Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim
1. Introduction
Dear friends whom Allah has blessed, have you ever driven in pitch-black darkness without headlights? You would surely be filled with anxiety, afraid of falling into a ravine or crashing into a barrier. That is the parable of a person’s life in this world without knowledge. Knowledge is not just information that passes through the mind; it is _nūr_—a light that Allah casts into the heart of a servant to guide him through the darkness of the times.
Allah Subḥānahu wa Ta‘ālā says in the Qur’an :
أَوَمَنْ كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ كَمَنْ مَثَلُهُ فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِنْهَا
“Is he who was dead and We gave him life and made for him light by which to walk among the people like him who is in darkness, never to emerge therefrom?” (QS. Al-An‘ām: 122)
Without the light of knowledge, a person becomes directionless—equating the ḥalāl with the ḥarām, and mixing truth with falsehood. Yet the boundary between them must be very clear if we are to be safe.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
إِنَّ الْحَلَالَ بَيِّنٌ وَإِنَّ الْحَرَامَ بَيِّنٌ وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ
“Indeed, the ḥalāl is clear and the ḥarām is clear, and between them are doubtful matters that many people do not know.” (HR. Bukhārī and Muslim)
Through knowledge of the Sharī‘ah, Allah grants us _Al-Furqān_—the ability to separate truth that saves from falsehood that ruins
.2. Lessons and Message
Knowledge is the best navigator for our moral compass. The key message: Never take a step before you know its ruling. In an age full of hoaxes, justifications for sin, and blurred moral boundaries, knowledge acts as an emergency brake that keeps us from slipping into consuming the ḥarām for the sake of lifestyle or worldly pride. Let us reflect on the story of Caliph ‘Umar ibn ‘Abd al-‘Azīz. One night, he was finishing state business in his office under the light of an oil lamp that belonged to the _baitul māl_—the public treasury. Suddenly, one of his sons entered the room to discuss a family matter. What did the Caliph do? He immediately blew out and extinguished the lamp, leaving the room in total darkness. When his son asked why, ‘Umar replied with a trembling voice and tears in his eyes: “O my son, this lamp is lit with oil bought from the people’s money for state affairs. I fear Allah if I use the people’s property—even a single drop of oil—for our private affairs.” This is the power of knowledge manifested as _khasyyah_—fear of Allah—that enables a person to distinguish with utmost clarity what is rightfully theirs and what is ḥarām for them. Knowledge is like a UV counterfeit-detector pen carried by a merchant. In a market flooded with counterfeit money, a merchant who has no tool or knowledge to check it will be easily deceived. He thinks he has made a great profit, when in fact his pocket is full of worthless paper. It’s the same with life. This world is full of “fake pleasures” packaged to look beautiful—bāṭil that appears as ḥaqq. Without the sensor of knowledge, we will think we are accumulating reward, when in reality we are accumulating sin. Speaking of distinguishing ḥalāl and ḥarām, sometimes human logic without knowledge makes things up to justify desires.
There’s the story of someone who loved borrowing a neighbor’s items and never returning them—essentially turning them into his own property. When admonished, he casually replied: “But on social media the concept ‘sharing is caring’ is viral, and besides, I use this item while doing dhikr, so inshā’Allāh the ḥarām wears off and it becomes Sharī‘ah!” That’s forcing bāṭil into a pious-looking wrapper. This is where knowledge functions: so we don’t issue fatwas to suit our own desires. Ḥalāl and ḥarām are absolute decrees of Allah, not the result of a netizen vote!
3. Conclusion and Closing
Dear brothers and sisters , knowledge is the only lamp that will never go out when the storms of doubt and desire hit the world. With knowledge, we have a sharp inner eye to detect what is ḥaqq and what is bāṭil. Walking the path of the ḥalāl may feel heavy and restrictive, but it is the only path that ends in tranquility in this world and salvation in the Hereafter. Brothers and sisters, let us set aside time amid the busyness of scrolling social media to sit in circles of knowledge, read the books of the scholars, and deepen our understanding of the religion. Always ask Allah for guidance so that our hearts are not blinded by falsehood that appears to glitter. May Allah Subḥānahu wa Ta‘ālā continually illuminate our hearts and steps with the light of His knowledge, and strengthen our feet to remain standing upon the truth.
والله أعلم بالصواب
الحمد لله رب العالمين
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmaullahi Wabarakatuh.
ِAbu Sultan Al-Qadrie
