Using & Misusing Knowledge

Imam al-Safarini Hanbali says:

والحاصل أن العلم كالسيف أن أعطيته لتقي قاتل به في سبيل الله. وإن ألقيته لشقي قطع به الطريق وأضر عباد الله

‘𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗹𝗲𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱: 𝗶𝗳 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗲 [𝘁𝗮𝗾𝗾𝗶] 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁, 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 [𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘁𝗵] 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝗮 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 [𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗾𝗾𝗶] 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁, 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗚𝗼𝗱.’

[‘Ghidhaa al-Albab’, 1/44].

Knowledge is just a tool … it can be used & misused, depending on the person who uses it.

This is the case with everything … one person will use a knife to chop fruit and vegetables, another person will use it to commit murder. The problem is not with the tool, the problem is with the person.

It’s the same with religion … there are plenty of misguided ‘scholars’ and sects who misuse religious texts, to justify their oppression and misguidance.

Islam itself never endorses oppression.…..