Ihyaaud Deen An Effort to Revive Deen in Totality
Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Ilyaas (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) once mentioned the following:
The Sunnah method of acquiring the knowledge of deen – which is to learn deen from the pious Ulama through expressing the thirst for knowledge before them, showing them utmost respect and love, and remaining in their company in order to learn how they apply the knowledge in their lives – the effect of this method is that the more one’s knowledge increases, the more one realizes the extent of one’s ignorance and the more one sees the need for further progress.
As for the present-day method of acquiring knowledge (through studying in schools, universities, etc.) then the outcome of adopting this method is that one becomes opinionated. This then leads to pride coming about in a person (where he will look down at others and think too much of himself), and the person who has pride will not enter Jannah (until he is cleansed of that pride).
Apart from this, the person who becomes opinionated will no longer find the need or desire in his heart to progress further in ilm (as he feels that he knows it all). On account of this, his road to progress in ilm is closed.
(Malfoozaat Hazrat Moulana Muhammad Ilyaas (rahmatullahi ‘alaih) pg. 120-121)
