Reading Time

• Summary Transcript: ~2 minutes
• Full Transcript: ~21 minutes

Learning Objectives

• Understand the Importance of Sharing Knowledge in Islam
  • Recognize the emphasis the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) placed on transmitting knowledge to others.
  • Explain how sharing knowledge can impact others more profoundly than the original recipient.
• Comprehend the Role of Scholars in Guiding Society
  • Describe how scholars prevent society from descending into unethical behavior.
  • Discuss Hasan al-Basri’s statement on the necessity of scholars and its implications.
• Identify How Scholars Codify Human Instincts and Desires
  • Understand the difference between human and animal instincts regarding moral codes.
  • Explain how the Qur’an and Sunnah provide ethical guidelines that regulate human behavior.
• Analyze the Consequences of a World Without Divine Guidance
  • Examine the impact of removing God from societal ethics, referencing the philosophies like Nietzsche’s “God is dead.”
  • Reflect on the importance of accountability and responsibility derived from belief in Allah.
• Appreciate Seeking Knowledge as a Form of Worship
  • Explain Mu’adh ibn Jabal’s views on the virtues of seeking Islamic knowledge.
  • Recognize that seeking knowledge encompasses piety, worship, jihad, and acts of charity.
• Recognize the Value and Etiquette of Teaching Knowledge
  • Understand the importance of teaching knowledge to those who are receptive and deserving.
  • Identify the potential negative consequences of sharing knowledge with those unwilling to learn or who may misuse it.
• Explore the Comfort and Companionship Provided by Knowledge
  • Describe how engaging with knowledge can alleviate feelings of loneliness and provide spiritual companionship.
  • Reflect on personal experiences where learning and reading have offered solace.
• Understand the Concept of Isra’iliyat in Islamic Tradition
  • Define Isra’iliyat and explain its categories according to Islamic scholarship.
  • Discuss how neutral stories from previous scriptures are treated within Islam and the criteria for their acceptance.
• Reflect on the Eternal Benefits of Learning and Teaching Knowledge
  • Discuss Qa’b al-Ahbar’s statement about Allah illuminating the graves of those who learn and teach knowledge.
  • Connect the pursuit of knowledge with spiritual benefits in the afterlife, such as comfort in the grave.
• Prepare for Further Exploration of Obligatory Knowledge in Islam
  • Anticipate the upcoming discussion on the meaning of knowledge and what constitutes obligatory knowledge for Muslims.
  • Consider different areas of Islamic knowledge—such as fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence), aqeedah (creed), and tazkiyah (purification of the soul)—and their importance.

Class Summary

The Importance of Seeking and Sharing Islamic Knowledge

Islam places immense importance on acquiring and transmitting knowledge. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) emphasized that those who hear his words should share them with others, as they may benefit even more than the original listeners. Knowledge is a growing entity, and as it’s passed on, its impact deepens, often affecting others more profoundly.

The Role of Scholars in Guiding Society

Scholars play a vital role in guiding society and preventing it from descending into chaos. Without scholars, people may act purely on instinct, much like animals, as they would lack the ethical codes that come from the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Scholars help codify human behavior, ensuring that people understand what is right and wrong, halal and haram, rather than acting purely on desires.

Pursuing Knowledge: A Form of Worship

Mu’adh ibn Jabal, one of the most knowledgeable of the Sahaba, taught that seeking knowledge is an act of worship and a way to draw closer to Allah. It is not only about learning for oneself but also about sharing this knowledge with others. Teaching those who don’t know is considered an act of charity, and those who seek knowledge bring comfort to their hearts during times of loneliness.

The Value of Teaching Knowledge

Teaching knowledge to others isn’t just about charity—it’s a way to preserve and spread the message of Islam. However, not everyone is ready to learn, and sometimes teaching can increase arrogance instead of humility. Therefore, one must be wise in sharing knowledge and recognize when to engage in discussions and when to step back.

Illuminating Lives in This World and the Next

The great scholar Qa’b al-Ahbar shared that Allah promised Prophet Musa (Moses) that He would enlighten the graves of scholars and those who seek knowledge, ensuring they do not feel loneliness. This highlights the eternal benefits of knowledge—not only does it guide us in this life, but it also provides light in the afterlife.

What Is Knowledge in Islam?

In the next discussion, the focus will be on understanding what the Prophet (peace be upon him) meant when he said that seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim. Is it about fiqh, aqeedah, or the purification of the soul? This question continues to be an important discussion among scholars.

Full Transcript

The Importance of Sharing Knowledge

My talk—he (the Prophet, peace be upon him) says—let them deliver that to those who were not there. You, you came with me, you heard my words, share them with those who are absent. When you go home, share with the people there.

And then he says, peace be upon him, “Perhaps the one who hears it from you will benefit more than the one who hears it from me.” Like, you are going to be the transmitter. You heard the Prophet, peace be upon him, but it didn’t hit you in a spot like someone else you’re going to carry it to. That will affect them much more profoundly than it affected you when you heard it for the first time.

Transmitting Knowledge to Others

He said, “Perhaps someone is carrying the knowledge but is not a scholar himself, and perhaps someone will carry that knowledge to someone who will benefit more than the original carrier.” You’re probably going to be carrying that knowledge and understanding to someone who benefits more than you do. What does that exactly mean? Knowledge grows. Knowledge grows.

My duty and your duty is to make sure that we keep sharing it to continue the growing process. I have reached a certain level with knowledge. I’m sharing with you today. Perhaps one of you will benefit from this in a way that, insha’Allah, the next generation will benefit from you a thousand times more than what you benefit from me. So that should always be on our mind if we would like to benefit other people, insha’Allah. Because subhanAllah, generations change. The way they learn changes. Your ways of delivering it and sharing it with people, subhanAllah, could be much more effective and much more beneficial to the community than maybe your teachers and so on. So keep doing that, insha’Allah.

The Role of Scholars in Society

Hasan al-Basri, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “Were it not for scholars, people would have become like animals.”This is a very tough statement. He said, “Were it not for the scholars, people would be just like animals.” Why is that? Because even Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, in the Qur’an, when He spoke about the disbelievers or those who don’t have the proper knowledge, He said what? He says that they have sight they are not benefiting from. They have hearings they don’t benefit from. They have hearts that are used to process knowledge, but they are not benefiting from what they’re learning. They are just like animals, even worse.

Because at least animals, we know, don’t have any intellect to process what they learn. They go by instinct. We, humans, have reason to process, yet we don’t use it. The animals, at least, are natural to what they do. For us, unfortunately, we go against what is natural to us, which is learning, processing, and benefiting from knowledge. That’s why he says if it wasn’t for the scholars, what would people do? They would start living by the law of the jungle—killing each other, hurting each other—no etiquette, no manners.

Codifying Instincts and Desires

So, what the scholars do for the people is that they help them codify their instincts. The code of ethics that they carry with them comes from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him. For example, humans and animals share something together, like having desires and the instinct to follow whatever is instinctual to them. When you’re hungry, you eat. When someone has a desire, they pursue it to fulfill it. If they see competition, they strive to win that competition. The animals do the same thing, too. But what’s the difference? The difference is that when animals are hungry, they eat whatever is available. Do they care if it’s halal or haram? They don’t have these kinds of codes.

Whatever is there, they eat it. So, if a lion preys on a baby deer, for example, for us human beings, watching that on TV, we start crying for that baby gazelle or deer. But the lion isn’t going to cry for it—that’s food for him. Because they don’t have that code. But we, humans, Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala has given us the code—the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him—to understand what is right and what is wrong, what is halal and what is haram. Our scholars are teaching us these codes: do this, don’t do that, stay away from this, pursue that.

The Consequences of a World Without Knowledge

Without these scholars, without these codes, what are we going to do? We’re going to pursue our desires. Which is why, subhanAllah, maybe 200 or 300 years ago, when the philosophers of Europe came out—like Nietzsche, who came with the notion that “God is dead”—when he took God out of the equation, what happened? Some people started thinking, “When there is no God, there is no accountability, no responsibility.” Which means, who determines what is right and wrong? Who tells me what is right and wrong? You are the one who creates your own destiny now. So, in this case, they broke all the rules. They had to use the human intellect to process something to keep society running without people living like a jungle. But for Muslims, alhamdulillah, we have that from the Qur’an and the Sunnah of the Prophet, peace be upon him.

The scholars are those who bring us, alhamdulillah, that knowledge to codify all the desires so we stay on the right path to Allah, otherwise, we live like a jungle. That’s what he means by that statement.

Seeking Knowledge: A Comprehensive Act of Worship

Mu’adh ibn Jabal said, “O people, learn Islamic knowledge, for learning it for the sake of Allah is piety. Seeking it is an act of worship. Mutual study is an exaltation to Allah. Pursuing it is jihad. Teaching it to those who do not know it is charity, and offering it to those who deserve it is a way to draw closer to Allah.” It is a comfort in times of loneliness and a companion during one’s seclusion.

Now, here’s another statement from Mu’adh ibn Jabal, may Allah be pleased with him. This is not a hadith of the Prophet, peace be upon him, but these are the words of Mu’adh, in which he says, “Seek knowledge.” Why is this statement so important? It is coming from Mu’adh ibn Jabal. The Prophet, peace be upon him, when speaking about the Sahaba, highlighted certain names. What was Mu’adh known for? He was known for his deep knowledge of halal and haram. The one who knew halal and haram better than anybody else was Mu’adh ibn Jabal.

So, he was one of the scholars, the young scholars of the Sahaba. When the Prophet, peace be upon him, passed away, Ibn Abbas used to hold the reins of the horse for Mu’adh ibn Jabal when he mounted or dismounted. He would walk with him, asking him questions and seeking knowledge from him. Mu’adh, feeling embarrassed, said, “Look, Ibn Abbas, either I step down to walk with you, or you come and ride with me on the horse, but I can’t accept this.” Ibn Abbas responded, “No, you stay where you are, and I’ll stay where I am.” This is how we were taught to respect our scholars.

The Value of Seeking Knowledge

So, Mu’adh, being at that level and status of knowledge, his words are extremely valuable. What does he say about knowledge? Seek knowledge. And again, when we refer to knowledge, we refer to the knowledge of the deen of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala. Because when you learn it, it produces piety. Remember, we talked about piety as a combination of awe, love, and fear of Allah. When you study Allah, when you learn about Allah, it gives you that awe, that consciousness. He’s referring to the verse in the Qur’an where Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says, “Indeed, those who truly fear Allah among His servants are the scholars.”

And seeking knowledge is an act of worship. That’s what the Prophet, peace be upon him, taught us to do—seeking knowledge as an act of worship. You have to observe all the etiquettes of worship with that, like intention, sincerity, and doing it right. He also said that when you study with your friends, when you exchange words of knowledge, it’s considered like praise of Allah. When you sit together with a friend and say, “Remember what he said about the hadith or what the verse meant at that time,” and you start exchanging this knowledge, you are engaging in the remembrance of Allah. That’s what it means.

The Struggle of Pursuing Knowledge

Pursuing knowledge is jihad, a struggle. There are so many books on this subject. I would love for you to read “The Patience of the Scholars in the Pursuit of Knowledge” by Abu Ghuddah if it’s available in English. It contains stories of how much hardship the scholars endured to seek knowledge. For us today, it comes easy. You sit in a comfortable environment with the book in a fancy format, or even digitally if you want. Knowledge is available all the time, but for them, they had to struggle.

Teaching Knowledge as an Act of Charity

Teaching knowledge to those who don’t have it is an act of charity because you benefit these people. Once they benefit, they benefit others. And when you offer that knowledge to those who deserve it, it brings you closer to Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala.

Now, not everybody deserves that knowledge. Some people, unfortunately, their knowledge increases them in arrogance. The more they learn, the more they think of themselves. As a result, when they speak, it becomes worse. It ruins their lives in this world and in the hereafter. But for other people, when you teach them knowledge, it flourishes in them. It benefits them and benefits others as well. So, as a student of knowledge, make sure you talk to the right people sometimes. Speak to them in a way they can recognize. Otherwise, if you teach them things they don’t understand, they might deny it and be led to disbelief, audhubillah.

How many times have you started a conversation with someone only to realize they are not really knowledgeable, and instead of wanting to learn, they just want to argue? Do you continue teaching them? No, you stop. The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “I guarantee a house in Jannah for those who leave argumentation, even if they were right.” Once it becomes an argument, no one is listening. Trying to educate someone who is emotionally charged and not willing to listen is a waste of time, energy, and even your faith at that moment.

The Companionship of Knowledge

So, make sure when you teach knowledge to those who deserve it, it gives you serenity, tranquility, and companionship. During your seclusion, when you’re alone and start reading books, you find a connection. You no longer feel lonely. How many times have you opened a book and read a hadith or a story of the Sahaba and suddenly felt like you traveled in time? You start giggling and laughing when you read the story, as if you are part of it. You’re no longer by yourself, and when you are in seclusion, it gives you the best companionship—someone who doesn’t bother or hurt you. You just open the book, read, learn, and feel fulfilled.

These are the words of Mu’adh ibn Jabal, and they have great value from someone like him, may Allah be pleased with him.

Illuminating the Graves of Scholars

Qa’b, may Allah be pleased with him, said that Allah revealed to Prophet Musa, “O Musa, learn the good and teach it to people, for I will enlighten the graves of those who learn it and those who teach it, so they do not feel estrangement in their graves.” Qa’b, known as Qa’b al-Ahbar, was a Jewish scholar who converted to Islam. He brought with him a wealth of knowledge from the previous scriptures. What is the ruling on learning from the Israelites? What Qa’b shared with us here is not the words of the Prophet, peace be upon him, or the Sahaba, but from his personal knowledge. He said, “Allah revealed to Musa, ‘Seek knowledge and teach it to others, for I will illuminate the graves of the scholars and students of knowledge so they don’t feel estrangement in their graves.’”

The Israeli Narrations (Isra’iliyat)

Now, the authenticity of these words is not confirmed in Islam, but we do have a tradition of narrating from the Israelites as long as it does not contradict our teachings. These stories are called Isra’iliyat, and the scholars have three positions regarding them. The first is to accept what has been confirmed in our tradition, such as the names of prophets and certain events mentioned in both traditions. The second is to reject what contradicts our beliefs, like stories of prophets committing major sins, which we reject because the Qur’an teaches us that prophets were the purest among people. The third is to neither confirm nor deny stories that are neutral, like the color of the dog in the story of the People of the Cave. We don’t have any specific details in the Qur’an or Sunnah, so we neither confirm nor deny these kinds of stories.

One of these neutral stories is what Qa’b shared about Allah illuminating the graves of the scholars and students of knowledge. There is no contradiction with our teachings, so we accept it as a possibility. Allah has promised that the Qur’an will be a companion for the believer in the grave, so it is not far from our belief system.

The Future of Knowledge and Seeking Its Meaning

Next time, insha’Allah, we will start discussing the technical aspects of knowledge. For example, what is the meaning of knowledge itself? When the Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim,”what knowledge was he referring to? Is it fiqh? Aqeedah? Sincerity? Purification of the self? What does it mean exactly? That will be our discussion next time, insha’Allah.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask. Let’s see if there are any questions from the last session… I’ll give you a moment to write them down, and we’ll get to them at the end.

Q&A

1. What did the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) say about sharing his words with others?

• He said that those who hear his words should deliver them to those who were absent, as those who receive the message may benefit more than the original listeners.

2. How does knowledge grow when it is transmitted?

• Knowledge grows when it is passed on to others. It can affect future generations more profoundly than it affected the original person who learned it.

3. Why are scholars important in society according to Hasan al-Basri?

• Hasan al-Basri said that without scholars, people would live like animals, following their base instincts without ethical or moral guidance.

4. What role do scholars play in guiding people’s desires and behavior?

• Scholars help codify human instincts and desires by teaching the ethical guidelines of halal (permissible) and haram (forbidden) based on the Qur’an and the Sunnah.

5. What did Mu’adh ibn Jabal say about the act of seeking knowledge?

• Mu’adh ibn Jabal said that learning knowledge for the sake of Allah is piety, seeking it is worship, teaching it to others is charity, and it serves as a comfort during loneliness.

6. How is pursuing knowledge compared to jihad in Islam?

• Pursuing knowledge is considered a form of jihad, as it requires patience, perseverance, and a struggle to gain understanding and wisdom.

7. Why is it important to teach knowledge to those who deserve it?

• Teaching knowledge to those who deserve it helps them benefit from it and allows them to spread it to others. Teaching the wrong person, however, can lead to arguments and arrogance, which can be harmful.

8. What did Qa’b al-Ahbar share about the benefits of learning and teaching knowledge?

• Qa’b al-Ahbar said that Allah revealed to Musa (Moses) that those who learn and teach knowledge will have their graves illuminated, protecting them from feeling estrangement in the afterlife.

9. What is Isra’iliyat and how is it treated in Islamic teachings?

• Isra’iliyat refers to Jewish or Israeli narratives. Islamic scholars accept these stories if they align with Islamic beliefs, reject those that contradict them, and neither confirm nor deny neutral stories.

10. What is the next discussion expected to cover regarding Islamic knowledge?

• The next discussion is expected to cover what the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) meant by the obligation to seek knowledge in Islam, including the nature of that knowledge—whether it relates to fiqh, aqeedah, or purification of the soul.

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