Knowledge = Responsibility

Verse 93 in Surah Yunus:
وَلَقَدْ بَوَّأْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ فَمَا اخْتَلَفُوا حَتَّىٰ جَاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ يَقْضِي بَيْنَهُمْ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فِيمَا كَانُوا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
And indeed We settled the Children of Israel in an honourable dwelling place, and provided them with good things, and they only differed after the knowledge came to them. Verily, Allah will judge between them on the Day of Resurrection in that in which they used to differ.

It was interesting reading this verse because God speaks of a people who He had favored with so many blessings, but then it says they differed and began having disputes among each other. But why? Well, what does the verse say? Only after the knowledge came to them. So after they raised their own scholars, gained knowledge, and became learned, after all that, they began to differ. Because when someone becomes educated, he begins to form his own ideas, and many times only see his ideas, and nothing else. This may have been the case for these people. Knowledge became their pride and ego, so it split them. How many times do we see this in our world today? Knowledge has become something you gain in order to justify your own beliefs, rather than to intelligently share it with others and feel responsible with the information you have. This verse makes you think twice honestly. Knowledge isn't something people should brag about. It is a privilege and responsibility at the same time. It's their duty to help unite people with that knowledge rather than doing the exact opposite as this verse states.

This brings me to another verse in Surah Yunus where Allah says that this nation was one nation until people differed:
Verse 19, Surah Yunus:
وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّا أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ
Mankind were but one community, then they differed (later), and had not it been for a Word that went forth before from your Lord, it would have been settled between them regarding what they differ.

Here it speaks of people differing after they were originally one nation. But what fascinated me the most here in relation to the first verse we spoke about is the ending of this verse. The previous verse ended saying that God will judge between them in what they USED TO differ about. However, here when speaking in general to the whole nation that was once one and now it is scattered, God says in what they ARE (still) DIFFERING. He doesn't use the past tense in referring to their disputes. As if people are still disputing today and continuing to split this one nation, our ummah. How true is this today? We are still differing in opinions and beliefs and ideas! These disputes are ongoing unfortunately, and as long as people stay in their own limited way of thinking, they will STILL differ.