In Pursuit of Knowledge

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

Dear Friends

I pray that you are well.

Allah Almighty says,

ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ﴿١﴾ خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ﴿٢﴾ ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ ﴿٣﴾ ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ ﴿٤﴾ عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَـٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ﴿٥

Read in the name of your Lord who created - (1) Created man from a clinging substance. (2) Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous - (3) Who taught by the pen - (4) Taught man that which he knew not. (5)

[Qur’an Al-'Alaq 96: 1-5]

“Read” was the first word to be revealed in the Qur’an. The verses above demonstrate the importance that Islam dedicates to knowledge.

Allah encourage us to ask Him for increase in knowledge.

وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا ...

...and say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge." (114)

[Qur’an Taha 20:114]

The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam, said,

Whoever follows a path in the pursuit of knowledge, Allah will make a path to Paradise easy for him.

[Bukhari]

Not only it is our duty to seek knowledge, it is also our duty to excel in it. Knowledge is of two kinds: religious knowledge and worldly knowledge. The first thing that a person is required to have knowledge of, is knowledge of His Creator, His religion, and His revelation. However, this obligation ultimately embraces all useful knowledge, since the first step in any area is to have knowledge about it.

Worldly knowledge includes all branches of knowledge by which we acquire through our human experience and interaction with the universe that surrounds us. We acquire this knowledge by investigating and contemplating the patterns and laws that exist in nature.

Some Muslims pay so much attention in worldly knowledge and forget the next worldly knowledge and vice versa. This is against the Islamic perspective of knowledge.

Islam calls us to seek knowledge in the broadest sense of the word. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wassallam , said,

Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.

[Sunan Ibn Majah ]

Islam gives preference to a knowledgeable person over an ignorant one. Allah says,

قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ ﴿٩ ...

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

[Qur'an al-Zumar 39:9]

All the calamities that our Ummah suffers could have been prevented if Muslims have the correct understanding of the importance of seeking knowledge--both worldly and next worldly, individually and collectively.

At all times, whether we are pursuing the worldly knowledge or the next worldly knowledge, the intention has to be correct. We should be doing it to please our Lord. Allah says,

وَمَا خَلَقْتُ ٱلْجِنَّ وَٱلْإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعْبُدُونِ ﴿٥٦

And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. (56)

[Qur'an Adh-Dhariyat 51:56]

We should realize what impact that knowledge will have on both our worldly and religious lives. If a person has a sincere and wholesome intention for pursuing knowledge--any field of useful worldly knowledge or religious, it will have a positive effect on his faith.

May Allah increase us in beneficial knowledge and grant us excellence and tawfiq. Ameen.

Please don't forget us in your night prayers. Jazakallahu khairan,

And Allah knows best.
Wassalaam