ʿIlm[1] is the foundation, the leader, and the corrector of actions. Just as knowledge without action is of no benefit, so too is action without knowledge of no benefit.
In a poem:
“There are many scholars who do not act upon their knowledge, who will be punished before idolaters,
The actions of those who act without knowledge are rejected and not accepted.”
Knowledge and action are twins; they are inseparable. No matter at which stage of the spiritual journey (sulūk) a seeker (sālik) finds himself, he is still in need of knowledge in order to know Allah, to attain His pleasure on the path of iman (faith).
At the beginning of the journey of sulūk, it is certainly necessary to know the science of creed (ʿaqāʾid), to perform acts of worship correctly, and to ensure the soundness of transactions. During the journey, in the states of the qalb (the heart), in good akhlaq (character), and in the purification of the nafs (the lower self), knowledge is needed... For this reason, acquiring the necessary knowledge and giving it due importance is one of the fundamental principles in the practical program of Sufism (taṣawwuf). Thus, Sufism is nothing other than the complete practical application of Islam in both its outward and inward aspects.
To indicate the virtue and importance of knowledge, we will mention a few references from the Qur'an and the hadith that point to the rank, dignity, and greatness of knowledge.
A. The Virtue of Knowledge in the Noble Qur'an
Allah the Exalted says in Sūrat Fāṭir 35:28:
“Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Forgiving.”
In Sūrat az-Zumar 39:9:
...“Are those who know equal to those who do not know? Only those who possess intellect will take heed.”
And in Sūrat al-Mujādila 58:11:
“Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees. And Allah is acquainted with what you do.”
B. The Virtue of Knowledge in the Noble Sunnah
Abū Dardāʾ (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) said: I heard the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Whoever sets out on a path to seek knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. The angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he does. Indeed, everything in the heavens and the earth, even the fish in the water, seek forgiveness for the scholar. The superiority of the scholar over the devout worshipper is like the superiority of the moon over all the stars. Indeed, the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets. The Prophets did not leave behind gold or silver as inheritance, but they left behind knowledge. Whoever takes it has taken a great share.”[2]
From Abū Dharr (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu), the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “O Abū Dharr! For you to learn a single verse (āya) from the Book of Allah in the morning is better for you than performing one hundred cycles of prayer, and for you to learn a single chapter of knowledge, whether you act upon it or not, is better for you than performing one thousand cycles of prayer.”[3]
ʿUthmān (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) reports that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “On the Day of Resurrection, three classes of people will intercede: the Prophets, then the scholars, then the martyrs.”[4]
Ibn Masʿūd (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) relates that the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “If Allah intends good for a servant, He grants him understanding (fiqh) in the religion and inspires his qalb (the heart) with the right path.”[5]
Abū Bakra (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) said: I heard the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) say: “Be a teacher, or a student, or a listener, or one who loves them! Do not be the fifth, lest you perish!” ʿAṭāʾ (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) said, “Ibn Masʿūd told me: You have added a fifth not among us.” The fifth is: “One who hates knowledge and its people.”[6]
C. The Ruling on Acquiring Knowledge
Knowledge, in terms of its legal (sharʿī) ruling, is divided into three categories: Obligatory Knowledge, Prohibited Knowledge, and Recommended Knowledge.
a. Obligatory Knowledge
The first is farḍ ʿayn: It is not lifted from the individual until he himself fulfills (the commands of Allah).
Before enumerating the sciences that are farḍ ʿayn for the responsible person (mukallaf), it is necessary to establish some principles related to this matter. The maxim “Only an obligation completes an obligation” is relevant here. Another maxim is: “Knowledge follows what is known.” The knowledge necessary for the performance of an obligation is itself obligatory. The knowledge necessary for the performance of a necessary act (wājib) is necessary. The knowledge necessary for the performance of a sunnah is sunnah. Based on these principles, let us enumerate the sciences that are farḍ ʿayn for every responsible person:
1. In matters of iman (faith), to learn the creed of the people of the Sunnah and the community (ahl al-sunnah wa’l-jamāʿa) with its general evidences, so as to be able to remove oneself from blind imitation, to protect one’s iman from the doubts of disbelievers, and to guard oneself from the deceptions of the misguided.
2. To learn, to the extent of one’s ability, the acts of worship that are obligatory upon the individual, such as prayer, zakat, hajj, and fasting.
3. For those engaged in transactions such as buying and selling, leasing, marriage, and divorce, to learn these sciences in order to avoid the unlawful, adhere to the limits of the sacred law (sharia), and keep their actions under control.
4. For the Muslim who is confronted throughout his life with states of the qalb (the heart) such as tawakkul (reliance upon God), fear, and riḍā (contentment with God's decree), to learn these inner states.
5. To learn good and bad character traits.
Good Character (Akhlaq Ḥasana): To practice good character such as tawakkul upon Allah, being content with Him, submitting to Him, humility, and forbearance.
Bad Character (Akhlaq Sayyiʾa): To avoid bad traits such as arrogance, pride, miserliness, envy, hatred, and ostentation. Therefore, one must struggle with the nafs (the lower self) to abandon them! This struggle is obligatory for every responsible person. This is achieved by knowing good and bad character and by knowing the paths of struggle with the nafs that the Sufi masters (Saadat-i Sufiyya) have engaged in. For this reason, Abū Ḥasan Shādhilī (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “Whoever dies without having entered into this knowledge of ours dies persisting in major sins without knowing it.” Certainly, just as there are outward major sins and indecencies such as fornication and drinking wine, so too are there inward, qalb-related ones such as arrogance and hypocrisy. For this reason, Allah the Exalted, prohibiting all of them, says in Sūrat al-Anʿām 6:151:
“Do not approach the outward or inward aspects of evil.” Whoever commits outward indecency repents from it because he is aware of its harm. But as for hidden indecency, he may live with it for many years. Either because he does not know its ruling, or because he does not understand it, he does not think to repent.
The second is farḍ kifāya: It is an act whose performance by some lifts the obligation from others. If no one performs it, all Muslims in that community are sinful.
Sciences that are farḍ kifāya are those upon which the well-being of the entire community depends. This includes delving deeply into jurisprudence (fiqh) beyond what is needed[7], as well as tafsir (Qur'anic exegesis), hadith, the principles of fiqh, the principles of creed, arithmetic, medicine, crafts, and the science of preparing weapons and equipment.
b. Prohibited Knowledge
1. It is prohibited to delve into the teachings of deviant sects, ideas that cause doubt, and misguided creeds. However, learning these sciences is permissible if the aim is to ward off their dangers. Learning them to expose their misguidance, refute doubts, correct creeds, and defend the religion is also farḍ kifāya.
2. Astrology and fortune-telling, claiming to know the locations of stolen goods, treasures, and lost items, are considered occult sciences (ʿilm al-ghayb) and have been rejected by the sacred law (sharia), which has also prohibited affirming them. However, there is no harm in learning astronomy for the purposes of determining prayer times and the qibla.
3. Learning magic is permissible if it is for the purpose of avoiding it.
In a poem:
“I learned evil not to do it, but to protect myself from it.
Whoever does not know evil will fall into it.”
c. Recommended Knowledge
Some of the recommended sciences include knowledge of the virtues of bodily and qalb-based actions, knowledge of farḍ kifāya, sunnah, supererogatory, and disliked acts, as well as the branches and details of jurisprudence and the detailed evidences of creed.[8]
Summary
The ruling and importance of knowledge in Islam have been explained in previous lessons. Certainly, the stance of the Sufi masters (Saadat-i Sufiyya) regarding knowledge is clear and needs no further proof. For they are people of knowledge and maʿrifa (gnosis, experiential knowledge of God). They are the possessors of enlightened qalbs (hearts) and free spirits. They are those who examine and review iman, Islam, and ihsan (spiritual excellence). After learning these sciences that are farḍ ʿayn, they act upon their knowledge. They turn to Allah with sincerity, reforming the qalb and purifying the nafs. For this reason, the Exalted Allah has bestowed upon them contentment, pleasure, maʿrifa, and forgiveness.
Notes
- In the first edition, we did not touch upon the subject of knowledge, because our book was devoted to Sufi indications, the exposition of realities, and answering doubts in that regard. Therefore, we did not address creed, worship, and transactions. On the other hand, when a Muslim strives to purify his nafs, cleanse his qalb, and rectify his inner and outer state, he must first correct his iman, fulfill all obligatory acts of worship, and be honest in his dealings. This is only possible with sound knowledge. This is a clear and evident matter. For the virtue of knowledge is manifest. The necessity of knowledge for the correction of actions is a matter of consensus. The reason for writing about knowledge in this edition is to explain its honor and ranks and to respond to those who claim that the men of Sufism do not value knowledge or give it due attention.
- Reported by Tirmidhi, Abū Dāwūd, and Ibn Mājah in Kitāb al-ʿIlm.
- Ibn Mājah reported it with a sound chain in the chapter on Sunnah. There are two corroborating reports, also extracted by Tirmidhi.
- Reported by Ibn Mājah in Kitāb al-Zuhd.
- Reported by al-Bazzār and al-Ṭabarānī in al-Kabīr, who said its narrators are trustworthy.
- Reported by al-Ṭabarānī in three places. Al-Bazzār said its narrators are trustworthy. See Majmaʿ al-Zawāʾid, vol. 1, p. 122.
- It is farḍ kifāya for a country to have a mufti, a scholar to whom Muslims can refer for religious matters; the presence of such a person lifts the sin from the rest of the people.
- For details on these topics, see Imām Birgivī’s Ṭarīqat al-Muḥammadiyya and Imām al-Ghazālī’s Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn, where you will find extensive information.
- See al-Mufradāt fī Gharīb al-Qurʾān, entry on "jahd," p. 101.
From the Erginli Dictionary
If you believe that there is none more merciful than Him, your qalb (the heart) will rely solely and certainly upon Him, and will not turn to anyone else. If you do not find this state in yourself, the reason is one of two things: either your certainty regarding one of these qualities is weak, or your being is overwhelmed by cowardice, causing your qalb to hesitate due to its weakness and the influence of its imaginings. For the qalb, due to the persistence of imagination and its following thereof, may sometimes hesitate even if certainty is not lacking. For example, if honey is likened to filth in the eyes of someone who eats honey, in every ḥāl (spiritual state) he will be repulsed by it and will no longer eat it. (Qudāma, 355)
Tawakkul (reliance upon God) is for the lover (muḥibb) to cast his distress away by the hand of the beloved (maḥbūb), and to place his trust in Him. According to the khawāṣṣ (the elect) among the lovers, there remains a trace of impurity and a loss of hayba (awe) in this. For this reason, they did not attach themselves to anything other than the Essence of the true Beloved. If the servants are sincere in their trust and tawakkul in Him, He suffices them in all their affairs. (Rawḍa, 413)
The reason tawakkul is a condition in the maqām (spiritual station) of ihsan (spiritual excellence) is as follows: If a person sees that Allah the Exalted sees him, it is necessary for him to entrust all his affairs to Allah, for Allah knows best what is beneficial for him. Therefore, the one who relies (mutawakkil) does not trouble himself over what is not in his hand. The condition of tawakkul is for the slave to submit to his master, allowing him to do as he wills. (Insān, II, 29)
Tawakkul is of three kinds: the tawakkul of the common people is for intercession, the tawakkul of the elect is for obedience, and the tawakkul of the elect of the elect is for ināya (divine care). (Jāmiʿ, 61)
Know that the roots of the maqāms (spiritual stations) attained by the people of certainty are seven: tawba (repentance), sabr (patient endurance), shukr (gratitude), rajāʾ (hope), khawf (fear), zuhd (asceticism), tawakkul, maḥabba (love), and riḍā (contentment with God's decree). (Jāmiʿ, 218)
Tawakkul is to trust in what is with Allah and not to place hope in what is in the hands of people. It is said that tawakkul is for little and much to be equal in a person's eyes. It is also said that it is to cast off anxiety about what is yet to come.
Tawakkul is also said to be the servant's abiding with Allah without any attachment. Yaḥyā Muʿādh, in explaining attachment, said: "A Sufi has no shop. To speak about zuhd (asceticism) is a craft, and to converse with caravans is to reveal oneself. All these are attachments," he said.
It is also said that tawakkul is to have complete certainty (yaqīn) in Allah. For certainty in Allah is only perfected by having a good opinion of Him, trusting in His promise of provision, and being content with His decree. Complete certainty in Allah is called tawakkul.
It is also said: Tawakkul is the beginning (bidāya), and for the believer (muʾmin), submission is the means (wasīṭa, intermediate state), and for the walī (friend of God), tafwīḍ (complete entrustment) is the end (nihāya, final stage), which is the attribute of the elect of the elect. (Jāmiʿ, 242)
Tawakkul is of two kinds. The first is the tawakkul of the common people, which is to entrust the matter of provision to Allah, to rely on His generosity, and to trust in His promise regarding provision, cutting off attachment to means.
The second is the tawakkul of the elect. This is for the servant to entrust all his affairs to Allah, and to remain motionless and without will under the decree and destiny of Allah, as a corpse in the hands of the washer. If a movement arises in his qalb, it is with Allah; if stillness arises, it is also with Allah. The saying that "tawakkul is restlessness without stillness, and stillness without restlessness" refers to this. (Jāmiʿ, 243)
Tawakkul is to show one's incapacity and to trust in another. The lexical meaning of tawakkul (reliance) is in accordance with the meaning given by religious scholars.
Imām Muḥāsibī defined tawakkul as follows: Tawakkul is to trust in Allah alone, without recourse to any means, in every matter one likes or dislikes, hopes for or does not hope for.
The shaykhs have spoken about tawakkul; again, Muḥāsibī said: The reality (ḥaqīqa) of tawakkul is to remove desire for anything other than Allah, to abandon the nafs's planning regarding sustenance, to be content with what suffices, and for the qalb to accept the will of the Lord.
Source: Zafer Erginli (ed.), Dictionary of Sufi Terms with Texts.