What Is Knowledge of No Benefit?

Al-Kahf-104: They are those, whose work (deeds) has gone astray in the life of this world (the degrees they have lost are more than that they have earned) and they reckoned that they were doing better deeds.

Al-Kahf-105: They are those who denied the Verses of their Lord and reaching Him (the spirit’s reaching Allah before death). So their deeds became vain and therefore We will not set up a scale for them on the Day of Resurrection.

If a person’s deeds are rendered void, those deeds will not elevate him. For a deed to elevate a person, it must be a righteous deed (that is, cleansing and purifying the soul). The deed that purifies, the one that elevates a person in the sight of Allah, is dhikr (repeating the name of Allah), which becomes effective after a person wishes to reach Allah and follows his murshid (spiritual guide) with the twelve favors.

Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) decrees that:

“Faith and deeds are inseparably connected to one another. Therefore, faith without deeds, or deeds without faith, are of no value.” (Suyuti, al-Jami‘ al-Saghir, vol. 1, p. 127; Jami‘ al-Ahadith, vol. 3, p. 452, Hadith no. 9745; Jam‘ al-Jawami‘ / al-Jami‘ al-Kabir, vol. 3, p. 579, Hadith no. 10228/590)

From this hadith, it is understood that deeds without knowledge, and knowledge without deeds, cannot truly be lived. The ability of deeds to lead a person to salvation is only possible through knowledge, by learning hidayah (guidance), and by wishing for it.

The five pillars of Islam practiced today contain the obligatory acts commanded by Allah. However, they are incomplete, for within them there is no hidayah (wishing to reach Allah), no dhikr, and no repentance/pledging allegiance to a murshid (spiritual guide). A sequence of deeds performed only through the five pillars of Islam, fulfilling merely the means of obedience, will not elevate a person if it does not include the wish to reach Allah. For such deeds to elevate a person, his spirit must depart from his body, embark on a spiritual journey (Sayr Wa Suluk), ascend through the heavenly floors, and ultimately reach the Essence of Allah in the nothingness. About this, Allah Almighty says:

Al-A'raf-175: And read (explain) to them the narrative of him to whom We gave Our Verses, and then he abandoned them. So, Satan overtook him (made him obey to himself) and he became one of the harmed (being rebellious).

Al-A'raf-176: And if We had willed, We would certainly have exalted him with it (Our Verses). But he clung to the earth and followed his own vain desire (vices of his soul). So his parable is as the parable of a dog: “if you swipe at him, he sticks out his tongue, and if you leave him alone, he also sticks out his tongue”. This is the parable of the people who deny Our Verses. Therefore relate the narrative that they may reflect.

In religious life, there are negative degrees—sins that result from the evil deeds committed by people—and positive degrees—goodness, that is, good deeds gained by following the demand of the spirit. In verse 102 of Surah al-Mu’minun, Allah Almighty has made entering Paradise conditional upon the positive degrees outweighing the negative ones. The standard (measure) for entering Hell is that the negative degrees outweigh the positive ones.

Al-Mu'minun-102: Then, whose scales (of good deeds) will be heavy, they are in Salvation!

If a person wishes to reach Allah, Allah Almighty covers all his sins according to the 29th verse of Surah Al-Anfâl.

Al-Anfal-29: O you, believers (âmenû ones)! If you have piety towards Allah, He gives you discernment (Furqân)(ability to distinguish between right and wrong) and covers your sins and forgives you (converts your sins into merits) And Allah is the Owner of the Light of greatest Virtue.

Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH):

“The grave is either one of the gardens of Paradise or one of the pits of Hell.” (Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Qiyamah, 26). Through these words, he gave glad tidings to those who wish to reach Allah and warned those who do not.

For the person who does not wish to reach Allah, only sins remain. Because, if the person does not wish to reach Allah, his deeds are in vain. In the 65th verse of Surah Az-Zumar, Allah Almighty states that the deeds of those who commit the sin of shirk —that is, those who do not wish to reach Allah—will be in vain.

Az-Zumar-65 And I swear, it has been revealed to you and to those before you: “Surely if you commit shirk (if you do not wish to reach Allah), all your deeds would certainly be rendered vain, and you would certainly be of those who fall into a Loss.

As we have stated before, our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said in one of his noble hadiths: "I do not fear for my ummah (nation) to be in clear shirk (idolatry), but what I fear for my ummah (nation) is to be in hidden shirk (not wishing to reach Allah)."

When a person does not wish to reach Allah, he is in hidden shirk. Since there is no wish to reach Allah in today's religious practice, a person who follows this practice is in hidden shirk and unfortunately follows Satan. Because of this hidden shirk, this person's deeds will be in vain, and it will be impossible for him to attain salvation.

Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says:

“He who does not honor the trust has no faith, and he who does not keep his covenant has no religion.” (Ramuz, 463/3; Tabarani; Bazzar; Ibn Abbas; Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, vol. 3, p. 135)

Al-Kahf-103: Say: “Shall we inform you of the greatest losers in deeds”?

The human beings, who were created with three bodies, free will and intellect, made promises to Allah in pre-eternity that they would surrender their trusts to Allah. It is obligatory to comply with the trust for everyone who is born in darkness (misguidance) (all people are originally in darkness). Although this is the main goal of Islam, the vast majority of people remain stuck on step 2 and fail to fulfill these obligatory commands of Allah.

In the continuation of the noble hadith, our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) gives another message with the expression “deeds that do not elevate.” If a person applies his knowledge to his life, then his deeds, supported by lived knowledge, will elevate him. But useless knowledge causes that person’s deeds to be wasted. Allah Almighty clarifies this matter in verses 103, 104, and 105 of Surah Al-Kahf. If a person denies the verses about wishing to reach Allah and does not wish to reach Him, then his deeds, based on useless knowledge, will also be wasted.

“The feet of the son of Adam will not move from before his Lord on the Day of Resurrection until he is asked about five things: (1) how he spent his life, (2) how he used his youth, (3) how he earned his wealth, (4) how he spent it, and (5) how he acted upon the knowledge he acquired.” (S:Tirmidhi, Sifat al-Qiyamah)

14 centuries ago, while our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was performing salat in the Mosque of Quba, he saw a group learning the Holy Qur’an together. He asked them: “What are you doing?” They replied: “We are learning knowledge.” Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said to them: “You cannot attain the benefit of knowledge unless you put what you have learned into practice and act upon it.”

The message we received from this hadith is that knowledge which a person does not put into practice is knowledge of no benefit. In another hadith, our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “If a person’s knowledge increases but his hidayah (guidance) does not increase, he only becomes more distant from Allah.”

Unfortunately, in the teachings of today’s religious scholars, the concept of hidayah (guidance) has been removed and altered within a design that does not conform to the Holy Qur’an. To the question “What is hidayah (guidance)?” they answer: “Hidayah (guidance) is the right path.” Yet in the Holy Qur’an, hidayah (guidance) is the reaching of the human spirit to Allah.

Al Imran-73 And (the people of the Book) said: “Do not believe anyone but in him who follows your religion”. (My beloved) say: “Surely, hidayah (guidance) is to reach Allah. (It is the reaching of one's spirit to Allah before death). Similar to what (the Torah and the Bible) were granted to you, so is (Qur'an) given to another." Are they contending with you before your Lord? Say (to them): “Surely all the Fadl (virtue, generosity) is in the hand of Allah. He gives it to whom He wills" and Allah is All-Embracing, All-Knowing.

“innel hudâ hudallâhi: Surely, hidayah (guidance) is to reach Allah." 

Al-Baqarah-120 And Jews and Christians will never be pleased with you until you follow their religion. Say: " Verily reaching to Allah - this is hidayah (guidance)!" And if you really follow their desires after knowledge has come to you, then you will have no companion or helper from Allah.

“İnne hudâllâhi huvel huda: Verily reaching to Allah - this is hidayah (guidance)!"

Since the hidayah (guidance) described in the Holy Qur’an is absent from today’s religious teachings, the knowledge of those who teach this religion in a way contrary to the Qur’an is knowledge that is of no benefit. Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also declared that he sought refuge in Allah from knowledge that is of no benefit.

Those who deify the desire of their soul are in misguidance (darkness) based on useless knowledge.

Allah Almighty states in the 23rd verse of Surah Al-Jathiya as follows:

Al-Jathiya-23 Have you seen a man who deified his soul's desire? And Allah has left him astray upon a (useless) knowledge, and sealed his sense of hearing and sealed his heart, and covered a veil (gishawah) over his sight. In this case who might convey him to hidayah (guidance) other than Allah? Do you still not deliberate (think)?

Here, Allah Almighty states that those who deify their souls are left in astray upon (useless) knowledge. The knowledge they possess has not delivered them from misguidance (darkness) to hidayah (guidance). Indeed, a teaching that lacks hidayah (guidance) does not take people beyond useless knowledge. Verse 23 of Surah al-Jathiyah clearly states that for knowledge to be beneficial, it must necessarily contain hidayah (guidance).

Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says:

“O Allah, make beneficial to me what You have taught me, and teach me what will benefit me. Grant me knowledge that will bring benefit as a provision.” (Narrated from Anas ibn Malik.)

Those who possess useless knowledge always speak in their advice about cleansing of the soul and good conduct. Yet if a person does not live by the knowledge he possesses, that too is useless knowledge. Allah Almighty explains this truth in verse 44 of Surah Al-Baqarah.

Al-Baqarah-44: What! Do you enjoin Al-Birr [the purification of the soul’s heart and the surender (to Allah)] onto others but you forget it yourselves, although you read the Book? Have you then no intellect?

If a father smokes but advises his child that smoking is harmful and tells him to quit, then the knowledge of that father is useless knowledge, because he has not applied it to his own life. Knowledge that contains hidayah (guidance) is useful knowledge.

The people whom Allah Almighty has said are left in misguidance (darkness) upon knowledge may still have a religion, yet if they remain in misguidance (darkness) this shows that they are practicing a religion without hidayah (guidance) in its essence. The Holy Qur’an is a trust, and honoring this trust means applying its rulings to life. If people read the Holy Qur’an but do not apply it to their lives, they cannot go beyond useless knowledge. About this, Allah Almighty says:

Ar-Rum-7: They know the visible part of the life of the world, and they are heedless of the Hereafter.

Any knowledge that does not contain reaching Allah in its essence is useless knowledge. Since the gateway to hidayah (guidance) is wishing to reach Allah, a person who does not wish to reach Allah will never be able to truly live his religion. The knowledge such a person possesses is useless knowledge, for it brings no benefit to himself nor to others. The Holy Qur’an is the whole of the religion, and within this whole, wishing to reach Allah is the primary condition that Allah Almighty has made the basis of our salvation. Allah grants to the one who wishes for hidayah (that is, to reach Allah) discernment (furqans), favors, and seven blessings. He makes the means orders beloved to him and enables the cleansing of the soul. He then elevates that person to the level of ‘ilm al-yaqin (knowledge of certainty), and beyond that, to the levels of ‘ayn al-yaqin (vision of certainty) and haqq al-yaqin (certainty as supreme truth).

Our Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) says:

This hadith is highly significant in terms of the relationship between man and Allah. A person will be held accountable and rewarded in accordance with how he has spent the treasure of life granted to him.

We have already stated that more than 90 percent of people are chosen by Allah Almighty in the 2nd step. Only those who wish to reach Allah from among those selected are the ones who comply with the trust. The 2nd step of Islam, where events are evaluated, is of great importance in this respect. Our Rasul (Messenger) of Allah (PBUH) also draws attention to the importance of this step with his noble hadîth. The person who does not comply with the trust is the one who cannot evaluate the events correctly and therefore will never wish to reach Allah. This person does not have faith, and since he does not fulfill his promises to Allah, he has no religion. Unfortunately, such a person can't attain happiness in this world and the Hereafter.