Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim
1. Introduction
Let us take a moment to seek refuge under the shade of Allah’s mercy, and cleanse our hearts of the dust of this worldly life. Scientifically and spiritually, knowledge in Islam is described as _nūr_—a sacred light that Allah casts into the depths of His servant’s heart. But just as light can dim or even go out because of pollution, the light of knowledge can also be corrupted and lose its blessing due to diseases of the heart. The main diseases that most quickly destroy knowledge are arrogance, a love of argumentation, and misusing knowledge for worldly gain.
Allah Subḥānahu wa Ta‘ālā reminds us in the Qur’an not to become arrogant because of knowledge:
وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا ۖ إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ الْأَرْضَ وَلَن تَبْلُغَ الْجِبَالَ طُولًا
“And do not walk upon the earth exultantly. Indeed, you will never tear the earth apart, nor will you ever reach the mountains in height.” (QS. Al-Isrā’: 37) When knowledge is misused for arrogance, futile debate, or chasing popularity, it turns into a boomerang that harms its own owner.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave a very stern warning:
لَا تَعَلَّمُوا الْعِلْمَ لِتُبَاهُوا بِهِ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَلَا لِتُمَارُوا بِهِ السُّفَهَاءَ وَلَا تَخَيَّرُوا بِهِ الْمَجَالِسَ فَمَنْ فَعَلَ ذَلِكَ فَالنَّارُ النَّارُ
“Do not seek knowledge to boast before the scholars, nor to argue with the foolish, nor to choose gatherings for show. Whoever does that—Hell, Hell is for him.” (HR. Al-Ḥākim and Ibn Ḥibbān)
2. Lessons and Message
Friends, let us reflect on a logical analogy. A person with vast knowledge who is arrogant, loves to quarrel, and misuses their knowledge is like someone lighting a large torch inside a fireworks warehouse. The torch itself is a bright light. But because it is placed in the wrong place and wielded arrogantly, its sparks ignite the fireworks around it, triggering a massive explosion that destroys the warehouse and burns the person themselves. Knowledge corrupted by diseases of the heart does not light the way; instead, it becomes fuel that burns up all our good deeds. Ironically, in today’s social media age, this disease that destroys knowledge is all too common. There are people who, after learning one or two evidences from a short video, suddenly feel their level of knowledge is on par with a grand muftī. The moment they see the slightest difference of opinion in the comments section, their fingers get “itchy” to jump into a fight. They declare everyone else wrong, argue until dawn, as if Paradise belongs to them alone and they hold the keys. This is what we call “having only a cupful of knowledge, but acting like they own the ocean.” Instead of bringing peace, they stir up chaos. True knowledge makes a person more humble, not busier pointing fingers at others.
Let us bring our hearts to reflect on a past story full of lessons and deeply sorrowful. In the pages of history, there is the story of a very knowledgeable man named Bal‘ām bin Bā‘ūrā. He was an outstanding scholar of his time, with profound knowledge—he even knew Ismullāh al-A‘ẓam, the Greatest Name of Allah, by which a supplication is certainly answered. Yet his intelligence and status made a tyrannical ruler come to him, tempting him with wealth, power, and worldly luxury. Overcome by desire and arrogance, Bal‘ām misused his knowledge. He used the miraculous power of his supplication to pray for harm against the people of a righteous prophet, in order to defend the ruler who had enriched him. Allah then stripped away all the light of faith and knowledge from his heart. In an instant, the scholar who was once respected fell to the lowest degree. The Qur’an even likens him to a dog panting with its tongue lolling out from unquenchable thirst. He died in loss, losing both this world and the Hereafter, all because he misused knowledge for a fleeting cup of worldly pleasure. What a tragic ending for a possessor of knowledge.
3. Conclusion & Closing
Brothers and sisters, the highest moral lesson for us today is this: The nobility of knowledge is not measured by how eloquently we argue or how high our status is in the eyes of people, but by how fearful and submissive our hearts are before Allah. Knowledge is a test. The more we know, the more it should make us fear arrogance, avoid futile disputes, and be careful not to sell Allah’s verses for personal or group gain. Let us adorn our knowledge with noble character and _tawāḍu‘_—humility. May Allah Subḥānahu wa Ta‘ālā always guard our hearts from the diseases that corrupt the purity of knowledge, and grant us blessed knowledge that guides us toward His pleasure
والله أعلم بالصواب
الحمد لله رب العالمين
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmaullahi Wabarakatuh.
ِAbu Sultan Al-Qadrie
