Benefits of Knowledge

We often hear and say ourselves that knowledge is good, knowledge is important. Some feel and say it is just pure religious knowledge; and some say we are acquiring worldly knowledge and as far as religious knowledge is concerned, only few are meant for it. But during my years as a muslimah I have got to realize and to know and understand that both dunya (worldly) knowledge and religious knowledge are essential according to our beautiful religion. Both are related t each other, they complement each other. Having worldly knowledge helps one to appreciate and understand Allah’s Creation, His attributes, His Word and His Prophet. Acquiring religious knowledge helps us live better in this world, and to understand it more completely. Both depend on each other, it is really not wise to segregate knowledge into two different things

Every human being has been blessed with the power of learning and understanding. Allah, subhanaho wata’ala, has given each of us a free will and each one of us is born with the ability to distinguish right from wrong. Knowledge is very important because without it we cannot get closer to Allah, subhanaho wata’ala. Allah, subhanaho wata’ala , advices the Prophet, aleyhi salato wasalaam, and thus also us, to pray for increasing in knowledge, in soorah at-Taha, ayah 114

وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدۡنِى عِلۡمً۬ا


and say: "My Lord! Increase me in knowledge." (20:114)




So if the Prophet was advised to pray for this, then it sure means we should do that too. And for a du’aa to be successful we must strive to make it be fulfilled. So of course it means that we must actively seek knowledge ourselves, of course after our ability.

There are many ayaat in the Qur’aan and hadith or statements made by the Sahabas, that speaks about the importance of knowledge, and not only that, it also encourages us to seek knowledge and learn more and more, throughout our lives. The quest for knowledge never ends. Like in soorah al-Mujadilah, ayah 11:

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمۡ تَفَسَّحُواْ فِى ٱلۡمَجَـٰلِسِ فَٱفۡسَحُواْ يَفۡسَحِ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡۖ وَإِذَا قِيلَ ٱنشُزُواْ فَٱنشُزُواْ يَرۡفَعِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنكُمۡ وَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ دَرَجَـٰتٍ۬ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ۬

O you who believe! When you are told to make room in the assemblies, (spread out and) make room. Allâh will give you (ample) room (from His Mercy). And when you are told to rise up [for prayers, Jihâd (holy fighting in Allâh's Cause), or for any other good deed], rise up. Allâh will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allâh is Well-Acquainted with what you do. (58:11)"

And also in soorah az-Zumar, ayah 9

قُلۡ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَـٰبِ

Say: "Are those who know equal to those who know not?" It is only men of understanding who will remember (i.e. get a lesson from Allâh's Signs and Verses). (39:9)

When we are granted knowledge, we inshaAllaah appreciates Allaah's creation more, and becomes more acquainted with Allaah's attributes and qualities. And this will make us to witnesses with all our hearts, and minds and souls that our Creator is the only One worthy of worship. This will make us to submit to Him in a humble way and this, in return, generates in our hearts a fear, which is a result of a full appreciation and love of our Lord. Allah, subhanaho wata’ala, has witnessed in favour of His learned servants these qualities, full appreciation of His Oneness and fear of Him. In soorah Aal Imraan, ayah 18 Allaah says:

شَهِدَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّهُ ۥ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَٱلۡمَلَـٰٓٮِٕكَةُ وَأُوْلُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ قَآٮِٕمَۢا بِٱلۡقِسۡطِۚ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَڪِيمُ
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. (3:18)

And also in soorah Fatir, ayah 28:

إِنَّمَا يَخۡشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِ ٱلۡعُلَمَـٰٓؤُاْۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ


Those truly fear Allah, among His Servants who have knowledge: for Allah is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving. (35:28)

Also , in a hadith, the Prophet, aleyhi salato wasalaam, says, "When Allah desires good for someone, He gives him understanding of the deen."(6) He, aleyhi salato wasalaam, also said, "Allah makes the way to the Garden easy for whoever treads a path in search of knowledge."(7)

Travelling on the path to knowledge refers both to walking along an actual pathway, such as going on foot to the for example the masjid to learn but also to following a metaphysical road, such as studying and memorising.

The above saying of the Prophet aleyhi salato wasalaam probably means that Allah makes learning the useful knowledge that is sought after easier for the seeker, clearing the way for him and smoothing his journey. Some of our predecessors used to say: "Is there anyone seeking knowledge, so that we can assist him in finding it?"

This hadith also alludes to the road leading to the Garden on the Day of Judgement, which is the straight path and to what precedes it and what comes after it.

Knowledge is also the shortest path to Allaah. Whoever travels the road of knowledge reaches Allaah and the Garden by the shortest route. Knowledge also clears the way out of darkness, ignorance, doubt and scepticism. This is why Allah called His Book, "Light", for example in soorah an-Nisaa’, ayah 174

يَـٰٓأَيُّہَا ٱلنَّاسُ قَدۡ جَآءَكُم بُرۡهَـٰنٌ۬ مِّن رَّبِّكُمۡ وَأَنزَلۡنَآ إِلَيۡكُمۡ نُورً۬ا مُّبِينً۬ا
O mankind! Verily, there has come to you a convincing proof (Prophet Muhammad SAW) from your Lord, and We sent down to you a manifest light (this Qur'ân). (4:174)

Al-Bukhari and Muslim have reported on the authority of Abdullah ibn Umar that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: "Truly, Allah will not take away knowledge by snatching it
away from people, but by taking away the lives of the people of knowledge one by one until none of them survive. Then the people will adopt ignorant ones as their leaders. They will be
asked to deliver judgements and they will give them without knowledge, with the result that they will go astray and lead others astray."

When 'Ubadah ibn as-Samit was asked about this hadith he said: If you want, I will tell you what the highest knowledge is, which raises people in rank: it is humility."

He said this because there are two types of knowledge. The first produces its fruit in the heart. It is knowledge of Allah, the Exalted - His Names, His Attributes, and His Acts - which commands fear, respect, exaltation, love, supplication and reliance on Him. this is the beneficial type of knowledge. As ibn Mas'ud said: "they will recite the Qur'an, but it will not go beyond their throats. The Qur'an is only beneficial when it reaches the heart and is firmly planted in it."

Al-Hasan said: "There are two kinds of knowledge: knowledge of the tongue, which can be a case against the son of Adam, as is mentioned in the hadith of the Prophet (saw): 'The Qur'an is either a case for you or a case against you'(8), and knowledge of the heart, which is beneficial knowledge. The second kind is the beneficial kind which raises people in rank; it is the inner knowledge which is absorbed by the heart and puts it right. The knowledge that is on the tongue is taken lightly by people: neither those who possess it, nor anyone else, act upon it, and then it vanishes when its owners vanish on the Day of Judgement, when creation will be brought to account."


The Prophet, aleyhi salato wasalaam, used to stimulate and encourage his companions to seek knowledge: Ibn Mas'ud relates that the Prophet said, "Only two persons are worthy of being envied; a person upon whom Allah bestows riches and gives him the power to spend it in a righteous cause; and a person upon whom Allah bestows wisdom by which he judges and which he teaches." (Related by Bukhari and Muslim)

According to another hadeeth in sahih Muslim the Prophet, aleyhi salato wasalaam, said: “If a human dies, then his good deeds stop except for three: a Sadaqa Jariah (continuous charity), a useful knowledge that benefits people, or a righteous child who prays for him”.


The Prophet, aleyhi salato wasalaam, ordained all his companions and, thus, every Muslim who possesses some knowledge -- even as little as one verse -- to teach what they know to others: He said, "Convey (what you learn from me) even if only one verse…" (Related by Bukhari)

He made special du'a (supplication) for those who learn his sayings and transmit them to others: Zayd Ibn Thabit narrated that the Prophet said, "May Allah brighten the face of the person who hears what I say and retains it, then conveys it to others: for sometimes one who hears from another remembers it better than the original hearer himself." (Related by Ahmad and Tirmithi)

He assured all of us who spread his knowledge that we will get the same reward of any Muslim who acts upon that knowledge: Abu Hurayrah relates that the Prophet said, "He who calls another to guidance will have a reward equal; to the reward of him who follows him without diminishing the reward of either of them." (Related by Muslim)
The Prophet, aleyhi salato wasalaam, showed to us the noble status of the learned people of his ummah: Abu Umamah relates that the Prophet said, "A learned one is as much above an (ordinary) worshiper as I am above the least of you; and he added: Allah, His angels and all those in the heavens and in the earth, even the ants in their holes and the fish in the water, call down blessings on those who instruct people in beneficent knowledge." (Related by Tirmithi)
Better still, he declared that the 'Ulama' (those who have Islamic knowledge) are his heirs: Abu Darda' said that he heard the Prophet saying, "The 'Ulama' are heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets do not leave an inheritance of Dirhams and Dinars but (they left) only knowledge. He who acquires knowledge acquires a vast portion." (Related by Abu Dawud and Tirmithi)


The pursuit for knowledge is itself a form of worship. According to the Qur’an only men of knowledge really fear Allah most. Positive fear of Allaah, to be mindful and aware of Allaah (taqwa), can be attained only by those who have knowledge just as Allaah says in soorah Fatir, ayah 28:

إِنَّمَا يَخۡشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِ ٱلۡعُلَمَـٰٓؤُاْۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ


Those truly fear Allah, among His Servants who have knowledge: for Allah is Exalted in Might, Oft-Forgiving. (35:28)
One of the indispensable conditions in relation to the spiritual state of the soul, in getting closer to Allah, is the attainment of knowledge. Indeed, it is only through knowledge that we can appreciate Allaah’s, subhanaho wata’ala, qualities.

I will end this reminder with a hadith where the Prophet, aleyhi salato wasalaam, says:
"The two feet of the son of Aadam will not move from near his Lord on the Day of Judgement until he is asked about five (matters):- 1) about his life - how he spent it; 2) about his youth - how he took care of it; 3) about his wealth - how he earned it; 4) and where he spent it; 5) and about that which he acted upon from the knowledge that he acquired."


May Allaah give us beneficial knowledge, and make us amongst those who seek knowledge for the sake of Allaah and may He make us amongst those who act upon the knowledge we have and teach it to others, amin.


What is good and correct is from Allaah, and whatever I said that is wrong and evil is from myself

Subhanaka allahomma wa bihamdik
ashhado anla ilaha illa ant
wastaghfirooka waatoobo ilayka