This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Abu Hamza Abdul Khaliq Siddiqi's book Sahih Fazail-e-Amaal.
The Virtues of Acquiring Knowledge
Acquiring knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman. They must be aware of the basic Islamic teachings. That is, it is obligatory to have knowledge about fundamental beliefs such as the oneness of Allah and Prophethood, prayer, fasting, and other basic acts of worship. Besides this, having more in-depth, systematic knowledge is a collective obligation (Fard Kifayah). That is, some people should acquire knowledge with thoroughness and guide the people in their areas according to the Quran and Sunnah. The virtues and merits of acquiring knowledge and of the learned are so numerous that it is difficult to encompass them all in writing. A few are mentioned below.
﴿شَهِدَ اللَّهُ أَنَّهُ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ وَأُولُو الْعِلْمِ قَائِمًا بِالْقِسْطِ ۚ لَا إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ الْعَزِيزُ الْحَكِيمُ﴾
“Allah bears witness, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge - that there is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.”
Reference: (3-Al Imran:18)
From the following noble verse, it is clear that some people should remain in their cities and towns, not everyone should leave for jihad, so that those who stay behind can take care of the families of the Mujahideen, fulfill their needs, and also oversee the martyrs and the town. Those who go for jihad with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) should benefit from his company and continue to acquire knowledge of the Quran and Sunnah. When they return to their towns and cities, they should teach what they have learned from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) during this journey to the rest of the people:
﴿وَمَا كَانَ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُوا كَافَّةً ۚ فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِّنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ﴾
“And it is not for the believers to go forth all at once. For there should separate from every division of them a group [remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn their people when they return to them that they might be cautious.”
Reference: (9-At-Tawbah:122)
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to supplicate for an increase in knowledge:
﴿فَتَعَالَى اللَّهُ الْمَلِكُ الْحَقُّ ۗ وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِالْقُرْآنِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُقْضَىٰ إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُ ۖ وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا﴾
“So high [above all] is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do not hasten with the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, ‘My Lord, increase me in knowledge.’”
Reference: (20-Taha:114)
The author of Fath al-Bayan writes:
“Allah Almighty did not advise His Messenger to seek increase in anything except knowledge.”
Reference: (Tafsir al-Taysir al-Rahman: 911/1)
What greater virtue of knowledge can there be than that Allah Himself commands His beloved Prophet (peace be upon him) to seek an increase in knowledge? The learned and the ignorant are certainly not equal in rank. It is stated:
﴿أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا يَحْذَرُ الْآخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُو رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ ۗ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ﴾
“Indeed, those who practice devotions, night and day, fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of their Lord, say, ‘Are those who know equal to those who do not know?’ Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding.”
Reference: (39-Az-Zumar:9)
Dr. Luqman Salafi (may Allah preserve him) states:
At the end of this verse, it is said by the Prophet (peace be upon him) that knowledge and ignorance, the learned and the ignorant, cannot be equal. Those who acquire knowledge of the oneness of Allah and His commands and prohibitions and act upon it are certainly better than those ignorant ones who wander in the valleys of polytheism and misguidance. And only those who have sound intellect benefit from this divine teaching.
Reference: (Tafsir al-Taysir al-Rahman: 1293/3)
And at another place it is said:
﴿يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا فِي الْمَجَالِسِ فَافْسَحُوا يَفْسَحِ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا قِيلَ انشُزُوا فَانشُزُوا يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ وَاللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ﴾
“O you who have believed, when you are told, ‘Space yourselves’ in assemblies, then make space; Allah will make space for you. And when you are told, ‘Arise,’ then arise; Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees. And Allah is Acquainted with what you do.”
Reference: (58-Al-Mujadila:11)
Allama Shawkani (may Allah have mercy on him) explains the meaning of this verse as:
Allah gives the believers superiority over the disbelievers, and the learned over the ignorant many times over. So, whoever benefits from both faith and knowledge, Allah will grant him many degrees because of faith, and then many degrees because of knowledge.”
Reference: (Tafsir al-Taysir al-Rahman: 1555/2)
﴿ومِنَ النَّاسِ وَالدَّوَابِّ وَالْأَنْعَامِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَانُهُ كَذَٰلِكَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ ۗ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ﴾
“And among the people and moving creatures and grazing livestock are various colors similarly. Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Forgiving.”
Reference: (35-Fatir:28)
The signs of Allah’s power are scattered throughout the entire universe. Whoever reflects, contemplates, and ponders over them, his faith in the greatness, majesty, and glory of Allah increases accordingly, and he begins to fear Allah. That is why it is said that only those who truly have knowledge of Allah fear Him.
These were just a few of the countless verses about the virtue of knowledge and the learned. Now, consider the related hadiths.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
” طلب العلم فريضة على كل مسلم“.
“Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim.”
Reference: Sunan Ibn Majah, Chapter on the Virtue of Scholars and Encouragement to Seek Knowledge, Hadith No: 224.
Allama Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it “Sahih.”عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ” من نفس عن مؤمن كربة من كرب الدنيا نفس الله عنه كربة من كرب يوم القيامة، ومن يسر على معسر يسر الله عليه فى الدنيا والآخرة، ومن ستر مسلما ستره الله فى الدنيا والآخرة، والله فى عون العبد ما كان العبد فى عون أخيه ، ومن سلك طريقا يلتمس فيه علما سهل الله له به طريقا إلى الجنة . وما اجتمع قوم فى بيت من بيوت الله، يتلون كتاب الله، ويتدارسونه بينهم، إلا نزلت عليهم السكينة، وغشيتهم الرحمة وحفتهم الملائكة، وذكرهم الله فيمن عنده - ومن بطأ به عمله لم يسرع به نسبه“.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever relieves a believer from some worldly hardship, Allah will relieve him from a great hardship on the Day of Resurrection. Whoever makes things easy for one who is in difficulty or in hardship, Allah will make things easy for him in this world and the Hereafter. Whoever conceals the faults of a Muslim, Allah will conceal his faults in this world and the Hereafter. Allah continues to help His servant as long as the servant helps his (Muslim) brother. Whoever travels a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make easy for him the path to Paradise. And those who gather in one of Allah’s houses, reciting the Book of Allah and studying it together, Allah’s tranquility descends upon them, mercy envelops them, angels surround them, and Allah mentions them to those near Him. And whoever is left behind by his deeds, his lineage will not benefit him.”
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Supplications, Chapter on the Virtue of Gathering for Quran Recitation, Hadith No: 2699.
The difference between knowledge and ignorance is such that after knowledge, a rope is seen as a rope, but in ignorance, even a snake is seen as a rope. Knowledge is a light that distinguishes between good and evil, truth and falsehood. Only through knowledge can a person truly believe in Allah and the Hereafter. Even the colors of the world that appear in ignorance change after acquiring knowledge. Thoughts change. Perspectives change. Enemies appear as enemies and friends as friends.
عن أبى الدرداء رضى الله عنه قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: ” من سلك طريقا يبتغي فيه علما سلك الله به طريقا إلى الجنة ، وإن الملائكة لتضع أجنحتها رضا لطالب العلم وإن العالم ليستغفر له من فى السموات ومن فى الأرض حتى الحيتان فى الماء، وفضل العالم على العابد كفضل القمر على سائر الكواكب، وإن العلماء ورثة الأنبياء، وإن الأنبياء لم يورثوا دينارا ولا درهما وإنما ورثوا العلم، فمن أخذه أخذ بحظ وافر“.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: “Whoever travels a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make easy for him the path to Paradise. The angels spread their wings for the seeker of knowledge out of pleasure. The entire creation of the heavens and the earth, even the fish in the water, pray for forgiveness for the scholar. The superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like the superiority of the moon over all the stars. The scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets. Indeed, the Prophets do not leave behind dinars or dirhams as inheritance; rather, they leave knowledge as inheritance. So whoever acquires it has acquired a great share.”
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on Encouragement to Seek Knowledge, Hadith No: 3641; Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Chapters on Knowledge, Hadith No: 2682.
Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it “Sahih.”عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ” من تعلم علما مما يبتغى به وجه الله عزوجل لا يتعلمه إلا ليصيب به من الدنيا: لم يجد عرف الجنة يوم القيامة يعني ريحها“.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever seeks knowledge for the sake of worldly gain, to obtain worldly benefits through it, will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.”
Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on Seeking Knowledge for Other than Allah, Hadith No: 3664.
Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it “Sahih.”عن معاوية رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ” من يرد الله به خيرا يفقهه فى الدين“.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Muawiyah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whomever Allah wishes good for, He grants him understanding of the religion.”
Reference: Sahih Bukhari, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on Whom Allah Wishes Good, Hadith No: 71; Sahih Muslim, Book of Zakat, Chapter on Prohibition of Asking, Hadith No: 1037
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Zaid bin Thabit (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
” نضر الله امرأ سمع منا حديثا فحفظه حتى يبلغه غيره، فرب حامل فقه إلى من هو أفقه منه، ورب حامل فقه ليس بفقيه“.
“May Allah keep fresh the one who listens to my Hadith, then memorizes it, then conveys it as he heard it. How many carriers of knowledge are more jurists than others (to whom knowledge is conveyed), and how many claimants of jurisprudence are not jurists.”
Reference: Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on Encouragement to Convey What is Heard, Hadith No: 2656.
Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it “Sahih.”It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Imamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever goes to the mosque with the sole intention of learning or teaching some good will have a reward equal to that of one who has performed Hajj completely.”
Reference: Sahih At-Targhib wa At-Tarhib, Hadith No: 82; Mustadrak Hakim: 1/91.
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
” ألا إن الدنيا ملعونة ، ملعون ما فيها، إلا ذكر الله وما والاه، وعالم أو متعلم“.
“Remember that the world is cursed and all its equipment is cursed. If anything is exempt from this curse, it is the remembrance of Allah and the person who carries the remembrance of Allah. Likewise, the scholar and the student.”
Reference: Sunan At-Tirmidhi, Book of Zuhd, Hadith No: 2322; Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith No: 4112.
Albani (may Allah have mercy on him) declared it “Hasan.”عن أبى هريرة رضى الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: ” يتقارب الزمان ويقبض العلم وتظهر الفتن ، ويلقى الشح ، ويكثر الهرج“.قالوا: وما الهرج ؟ قال: القتل
Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) says the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “(Near the Day of Judgment) time will be shortened, knowledge will be taken away, trials will appear, selfishness will be created in people’s hearts, and killing will become widespread.” The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) asked: “O Messenger of Allah! What is killing?” He (peace be upon him) replied: “Killing.”
Reference: Sahih Muslim, Book of Knowledge, Chapter on the Raising and Taking Away of Knowledge, Hadith No: 157/11.
The importance of knowledge can be understood from this as well: without knowledge, trials, corruption, selfishness, and widespread killing will occur, because without knowledge, piety is not attained. Where there is no fear of Allah, a person falls below the level of animals. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) says:
” ليس العلم بكثرة الحديث، ولكن العلم كثرة الخشية“.
“Knowledge is not the memorization of many hadiths. Rather, knowledge is the abundance of fear of Allah.”
Reference: Jami’ Bayan al-‘Ilm: 25/2.
And Imam Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) says:
” إنما الفقيه من يخاف الله“.
“A jurist and scholar is one in whose heart the fear of Allah exists.”
Reference: Sunan Darimi, Introduction, Hadith No: 296.
