The old man continued, "Aboo Bakr al-Aajurree, who was one of the wise scholars and teachers at the start of the fourth century, wrote a treatise about the manners and the sentiments of the scholars and it is one of the best works on this topic. One who studies it, will know from it, the way of the scholars of the Salaf, and will know the innovated ways contrary to their way. So, he describes the evil scholar at length, from this description is that,
"He has become infatuated with love of this world, and with praise, honour and position with the people of this world. He uses knowledge as an adornment just as a beautiful woman adorns herself with jewellery for this world, but he does not adorn his knowledge with action upon it.”He then mentions a lengthy speech and then says,
“So these characteristics and their like predominate in the heart of one who does not benefit from knowledge, so whilst he carries these attributes, his soul will come to have love of status and position – so that he loves to sit with kings and the sons of this world. Then he loves to share in their opulent lifestyle, sharing their lavish attire, their comfortable transport, servants, fine clothing, delicate bedding and delicious food. He will love that people throng to his door, that his saying is listened to, and that he is obeyed – and he can only attain the latter by becoming a judge (qaadee) – so he seeks to become one. Then he is unable to attain it except at the expense of his Religion, so he debases himself to the rulers and their helpers, serving them himself and giving them his wealth as a tribute. He remains silent when he sees their evil actions after entering their palaces and homes. Then on top of this, he may praise their evil actions and declare them good due to some false interpretation in order to raise his position with them. So, when he has accustomed himself to doing this over a long period of time and falsehood has taken root in him – then they appoint him to the position of qaadee and in so doing slaughter him without a knife.”
Then they have bestowed such a favour upon him that he is obliged and has to show his gratitude to them – so he takes great pains to make sure that he does not anger them and cause them to remove him from his position. But he has no concern about whether he angers his Rabb, the Most High, so he misappropriates the wealth of orphans, widows, the poor and the needy, and wealth bequested as religious endowment, for those fighting Jihaad and the nobles of Makkah and al-Madeenah, and wealth which is supposed to be of benefit to all the Muslims – but instead he uses it to satisfy his clerk, chamberlain and servant. So he eats that which is haraam and feeds with that which is haraam and increases that which is a proof against him. So woe to the one whose knowledge which the Prophet (ﷺ) sought refuge from and ordered us to seek refuge from. This is the knowledge which the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioned, saying, “Those amongst the people receiving the severest punishment on the Day of Resurrection is the scholar who is not given benefit through his knowledge by Allah.” [ at-Tabaraanee; Da'if. It is however reported as being the saying of Abud-Dardaa only]. He (ﷺ) used to say,(Allaahumma innee a’oodhubika minal arba’i, min `ilmin laa yanfa`u, wa min qalbin laa yakhsha`u, wa min nafsin laa tashba`u, wa min du`aa in laa yusma`u)
“O Allah! I seek Your refuge from knowledge which does not benefit; from a heart which does not fear; from a soul which is never satisfied; and from a supplication which is not heard.”
[Ahmad and Abi Dawood; Sahih by al-Haakim]And he (ﷺ) used to say,(Allaahumma inne as`aluka `ilman naafi`an, wa a`oodhubika min `ilman laa yanfa`u)This was said by Imaam Aboo Bakr al-Aajuree, rahimahullaah, who lived at the end of the fourth century, when corruption increased and multiplied greatly since his time – and there is no might and no strength except by Allaah’s will.
“O Allah! I ask You for beneficial knowledge, and I seek Your refuge from knowledge which does not benefit.” - [Ibn Hibbaan; Hasan]
For those who love Allah, then they limit their desire with regard to the creation. They should also love Allah, obey Him and single Him out with all worship and recognise His Divinity alone. This type of person does not desire any reward or any thanks from the creation, but hopes for reward for his actions from Allah. Allah says,
"It is not for a human [prophet] that Allah should give him the Scripture and authority and prophethood and then he would say to the people, "Be servants to me rather than Allah," but [instead, he would say], "Be pious scholars of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Scripture and because of what you have studied." Nor could he order you to take the angels and prophets as lords. Would he order you to disbelief after you had been Muslims?" - [QS.3:79-80]The Prophet (ﷺ) said,
“Do not exaggerate in praising me as the Christians praised the Messiah, the son of Maryam. Indeed I am only a slave. So say the slave of Allah and His Messenger.” {Sahih al-Bukhari]The Prophet (ﷺ) also used to criticise anyone who did not keep to this manner of address with regard to him, just
as he said,
“Do not say, ‘Whatever Allah and so and so have willed,’ but rather say,The Prophet (ﷺ) replied to a person who said, “Whatever Allah and yourself have willed,” by saying,
‘Whatever Allah has willed and then what so and so has willed.' - [Imam Ahmad and Aboo Dawood; Sahih]
“Have you made me a rival for Allah! Rather say, ‘Whatever Allah alone has willed.’” - [Imam Ahmad; Hasan]Some of the pious judges used to prevent the people from calling them ‘Judge of judges’ (Qaadiyyul-Qudaat) since this name resembles the name ‘King of kings’ which the Prophet (ﷺ) censured.
The Rightly Guided Caliphs, who have succeeded the Prophet (ﷺ), their followers and their judges, never used to call to glorification of themselves but rather to the glorification of Allah alone and that He is to be singled out with worship and divinity. From them were those who did not wish for authority at all except as an aid to calling to Allah alone. Some of the righteous people who accepted the position of judge said,
[Part 1]“Indeed I accepted this in order to use it to help me in ordering the good and forbidding the evil.”The second type of seeking status and position over the people, is through matters of the Deen such as knowledge, action and zuhd (shunning this world and its delights). This is more wicked than the first type, more disgraceful, more corrupt and more dangerous. This is because knowledge, action and zuhd are for seeking the high ranks and never-ending bliss that are with Allah, and to seek nearness to Allah.
Sufyan ibn Sa'eed ath-Thawri, famous imam from the successors of the taabi’een said,
“The excellence of knowledge is due only to the fact that it causes a person to fear and obey Allah, otherwise it is just like anything else.”So if a person seeks through any of this some worldly end, then this is also of two types. The first type is he who seeks wealth through it – then this is a part of craving after wealth and seeking it through forbidden means. Concerning this, there is the hadeeth reported by Aboo Hurairah, from the Prophet (ﷺ),
“Whoever seeks knowledge from that by which Allah’s Face is sought, but does not learn it except for some worldy goal, then he will not smell the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.” - [Ahmad, Aboo Dawood, Ibn Maajah and Ibn Hibbaan; Sahih]The reason for this, and Allah knows best, is that, in this world, there is a foretaste of Paradise and it is knowledge of Allah, love of Him, being happy with Him, longing to meet Him, fearing Him and obeying Him. The way to this, is shown by beneficial knowledge and he whose knowledge leads him to experience this foretaste of Paradise in this world, will enter Paradise in the Hereafter, and he who does not smell its fragrance, will not smell the fragrance of Paradise in the Hereafter. Therefore, the one who receives the severest punishment in the Hereafter, is the scholar to whom Allah does not grant the benefit of his knowledge. He is one of those people who will suffer the most severe regret on the Day of Resurrection, since he had what was required to take him to the highest levels and most elevated stations in Paradise, yet he used it only to attain the most lowly, inferior and contemptible ends. So, he is like a man who had valuable and expensive pearls and sold them for a piece of animal dung, or something filthy and of no use. This is the condition of one who seeks this world with his knowledge, rather he is worse. Worse still is one who seeks by it outwardly displaying that he is one who abstains from this world – this is a very despicable deception.
The second type is, he who through his knowledge, action and shunning of this world, seeks authority of the people and a position of honour above them, and that the creation should comply and submit to him, and turn their faces to him. He seeks that it should become manifest to the people that he has the greater knowledge than the scholars, so that he can attain a status greater then theirs and so on. The appointed place for a person like this is the Hell-Fire. This is because intending to arrogantly raise oneself above the creation, is something forbidden, then if one seeks it through the means of attaining the Hereafter, then this is a worse and more despicable than attempting it through use of worldly means, such as wealth and power.
Ibn Mas`ood, radiyallaahu `anhu, said,
“Do not learn knowledge for three, to argue with it with the ignorant, nor to contend with the scholars through it, nor to turn the people’s faces towards yourselves. Rather seek by your saying and action that which is with Allah – since it will remain and everything else will perish.”From what we have mentioned, it will be clear that love of wealth and status, then craving after them destroys a person’s Deen to the point that nothing except what Allah wills remains of it, just as the Prophet (ﷺ) informed. The root of love of wealth and status is love of this world, and the root of love of this world is following desires. Wahb ibn Munabbih said,
“From following desires comes desire for this world, and from desire of this world comes love of wealth and status, and from love of wealth and status comes making lawful that which is forbidden.”This is a fine saying, since love of wealth and status is caused by desire for this world, and desire for this world is brought about by following one’s desires. This is because one’s desires call to desire for this world and love of wealth and status in it. But taqwaa prevents one from following desires and prevents love of this world. Allah said,
"So as for he who transgressed and preferred the life of the world, then indeed, Hellfire will be [his] refuge. But as for he who feared the position of his Lord and prevented the soul from [unlawful] inclination, then indeed, Paradise will be [his] refuge." - [QS.79:37-41]Then the old man said, "O young man, know that the soul loves to attain rank and position above its like, and this is what produces pride and envy. However, the intelligent one, strives for everlasting and perpetual rank which is in Allah’s pleasure, and in nearness to Him, and he turns away from fleeting and short-lived rank which is followed by Allah’s Wrath and Anger, and means the person’s downfall, lowness and his distance from Allah, and being banished away from Him.
You are continually surrounded by fearsome waves of materialism, raging against you on every side, and you have to attempt to rouse your spirit and move your paralysed body to save it from the tempestuous waves and to bring it safely to the solid shore of faith. There is no doubt that this struggle confronts every man. It is easy to say, but applying it to one's life, is not. He has to struggle against this world, Iblis, his lower self and appetites. Arrows are fired at him in endless succession. As soon as he saves himself from one arrow, another follows it: darkness on top of darkness. We seek refuge with Allah! And Allah knows best."
"There has come to you enlightenment from your Rabb. So whoever will see does so for [the benefit of] his soul, and whoever is blind [does harm] against it. And [say], "I am not a guardian over you." - [QS.6:104]
References :
- Al Haafidh ibn Rajab al-Hanbaalee, The Evil of Craving for Wealth and Status, Al-Hidaayah.
- Sheikh 'Abd aI-Hamid Kishk, Dealing with Lust and Greed According to Islam, Dar Al-Taqwa
