Not all renunciation is real. Not all knowledge is safe. And not every seeker is ready for the responsibility of knowing.
Today, spirituality is sometimes worn like a costume. Words like tasawwuf are passed around in elite circles, misused to signal righteousness rather than pursue purification. And sacred concepts like ‘ilm ladunnī—infused knowledge given by Allah ﷻ—are mystified, misunderstood, or worse: monetized.
This reflection explores the dangers of false asceticism, the ego traps within scholarship, and the sacred trust of divine gifts. Because in truth, we are all on divine assignment. And forgetting that is the root of every spiritual fall.
The Performance of Renunciation
Tasawwuf, when understood properly, is the sacred path of purifying the heart and detaching from unhealthy attachments to the world. But in today’s hyper-performative culture, some wear it like a badge—boasting about their spiritual state while bypassing actual transformation.
Take this example: a man “renounces” his beloved watch and gives it to his dearest friend to work on his nafs. On the surface, it looks noble. But every time he sees the watch on his friend’s wrist, envy eats him up inside.
He detached physically—but not spiritually.
He solved a spiritual problem with a material solution.
Resentment poisons what was meant to purify. And now, he needs to blame someone—anyone—for his internal discomfort, even Allah ﷻ.
Do that often enough, and you’ll live in your own self-created spiritual prison.
True renunciation isn’t about discarding things. It’s about freeing the heart while still using the gifts of this world responsibly. And if one day it makes sense to let them physically go, you’ll do it with no regret and no fear of divine punishment from Allah ﷻ. That is true freedom.
You Cannot Escape dunya
Some think the path to salvation lies in fleeing the world—cutting ties with career, family, or material things, and imagining this proves sincerity. But you cannot run from dunya. You are here for a reason. It is the test site for your ākhirah.
“You can only work on your ākhirah through the dunya. The idea of skipping the exam to claim the diploma is delusion.”
And here’s the dangerous part: thinking, “If I die now, I’ll enter Paradise.”
Even the Prophets ‘alayhim al-salām worried about their judgment. Who are we to assume certainty?
The Sacred Burden of Knowledge
Knowledge is a trust—‘amānah. Not a crown. Not a credential. Not a commodity.
In today’s culture, even sacred knowledge is sometimes pursued like capital. But accumulating books, degrees, or hadith citations means nothing if the heart is dry. And the more divine the knowledge, the greater the burden to embody it.
When you study Islam, you enter sacred terrain. Using that knowledge to boast, debate, or shame others is not only hypocritical—it’s dangerous.
“If knowledge doesn’t humble you, it will ruin you.”
This is why one of the Names of Allah ﷻ is Al-Jāmiʿ—The Uniter. As Imām al-Ghazālī explains, the one who unites is one who integrates the outward actions of the limbs with the inward state of the heart. You may see someone with steadfast piety but little insight, or great insight but no self-discipline. But the one whom Allah ﷻ unites is given both: understanding and the responsibility to live by it.
So if you are drawn to knowledge, know this: with insight comes the obligation of steadfastness in piety.
And in Islam, asceticism never means punishing the body. As Lady ‘Ā’ishah (radiyallāhu ‘anhā) once said, upon seeing a group of men who looked pale and self-deprived: “Who are these people?” She was told, “They are ascetics.” She replied, “But the religion is not like that!” We are not to starve or abuse our bodies—they are a trust from Allah ﷻ, not something we own or ruin in the name of spirituality.
The Revert Flame
Reverts often carry a spark that reminds others of the light they’ve forgotten. The Prophet ﷺ and the Companions (radiyallāhu ‘anhum) – especially Abū Bakr and ‘Umar (radiyallāhu ‘anhumā) – used to rejoice when new Muslims arrived from Yemen, reinvigorating the spirit of Islam through their sincerity.
But instead of welcoming reverts as blessings, some scholars feel threatened. They forget that every gift is given by Allah ﷻ—and none of us were born knowing anything.
“The revert becomes dhikr for the scholar. Their sincerity is a mirror.”
You Were Always on a Divine Mission
One of the saddest modern phenomena is using the phrase, “Oh, you think you’re on a divine mission?” as a way to shame or mock someone.
But here’s the truth:
We are all on a divine mission.
If you find yourself ridiculing someone’s sense of spiritual purpose, it may be because you’ve lost touch with your own.
“Sarcasm is the devil’s poetry. It ridicules what the soul fears it was meant to become.”
What ‘Ilm Ladunnī Really Is
“…to whom We had given mercy from Us and had taught him knowledge from Our Presence.”
(Surah al-Kahf 18:65)
‘Ilm ladunnī—infused knowledge—is real. It was given to Khidr, and it still appears in our world. You see it in children who speak beyond their years. In students who seem to “remember” rather than learn. In people who solve problems they never studied.
It is not exclusive to saints. It’s not reserved for celebrities. And it’s not programmable into AI.
“True knowledge is not something you insert into the brain like a file. It’s light from the Source, gifted for a purpose.”
And that purpose is never self-glorification. It’s service. But let’s be clear: acquiring knowledge is not service. It is a beginning. When you learn, you become a student—not yet a servant. Seeking knowledge is an act of worship, yes, but it is still inward-facing. True service begins only when what you’ve learned is put to work for others. Until then, learning is still self-serving.
You Can’t Store Light in a Database
Modern society has confused knowledge with information. We build data warehouses. We collect facts like souvenirs. We even dream of downloading consciousness.
But consciousness is not data.
Consciousness is not memory.
Consciousness is connection—to the Creator.
AI, for all its power, is just a reflection of our memory, not our hearts. And ‘ilm ladunnī is not “machine learning”—it is divine placement.
It appears in the right heart, at the right time, for the right task. And it disappears the moment arrogance enters the room.
Divine Secrets Are Meant to Be Protected
Some people cannot handle certain truths. Even speaking about jinns, for example, to someone not ready can do more harm than good. Knowledge is power—but also a test.
Some knowledge is:
- Too heavy.
- Too sacred.
- Too dangerous to be shared.
“If Allah ﷻ withholds a truth from you, it may be His greatest mercy.”
This is why the Prophet ﷺ revealed in stages. Why some secrets remained with ‘Alī raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu. Why some lights remain veiled. Not everything is meant for exposure.
The Sacred Trust
If you are among those who are gifted:
- Protect your heart.
- Stay hidden when needed.
- Beware of your ego.
Because the moment you feel entitled to divine insight is the moment you lose it.
“You don’t summon sacred knowledge—it arrives. And it leaves if your soul becomes an unfit host.”
Read the Books. But Then Observe.
At Observance, we believe that knowledge is a journey. And every journey includes both:
- Learning from the sacred texts and traditions.
- Walking out into the world and witnessing their living reality.
“You may read the words of a saint from the 600s and turn around to find them embodied in someone beside you.”
Allah ﷻ has never stopped giving signs. He did not stop at Mūsā, or Ibrāhīm, or ʿĪsā ʿalayhim al-salām. He is The Ever Living—and still guiding.
Duʿā: For Sacred Awareness
اللَّهُمَّ أَرِنَا الْحَقَّ حَقًّا وَارْزُقْنَا اتِّبَاعَهُ، وَأَرِنَا الْبَاطِلَ بَاطِلًا وَارْزُقْنَا اجْتِنَابَهُ
“O Allah, show us the truth as truth and grant us the ability to follow it. And show us falsehood as falsehood and grant us the strength to avoid it.”
Allāhumma arinā al-ḥaqqa ḥaqqan warzuqnā ittibāʿah, wa arinā al-bāṭila bāṭilan warzuqnā ijtinābah. Ameen.
رَبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا
“My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”
Rabbi zidnī ʿilmā.Ameen
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