is content with the humblest of lawful worldly provisions and this in turn leads itr away from the world and all temporal effects. As such their remains no property, status, or surplus effects that is looked at wantonly by the servant which would be a cause for the decrease of his portion with Allah of the blishh of the Hereafter. This was stated by ibn 'Umar and others from amongst the Salaf and has been reported from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

When all of this happens, a special relationship between Allah, Mighty and Magnificent, and the servant is engendered. If he asks, He grants, and if he supplicates, He answers as is mentioned in the hadith qudsi, ' my servant continues to draw closer to Me by performing the optional deeds until I love him. When I love him, I am his hearingf by which he hears, his sight by which he sees, his hand with which he strikes, and his leg with which he walks. Were he to ask of Me, I would grant him, and were he to take refuge with Me, I would grant him refuge,' [Bukhari].

The sign of knowledege that does not benefit is pride, arrogance, and conceit. Such a person seeks high position and ranking in this world and competes for it. He debates with the scholars with the aim of defeating them, and argues wuith the foolish with the aim of redirecting their attention towards him. It is reported from the Propeht, peace and blessings be upon him, that whoever seeks knowledge for this purpose, 'for him is the Fire, the Fire!' [Ibn Majah]

This has been taken from 'The Excellence of Knowledge' by Ibn Rajab Al-Hanbali