قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم: من يرد الله به خيرا يفقه في الدين
The Messenger of Allāh (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wa-sallam) said, “Whomsoever Allāh wants good for he gives him understanding in the religion.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī and Muslim]
9 points discussed in this lecture:
- Importance of knowledge
- Types of understanding
- Types of obligatory knowledge
- Knowledge provides life to the hearts
- Travelling for knowledge
- Excellence of the people of knowledge (Scholars)
- Encouragement to seek knowledge from the Book and the Sunnah
- Intent behind seeking knowledge
- How knowledge will be removed
Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al-Fawzān has explained that knowledge is of two types:
1. Knowledge of the tongue – this is proof for Allāh against the servant. The intent behind seeking knowledge is to act upon it. Knowledge of the tongue is merely a means which is not to be sought for in and of itself alone.
2. Knowledge of the heart – this is the true beneficial knowledge. This is knowledge that produces fear (خشية) of Allāh. The fear then produces action upon the limbs, and this is the intent behind the knowledge.
It if for this reason that Allāh stated,
إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى الله مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ
It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allāh.
[Sūrah Fāṭir, 35:28]
Abū ʿIyāḍ further mentions,
“So all the books you read, and the lectures that you have listened to, has this increased you in your fear of Allāh? Has it increased you in love and hope? Has it increased you in your worship outwardly?
If it hasn’t, then your knowledge is the knowledge of the tongue, not knowledge upon the heart. This is not the intent behind knowledge. Do not be deceived by thinking that knowledge is about reading books and memorising texts and listening to lectures, and thats it.”
Knowledge is Fear (خشية) as Shaykh Ṣāliḥ al Fawzān has explained from the verse mentioned above, and this is the intent behind seeking it.
