“There is no god but He: That is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the Wise” [Quran, 3:18].
“There is no god but He: That is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the Wise” [Quran, 3:18].
It remains a duty on all Muslims to strive for knowledge – Islam encourages and promotes the idea of learning, asking questions, and striving to better oneself through acquiring knowledge. The Prophet Muhammad is famously reported to have said: “Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim”. He is also reported to have stated: “You must seek knowledge from birth till death”.
But before we delve into the numerous hadith and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad on knowledge, let us look into the Holy Quran – the definite authoritative word of God – to understand the true importance of knowledge. Here are just five examples from the Quran on the depth of faith one can hope to achieve through actively pursuing knowledge:
1. Read in the Name of Allah
“Proclaim! (or read!) in the name of thy Lord and Cherisher, Who created – Created man, out of a (mere) clot of congealed blood: Proclaim! And thy Lord is Most Bountiful, He Who taught (the use of) the pen, Taught man that which he knew not” [Quran, 96:1-5].
Here we receive a direct commandment to recite, or read in the name of Allah – and to cherish the gift of knowledge and the use of writing and reading as a blessing from Allah to make ourselves better servants of God. We must understand that obtaining knowledge is a form of worship – a way to truly show our gratitude towards Allah.
2. Knowledge is Tawheed
“There is no god but He: That is the witness of Allah, His angels, and those endued with knowledge, standing firm on justice. There is no god but He, the Exalted in Power, the Wise” [Quran, 3:18].
In this verse, we understand that we cannot just assume that we believe in tawheed, the Oneness of God. We must actively learn and obtain knowledge to truly understand the Greatness and Oneness of Allah – which will help us stand firm on the path of righteousness.
3. Study to Protect Your Faith
“…they could devote themselves to studies in religion, and admonish the people when they return to them, – that thus they (may learn) to guard themselves (against evil)” [Quran, 9:122].
The Quran reminds us here that by devoting ourselves to the pursuit of knowledge, we can help protect ourselves from the evil and ignorance of this world. By reading and truly understanding our religion, only then can we hope for protection from Allah.
4. Gaining Knowledge is an Active Part of Faith
“And those who strive in Our (cause), – We will certainly guide them to our Paths: For verily Allah is with those who do right” [Quran, 29:69].
We must remember that studying and gaining knowledge is an active act of worship – it will not always be easy and remains a form of constant struggle. But as the Quran reminds us, struggle is also an integral part of becoming a better Muslim and will hopefully guide us towards being closer to Allah.
5. Knowledge is a Blessing
“…And when ye are told to rise up, rise up. Allah will raise up, to (suitable) ranks (and degrees), those of you who believe and who have been granted (mystic) Knowledge. And Allah is well-acquainted with all ye do” [Quran, 58:11].
While all of us have a duty to obtain knowledge, with every strive towards being better comes the blessings of Allah – meaning that to be blessed with knowledge from Allah should be one of our highest attainments. If we continuously try to learn and be better Muslims, let us pray that we all will be blessed with the Love and Mercy of Allah.
Translations of the Holy Quran used above can be found here.
