Knowledge that inherits arrogance and Knowledge that inherits the fear of Allaah and humility – Shaykh Saalih as-Suhaymee

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

Knowledge can Inherit Three Things
Author: Shaykh Saalih as-Suhaymee

Allah raises whoever humbles himself to Allah, and a lot of the claimants to knowledge, the only thing that lead them to where they are at now in being conceited (proud of oneself), is Ta’aalum (A person who makes himself out to be a person of knowledge while he has little or no knowledge), arrogance and being deluded by the little knowledge they attained.Some of the Salaf stated:

“A man continues to have knowledge so long as he continues to seek knowledge, once he believes he is knowledgeable – he is ignorant.”

From amongst the benefits I attained from Shaykh Hammaad – may Allah have mercy upon him – who was from amongst the scholars of the blessed Salafi Da’wah upon the methodology of the virtuous Imaams past and present, he said:

“Knowledge is of three types:
1)    Knowledge that inherits arrogance,
2)    Knowledge that inherits the fear of Allaah,
3)    Knowledge that inherits humility.”

He then went into detail, clarifying that some of those who have only gained a little bit of knowledge and then started to boast about it in front of the people, speaking eloquently from the bottom of their throats, selecting difficult words, speaking about not well known issues, hurriedly giving verdicts that contradict the verdicts of the scholars and so on. This is the type of knowledge that inherited arrogance. This person may have some knowledge but has lost it with his arrogance, if he feels that knowledge allows him to act like he is greater than the people and be arrogant. This person must fear Allah and take note that he has reached a dangerous state. This is the type of knowledge that inherited arrogance, and a lot of those who appear on satellite channels are amongst them, deceiving the people, they are from this type, they are from this type.
Knowledge that inherits fear of Allah is the knowledge that causes its holder to act upon it. Whenever he gains some knowledge, he acts upon it and calls to it after making sure that it is correct and it is the truth, and after studying it under the Rabaanee scholars (scholars who teach people thereligion according to their level) and sitting under them. This is the type of knowledge that inherited fear. Allah the Mighty and Majestic stated:
 “It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah“ [Faatir: 2] 

As for the knowledge that leads to humility, if a person has fear of Allah, then what would the result be?
It would be humility towards the servants of Allah, if a person has fear of Allah, he would be humble towards the servants of Allah, and this is the realization of the saying of the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم:
    “Allah would raise whoever is humble for Allah.” 
So this is the seventh piece of advice, it is:

Humility, so be humble O students of knowledge, be humble O Muslims. For indeed this makes a Muslim have a clear conscious, a clear intention, a clear source [of knowledge], meaning he would always be searching for the truth in order to follow it in all matters. He would always feel that he has shortcomings concerning the rights of Allah, he would always feel that he has not attained any knowledge when comparing himself to others from the Rabaanee scholars. So he would be humble and submit himself to Allah the Mighty, and he would reach the level that Allah the Glorified has set for him and not overstep the boundary that Allah has set for him.