Tickets To Paradise--Ticket #15 (Seeking Sacred Knowledge)

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Assalaamu alaykum

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

The Messenger. Allah bless him and grant him peace,

He who treads the path in search of (sacred Islamic knowledge), Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. (Muslim)

Traveling to seek sacred knowledge is a tremendous act of worship. The scholars mentioned that it is the greatest worship after the compulsory actions.

Abdullah ibn Abbas, Allah be pleased with both father and son, said,

Studying throughout the night is more beloved to me than praying the night.

No person becomes truly a Muslim without knowing the meaning of Islam because one becomes a Muslim not through birth but through knowledge. The first word revealed of the Qur'an was "Iqra" (Read! Seek knowledge! Educate yourselves! Be educated!). (Surah 'Alaq 96:1)

Allah says,

أَفَمَن يَعْلَمُ أَنَّمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ مِن رَّبِّكَ ٱلْحَقُّ كَمَنْ هُوَ أَعْمَىٰٓ ۚ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿١٩﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ يُوفُونَ بِعَهْدِ ٱللَّـهِ وَلَا يَنقُضُونَ ٱلْمِيثَـٰقَ ﴿٢٠﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ يَصِلُونَ مَآ أَمَرَ ٱللَّـهُ بِهِۦٓ أَن يُوصَلَ وَيَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ وَيَخَافُونَ سُوٓءَ ٱلْحِسَابِ ﴿٢١﴾ وَٱلَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا۟ ٱبْتِغَآءَ وَجْهِ رَبِّهِمْ وَأَقَامُوا۟ ٱلصَّلَوٰةَ وَأَنفَقُوا۟ مِمَّا رَزَقْنَـٰهُمْ سِرًّا وَعَلَانِيَةً وَيَدْرَءُونَ بِٱلْحَسَنَةِ ٱلسَّيِّئَةَ أُو۟لَـٰٓئِكَ لَهُمْ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ ﴿٢٢﴾ جَنَّـٰتُ عَدْنٍ يَدْخُلُونَهَا وَمَن صَلَحَ مِنْ ءَابَآئِهِمْ وَأَزْوَٰجِهِمْ وَذُرِّيَّـٰتِهِمْ ۖ وَٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةُ يَدْخُلُونَ عَلَيْهِم مِّن كُلِّ بَابٍ ﴿٢٣﴾ سَلَـٰمٌ عَلَيْكُم بِمَا صَبَرْتُمْ ۚ فَنِعْمَ عُقْبَى ٱلدَّارِ ﴿٢٤

Then is he who knows that what has been revealed to you from your Lord is the truth like one who is blind? They will only be reminded who are people of understanding - (19) Those who fulfill the covenant of Allah and do not break the contract, (20) And those who join that which Allah has ordered to be joined and fear their Lord and are afraid of the evil of [their] account, (21) And those who are patient, seeking the countenance of their Lord, and establish prayer and spend from what We have provided for them secretly and publicly and prevent evil with good - those will have the good consequence of [this] home - (22) Gardens of perpetual residence; they will enter them with whoever were righteous among their fathers, their spouses and their descendants. And the angels will enter upon them from every gate, [saying], (23) "Peace be upon you for what you patiently endured. And excellent is the final home." (24)

(Qur'an Ra'd 13:19-24)

Here, the contrast between Faith and Righteousness on the one hand and Infidelity and Evil on the other is set out. The righteous person is known as one who
(1) receives admonition;
(2) is true to his covenants;
(3) follows the universal Religion of Faith and Practice joined together;
(4) is patient and persevering in seeking Allah; and in practical matters he is known to be;
(5) regular in prayer;
(6) generous in true charity, whether open or secret; and
(7) not revengeful, but anxious to turn off evil with good, thus breaking the chain of evil which tends to perpetuate itself.

The main purpose of acquiring knowledge is to bring us closer to Allah. It is not simply for the gratification of the mind or the senses. It is not knowledge for the sake of knowledge or science. Knowledge accordingly must be linked with values and goals. Knowledge should be pursued and practiced with modesty and humility.

The one with knowledge is not equal to the one without. Allah says,

قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ

...Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding.(Qur'an Zumar 39:9)

The reward for knowledge is wisdom and the one with wisdom receives tremendous benefit. Allah says,

يُؤْتِى ٱلْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤْتَ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِىَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ

He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding. (Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:269)

If Muslims truly realize the importance Islam places on knowledge and its virtues, they will definitely be keen to learn and teach others. They would start with themselves and their families; then their neighbors and the community at large. Once Mu'awiyah Ibn Abi Sufyan, Allah be pleased with him, gave a sermon in which he said,

I heard Allah's Messenger saying, "If Allah wants to do good to a person, he makes him very knowledgeable in the Deen." (Bukhari and Muslim)

Knowledge is the basis of all good; it generates actions that are based on the commandments of Allah and the instructions of the Prophet, Allah bless him and grant him peace. So, every Muslim must instil in his mind a desire to seek knowledge. Allah Most High instructed His Messenger --and thus all Muslims -- to ask Allah to increase him in knowledge.

رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا

Rabbi zidni ilma (My Lord, increase me in knowledge). (Qur'an Taha 20:114)

There should be a sense of urgency in each and everyone of us to seek sacred knowledge, starting with those matters that concerns your everyday life, e.g. purification, prayers, zakat and charity, fasting, familial duties, menstruation, marriage, transactions, rights of people and other creation, etc.)

May Allah grant us beneficial knowledge and make us among the people of understanding. May Allah grant us the love of learning and teaching, and help us practice what we know. Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan.

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam