To emphasize seeking knowledge before doing any
action, Imaam Al-Bukharee used the above verse as a basis for a chapter
in his all famous Sahih. He entitles that chapter: "Knowledge before speech
and action". Book of Knowledge: [Sahih Bukhari Vol: 1 Ch 11]
Excellence of knowledge.
Allaah said: Allaah (Himself) is witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Him, and the Angels and the men of learning (are also witnesses to this). Maintaining His creation in justice, there is no god save Him, the Almighty, the Wise [Al-Qur'aan 3:18]
Notice that Allaah in the Ayat started the witnessing to the fact that "there is no deity worthy of worship but Himself" with Himself, then He follows it saying that this is also the witness of His Angels and then He follows it by the people who possess knowledge. This verse definitely emphasizes the position of the people who are endowed with knowledge above those who are without it.
Allaah said "...Are those who know equal with those who do not know? But only men of understanding will pay heed." [Al-Qur'aan 39:9]
He said "...Indeed those who fear Allaah from his servants they are the knowledgeable, Indeed Allaah is the Mighty, the Most Forgiving." [Al-Qur'aan 35:28]
He said And these similitude we coin for mankind, but none will grasp their meaning except those of knowledge.
In the above cases we clearly see the very high rank that Allaah Himself endowed upon those who possess knowledge. (The knowledge above is only in reference to knowledge about Islaam.)
Allaah said: "Ask the people of Remembrance if you do not know."
This is because understanding Allaah's Rulings
is based upon the investigation and deductions of the learned. Abu Dardaa
said that the Messenger of Allaah 
said Those people endowed with knowledge are the inheritors of the prophets.
[Hadeeth Hassan, Abu Dawood, ibn Majah, At-Tirmithi, ibn Habaan].
He
also said: "Whosoever Allaah wishes good for, He bestows upon him understanding
of the Deen." [Bukhaari and Muslim].
He bestows upon him an understanding of the Deen means that He will allow him to be taught the Qur'aan and the Sunnah. It is common knowledge that there is no higher position than that achieved by the prophets and that there is no greater honor than that of inheriting from that noble position [i.e. inheriting from the prophets (on them be peace)].
To acquire this very coveted position needs serious striving to acquire the knowledge they came with (i.e. the knowledge of Allaah's deen).
He
also said: The superiority of a learned man over a worshipper is like
my superiority over the ordinary men from among my companions. [At-Tirmidhi.
Hadeeth Hassan].
Looking at this Hadeeth you will observe (a) how he linked knowledge with the position of prophet hood, and (b) how he lowered the level of the person who does action without knowledge. Any worship ('eebadah) that a worshipper performs must be based on knowledge, because if it is lacking then the action would not be 'Eebadah but mere ritual.
The messenger
also said: "The superiority of a learned man over a worshipper is like
the superiority of the full moon over the other stars." [This Hadeeth
is Hassan].
`Ali 
said
to Kaamil: "O Kaamil, knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge protects
you while you have to protect your wealth. Knowledge is a judge, while
wealth have to be judged on. Wealth decreases when it is expended, while
knowledge purifies when it is given.
`Ali said
in a poem:
"Glory is for none but the learned, Guided are
they - and proofs for seekers of guidance. Every person is measured based
on how much of it (knowledge) he mastered, The ignorant are to the learned
their enemies,
Succeed with knowledge and live energetically
forever, Men are all dead, only the possessors of knowledge are truly alive."
The Excellence of Learning
Allaah said And the believers should not all go out and fight. Of every troop of them, a party should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge in religion, and that they may warn their folk when they return to them, so that they may beware. [Al-Qur'aan 9:122]
And His saying: ...Ask the people of Remembrance if you do not know. [Al-Qur'aan 16:43]
The Messenger of Allaah
said: Whoever treads a path seeking knowledge therein, Allaah directs
him to a path leading to Al-Jannah (Paradise). [Hadeeth Hassan]
He
also said: The quest for knowledge is a compulsion on every Muslim.
[Hadeeth Hassan]
N.B. The knowledge referred to above is knowledge in Deen because that is the only knowledge that is Waajib. The people who use this hadeeth to represent seeking after every type of knowledge are misusing it.
AbuDardaa' said: "To learn of one issue (in deen) is better for me than to pray the entire night" He also said: "The scholar and the seeker of knowledge are the partners in the sharing of good. Other men are hungry and there is no good in them."
Fath Al Musilee
said: "Would the sick person who is not fed or given anything to drink
or given any medicine, not die?" The people replied: " Surely!" He said
- "It is the same with the heart, it wouuld die if knowledge and wisdom
is with held from it."
Indeed he spoke the truth because the nourishment
and enlivening of the heart is through knowledge and wisdom, just as food
is nourishment for the body. Whoever does not acquire knowledge of the
deen of Islaam, has a sick heart and its death is inevitable. However,
he is not aware of it, because his love for this world destroys his perception.
The Excellence of Teaching
Allaah said: "... and that they may warn their folk when they return to them, so that they may beware." [Al-Qur'aan 9:122]
What is implied here is teaching and guiding them. And the saying of Allaah And (remember) when Allaah took a covenant from those who received the Scripture, (He said): You are to expound it to mankind and not to hide it... [Al-Qur'aan 3:187] This ayat demands that those who are endowed with knowledge should teach it. While the verses that follow shows that it is Haraam to conceal it.
Allaah said: ...But verily, a party of them knowingly conceal the truth. [Al Quraan 2:146] And He also said: ...He who hides it, verily his heart is sinful [Al-Qur'aan 2:283]
Allaah praises the one who invites with knowledge. Allaah said: And who is better in speech than he who invites to Allaah and does good works... [Al-Qur'aan 41:33]
And the saying of Allaah: Call unto the way of your Lord with wisdom and good exhortation, and reason with them in the better way... [Al Quraan 16:125]
`Ali said that the Messenger of Allaah
said to him: If Allaah guides a man through your help, it is better
(for you) than red camels. [Bukahari and Muslim]
N.B. Red camels at that time were from among the
people's most precious possession. He
also said: Whoever acquires knowledge and keep it concealed Allaah will
bridle him with a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection. [Abu Dawood,
Ibn Majah, At-Tirmidhi]
He
also said: Verily Allaah, His angels, the inmates of the heavens and
the earth, even the ant in its hole and the fish in the sea send salutation
on the one who teaches good to the people. [Its chain is Hassan]. He
said: If the son of Adam dies, all his works is stopped except three.
A charity that is continuous, useful knowledge or a righteous child who
supplicates for him. [Muslim]
The messenger of Allaah
said: Whoever guides or directs to good, then he gets the same amount
of blessing as the one who does it. [Related by Muslim]
And Allaah censures those who speak on His behalf
without any knowledge and some of the scholars consider it an even more
heinous sin than shirk based on the following verse. Allaah said: Say (O
Muhammad ): My Lord has
only forbidden indecencies, those of them that are apparent, as well as
those that are concealed, and sin and rebellion without justice, and that
you associate with Allaah in worship that for which he has sent down no
authority, and that you say about Allaah that which you do not know.
[Al-Qur'aan 7:33]
Therefore, speaking on behalf of Allaah without
knowledge is the greatest sin with Allaah and the one for which He will
assign the severest punishment.
Clarifying what aspect of knowledge is a compulsion
on every Muslim (Fard `Ain)
The messenger of Allaah
said: Seeking knowledge is a compulsion on every Muslim. This Hadeeth
is referring to the knowledge of that aspect of the Deen that will save
someone from the Fire. Therefore, what is important for each one of us
is to be certain that we know what Knowledge is compulsory for each person
to save himself from the Fire. Before discussing this, however, it is important
to know that we must keep on doing righteous deeds until death, otherwise
if any one changes then all the worship that he did before is going to
be worthless. If a person fasts a long hot day and then breaks his fast
a few minutes before Maghrib, then his fast is void. Likewise, if a person
prays a long Salaat and before making Tasleem passes wind, his prayer is
nullified.
Life may look like a long journey, but if a person apostatizes before the end, he loses everything, and all his deeds are rendered worthless and he would be subjecting himself to dwell in the Fire forever.
Allaah said: Verily, Allaah forgives not (the sin of setting up rivals in worship with Him) but He forgives (sins) other than that to whom so ever He pleases... [Al-Qur'aan 4:116] This verse establishes that Allaah does not forgive shirk (i.e. setting up rivals in worship with Him), therefore the most important knowledge that a Muslim must seek is the knowledge of Shirk and all that relates to it, from Tawheed and `Aqeedah (beliefs) etc. It is mandatory on every Muslim to learn these aspects before anything else and not listen to those who say: "These are theoretical issues, instead keep busy with matters that have action."
Our answer to them is that 'Aqeedah (matters relating to Eemaan) is the greatest of all matters in Islaam because Eemaan comprises of the following three aspects (a) believing in the heart, (b) stating with the tongue and (c) acting with the limbs upon what is believed in and stated.
Know, my brothers and sisters, that all acts of worship would be rewarded based on what the heart intends for that particular action thus making it (the heart) the most important organ of the body. Belief is a practical matter because it is the action of the heart. The proof of this statement is the saying of Allaah: ...But He will call you to account for that which your hearts have earned.... [Al-Qur'aan 2:225]
This verse indicates what the heart earns. What is earned is the action and it is this that we will be called to account for. Therefore, we can conclude about the action of the heart, which is the beliefs present in it are the most serious action.
Is there not a difference between two persons who say. "Laa ilaha illa Allaah" (there is no deity worthy of worship but Allaah), while one has a heart filled with correct beliefs, and the other is a hypocrite who disbelieves in everything in Islaam? Surely there is, the first will go to Al-Jannah (Heaven) and the other will be in the lowest depth of the Fire of Hell. Why is this so? Because of the beliefs in his heart, which are its action.
The messenger
stayed in Makkah for thirteen years inviting to 'Laa ilaha illa Allaah',
and all those things that relates to it, from Tawheed, 'Aqeedah and Shirk.
When the messenger sent Mu'adh
to Yemen he said to him: You
are going to a people who possess a Book, so let the first thing you call
them to be to testify to 'Laa ilaha illa Allaah' and if they acknowledge
this, then tell them that Allaah made obligatory on them five Salawaat
every day... From the above examples we can conclude that knowing Allaah
and performing Tawheed of Allaah is the most glorious knowledge in existence.
Therefore, the most glorious action a person has to occupy and fill his
heart with is knowing his Lord. The glory of any knowledge is based on
the thing studied. Is there anything more glorious than Allaah the Glorified?
Definitely not. Therefore, the knowledge that relates to the study of Allaah,
what are His rights on us His creation, what He loves and what He does
not would therefore be the most glorious knowledge there is in this universe.
Above we have proven what is compulsory knowledge
for every Muslim, male or female to seek i.e. any knowledge that helps
him or her to perfect their worship for Allaah.
The knowledge that is compulsory can be classified as follows:
1. The first obligation on any Muslim who has reached
the age of maturity is to learn about the Shahadah i.e. "There is no deity
worthy of worship but Allaah, Muhammad is the messenger of Allaah" and
to understand their meanings.
That knowledge which helps us to know Allaah and
teaches us His rights on us. This includes the knowledge of the 'Tawheed
of Allaah' in all its various forms i.e. Tawheed of Lordship, Tawheed of
His Names and Characteristics and Tawheed of 'Eebadah. It also includes
any knowledge that would help us to understand anything that would negate
any of the above aspects of Tawheed. This would fall under the category
of Shirk. Every Muslim must learn about Tawheed and Shirk.
2. Knowledge of His Messenger, Muhammad .
This includes understanding his purpose as a messenger ,
his rights on us, our relationship with him. This knowledge is important
because through the messenger we learn how to worship Allaah and
perform His rights i.e. the messenger
came to invite to tawheed and to fight mankind to keep away from worshiping
other than Him.
Allaah said: verily we sent to each nation
a messenger to invite to the worship of Allaah and to avoid Taghoot.
3. Any knowledge which helps us to know about the other four fundamental principles of the religion namely, Salaat, Zakaat, Fasting and Hajj. These are pillars of Allaah's deen and each Muslim must have knowledge about each one of them as soon as it becomes an obligation on him so that he can perform it as Allaah wants him to.
4. That which is halaal and that which is haraam of social and business transactions that relates to anyone is also an obligation on him to know.
5. That knowledge which relates to the affairs of the heart, that which is praiseworthy and which every Muslim must try to develop and nurture, like patience, thankfulness, good character, truthfulness, sincerity, etc. and that which is blameworthy and which every Muslim must try to avoid because they are Haraam and therefore the can cause someone to be thrown into the Fire. Some examples of these are hatred, jealousy, pride, doing things for show, dishonesty, anger, enmity and miserliness, following lowing the desires, etc.
As for knowledge which is Fard Kifayah; i.e. that which is a collective duty, meaning that it is not a duty on every individual, but if a group of individual undertakes to acquire this knowledge, all other individuals will be exempted from this duty, and the entire community will be free from negligence to acquire this branch of knowledge. If no one embarks on seeking this type of knowledge then the entire community is accountable.
Examples of this type of knowledge are:
An in depth study of the Islaamic Law.
Study of the basic sciences, industries and professions
that are vital necessities for the welfare of the community like doctors
of medicine, nurses, accountants, contractors, etc.
The Muslims have definitely gone astray in their
understanding of their priorities as to which knowledge they must concentrate
on and as such we find them put a priority on a knowledge that is not compulsory
on them to know about. The messenger warns us of this, he said:
From among the potent of the Hour are (the
following):
The messenger of Allaah
said: Allaah does not take away the knowledge, by taking it away from
(the hearts of) the people, but takes it away by the death of the
religious learned men until when none of the (religious learned men)
remains, people will take as their leaders ignorant persons who when consulted
will give their verdict without knowledge. So they go astray and they will
lead the people astray. [Al-Bukharee: Vol 1 No. 100].
