Unmodern Aspects of Islam (19): Knowledge without Wisdom

 

Did you know that every day, humanity produces more than 300 billion emails and 500 hours of YouTube videos every minute? We live in the age of unlimited information—yet so often, we feel more confused, restless, and lost.

The Qur’an doesn’t just call us to know. It calls us to benefit. The Prophet ﷺ used to seek refuge saying:
“O Allah, I seek refuge in You from knowledge that does not benefit.” (Sunan Ibn Mājah, 3843)
Because knowledge without wisdom is noise. Knowledge with wisdom is light.

The early Muslims mastered this balance. They didn’t just collect facts; they lived by them. Their knowledge turned into action, shaping character, justice, and compassion. That’s why their learning built civilizations—not just libraries.

And us? We scroll through endless feeds, read a hundred headlines, yet rarely ask: How is this changing me? What if we paused, filtered, and chose to pursue knowledge that actually transforms—knowledge that brings us closer to Allah and makes us better human beings?

The world is drowning in information.
But beneficial knowledge—that’s the Sunnah. And it leads to true wisdom.

In a modern world, the Sunnah is our way back to what truly matters.