Saturday 6 January 2007

What Is True Knowledge ?


What Is True 'Ilm ? What Is Tru Knowledge ?

Due to our weak Imaan and our love for the world and its luxuries, true knowledge does not enter our hearts.

What is 'Ilm ?

'Ilm is that asset which -

- not only increases one's knowledge
- and not just his / her respect in the community

- but it is also what makes the person's heart pure and keeps it protected from evils.

- it also teaches the heart and soul to live according to the commands of Allah Ta'ala.

That is 'Ilm. If a person does not possess the above, then sadly, but truly, he has not possessed True 'Ilm.


The knowledge of Allah is the best of all knowledge and to seek this knowledge is compulsory on each and every Muslim, be they male or female.

A Hadith of Rasulullah SAW states:

"To seek knowledge is compulsory on each and every Muslim."


Abu Zar Ghifari RA narrates that the Prophet Muhammad SAW once told him:

"O Abu Zar, if you go in the morning and learn one ayat (verse) from the book of Allah, it will be better than offering 100 raka'ats of nawafil (optional) Solat. And if you learn one chapter of knowledge, it will be better than offering one thousand raka'ats of nawafil (optional) Solat."


In another hadith of Rasulullah SAW, it is stated that:

"An Aalim (knowledgeable person) enforces a much greater task upon Shaytaan than one thousand pious men."


Know we may be asking ourselves what is the reason to this?

The answer to this is that Shaytaan will find it relatively easier to lure pious men away from Islam as compared to an Aalim who has studied and learnt Islam.

Once an argument took place in Basrah about 'Ilm. Some people said that 'Ilm was better than wealth while others disagreed saying wealth is worth more than 'Ilm. Eventually they asked the grand scholar among the Companions: Abdullah ibn Abbas RA who agreed that 'Ilm was worth more than wealth.

When he was asked why this is the case he replied:

" 'Ilm is a safeguard for man, whereas man has to safeguard his wealth."

In this worldly life, Allah gives wealth to both - his beloved as well as to his non-beloved. But Allah only gives knowledge to his beloved.

When a man dies, he leaves all his wealth behind in the world. Whatever he has done with his wealth only comes to use if he spent it in the path of Allah, he will be rewarded for it. On the other hand, if he spent it wrongly, he will be punished for it. When a learned person passes away, his knowledge goes with him. For every Hadith a man learns, his status in Paradise gets higher and higher.

Let us always remember, that no matter how hard life becomes and how many difficulties a man has to face in life, his 'Ilm is always there for him to turn to. Whereas his wealth is here today, gone tomorrow and may never return.

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