BENEFIT 253: Three Causes Of Error

Sheikh ’Uthaymeen raḥimahullāh said: "The causes of error are three: lack of knowledge, limited understanding, and ill intent. The first two involve a deficiency in knowledge or understanding. A person may have limited knowledge, or they may possess knowledge but lack the capacity to understand it. Many people have vast knowledge, yet they fail to comprehend it correctly. The third cause is ill intent: a person may have knowledge and understanding, but their intentions are corrupt. They seek to mislead others, pulling them from light into darkness and diverting them from Allāh's path. These three factors are all causes of misguidance. The first is a lack of knowledge; the person does not have sufficient awareness. The second is limited understanding: the individual may have extensive exposure to information, but their comprehension is lacking. They do not grasp the texts correctly, or perhaps they understand the texts but fail to derive rulings and judgments from them. This is why you find some scholars deducing many rulings from a single Āyah—some scholars may extract ten or even twenty rulings, while others can only derive three or five. The same applies to ḥadīth interpretation. The third cause is ill intent. A person may have both knowledge and understanding, but their intentions are not pure. They want to mislead people and follow the path of their forefathers or scholars, even if that path is false. However, if Allāh grants a person extensive knowledge, sharp understanding, and good intent, they should be hopeful for goodness and knowledge. Few are blessed with all three, but Allāh's grace is abundant. Therefore, my brothers, we must always ask Allāh to teach us what benefits us, to benefit us by what He has taught us, and to increase our knowledge. These things are important. Do not assume that you have mastered knowledge—knowledge is an endless ocean. Anyone who claims to have mastered knowledge is the most ignorant of people, both about themselves and about knowledge. Knowledge has no limits. Sometimes a young student may say something that has escaped the attention of even the most knowledgeable people. This happened even during the time of the Companions, may Allāh be pleased with them. The key point is that issues contradicting clear textual evidence or the way of the early generations cannot be left unchallenged. We must denounce them and clarify their falsehood. However, wisdom must also be followed. What does it mean to follow wisdom? It means speaking calmly with the person and not seeking to triumph for your own ego or opinion. If your goal is to defend your ego, you are not calling to Allāh, but to yourself. Instead, aim to champion the truth. Treat the one who opposes the truth as if they are a patient you wish to heal, not as a criminal you wish to punish. There is a significant difference between the two perspectives: one sees the dissenter as a criminal to be punished, while the other views them as a patient to be treated. This difference in approach affects how people communicate the truth. Those whom Allāh grants wisdom will succeed, and there is no doubt that kindness yields more good than harshness, as affirmed by the Prophet ﷺ. When we deal with people in this manner, they may accept the truth from us. However, if we treat them harshly, for example, by calling someone a heretic or deviant simply because they interpret Allāh's reference to 'Hands' as 'power' or 'blessing,' that is not wisdom. Rather, we should speak to them calmly and engage in proper discussion. I believe, with Allāh's will, that anyone who sincerely seeks the truth will ultimately be convinced by it." Source: https://alathar.net/home/esound/index.php?op=codevi&coid=115736