What is the philosophy behind the importance of “Seeking Knowledge” in Islam?

Seeking knowledge is so much recommended in Islam.

It is something which is innate the nature of human that he/she wants to have knowledge and know about different things.

Knowing the self and knowing about the world around us is a kind of knowledge that human wants to have.

The holy Prophet of Islam said:

“When Allah wants (to give) good to someone, He make that person a deep knowledgeable in religion.”

It is narrated from the Prophet that he said:

“An Alim(knowledgeable) person is higher than a Abid(worshiper) seventy levels.”

The holy Quran explicitly describes one of the missions of the holy Prophet of Islam to give knowledge to the people.

Allah said in chapter Jom’a verse 2:

هُوَ الَّذِي بَعَثَ فِي الْأُمِّيِّينَ رَسُولًا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُو عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتِهِ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ الْكِتَابَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا مِن قَبْلُ لَفِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ

“It is He who has risen among the illiterate (Arabs), a messenger from themselves, to recite to them his verses, to purify them, and to teach them the book and the wisdom, though before that they were in clear error”.

Imagine you want to walk in night in a dark desert, you definitely need light, knowledge looks like the light in the darkness of different mistakes and wrongs and sins that we might commit, when we have light, we can look at our ahead and prevent ourselves from making mistakes, mistakes that sometimes need several years to compensate them, and as much as our light is more, our guidance is more and our making mistake gets less.

And it is interesting that in some Narrations, knowledge is called “Noor” which means light.

Having knowledge is so much important to the extent that Allah said in chapter Mojadalah verse 11:

يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ

“Allah will raise up in ranks those who believed among you and those who have been given knowledge.”

If someone has Ma’refah and knowledge of Allah, such a person, knows his/her Lord better and the worship that such a person performs, is more worthy than a simple worship.

If someone wants to have a right and correct movement in every field, definitely he/she needs knowledge.

Imam Ali peace be upon him said to one of his companions:

“There is no any movement except you need knowledge in it.”

Let me mention briefly some positions of knowledge which are mentioned in some Narrations, like:

-It is as a guide.

-It is as greatness and ignorance is as going astray.

-It is a great treasure which does not finish.

-It is as a resuscitator of the soul and enlightener of the intellect and remover of the ignorance.

-It obtains “life” for human.

It is very appropriate to define the meaning of knowledge here, because you know that the meaning of knowledge might be somehow different, but the common meaning in all schools of thought is to know something which you did not know it before.

In Islam “Ilm” (knowledge) means something that has the aspect of monotheism.

But it must be said that Islam is not against the technology and the developed sciences, and it has its own value especially when it is obtained for the sake of Allah for helping His creatures, but some of the usages of the knowledge and “Ilm” which are used in Islamic sources, mean its divine meaning, and for this reason, we see that Allah said in chapter Fatir verse 28:

إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاء

“It is only those amongst His worshippers that fear Allah who have knowledge.”

And as the last point let me mention that the knowledge without acting according to that, is not so precious and in some cases it brings more responsibilities and more punishment on the day of judgment, and it is completely logical, because imagine two persons, one is aware of the commands of the boss, and the second is not aware, if both of them disobey their boss, which one causes more sadness for the boss? The one who was not aware, can bring the excuse of not being aware of the order of the boss, but such an excuse is not accepted from the aware person.

But if a person has knowledge and applies it in his/her life, he/she is among the best persons in the world.

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Sources:

Akhlagh.porsemani.ir

Maarefquran.org