Beneficial Knowledge

النَّافِعُ

An-Nāfi‘ — The Benefactor

وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

Then exalted be Allah, the True King! And hasten not (O Muhammad) with the Qur'an ere its revelation hath been perfected unto thee, and say: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge

Surah Ṭā-Hā (20:114)

Intention

Today, I will learn one thing and act on it before the day ends.

Reflection

An-Nāfiʿ is The One who benefits — the source of every good that reaches you. In the tradition of seeking knowledge, the scholars always distinguished between knowledge that benefits and knowledge that merely fills the mind. Beneficial knowledge changes how you live. It softens the heart, corrects the action, and draws you closer to the One who taught you. The Prophet (peace be upon him) specifically sought refuge from knowledge that does not benefit.

On this verse

The only thing the Quran commands the Prophet (peace be upon him) to ask for more of is knowledge. Not wealth, not status, not even health — knowledge. That tells you everything about its rank.

Du'a

The Prophet (peace be upon him) would say this every morning after Fajr. Knowledge, sustenance, and deeds — the three pillars of a good day.

Hadith

The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: 'When a person dies, their deeds come to an end except for three: ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for them.'

— Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 1631