The Importance of Islamic Education

Allah (‫ )سبحانه وتعالى‬has commenced the revelation of the Holy Qur'an by mentioning regarding
the importance of Knowledge, "Read and your Lord is Most Honorable, who taught (to write) with
the pen, who taught man what he knew not." - (Qur'an, 96-3-5)

"Only those from amongst His servants who possess knowledge are the ones who fear Allah; surely
Allah is Mighty Most Forgiving." - (Qur'an, 35:28)

"Oh Allah You increase me in Knowledge." - (Qur'an, 20:114) The following verse indicates to us
the importance of seeking knowledge, wherein Allah (‫ )سبحانه وتعالى‬tells the Holy Prophet ( )
to ask Him for an increase in knowledge.

The Holy Prophet Muhammad ( ) encouraged all Muslims to acquire knowledge and share it. He
said: "Acquire knowledge, for he who acquires it in the way of Allah performs an act of piety; he
who speaks of it, praises the Lord; he who seeks it, adores Allah; he who dispenses instruction in it,
bestows alms; and he who imparts it to others, performs an act of devotion to Allah". - (Bukhari,
Muslim)

Abu Hurairah (‫ )رضي ا عنه‬narrated that The Prophet ( ) said: "Whoever seeks a way to acquire
knowledge Allah will make easy his way to paradise." - (Muslim) Also Anas (‫ )رضي ا عن‬related
that the Messenger of Allah ( ) said: "Seeking of knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim." -
(Ibn Majah) Imam Ahmad (Rahimahullah) use to say: "We will accompany the inkpot until our
death."

Jabir Ibn Abdullah (‫ )رضي ا عنه‬narrated that the Messenger of Allah ( ) said: "People are of
different substances, the best of them in the Jahiliyah (A state of ignorance), are the best in Islam, if
they gain 'Ilm (knowledge)." - (Ahmad)

Hudhaifah Ibn al-Yaman (‫ )رضي ا عنه‬narrated that the Messenger of Allah ( ) said: "The
excess of 'Ilm (knowledge) is better than the excess of Ibadah (worship), and the best of your
religion is the wara (piety, self restrain)." - (Tabrani)

Ibn Abbas (‫ )رضي ا عنه‬reported that the Messenger of Allah ( ) said to a group of companions,
"When you pass by the meadows of Paradise indulge freely in it! They said: O Messenger of Allah!
What are the meadows of Paradise? He said: The circles of 'Ilm (knowledge)." - (Tabrani)

Ubadah Ibn as-Samit (‫ )رضي ا عنه‬narrated that the Messenger of Allah ( ) said: "He who does
not respect our elders, and does not have mercy on our children, and does not honor our scholars, is
not of my Ummah." - (Ahmad)

Abu Bakrah (‫ )رضي ا عنه‬reported that, I heard the Prophet ( ) saying: "You should either be a
scholar, or a student, or a listener, or a lover of 'Ilm (knowledge) and scholars, and you should not
be the fifth which will make you perish. Ata (Rahimahullah) said, Misar (Rahimahullah) said to me:
You added a fifth point which we did not have. The fifth point is: To hate 'Ilm and its people.
(Ulama)" – (Tabrani)...
The reason that the Qur'an has urged and reminded us to reflect upon creation, study and acquire
knowledge is to instill in us the fact that Allah (‫ )سبحانه وتعالى‬is the one who has complete
knowledge. By acquiring knowledge the power of human understanding and thinking may be
enriched so that it fulfills the function for which it was created and makes him submit to the will of
Allah (‫)سبحانه وتعالى‬. We can understand the importance of education from the above verses of
the Holy Qur'an and Hadith that Allah (‫ )سبحانه وتعالى‬and His beloved Messenger ( ) have
encouraged us to acquire knowledge, and to ask for knowledge, and to respect the Ulama and to
value the institutions providing knowledge. The people of knowledge have been regarded as the
inheritors of the Ambiya (‫)عليهم السلم‬

An excerpt from the Jumma Lecture delivered by Shaykh Muhammad Ashraf Hansrot on Friday
19th June 2009