The Essence of Knowledge and Responsibility
The Islamic religion is a divine building founded on solid foundations. However, due to negligence and laziness, humans can destroy this sacred building with their own hands. Abdülkadir Geylânî (q.s.) warns believers that the religion will perish through four insidious diseases: “Your religion disappears with four things: When you do not adhere to what you say… When you interfere in matters you do not know… When you do not seek to learn what you do not know, and thus remain ignorant… When you prevent people from learning what they do not know.” The first and greatest danger that corrodes religion internally is when a person preaches the truth to others while failing to implement it in their own life. The warning, “Do not be like those who preach to the people but burn themselves,” clearly shows that knowledge that remains on the tongue and does not enter the heart brings nothing but sin.
The Darkness of Ignorance and Transgression
The second and third dangers that destroy religion are two different faces of ignorance: rashly acting in matters one is ignorant of, and avoiding learning what one does not know. A true believer should break their arrogance by adhering to the rule, “Remaining silent about what you do not know is knowledge.” Those who remain ignorant and also prevent others from learning are the greatest oppressors who destroy the principles that keep society standing. Just as unproductive knowledge has no benefit, baseless claims cannot be proven either.