The Importance of Knowledge

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It is sad that nowadays people reject Deeni Ilm to pursue the Ilm of the Dunya. Parents frown when the child comes home from the madrasah and says they want to becoma a Haafiz of the Qur’an or an Aalim. They would much rather their child follows the traditional route of Medicine or Mechanics etc. There is nothing wrong in gaining worldly knowledge but the knowledge of the Deen is far greater. What will knowledge of medicine or law or engineering do for you in the grave or the Hereafter? Nothing! This knowledge stops the moment the person dies. However, Deeni knowledge benefits the deceased even in the grave and the Hereafter.

If a person has no knowledge of the Deen, how will he distinguish between halal and haram, between the faraaid and the nawaafil, between the haqq and the baatil? Such a person will be easy prey for the Shaitaan who could even lead him astray from the fold of Islam altogether. To consolidate my point, I want to narrate a story that I’m sure everyone has come across…

There were two men who loved each other for the sake of Allah. One was an Aalim and the other an Aabid (pious servant of Allah but not an Aalim). The Shayateen were always attacking them to separate them but never succeeded. Eventually, the Shayateen went and complained to their head crony; Iblees. Iblees informed his henchmen not to worry and that he would take care of the matter himself.

Iblees went to the Aabid disguised as an old man. He approached the Aabid and said, ‘There is something that is troubling me. Can you help me?’ The Aabid asked what the problem was.

Iblees threw his poisonous dart, ‘Can Allah fit the entire Heavens and the Earth into an egg, without decreasing the Heavens and the Earth or increasing the egg?’

Now Iblees got the Aabid thinking…can Allah really fit the entire Heavens and Earth into an egg without decreasing the Heavens and Earth or increasing the egg? At this point Iblees left. He said to his Shayateen, ‘This one I have destroyed because he now has doubts in the Power of Allah.’

Iblees then approached the Aalim. Again, using the same trick disguised as an old man wanting help in answering a question he had. But this time the Aalim replied, ‘Yes. Allah can fit the entire Heavens and the Earth into an egg without drecreasing the Heavens and the Earth or increasing the egg.’ 

Iblees attempted to seed doubts in the mind asking, ‘Can Allah really do this? Are you sure?’ The Aalim then recited the verse from Surah Yaa Seen: “When Allah intends to do anything, He says Be! and it becomes.”

At this point, Iblees fled. He warned his Shayateen,’ Do not approach this man. Instead of you changing him, he will change you!’

Subhanallah. This is the power of Ilm. It is more easy for the Shaitaan to deviate 1,000 servants than it is to deviate one Aalim. May Allah Subhana wa Ta’ala give us all the Tawfeeq to gain knowledge of His Deen so that it lights our path all the way to Jannatul Firdous.

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