Author: Sayyed Musleh Uddin
The Fate of Scientific Arrogance (Part Ten)
Beneficial Knowledge vs. Harmful Knowledge:
Hasan al-Basri (MABH) said: “There are two kinds of knowledge. One is the knowledge that settles in the heart of its possessor and flourishes there; this is the beneficial knowledge. The other is the knowledge that only flows from the tongue and does not reach the heart; this is the kind of knowledge that becomes an argument against its bearer and ultimately harms him.” [1]
It is narrated from Ayyub al-Sakhtiyani (MABH): “It is fitting for a Muslim scholar to humble himself for the sake of Allah, even if it means throwing dust upon his own head.” [2]
Ibn ‘Abdus said: “Whenever a scholar becomes overly honored and his status rises, arrogance and pride quickly follow—unless the grace of Allah assists him, and Allah removes from his heart the love of status and leadership.” [3]
The Profound Incident of Shaykh Abu ‘Abdullah al-Andalusi (MABH):
The story of Shaykh Abu ‘Abdullah al-Andalusi (MABH) has left such a deep impression on my heart that it spontaneously flows from both my heart and tongue. I wish this story could serve as a guiding reminder for every seeker on the path of Sufism and spiritual refinement.
Shaykh Abu ‘Abdullah (MABH), known as Shaykh al-Mashayikh (The Master of Masters), was one of the great saints of al-Andalus. Thousands of Sufi lodges (khānqāhs) flourished from his breath and presence, and countless schools benefited from his spiritual grace. It is said that he had as many as 12,000 disciples. On one occasion, he set out on a journey accompanied by thousands of scholars and elders, among them were the noble saints Shibli and Junayd al-Baghdadi.
Shibli (MABH) narrates: “This blessed caravan was overflowing with goodness and spiritual blessings. On our journey, we reached a Christian village just as the time for prayer was running out. There was no water in the village, but outside there was a well from which some girls were drawing water. The Shaykh’s gaze happened to fall on one of the girls, and the moment he saw her, his state changed drastically.”
Shibli (MABH) continues: “After that moment, the Shaykh lowered his head and did not eat, drink, or speak for three days. All of his attendants were distressed and confused. On the third day, I respectfully approached him and said, ‘O Shaykh, thousands of your disciples are worried about your condition.’ He said, ‘My dear ones, how long can I hide this state from you? A few days ago, my eyes fell upon a girl, and the love for her took such deep root in my heart that it overtook my entire being. I can no longer leave this place.’”
Shibli said: “O Master, you are the spiritual guide of Iraq, renowned for your knowledge, piety, and asceticism. Your followers exceed 12,000. For the sake of the Qur’an, do not bring shame upon yourself and us.” The Shaykh replied: “My dear ones, the divine decree concerning me has been issued. The robe of sainthood has been stripped from me, and the signs of guidance have been removed. The matter is now beyond my control.” Saying this, he burst into tears. “O my people,” he said, “Divine destiny has been executed, and there is nothing I can do.”
Shibli (MABH) said: “We were astonished by this strange incident and began to weep from sorrow. The Shaykh cried with us, and the ground was soaked with our tears. Eventually, we had no choice but to return to Iraq. When we recounted this shocking incident to the people there, it caused a great uproar. Some people even died from grief and heartbreak, while others turned to Allah in desperate prayer, begging: ‘O Turner of hearts, guide our Shaykh and restore his lost status!’ After that, the doors of the khanqahs were closed, and for a year we mourned in separation from our Shaykh.”
“After a year, a group of us set out in search of the Shaykh. The villagers told us, ‘He is herding pigs in the forest!’ We said, ‘Allah forbid! What is this story?’ They said, ‘He proposed to the daughter of the village chief, and her father accepted the proposal on the condition that he herd pigs. And now he is carrying out that duty.’”
“Hearing this added to our anguish. It was as if our hearts were being torn apart. A flood of tears flowed from our eyes. With great difficulty, we made our way to the forest and found him herding pigs. He was wearing a Christian cap on his head and had a belt (zunnar) of the Christians tied around his waist. He leaned on the same staff he used during his sermons. This only deepened our wounds.”
“When the Shaykh saw us, he lowered his head. We approached and offered our greetings. He responded softly. Shibli (MABH) asked him, ‘O Shaykh, with all your knowledge of tafsir, hadith, and scholarship, how has such a state come upon you?’ The Shaykh replied: ‘My dear ones, this is not in my control. My Master has done with me as He willed. After all the closeness I had, He chose to cast me away from His door. Who can delay His decree?’”
“Looking to the sky, the Shaykh said: ‘O my Lord! I never imagined that You would disgrace me like this and expel me from Your presence.’ Then he wept bitterly, repenting to Allah. He turned to Shibli and said, ‘Look at others and take heed from them.’”
Shibli, while crying, said: “O Lord, we seek help from Your presence alone, and we rely only on You in all matters. Remove this trial from us.”
He then asked: “O Shaykh, you had memorized the Qur’an with all seven modes of recitation. Do you remember any of it now?” The Shaykh replied: “[وَمَن يُهِنِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِن مُّكْرِمٍ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يَشَاءُ] ‘Whomever Allah humiliates, there is none who can honor him. Indeed, Allah does whatever He wills.’ [4]
“[وَمَن يَتَبَدَّلِ الْكُفْرَ بِالْإِيمَانِ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ]” ‘And whoever exchanges faith for disbelief has certainly strayed from the straight path.’ [5]
Shibli asked: “You had memorized over 30,000 hadith with their chains of narration. Do you remember any of them now?” The Shaykh replied: “مَن بَدَّلَ دِينَهُ فَاقْتُلُوهُ” “Whoever changes his religion, kill him.” [6]
Shibli (MABH) narrates: “We left the Shaykh in that condition and began our return to Baghdad. We had traveled only three stages when, on the third day, we saw the Shaykh coming out of a river after bathing, loudly reciting the shahāda. The joy we felt at that moment is beyond description—especially for those who knew the sorrow we previously endured.”
We asked: “O Shaykh, there must be a reason behind this test and affliction?” He replied: “Yes. When we first reached that village and saw the idol-worshippers and cross-worshippers engaged in their rituals, a sense of pride and superiority crept into my heart. I thought, ‘We are monotheists and believers, and these poor souls are ignorant and foolish for worshiping lifeless objects.’ At that very moment, I heard a voice from the unseen say: ‘Is your faith and monotheism (Tawheed) your own achievement? It is all by Our grace. Do you think your faith is by your own power? Soon We will show you!’ At that instant, I felt like a bird flew out of my heart—it was my faith that had departed.”
The entire point of sharing this story is to highlight this final lesson. The complete version of this incident is detailed in the book “Āp Bītī” in the section “Sulūk-e-Akābir” and in the account of the trial of the Andalusian Shaykh. Pride is such a devastating disease that it brought even the Master of Masters from the heights of sainthood to the depths of disgrace. May Allah, by His grace and mercy, protect us all from this calamity. Āmīn. [7]
As this story demonstrates, pride can lead even a scholar to destruction. All it takes is a trace of arrogance in the heart to endanger one’s life and knowledge. This tale provides a profound lesson: we should never think that becoming a scholar or expert means our journey is complete or that we’ve passed every test. In reality, that is only the beginning. We must not be deceived into thinking that, because we are now scholars, we can do whatever we wish.
Some students believe that once their studies are over, they can teach any book and have their own students—but this mindset can breed arrogance. We must now guard the knowledge we have acquired through great hardship and not allow Satan to deceive us.
Studying for a few years is only the key to knowledge. There is still a world of knowledge out there, much of which we haven’t even heard of. We must remain seekers of knowledge and continue on this path even after graduation. We should never think that a few years of study is enough. The first obstacle after graduation is arrogance, which can cut us off from further learning.
Some students ignore important matters during their studies, thinking it’s too early to engage with other books or extra subjects. But with this mentality, they deceive themselves—eventually graduating without any real transformation. They think they’ll address these matters later when they become scholars, but in reality, they get distracted and forget.
The school is like a mother’s womb. If a baby’s limbs form properly in the womb, the child is born healthy. But if a child is born without a leg, can one be created after birth? Certainly not. The same goes for a student who disregards discipline and fails to reform himself during his studies. Will he correct himself after graduation? Therefore, we must shape ourselves while still in school—not after.
Continues…
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[1] ـ Tadhkirat al-Huffaz, Tabaqat al-Huffaz by al-Dhahabi, vol. 2, p. 98.
[2] ـ Abu Bakr, Ayyub ibn Abi Tamimah Kaysan al-Sakhtiyani al-‘Anzi al-Basri, was a major jurist and scholar of Basra in his time, a prominent leader, a devout and ascetic follower (of the Sahaba), and considered a memorizer of Hadith. Ibn Sirin narrated from him, and Ibn Sa’d said about him: He was precise, reliable, and authoritative in recording and memorizing Hadith. He died in the year 131 AH at the age of 65. See: Tahdhib al-Tahdhib, Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, vol. 1, p. 397.
[3] ـ ‘Ilm wa Danish (Knowledge and Wisdom), p. 75.
[4] ـ Surah Al-Hajj, Verse: 18.
[5] ـ Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse: 108.
[6] ـ Sahih Bukhari, Hadith No.: 3017.
[7] ـ The Root of All Sins, p. 41
