By Sh Abdul-Bari ibn Awwadh al-Thubaiti – 13 Thul Qa’dah 1436

His Eminence Sheikh Abdul-Bari ibn Awwadh al-Thubaiti, may Allah preserve him, delivered the Friday Khutbah entitled, “The Positive Effect of Knowledge”, in which he talked about knowledge and its positive effect on the Muslims who acquire it, drawing attention to its virtues and importance in the life of individuals and nations. He explained that the Muslim Ummah’s progress and success in this life and in the hereafter hinge on acquiring knowledge and acting on its dictates. He further noted that true knowledge does not lie in holding degrees or bragging about them, butit has a number of signs and manifestations, some of which he mentioned in his Khutbah.

Praise be to Allah. Praise be to Allah, Who has raised the status of knowledge and of learned people. I praise Him, Glorified be He, and I thank Him in prosperity and adversity. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, Who has no partners. He says:

“…It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah…”(Fatir: 28)

I also bear witness that our master and prophet, Muhammad, is His servant and messenger, who said, “If anyone follows a path in quest of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise.”

May Allah bestow His peace and blessings upon him and upon his family and his faithful Companions.

Now then,

I advise you and advise myself to fear Allah. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“… So be afraid of Allah; and Allah teaches you. And Allah is All-Knower of each and everything.”(Al-Baqarah: 282)

Knowledge is light that illuminates the path and guides those treading it. It is the very foundation of progress and development and the means to inspire the Muslim World to build a bright civilisation, a strong economy, and well-balanced individuals.The virtue and importance of knowledge have been elaborated in scholars’ books, but we may shed some light in our talk today on one aspect that may be neglected by some of us, namely, the real value of knowledge – its positive effects and benefits.

The efforts exerted, the money spent, the buildings constructed, and the diligent work done to promote learning all join together to realise the desired effect and the ultimate goal of spreading knowledge.In order to know the effectiveness of curricula and teaching methods, we ought to measure the effect of knowledge on people and their life and on development in general.This will make facts clear and will reveal all the strengths and weaknesses. The progress of nations is not measured by the amount of information stuffed into the heads of students, nor by the materials they memorize and recite. Rather, it is measured by the positive effect of knowledge on one’s conduct, innermost feelings, life, and development. Indeed, our Ummah is in great need today of increasing the benefit of knowledge in all fields of life.

What has actually weakened the positive effect of knowledge and caused it to lose part of its value is that some of those who affiliate themselves with it acquire it just for show-off. For them, knowledge is an ornament with which they adorn themselves, a certificate which they boast of, a means to achieve high standing and wealth and satisfy such hidden desires as ostentation and superiority over peers, or a vehicle for winning people’s praise.Jabir ibn Abdullah, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Do not seek knowledge in order to show off before scholars or to argue with fools, and do not choose the best seat in a gathering due to the knowledge you have learnt, for whoever does that will be in Hell.”Al-Hassan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “When a man sought knowledge, it would not be long before it could be seen in his humility, his sight, his words and deeds, his prayer, his speech, and his disinterest in worldly allurements.”

The positive effect of knowledge is only realised by acting according to the knowledge one has learnt. ‘Ata’ said:

A young boy used to frequently visit ‘Aishah, the Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, and he would ask her questions and she would answer them for him and teach him. One day he came to ask her to gain more knowledge, so she said to him, ‘O son!Have you acted on what you have heard from me yet?’ He replied, “No, by Allah, O Mother!” She said, “O son!Why do you then take more of what may be established as evidence against you and us? When you acquire some knowledge, act on it first and then come again to get more.”

The first part of knowledge that will die out is its blessing and positive effect. ‘Awfibn Malik al-Ashja‘i, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, once looked at the sky and said, “It is about time knowledge dies out.” A man from the al-Ansar(people from al-Madinah who helped the Muslim immigrants from Makkah) called ZiyadibnLabid said, “O Messenger of Allah!How is it that knowledge will die out now that it has become firm and the hearts have preserved it?” The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “I thought that you were the most learned man in al-Madinah!” He then went on to mention the misguidance of the Jews and Christians, even though they had Scripture from Allah. The narrator of the hadith said, “I then met ShaddadibnAws and narrated ‘Awf’shadith to him,so he said, ‘‘Awf has spoken the truth. Should I not tell you the first part of knowledge to die out?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Humility of the heart. There will come a time when you will not see a single person having it.’”Humility, which is among the positive effects of knowledge, will be removed from people’s hearts so that some will recite the testimony of faith, La ilahaillallah (There is no god but Allah), without understanding its meaning, let alone acting on its dictates!

The effect of knowledge on people varies from one person to another. Abu Musa Al-Ash‘ari, may Allah be pleased with him, narrated that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

“The guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me are like abundant rain which fell on a land. There was a fertile part of the land which absorbed the water and brought forth profuse herbage and pasture. There were also solid ground patches which retained the rain water, with which Allah benefited people, so they drank, irrigated their crops, and grew their plantation from this water. A third part of the land was a sandy plane, which could neither retain the water nor produce herbage. Such is the example of the person who has acquired a sound understanding of the religion of Allah and benefited by the message with which Allah sent me; he has learnt and has taught others as well. Such is also the example of the person who has stubbornly and ignorantly rejected Allah’s guidance with which I was sent.”}

It is faith that regulates knowledge and directs people to the right course of action. It is only then that the positive effect of knowledgemay be realized. If knowledge is not combined with faith, its good will turn into evil, its benefits will turn into harm, and its bad consequences will affect both the individual and the Ummah as a whole. As for those who behave arrogantly in the land, show ingratitude to Allah for the blessings He has bestowed upon them, deny their Creator, and end up as disbelievers and atheists, faith has not purified their knowledge or their hearts. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“Then when their Messengers came to them with clear proofs, they were glad (and proud) with that which they had of the knowledge (of worldly things). And that at which they used to mock, surrounded them (i.e. the punishment).”(Ghafir: 83)

The Noble Qur’an also tells us what Qarun said about his great wealth:

“… “This has been given to me only because of knowledge I possess.” …”(Al-Qasas: 78)

Knowledge will only bear fruit and yield its positive results when it is grounded on its noble origin, the Qur’an and the Sunnah, in culture, thought, and literature.The Muslim Ummah can in no way prove its existence and assume a leading position if it loses and neglects thispure origin or overlooks its language and history.The Qur’an has a positive effect whose extent is infinite and whose blessings never come to an end.It is full of wisdom and invaluable rulings. It promotes growth and development. It raises both the individual and the community to the highest positions in this life and in the hereafter. Whoever comes closer to it will rise to higher ranks, and whoever abandons it will be doomed to misery and will go astray. It builds an upright personality, promotes the Ummah’s esteem, and guides it to the way of civilization and sovereignty.A Muslim nation that is truly aware of the importance and great effect of its divine book, the Qur’an, dedicates the best part of its curricula to its teachings and devotes itself eagerly to reading it, pondering its verses, and understanding its meanings.

Knowledge exercises a profound impact on ethics and good manners, which are the criteria by which to judge the Ummah’s advancement. Knowledge that is not coupled with good upbringing cannot possibly raise a successful generation. When knowledge refines character, enhances manners, purifies the heart, and improves conduct, this indeed will be the desired knowledge that has positive effects.Sufyanibn ‘Uyainah, may Allah have mercy on his soul, said, “If my day were like that of a foolish person and my night were that of an ignorant person, what benefit would I derive from the books of knowledge that I have written?”

What value is knowledge if people’s hearts are full of envy and hatred and if their gatherings are dominated by backbiting, slander and derogating others?What value is knowledge if those who acquire it fight against their Lord by opposing His laws, betray their religion, their country, and the entire Muslim Ummah, break their promises in transactions and general dealings, tarnish the splendour of knowledge with their bad manners, and extinguish its light with their ill deeds?

The positive effect of knowledge can be seen in research that achieves benefit and produces fruitful results, in which the researcher’s ultimate aim is not simply to obtain a degree or get a certificate in return for the pages he has written.Fruitful research is that which provides an invention that serves humanity or a discovery that makes our life easier.It is research that investigates the Muslim Ummah’s crises, shows the rulings of Islam regarding them, and offers solutions to them.It is research that diagnoses the reality of the Muslim Ummah’s life and the dangers surrounding it, sets out plans for its future, and identifies the factors that lead to its glory and empowerment.

The positive effect of knowledge is felt when integrity is established and all the means to corruption and mischief-making are blocked. It is also manifested in mind development, good thinking, sound reasoning, and cogent argumentation.To this end, the Qur’an teaches its followers to meditate the signs of Allah and contemplate the wonders of His power in the large universe and in every aspect of life. Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“We will show them Our signs in the universe, and in their own selves, until it becomes manifest to them that this (the Qur’an) is the truth …”(Fussilat: 53)

Many verses of the Qur’an conclude with words such as the following:

“… Have you then no sense?”(Al-Baqarah: 44)
“… Will you not then take thought?”(Al-An‘am: 50)
“… Will you not then remember?”(Al-An‘am: 80)
“… Verily, in this is a Reminder for men of understanding.”
(Az-Zumar: 21)

All such verses urge us to promote our reflection, develop our minds, and engage in different ways of organized thinking.Allah, Exalted be He, says:

“…The Work of Allah, Who perfected all things, verily He is Well-Acquainted with what you do.”(An-Naml: 88).

May Allah make you and me benefit from the guidance of His Book. I have said this and I ask forgiveness of Allah, the Most Great, for myself, for you, and for all Muslims, for any sin that we have committed. Ask Allah for forgiveness; He is the Oft- Forgiving, the Most Merciful.