On seeking knowledge
Abdullah narrated it on the authority of his father Yahya: Knowledge cannot be acquired with sloth (laziness).
Sahih Muslim 612f
The pursuit of knowledge is a lifelong process. But what often takes place is once we graduate from school, we think that the learning is done, and now the era of earning begins.
The Islamic perspective views knowledge as one of the noblest pursuits.
Abu Hurairah noted the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) as saying: “Whoever takes a path upon which to obtain knowledge, Allah makes the path to Paradise easy for him.” (Jami At-Tirmidhi 2646)
If we take a look back at our life, from the moment we were born until we turned 18, we learned how to walk, run, and play sports, many even learned how to read and write in multiple languages. We learned all about mathematics, science, history, and just about anything that was put in front of us. We were a sponge with no preconceived notions about the world.
But as we got older, we got busy.
We tend to lose the motivation to start something new, especially if we already have gotten accustomed to a particular lifestyle or success in our field. We stopped becoming the learning machine that we once were.
And it’s not a lack of ability, but of priority.
This Ramadan and onwards, let’s try and change that.
رَّبِّ زِدۡنِي عِلۡمٗا
Rabbi Zidni Ilma
My Lord, increase me in knowledge.
Let’s remind ourselves of the importance of seeking knowledge and then figure out a simple plan on how we can promote this change going further.
(1) A rising tide lifts all the boats – by seeking and sharing your knowledge, everyone who knows you and everyone you will interact with in the future can call upon your collected wisdom and experience. The positive impact this can have on your community is immeasurable and should not be downplayed.
(2) By seeking knowledge, we also gain a deeper understanding of the world and are better equipped to make informed decisions. It is often said income does not far exceed personal development. The more we learn, the more we can earn – both financially and spiritually.
It was narrated from Anas bin Malik that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim”
