The Virtue of Quest

for Knowledge

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 Vis-à-vis Qur’aan

The only emphasis in the first Wahee

“Read in the name of your ‘Rab’, the one who

created you. Who created the mankind out
of leech like clot. Read and your Lord is
most bountiful. He who taught by the (use
of) Pen. Taught the man that, which he
knew not.”
The very first ‘Wahee’ mentions twice ‘to read’ and once of ‘Qalam’
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Reason of Excellence of Adam

“Knowledge”

“And He taught Adam

the names of all things”

(Al-Baqarah: 31-34)

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Higher ranks of
people of knowledge
“To those of you who believe and had
been granted knowledge, Allah (swt) will
grant them higher grades and Allah knows
what you are doing.”
(Al-Mujadila: 11)

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People of knowledge
are not equal to the ignorant

Say: “Are those equal, those who know and

those who do not know?”
It is those who are endued with
understanding, That receive admonition.
(Az’Zumar: 9)

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Fear of Allah through knowledge

“Those truly fear Allah among His slaves

are those who have knowledge”
(Fatir: 28)

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 Vis-à-vis Ahadith
1ST HADITH Narrated by Hazrat Maavia (raa) said the
Prophet (saw): “For whomsoever Allah
(swt) decides to do good, makes him
‘knowledgeable’ with His Guidance”
(Dually agreed)

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 Narrated by Hazrat Abu Hureyra (raa), the
2ND HADITH Prophet said, “When a person dies the
chapter of rewards for his deeds closes,
but remains open for his three deeds:
i. The Alms he gave away
ii. The knowledge he had spread
iii. Pious children who pray for his salvation
(Muslim)

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 Narration of Abu Darda: The Prophet said, “One
who treads on the way to seek knowledge,
Allah makes him tread on the path of heaven,
3RD HADITH Angels spread out their wings in willingness of
the student. Whatsoever is in the skies, on
earth and the marine life craves for the grace
from Allah (swt) for him. The edge, a scholar
has over a pious devotee is, just like a full moon
which is brighter than the stars. Scholars are
the inheritors of prophets, the prophets never
left any estate behind, all they left behind was
knowledge, and whoever claimed it, claimed his
rightful.”
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 The Holy Prophet (saw) said,
4TH HADITH “The Scholar asserts his precedence over a
devoted worshipper,
the way I have a precedence over one of
the commonest among you.
Indeed all creatures of Allah (swt)
pray for the one who spreads knowledge of
goodness.”
(Tirmizi)

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5TH HADITH Narrated by Anas (raa), the Prophet (saw)
said, “One who sets out in the quest of
knowledge, he is in the way of Allah till he
returns.”
(Tirmizi & Darmi)

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 The objective of the
Quest of knowledge
1ST HADITH
Narrated by Hassan (raa), the Prophet said,
“The one who meets his death during the
quest of knowledge, and object of the quest
was to revive Islam with acquired knowledge,
he will rank one step next to the prophets in
heaven.”
(Darmi)

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2ND HADITH Narrated by Sahl Ibne Sa’ad (raa), the
Prophet (saw) said to Ali (kaw), “By the
token of Allah, if only one person finds a
true guidance through your knowledge, it
is much better for you than finding a herd
of 100 red camels.”
(Dually agreed)

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3RD HADITH Narration of Ibne Masood (raa), I overheard
the Prophet (saw) saying,
“May Allah (swt) keep him vigorously young,
whoever heard something from us and then
conveyed it to others, exactly the way he had
heard. Since many of those who get
conveyed are better than those who are
conveying it.”
(Tirmizi)
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 Quest of knowledge
for wrong objective
and its fate
1ST HADITH
To Showoff:
“One who seeks knowledge to showoff is
destined for hellfire.” (Muslim)

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 To boast himself:
2ND HADITH Claimed by the Holy Prophet (saw),
“Whosoever seeks knowledge so that he
can boast himself in the company of
Scholars or he can argue with the
ignorant or that he can just impress
people. Allah (swt) will throw him in
hellfire.” (Tirmizi, Ibne Maja)

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 To acquire the worldly benefits:
3RD HADITH Said the Prophet of Allah (swt), “If someone
acquired a particular knowledge, which was
meant to seek the pleasure of Allah (swt),
instead he started making worldly gains from
this knowledge. He will not even smell the
Heaven in hereafter.”
(Ahmed, Abudaud, Ibne Majaa)

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 Comparison between
knowledge & worship
1ST HADITH Narrated by Hassan (raa), the Prophet
said, “A Scholar who does not miss his
obligatory prayers and sits down to teach,
is superior to a devoted worshipper who
fasts during days and stands up at night,
as I am superior to a commonest of you.”
(Darmi)

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2ND HADITH Narration of Ibne Abbas (raa), the Prophet
said, “Delivering a small sermon of
knowledge is much better than staying up
the whole night for prayers.”
(Darmi)

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 Two Sources of
Knowledge
Acquired knowledge
“And he taught Adam (as) the names of
all things; then he placed them before the
angels and said: “Tell me the names of
these if you are right.”
(Al-Baqarah: 31)
Revealed knowledge
“And believe in what I reveal, conforming
the revelation is with you.”
(Al-Baqarah:41)
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Acquired knowledge
A knowledge received by perceiving
through the common senses, and out of
experience.
 This knowledge is essential for the
conquest of universe.

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Revealed Knowledge
 A God gifted knowledge which is
perceived through heart.
 An ordinary person gets it through the
Prophets.
 This knowledge is the heart and soul of
the knowledge.
 It is relevant to the advantageous usage
of acquired knowledge.
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Knowledge & Guidance
Knowledge without guidance is
a misleader:
“Then did you think about the person: who
took his vain desire as his god. Allah (swt)
knowing (him as such) left him astray and
sealed his hearing and his heart
(understanding) and covered his sight. Who,
then will guide him, after Allah withdrew his
guidance. Will you then not be
admonished?” (Jathya: 23)
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1st HADITH

O’ Prophet! Relate to them the story of the

man, to whom we sent our signs, but he
passed them by: so Satan followed him up
and he went astray.”
(Al-Araaf: 175)
2ND HADITH

“In the hereafter, among the worst of the

people, there would be a Scholar, who
did not benefit from his knowledge” said
the Prophet (saw)
(Darmi)
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 Narration of Hazrat Ali (kaw), said the
Prophet (saw), “A time is approaching the
3RD HADITH people, when Islam would be just a phrase
void of its spirit, and Qur’aan would be, but
a script. Masajid, full of people but void of
guidance, their Scholars will be the worst of
living being under the sky: They would be
busy in raising and boomeranging the
tumults.”

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Five Questions in the
Day of Judgment
1. How did you spend your life?
2. How did you spend your youth?
3. Where from did you earn?
4. How did you spend it?
5. The knowledge you gained, how much
did you act upon?

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 The peak of knowledge
(Al-Qur’aan) Ar’Rahman-1-4
Ar’Rahman-1-4

 Rahman: The height of benevolence & mercy

 Qur’aan: Zenith of knowledge
 Insaan: The best of the creations
 Bayan: The best of the human faculties

“The best among you are those

who learn and teach Qur’aan”
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Say: “In the bounty of Allah. And in His
mercy, - in that let them rejoice”: that
is better than (wealth) they hoard.
(Younus: 58)

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