“Aims and purposes of knowledge” By Sheikh Mohamed Ismail (Naleemi)

Knowledge is that through which the knower knows. Islam placed a high value on knowledge. Muslims who are the followers of Islam aim to live a life of complete submission to Allah with firm knowledge.

So, I would like to discuss in today’s my khutba the following areas of knowledge Insha Allah.

1.    Why knowledge important?

2.    Impact of worship without knowledge? In Duniya? In Akhira?

3.    Sincerity and What are the elements of sincerity?
4.    Why all of these important in the context of today?

1.    Why knowledge important?

The subject of knowledge very wide, but focus on some key elements:

·      Prophet Muhammad (saws) said: "Seeking Knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim." (Related by Ibn 'Adiyy, Al-Bayhaqi & Al-Tabarani)

1.     

·      There is no comparison between the one with knowledge and the one without… Allah (swt) says:

قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُوا الْأَلْبَاب (Al-Zumar 39:9)

 Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding.

Muhammad (saw) said: "The scholars are heirs of the Prophets. The Prophets do not leave behind an inheritance of gold and silver; they leave behind the inheritance of knowledge. Whoever acquired knowledge, acquired a lot of wealth." (Abu Dawud, Bukhari)

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ الْجِنَّ وَالْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ (Ad-Dhariyat 51:56)

a.    How complete tasks, perform actions without knowledge

b.    How to know whether something has done something the right way

c.    How worship Allah?

d.    Therefore, knowledge not for the sake of knowledge:

2.    Impact /Consequences of worship without knowledge?

In Duniya? In Akhira?

By life:

a)   No certainty about the correctness of our beliefs and actions. The potential to commit a grave error

b)   Allah (SWT) condemned past generations who either ignored worship or worshipped through ignorance without knowledge i.e. through than assumption: (Surah Yunus:36)

وَمَا يَتَّبِعُ أَكْثَرُهُمْ إِلاَّ ظَنًّا إَنَّ الظَّنَّ لاَ يُغْنِي مِنَ الْحَقِّ شَيْئًا إِنَّ اللّهَ عَلَيمٌ بِمَا يَفْعَلُونَ

And most of them follow not except assumption. Indeed, assumption avails not against the truth at all. Indeed, Allah is Knowing of what they do.

c)    What example we give to our future generation?

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا قُوا أَنفُسَكُمْ وَأَهْلِيكُمْ نَارًا وَقُودُهَا النَّاسُ (Tahrim 66:6)

d)   How tackle problems that the Muslim face?

كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللّهِ (Aal-Imran 3:110)

e)   The intimidating climate that we live in today.

Our knowledge will be governed, organized and influenced by who/others?

By Akhira:

a)   How meet Allah (swt)

فَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ خَيْرًا يَرَهُ 7 وَمَن يَعْمَلْ مِثْقَالَ ذَرَّةٍ شَرًّا يَرَهُ (Al-Zalzalah 99:7/8)

3.    Sincerity …. What are the three elements of sincerity

a) For implementing the knowledge

b) Worship and motivation for Pleasure of Allah (SWT) – i.e. not for other people or for show

c) For passing on the knowledge and not to hide or deny it.

Why knowledge not enough; what else required? sincerity

a) Otherwise Shaiytan; otherwise like a number of scholars…

4.    Why all of this important in context of today?

·      Concerted or intensive a campaign against Islam – no middle ground – even try to hide by nick-name – obvious

·      War on Terror, growing Islam phobia attacks by media, politician and people, Cartoon against our beloved prophet by the name of freedom, anti-Hijab or banning Niqab and Hijab, Citizenship test,

·      People defining Islam – Extremist and modernists…what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.

5.    Why west afraid of this?

·      Their fear is not the prayer or the fasting – is that Muslims connect correctly to Iman and upon its thoughts – fear the strength of ideas that emerging amongst the Muslims and its connection to Iman and change.

·      This is where the struggle is today….battle of ideas – what defines you is the way of life which Muhammad (saw) came with.

Which complete way of life. 

This is why success and failure of Muslims connected to this subject of

Knowledge