Beneficial Knowledge

اَلْلَّهُمَ إِنِّيِ أَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ يَكُونَ أَحَدٌ أَسْعَدَ بِمَا عَلَّمْتَنِي مِنِّي، وَأَعُوذُ بِكَ أَنْ أَكُونَ عِبْرَةً لِغَيْرِي

Allahumma inni a’udhu bika an yakuna ahadun as‘ada bima ‘allamtani minni, wa a’udhu bika an akuna ‘ibratan lighayri

O Allah I seek refuge in you that anyone else should take advantage of what you taught me more than myself, and I seek refuge in you from being a lesson for others.

[Kitab az-Zuhd by Imam Ahmad (1342)]

Shaykhul-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) described this tremendous dua:

“It is from the best of duas” [Majmu’ Al-Fatawa (14/307)]

Shaykh Abdur-Razzaq al-Badr said:

“And whoever does not act upon his knowledge and he calls the people to it, then they are happier with his knowledge then him, & whoever does not take a lesson from those were deficient from the people that came before, he will become a lesson for others.” [https://www.al-badr.net/muqolat/2942]

Iman, knowledge & Guidance

Mu‘āwiyyah ibn Qurrah reported that Abū Dardaa (رضي الله عنه) always use to supplicate saying:

اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ إِيمَانًا دَائِمًا، وَعِلْمًا نَافِعًا، وَهَدْيًا قَيِّمًا.

Allahumma inni asaluka emaanan daima, wa ‘ilman nafi‘a, wa hadyan qayyima

O Allah! I ask you for Abiding Emān, Beneficial knowledge and Upright Guidance.

Mu’āwiyyah Ibn Qurra (رحمه الله) then said: “Because there is Emān that is not abiding, Knowledge that is not beneficial, And guidance that is not upright.”

[Recorded by Ibn Abi Shaybah in Al-‘Imān #106 1/41 & Musannaf #30364 6/164, Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā Vol. 2 p498. Translation by ilmTest]