The Intention for Seeking Divine Knowledge

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Shaykh Abu Sa’id ibn Abu al-Hasan Yasar al-Baswri (q.s.) said, “To desire Paradise without good deeds is a sin from among the sins.” 

Another intimate of Allah (s.w.t.) said, “The reality of knowledge is that one acts on it without admiring it; however, one should not stop performing deeds even if there is a danger of one admiring one’s own good deeds.” 

Our master of the two worlds, in this life and in the Hereafter, Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) said in a much better, clear, pure, and beautiful way compared to the above quotes, “Intelligent is the one who subdued his nafs and performed actions for the life of the Hereafter and heedless is the one who subdued his nafs to pleasures, greed, and desires and thought that Allah is with him.”  In some hadits, it says, “This heedless person hopes for Allah’s Forgiveness.” 

It is admirable if we stayed awake at nights to continually rehearse sacred knowledge and sacrificed sleep to study it.  If our intention was to gain worldly benefits and worldly prestige and status then, “There is sadness for you and again there is sadness for you,” as the ‘arifin say. 

However, if our intentions were to establish the Path to Allah (s.w.t.) brought by Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), attaining moral uplift and civilization, and eliminating evil of the self then, “For you is the happiness and blessings and again for you is the happiness and blessings.” 

The ‘arifin also say, “O my Lord!  The wakefulness of the eyes, except for beholding Your Countenance, is useless.  And unless it is for You, the weeping of the eyes for someone else is gravely wrong.” 

In a hadits, of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w) said, “Spend your life the way you like but you will die, and love whoever you like but you will be separated from her, and perform deeds the way you like but you will surely get their just compensation.”