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Seeking
Knowledge is a Must 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 brought you out of the wombs of your mothers when you knew
nothing; and He gave you hearing and sight and intelligence and hearts that
you might give thanks.” Al-Nahl 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: ”Nay!”
They say, “We found our fathers following a certain religion, and we guide
ourselves by their footsteps.” Just
in the same way, whenever We sent a warner before you to any people, the
wealthy ones among them said: “We found our fathers following a certain
way and religion, and we will indeed follow in their footsteps.”
He said: “What! Even if I brought you better guidance than that
which ye found your fathers following?” They said: “For us, we
disbelieve in that with which you have been sent” Al- Zukhruf 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
“Read!
In the name of your Lord who has created all. He has created man out of a
(mere) clot of congealed blood. Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous. He
Who has taught by (the use of) the pen, has taught man that which he knew
not.” Al-Alaq 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
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: Allah
said: “They
know only the outside appearance of the life of this world: but of the
Hereafter they are heedless.” Ar-Rum 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 and serve 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
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: When
it is said to them: "Follow what Allah has sent down." they say:
"Nay! We shall follow what we found our fathers following." What!
Even though their fathers were void of wisdom and guidance! Al-Baqarah 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
We
know that understanding comes through learning. To see the importance of
seeking knowledge, we should remember that Allah didn't command His prophet
to ask for more of anything in this life except knowledge. Allah
said: “High
above all is Allah, the true King! Be not in haste with the Qur’an before
its revelation to thee is completed, but say, “O my Lord! Increase me in
knowledge." Taha 20:114 * Say:
"Are those equal who know and those who do not know? It is only men of
understanding who will learn (from my verses) and remember.” Al-Zumor 39:9
* “It
is only those who have knowledge among His Servants that truly fear Allah:
Verily, Allah is All-Mighty, Oft-Forgiving.” Fater 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 light, with knowledge
you can differentiate between good and evil.
Allah revealed the Qur’an and sent His messenger
Allah
said: “Similarly,
We have sent among you a Messenger of your own, reciting to you Our Verses,
and teaching you the Book and the Wisdom, and teaching you that which you
knew not.” Al-Baqarah 2:151 * And
finally, the Prophet Muhammad
“Seeking
knowledge is a must upon every Muslim.” *
These quotations present the translation of the meaning of the mentioned
verses **The
complete text of this hadeeth can be found in Riyahd-us-Salaheen,
Arabic-English version Volume 1, hadeeth #60, the hadeeth is from Sahih
Muslim
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