I was reading the saying of Hujjat al-Islam (Proof of Islam) Abu Hamid al-Ghazali: “We sought knowledge for other than Allah, but it refused to be except for Allah,” yet I couldn't grasp its deeper meanings and subtleties. I thought it was limited to religious knowledge until Allah, by His grace and mercy, opened its meaning to me.

Any knowledge that does not lead to Allah should be put in the dock, so what if it becomes a veil before the Lord of the Worlds?!

Whoever confines reaching Allah to a few prescribed prayers, scattered ayahs, and counted praises has narrowed what is vast. How so when for Allah, there is a sign in everything, and in every science, there is a conquest? It is just that our vision is veiled, and our hearts are blocked from His light, all because of our lack of effort in understanding the purpose of life and the meaning of worship, for which we were created, will be questioned, and outside of which we waste our lives. This happens because we forget the true essence of knowledge, which the angels lay down their wings for its seeker out of pleasure for what he does.

By Allah! Not every knowledge is an act of worship nor a path to paradise, as commonly understood. The worship of knowledge is something entirely different from knowledge as worship. The former is a paradise, while the latter is a desire; the former brings tranquility, peace, and growth, while the latter is an unquenchable thirst. The former thrives in the darkness of night and the shade of seclusion, while the latter flourishes only under the drums of gatherings and the glare of lights. The former is light breathed into, while the latter is mere copied issues. The former is knowledge for action and action upon action, while the latter is a storm in a teacup, noise without substance, and chatter without benefit.

This is because benefit is not inherently tied to knowledge as a category in human understanding. The Prophet (ﷺ) sought refuge from knowledge that does not benefit, and he combined it with a supplication that is not heard, a heart that does not humble, and a soul that does not get satisfied with its desires, as if it is the first degree of those destructions: “O God, I seek refuge in Thee from knowledge which does not profit, from a heart which is not submissive, from an appetite which is insatiable, and from a supplication which is not granted an answer.” And this is true, for knowledge consumes lifetimes in its pursuit, occupies thought in its acquisition, and engages the heart in its contemplation. How then can knowledge that ignites the spark of thought, the flame of insight, and the faculties of understanding be equal to a hollow drum, noisy in its form, weak and sickly in its meaning?!

The truth is that “knowledge is of two types: either a transmitted text or a verified investigation, and anything else is mere chatter,” as Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said. And how abundant is chatter, like the abundance of froth! But has this changed the fact that it is froth that goes to waste? True knowledge blooms in the heart of its bearer as fear and grants its owner a light that marks Him, as evidenced by what Abdullah bin Salam narrated about his intuitive recognition of the truth of the Prophet (ﷺ) from the light of his face. He said: “It was said that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) had arrived, so I went among the people to get a look at him. When I gazed upon the face of the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w), I knew that this face was not the face of a liar.” (Reported by Ibn Majah)

Similarly, true knowledge must lead one to Allah; it should build the self in intellectual development and refine the emotions and conscience, as well as build the earth by benefiting others, spreading seeds of goodness, and warning against the pitfalls of evil. Any knowledge that does not achieve any of these is not a form of worship.

There is a stark difference between knowledge born out of genuine need and legitimate intention, which creates an impact or is a cause for beneficial effects, and cold knowledge or intellectual luxury or cultural glut, or other names for any type of knowledge whose seeker imagines its importance merely to keep up with a prevailing norm or cultural trend. It is narrated from Ibn Mas'ud that he said: “Knowledge is not by the abundance of narration, but rather knowledge is by fearing Allah.” This is supported by Allah's saying: “Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge.” (Lisan al-Arab)

Thus, the true essence of knowledge in the Muslim perception is responsible knowledge, that is, the knowledge for which its possessor will be questioned about what he did with it and benefitted in his actions from what he learned. “The feet of the slave of Allah shall not move [on the Day of Judgement] until he is asked about his youth and what he wore it out in, about his life and what he did with it, about his wealth and how he earned it and where he spent it on, and about his knowledge and what did he do with it.” (Reported by At-Tirmidhi)

Our understanding of knowledge and culture truly contributes to each of these questions: when we are asked about our lives and how we spent them, a large part of that is spent in seeking knowledge and learning; and when we are asked about our wealth and how we spent it, a significant portion is spent on means of acquiring knowledge and learning.

Knowledge consumes lifetimes in its pursuit, occupies the mind in its acquisition, and engages the heart in its contemplation. How then can knowledge that sparks intellectual ignition, kindles insight, and stimulates understanding be compared to a hollow drum, resonant and loud in its exterior, but weak, sickly, and empty in its substance!

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