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We come to
this life without any kind of knowledge but with the ability to learn. The
source of all knowledge is Allah, the Most High, Who said in the Qur’an:
“And Allah has extracted
you from the wombs of your mothers not knowing a thing, and He made for you
hearing and vision and hearts [i.e., intellect] that perhaps you would be
grateful.”
(16:78)
Thus, we
should acquire knowledge before we act or decide in all areas of our lives. We
tend to base our judgments, decisions, beliefs, acts, etc, on some kind of
authority we trust. We spend a great deal of our life going to school to learn
because we are aware that we cannot succeed and achieve our goals without the
necessary training. Unfortunately, many people do not dedicate the same effort
to their salvation or their relationship with their Creator.
Most people,
including some Muslims, base their beliefs and religious practices on what they
learned from their fore fathers. They follow the practices and traditions of
their society. They do not make any effort to examine their traditions to find
out if they are doing the right thing. Many of them reject the true teachings of
Islam simply because it does not agree with what their fathers believed or
practiced.
Allah said:
“Rather, they say, "Indeed, we found our fathers upon a religion, and we are in
their footsteps [rightly] guided. And similarly, We did not send before you any
warner into a city except that its affluent said, "Indeed, we found our fathers
upon a religion, and we are, in their footsteps, following. [Each warner] said,
"Even if I brought you better guidance than that [religion] upon which you found
your fathers?" They said, "Indeed we, in that with which you were sent, are
disbelievers.”
(43: 22-24)
It is the
mercy of Allah, that when people deviate from the right path, He sends
messengers to teach them and guide them. Only those who follow the revealed
teaching are believers and successful in this life and in the hereafter. When
the whole world was in the darkness of ignorance Allah sent the final messenger,
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to show them the right way to believe in God and
worship Him. The first revealed a`yat (verse) of the Qur’an was:
“Recite in the name of
your Lord who created-. Created man from a clinging substance. Recite, and your
Lord is the most Generous-. Who taught by the pen-. Taught man that which he
knew not.”
(96:1-5)
The first
revelation begins with the word Iqra (read) and comes down to an unlettered
prophet living in a country where even knowledge of alphabets is uncommon. This
signified that the age of the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) was not going
to be an age of ignorance but of knowledge, reason, wisdom, and true
advancement.
These verses
teach man that his belief in God should be based on the knowledge that is taught
by God Himself. They also confirm the fact that the true God is the Creator of
all. They simply say that the one who created man is the one who knows what is
best for him and can guide him with perfect knowledge. We should know the one
true God and know how to please Him and worship Him.
In another
verse Allah said:
“So know, [O Muhammad], that there is no deity except Allah and ask forgiveness
for your sin and for the believing men and believing women. And Allah knows of
your movement and your resting place.”
(47: 19)
This verse
confirms that knowledge should precede practice and acts. First we should know
who is our God, His great attributes, how to worship and please Him, and then we
should act according to this knowledge.
Allah said:
“They know what is
apparent of the worldly life, but they, of the Hereafter, are unaware”
(30: 7)
The Messenger of Allah said:
“Whoever follows a path seeking knowledge then Allah will make the path to
Paradise easy for him. No people gather in a house of Allah’s houses, reciting
the Book of Allah and studying it among themselves, except that tranquility
descends upon them, they are covered in mercy, the angels envelope them, and
Allah mentions them to those in His presence. Whoever is slowed down by his
deeds will not be sped up by his lineage.”
(Sahih
Muslim)
After
attaining true Islamic knowledge we are obliged to strive hard to perform good
deeds, avoid committing sins and never go astray in following the true path to
Allah. This religious knowledge will guide us to the correct way of life that
embodies the true teachings of Islam. Accordingly, any time spent in search of
true religious knowledge will be rewarded by Allah. As Muslims, we believe that
this is one of the best forms of worship.
Anyone who
wishes to earn the pleasure of Allah and gain the ultimate reward of Paradise
should first know how to please Allah. Those looking for the truth should depend
on the revealed Book of God. There they will find guidance and knowledge about
God, the purpose of our creation and how to fulfill our duties toward God. The
Messenger of Allah (Peace be upon him) is the practical example for us to
follow. Any belief or practice should be based on these two sources. The
companions of the prophet realized this fact so they always accepted the perfect
knowledge of Allah and they never tried to invent anything in the teachings of
God.
Unfortunately, in the years since the revelation, many Muslims have mixed the
traditions of their society with the teaching of God. One of the important
reasons was because they didn’t fulfill the command of God to learn and return
to the pure teaching of God.
Allah said:
And when it is said
to them, "Follow what Allah has revealed," they say, "Rather, we will follow
that which we found our fathers doing." Even though their fathers understood
nothing, nor were they guided?
(2: 170)
But how can
we keep ourselves on the right way without knowing this way. How can man claim
that he is a believer while he does not know who his God is and what His
attributes are? How can he do his duties toward Him?
Prophet
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said:
“If Allah wants to do good
to a person, He makes him comprehend the religion. I am just a distributor, but
the grant is from Allah….”
(Sahih Bukhari)
We know that
understanding comes through learning. To see the importance of seeking
knowledge, we should remember that Allah did not command His prophet to ask for
more of anything in this life except knowledge.
Allah said:
“So high [above all] is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do
not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to
you, and say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”
(20:114)
Say:
“Is one who is devoutly
obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer],
fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does
not]? Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will
remember [who are] people of understanding”
(39: 9)
“And among people and
moving creatures and grazing livestock are various colors similarly. Only those
fear Allah, from among His slaves, who have knowledge, Indeed, Allah is Exalted
in Might and Forgiving.”
(35: 28)
The famous
Hadeeth of Angel Jibreel (alaihi assalaam) reported by Omar bin Al-Khattab,
teaches us many things. One of the most important things in this hadeeth is the
way the Angel came to the prophet, in the form of man who is learning from the
Prophet. He asked questions and got the answers. When he left, the prophet told
his companion about the questioner
“it was Jibreel, who came
to instruct and teach you the principles of your religion.”
This proves that our presence in an educational environment is essential for
better understanding of Islam. Learning through reading alone away from classes
is not the best way to get a good Islamic education.
If we can’t
attend classes, at least we should depend on authentic sources and keep in touch
with scholars and teachers to review what we read and ask about things that are
not clear to us. Knowledge is a light, with knowledge you can differentiate
between good and evil. Allah revealed the Qur’an and sent His Messenger (Peace
be upon him) to teach us and show us the true knowledge that leads to our
salvation.
Allah said:
“Just as We have
sent among you a messenger from yourselves reciting to you Our verses and
purifying you and teaching you the Book and wisdom and teaching you that which
you did not know.”
(2: 151) And finally, the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: “Seeking knowledge is a must upon every Muslim.”
Written by dr.yahya albaheth |