Seeking for knowledge in Islam

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SEEKING KNOWLEDGE IN ISLAM

Islam, like no other religion made the seeking of knowledge COMPULSORY.

Seeking knowledge is compulsory upon every Muslim - Tirmidhi

This Hadith made it clear that seeking knowledge (not only spiritual knowledge, even the secular knowledge) and the compulsion encompasses everybody, a Muslim, regardless of your age, race, class, group, gender...

The first revelation that came to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was 'Read'. Chapter 96 of the holy Quran which starts saying:

"Read In the Name of your Lord, Who has created... Has created man from a clot.. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous... Who has taught the use of pen...Has taught man that which he knew not."-[Al-Alaq (The Clot) 96:1-5]

All these verses repeated the same thing, 'Read' to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) at the cave of Hirah, history tells us how Angel Jibreel (AS) grasped the Prophet telling him to read & he (PBUH) for every of the three times kept replying 'I am no reader!'

When Allaah (SWT) wanted to create the first human being on earth, The Angels said to their Lord:

"Will you place therein those who will make mischief therein and shed blood, - while we glorify you with praises...”

He (Allaah (SWT)) said: "I know that which you do not know."

When Allaah (SWT) created Adam (AS) he taught him the names of all things, then said to the Angels 'Tell me the names'. They replied:

"Glory Be to You, we have no knowledge except what you have taught us..."

Then Allaah (SWT) turned to Adam (AS) and said 'Oh Adam, inform them of their names.’ And Adam (AS) did, Allaah (SWT) told the Angels 'Have I not told you I know the knowledge of Ghaib (unseen)?'

Allaah (SWT) then ordered the angles all to prostrate before Adam (AS)

This all to show how Allaah made the Angels (upon all their service to their Lord) prostrated before our father Adam (AS) because of one thing, Knowledge.

The Prophets of Allaah used to say God increase me in knowledge. Muhammad (PBUH) used to recite: ربي زدني علما نفيعا

When Abdullahi Ibn Abbas (Prophet's nephew) was born, he (PBUH) embraced him and pray 'Oh! Allaah! Bestow on him knowledge of the book.' Abdullahi (RA) became an authority in the field of Quran' commentary. Which the Prophet said ‘the best of you, is the one who knows the Quran and teaches it’. Muhammad (PBUH) prayed for Ibn Abbas to be the best, knowledge, which is worth more than gold! Take a look at Musa' (AS) former companion (Qaroun) who had knowledge of the gospel of Moses but insisted Musa (AS) pray God gives him wealth, he got enormous wealth, But..?

Will you compare those who know, and those who don't? Incomparable, they're.

Chapter I of the holy book speaks about the Ahlul-kitab (who have earned Allaah (SWT)' anger & gone astray. One, the Jews who have knowledge of the books revealed to their Prophets but chose not believe in and their counterparts who worship with ignorance. In Islam, one thing is acquiring knowledge & then acting upon. As Ibn Masud rightly puts it 'True knowledge isn't measured in how much one has acquired but one has act. That’s TRUE knowledge.

Abdullahi Ibn Mubarak in his 'Jami Bayani Ilm wa Fadlh wrote: The first step towards seeking knowledge is sincerity, then listening, then understanding, then memorizing, then acting and finally spreading. To learn knowledge one has/should be a scholar, or student of knowledge, ask questions from the learned or at least stay amongst the learned men. Imam Shafi' said all humans are dead except those who have knowledge, all with knowledge are asleep except those who do good deeds, those who do deeds are deceived except those who are sincere & those are in a state of worry.

One should pray & seek for useful knowledge. Quran described those that don't act on their knowledge as 'donkeys' carrying ton of loads on its back but has no idea what's right behind it! Hadith reported from Tirmidhi says whoever seeks path seeking knowledge, Allaah will make it easy for him to Paradise.

Finally, let me draw a parallel with the story of Musa (AS) and Khidr (who Quran said a slave of Allaah who he bestowed mercy on & taught knowledge). Musa, Prophet of God (more so, Ulul-Azm). Musa was asked to go learn from one Khidr, a lot of lessons to learn from Musa (AS)' journey. When he (Moses PBUH) met Khidr, he asked 'May I follow you, so that you teach me from your knowledge?' He was given instructions, which was to be patient and never ask Khidr questions. Musa (AS) promised not to break the rules & disobey Khidr (his teacher). When they got into a ship, Khidr started to scuttle it, Musa (AS) said that Khidr came with something dreadful. Khidr reminded him of his instructions, call me not to account for something I've forgot and don't be hard on me, said Prophet Musa (AS). They proceeded and met a young boy, Khidr killed him. Musa (AS) couldn't be patient for what he had no knowledge of, said to his teacher that 'Verily, you've committed a great prohibited evil!' When he was reminded of the instructions the second time, Musa (AS) said Khidr should part company with him should he ask him anything again. Then they both proceeded, till, when they came to the people of a town, they asked them for food, but they refused to entertain them. Then they found therein a wall about to collapse and he (Khidr) set it up straight. Musa (AS) said: If you had wished, surely, you could have taken wages for it!". This time Khidr couldn't take more excuse from him, said this is the parting between me & you. But before then, Khidr explained all that transpired and Musa (AS) couldn't hold patient. Knowledge!!

Verily in the book of Allaah there's lesson for the men of understanding.

May Allaah increase us all in knowledge.

Muhammad Malumfashi

@ya_waliyyi