Introduction
There are a lot of virtues that come with seeking knowledge, especially in this day and age that we live in. And to be a good student of knowledge we must have Adab and Tarbiyah. Also understanding the etiquette we should have towards Allah Azzawajal, Prophet PBUH, Quran, our books, teachers, and classes. Which our biggest dilemma in the Ummah today is that we lack Adab(Courtesy).
Some of us claim to be students of knowledge but we are burdened with so much information and for some, the information we have has made us arrogant and has deprived us of this essential Adab that we should have as believers.
Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace, and blessings be upon him, said, “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.”
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 224
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Albani
Learning on your own
You just don’t learn Ilm(Knowledge) by picking up the Qur’an translation, hadith, and other beneficial books to learn on your own. The model of teaching taught by Rasulullah SAW was that you learn in the guidance of a teacher.
Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr (RA) narrates that the Rasulullah SAW said: “I have been sent as a teacher”
( Sunan ibn Majah, Hadith: 229)
Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam imparted the teachings of the deen to his Sahaba, He SAW was the teacher and the Sahaba would sit as His feet to learn from him. Then this was how Sahaba became great scholars, because of the time they spent with Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam.
Now the Sahaba were the teachers of the Tabien (generation after the Sahaba), and Tabien taught Taba Tabieen (those who came after the Tabien). And this is an unbroken chain in our Ummah and we can trace it back to Rasulullah Sallallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam. So there is a lot of barakah when we learn with a teacher as that is the only way we can only learn authentic knowledge.
What knowledge is wajib for you?
You must have a knowledge of understanding the difference between halal and haram. The Knowledge of all our Fard/Wajibat (Salah, Fasting, Hajj, Tahara wudhu, ghusl, etc.). We should know how to discharge our Fard. And in whatever field you find yourself you need knowledge on what is permissible and not in that aspect. If let’s say you are engaged in trade and commerce, it is mandatory for them to know what is Halal trade and commerce.
Learning is an adornment
Knowledge is a source of adornment, if you have knowledge then you will be able to perform every please worthy acton in the way Allah SWT wants you to. Knowledge is only half the battle, seeking knowledge will give you the force to stay away from sin. We will never know what we are doing wrong if we do not have knowledge. When you have acquired knowledge, you know what you are supposed to do and what you are not supposed to do, your conscious also tells you when you are sinning.
Shaitan is waiting for you on the path
A single jurist is more severe on Satan than a hundred worshippers (Tirmidhī, Ibn Māja).
You see our reality today is that we are heedless and we are unaware of the sins we are committing, thus we do not feel the need to stay away from sins. Sleeping through Salah is taken very lightly today, and people even joke about sins.
When you set out to seek knowledge. Don’t expect it to be as easy as chatting and scrolling your phone throughout the day. It requires so much dedication, hard work, perseverance, and you must be willing to sacrifice. It is not something you start now and you are done tomorrow, Once you start it is going to be forever.
So now shaitan will always be on your path throwing one obstacle after the other. Shaytan will try to deceive you and say these classes are too much for me. During this journey, we may feel that we are losing the will power that we had at the beginning. Shaytan knows once a student has the knowledge, their life will change as well as people around them. So, he will do his utmost to create distractions but we are investing our time/effort for our akhirah so stay firm.
We are created for our akhirah, we were sent in this world because we had to exert this effort and these classes and studying with a teacher is are our means of trying to become pleasing to Allah SWT. Once you start this journey all of a sudden our families, job, etc. will be more demanding and Shaytan will speak through these people and things just to distract us
Do not get deterred from this path, review the great virtues of acquiring knowledge of the deen to always stay motivated. Do not fall prey to the deceptions of Shaytan.
Conclusion
Allah SWT will not waste the reward of those who do good and strive in His way. Allah SWT is the only one worth this sacrifice, no one else. Once you become a student of Knowledge you will begin to feel the barakah. Insha Allah I’ll be writing in-depth about this topic of seeking knowledge in the coming articles. With the hope to motivate you to start seeking knowledge if you are already a student of knowledge, this is to motivate you that Allah has chosen you, keep striving, and never lose hope.
I hope you found this beneficial. I would love to interact with you in the comment box below. Looking forward to hearing from you.
JazakAllah Khair 🌹
