The Origin of Knowledge
Man is the vicegerent of Allah. Man is, by himself, not the origin or fountainhead of
knowledge. He is simply the deputy or agent to actualize the Will of Allah on
this earth. The most tragic and dangerous turn in the history of knowledge, or
rather that of humanity, occurred when man forgot this basic fact that he is
only an agent or representative of Allah, the Lord of the Worlds. He has been
given the charge of the world but not its ownership. He has not the right to
use the resources found over and within this earth according to his wish or
caprice or for the promotion of his limited national, ethnic, tribal or racial
benefit, nor for achieving political and personal domination over others. It
was the most dangerous moment in human history when humanity began to pursue
knowledge along this disastrous course. Only a realization that man is not the
Lord or Master of the world but simply a vicegerent and deputy can keep him on
the right path. Awareness of this basic fact alone can help him to act as a
functionary, lieutenant, or second-in-command instead of an independent owner
or master of the world.
Severance of Knowledge from Its Divine Source
It was really a great calamity when knowledge became severed
from its relationship with its Bestower. What an appalling spectacle this world
presents today! Man has taken over knowledge, but the Giver of knowledge has
slipped away from his mind! With due apologies to our statesmen, politicians,
and intellectuals of the Western world of Europe and America, and those who
take pride in its glittering civilization, I would remind them that it was a
fatal mistake that man came to consider himself independent and complete owner
of this earth.
Drifting from Purpose
Since man has forgotten his origin, his end and goal in life
have also been blurred. I declare with all the sense of responsibility and all
the emphasis at my command that man will not be able to set right the affairs
of this world unless he recognizes that he is simply a creature sent by Someone
and unto Him he shall return. He needs to acknowledge that he stands at the one
end of the knowledge he possesses today, while Allah, the Bestower of
knowledge, his Creator and Master, is at the other end. If this relationship is
broken, man will lose sight of the end and purpose of his creation. This will
make our world a battleground of suffering humanity, where countless varieties
of servitude, injustice, and debasement of mankind will come into existence.
Read Also:
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6 Reasons Why Seeking Knowledge is Obligatory in Islam
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Source: ISLAM AND KNOWLEDGE by Abul Hasan An-Nadwi
