Knowledge is one of
the most important principles for the success of an Islamic awakening. The essay focuses on the importance of knowledge and the etiquette of seeking knowledge.
The
Prophet (pbuh) was one of the most perfect daee’s that one can imitate &
follow. He invited everyone to the way of Allah (swt), to the way of goodness
with the knowledge & wisdom that Allah (swt) bestowed upon him. He never
said irrational, irrelevant or baseless things to anyone. The guidance he
called everyone towards was by way of his wisdom & revelation given to him
by Allah (swt).
Abu Hamid al-Ghazzali (r.a) said:
“Know that intention (niyyah), will
(iradah), and goal (qasd) are various terms that all mean the same thing, and
it is a description of the state of the heart when it is a source for two
things: knowledge and action.”[1]
When
we use the term knowledge here it means the Islamic knowledge. Knowledge about
the Shariah should be derived from the Qur’an & Sunnah. One cannot derive
or invent matters pertaining to the Shariah from his heart, mind or logic.
Dawah or Islamic awakening should be based on these two sources for it to be a
guided mission & to reap the benefits of one’s efforts. If you call people
towards Islam based on ignorance, it will only do more harm than good.
“And Allah has revealed to you the
Book and wisdom and has taught you that which you did not know. And ever has
the favor of Allah upon you been great.”[2]
Dawah
without Knowledge
Dawah
which is backed by zeal & passion but is bereft of knowledge is bound to be
misguided, fraught & full of deviation. The Prophet (pbuh) also warned us
about a time when scholars will pass away & only the ignorant leaders will
remain, who will rule without knowledge, misguiding themselves & others.[3]
We
are only bound & obliged to pass on the knowledge that we possess. We
should pass on those teachings of Islam to other that have been authentically
narrated from the Prophet (pbuh).
“Convey from me, even if it is a single verse.”[4]
Dawah
with Knowledge
The
Caller calling towards Islam should have sound knowledge based on the Quran
& Sunnah. He should know the things that are allowed, prohibited &
those that come under the heading of the doubtful. This is important in order
to avoid making halaal what is haraam & vice versa.
He
must also have knowledge about the person he is inviting towards Islam. He
should know about his attitude, his background, his religious background, his
religious inclination etc. When the Prophet (pbuh) send Muaz(r.a) to Yemen he
said to him:
“Indeed you are going to a nation from the people of
the Book.”[5]
The
Prophet (pbuh) said this to him so that he should know about the people he was
being send to & so that he would appropriately invite them to Islam knowing
their background. A Da’ee should not enter into an argument before knowing
about the person he is going to be debating or talking to. This is to make sure
that he is prepared beforehand & not caught due to lack of knowledge at any
stage.
A
Da’ee should also have knowledge as to how to give Dawah. He should know when
to say & what to say. He should know the art of debating, art of listening
& the art of restraining oneself from being overzealous or angry. He should
know how to give Dawah in the most beautiful manner with wisdom & patience.
“Invite to the way of your Lord
with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in a way that is best.
Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is
most knowing of who is [rightly] guided.”[6]
Excellence
of Knowledge
One
should be equipped with knowledge, for verily if one has access to beneficial
knowledge then it is good not only for himself but also for others whom he can
guide, direct & advise.
"Are those who possess knowledge equal to those
who do not know?"[7]
Allah
(swt) has mentioned about the learned & those endowed with knowledge as the
ones who truly fear Him.
“Allah witnesses that there is no
deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge”[8]
Some
of the Salaf said, “Knowledge is not narrating a great deal but knowledge is
the fear of Allah[9]”.
“It is only the learned amongst His servants who
truly fear Allah.”[10]
Allah
(swt) also addresses the people whom He blessed with the beneficial knowledge
but due to their arrogance they could not derive the benefits out of it.
“The example of those who were
entrusted with the Torah and then did not take it on is like that of a donkey
who carries volumes [of books]. Wretched is the example of the people who deny
the signs of Allah. And Allah does not guide the wrongdoing people.”[11]
Beneficial
Knowledge leads to Fear of Allah (swt)
When
one has knowledge of the attributes of Allah (swt) & how we are surrounded
by His creation & magnificent signs. Then we are bound to understand Him
& accept Him as our Lord. It allows us to have hope in His Mercy, to have
Fear of His anger & disobeying Him, being content with His decree &
bearing the trials that we face with patience.[12]
We
as Muslims should be familiar with the teachings of the Shariah; this enables
us to be closer to our Creator. We are able to know His commandments & thus
we know the things that make Him happy & the ones that invite His wrath. By
gaining knowledge we can become better Muslims by improving our inner
intentions, by curing the diseases of the hearts & by performing all the
actions that make Allah(swt) content with us & we content with His mercy
& Qadr.
“Be mindful of Allah, He will be
mindful of you. Be mindful of Allah & you will find Him in front of you.
Know Allah in times of ease & He will know you in times of hardship.”[13]
Signs
of Beneficial Knowledge
A
person who has knowledge but has pride & arrogance in his heart & he
seeks to be on the top in this world. Such a person wants to show off his
knowledge, defeat the scholars in debate & argues with those who don’t know
to attract attention towards himself[14]. Regarding
such a person who seeks knowledge for the mentioned intentions the
Prophet(pbuh) said:
“For him is the fire! The fire!”[15]
The
true people of knowledge do not wish for any high position or status, they
dislike themselves being praised & they do not like act arrogantly towards
anyone. Another sign of the true people of knowledge is that when they gain
more knowledge they increase in humility before Allah(swt) & don’t boast
about their knowledge.
Etiquettes
of Seeking Knowledge
To
attain & acquire knowledge is the obligation on every Muslim male &
female. In order to reap the maximum benefits out of the knowledge learnt one
must study the etiquettes of seeking & gaining knowledge.
We should purify our
intentions (Niy’ah) only for the sake of Allah(swt) in
seeking knowledge because our ultimate reward is with Him alone. If we gain it
to seek his pleasure then the reward is ours but if we do it to gain status in
this world then our reward is restricted only in this life.
“Indeed actions are by intentions.”[16]
We should purify
ourselves inwardly & outwardly from acts that are
against the Qur’an & Sunnah. We should not get involved in practicing any
bid’ah or innovations & we should try to hold on fast to the commandments
of Allah(swt).
The student of
knowledge should also abstain from other acts which
are not permitted in Islam particularly useless talk, immaturity, excessive
laughter, giggling, excessive joking etc. One can laugh & giggle but to a
certain level which does not make him seem like a low esteemed childish person.[17]
In order to reap the
benefits from the knowledge gained we should abstain from
sins for they extinguish the light of knowledge in our hearts. One should know
when gaining knowledge that sins are like a deadly poison.
Ibn al-Qayyim (r.a) said: “And sins
leave ugly, despicable, and harmful effects to the heart and body in this world
and the next that none know except Allah. From them is that one is prevented
from knowledge, as knowledge is a light that Allah places into the heart, and
sins put out this light.”
We must free our hearts
for gaining knowledge &removing the obstacles that hinder it. As a student
of knowledge he should have a desire for the hereafter & what is with Allah
(swt). We should try to utilize our times, our energy & the young should
utilize their youth.
Ibn al-Qayyim (r.a) said: “Getting
what you want depends on cutting off habits and attachment to anything else.
We should try to eat
moderately & only eat that which is halal & earned
from a halal source. This enables a person to understand knowledge in more
depth. And he should be cautious, which means that if doesn’t know whether
something is halaal or haraam, he should stay away from the doubtful.
The student of
knowledge should eat, sleep & speak moderately
& as seldom as possible. Sleep should be reduced to a level that does not
hurt the persons mind & body. The student of knowledge should protect his
tongue from that which does not concern him, falsehood etc.
Socialization
should be restricted & the right type of friends should be made who can
assist you in gaining the eternal reward in the hereafter. We should respect
our teachers & establish the best manners with them. One should also
respect the books of knowledge that he possesses & they should be kept with
respect.
Conclusion
We
should try to seek Islamic Knowledge that will bring us closer towards our
Lord. We should try to maintain & follow all the etiquettes that a student
of knowledge ought to follow in order to reap the maximum benefits from the
knowledge being gained. We should also remember that it is by the Mercy of
Allah(swt) that He enabled us to gain this knowledge & he has made us go
forward on this path to tread upon. Sincere dua (prayer) should be made to Allah
(swt) to enable us to seek knowledge that makes him happy & to stay away
from the evils that Allah (swt) detests & dislikes.
“Allah! I take refuge with You from
knowledge that does not benefit; from a heart that has no fear; from a soul
that is never content; & from an invocation (dawah) that is not responded
to.”[18]
[1] (Raslan)
[2] (www.Quran.com, (4:113))
[3] (Uthaymeen)
[4] (Bukhari)
[5] (Bukhari, Sahih Bukhari, 1395)
[6] (www.Quran.com, (16:125))
[7] (Quran, (39:9))
[8] (Quran, (3:18))
[9] (Rajab)
[10] (Quran, (35:28))
[11] (Quran, (62:5))
[12] (Rajab, Excellence of Knowledge, pg55)
[13] (Ahmad, no2669)
[14] (Rajab, Excellence of Knowledge, pg60)
[15] (Ibn Majah, no254)
[16] (Bukhari, Sahih Bukhari, no2529)
[17] (Raslan, The manners of the knowledge seeker, Pg 12)
[18] (Muslim)
