Importance of Seeking Knowledge - Shaykh Abdul Hadi

Khutbah: The Importance of Seeking Knowledge

Praise be to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and seek His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our souls and from the misdeeds of our deeds.

Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide him, and whosoever He sends astray, none can guide him. And I bear witness that there is no god but Allah, alone, with no partner. And I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. He has sent him with the truth as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner.

Amma ba'd: فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ وَكُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ — Verily, the best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, and the worst of matters are those newly invented, and every newly invented matter is an innovation, and every innovation is a going astray, and every going astray is in the Fire.

The Trials We Face Today

Brothers and sisters, we are facing these days many fitna — trials — some relating to our deen and some to our daily life. According to a hadith, Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says:

(Sahih Muslim, Book 1, Hadith 213)

That you should rush to do righteous good deeds. There will be the appearance of many fitna, like darkness on a cloudy night, and a person may change his religion so quickly that he might wake up in the morning as a Muslim and will sleep in the night as a kafir. Or vice versa — he will sleep as a true believer and will choose to abandon his piety before the dawn time. He will sell his deen to get some benefit, to achieve some dunya.

And there are many reasons for this. I will focus on one point here due to time. And that is the issue of lack of true knowledge.

The Obligation of Seeking Knowledge

It is obvious that without true knowledge we cannot understand basic requirements of deen and issues relating to aqeedah. Even the difference between tawheed and shirk, sunnah and bid'ah, and what is right and what is wrong. Islam has encouraged the follower towards seeking knowledge. This has been considered one of the obligations upon every believer, male and female.

As Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam says:

(Sunan Ibn Majah, Book 1, Hadith 224)

Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim. And Allah says in Surah az-Zumar, chapter 39, verse 9:

Say: Are those who know equal to those who know not? And also Allah says in chapter 35, verse 28:

It is only those who have knowledge amongst Allah's servants that truly fear Allah.

We need knowledge to spend our day as a Muslim. Without having proper knowledge we are unable to even perform wudu or to pray.

Reliable Sources of Knowledge

How are we able to get true knowledge? What are the sources of information and education? We are in a peak time for information technology. There are many sources for seeking knowledge but we have to be careful where we are getting our knowledge from. As great scholars have always emphasized: be aware of where you are getting your knowledge from, because this is your deen, this is your aqeedah, and knowledge of deen must come from reliable sources.

Therefore, the sources of knowledge are important — which are mainly the Quran and Sunnah according to the manhaj of the Sahaba and the Salaf-us-Saliheen — the methodology of the companions, رِضْوَانُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ — especially because Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said:

(Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 3651; Sahih Muslim, Hadith 2533)

The best of people are those of my generation, then those who come after them, then those who come after them. In other words, the best period was the period of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself. After him, the companions — the Sahaba — and then after the Sahaba, the Tabi'een.

Later on, the originality of knowledge will be affected — like fresh water that comes from a spring, for example, that is unpolluted and pure, but when it flows and runs it will slowly lose its purity.

The Centrality of the Companions (Sahaba)

Here it is important to note that true knowledge comes from the Quran and Sunnah — these are the primary sources for Islamic teaching. However, this should be according to the methodology of the companions, especially the Sahaba, رِضْوَانُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ. This is because the companions were directly learned from Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam — they used to attend the circle of knowledge of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam directly — and their method was highly appreciated.

Allah revealed many verses in the Quran Majeed such as in Surah at-Tawbah and Surah al-Anfal, verses 74 and 75. And the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam advised the believer to take his teaching and then the teaching of the companions — the Khulafa (successors) — and hold it strongly. And this is the straight path, as Allah says in Surah al-An'am.

With this we can understand the importance of the companions — the Sahaba, رِضْوَانُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ. They wholeheartedly loved the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and they set a marvellous example of sacrificing their desires, wealth, family members, and hometown — all for the sake of Islam and to please Allah.

The Sahaba listened directly from the Prophet alayhi salatu wa salam and they used to love and respect him more than anything else. If we want to understand the value and high position of these Sahaba, رِضْوَانُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِمْ, then we have to read the verses of the Quran and the many ahadith in which the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam generally advised us to show our respect to the companions.

They are the first chain of knowledge — the sanad — where knowledge came from the Sahaba, رِضْوَانُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِمْ أَجْمَعِينَ, because they used to take from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and they transferred it to us. They narrated and recorded it to those who came later on. So they are the first circle to pass on knowledge from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to those who came later on.

This is one of the reasons why Imam Ahmed ibn Hanbal rahimahullah — this famous scholar and muhaddith — used to advise: you should hold on to whatever you are getting from the companions, the Sahaba. And this is the teaching of the Salaf.

A Warning Against Degrading the Companions

But one of the fitna these days is that some people want to remove the first circle of the companions — the Sahaba — by degrading them, or some using abusive language against the Sahaba, رِضْوَانُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِمْ. And some want to understand the Quran Majeed directly without the Sahaba on the basis that one knows the Arabic language — which is a meaningless and unacceptable method. Because the Quran is not a book of literature to be understood on the basis of the Arabic language alone; rather, the Quran is a book of guidance which needs a model and practical explanation to be followed — which is the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, as Allah says in Surah al-Ahzab, verse 21:

And from the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, the Sahaba learned.

The Manhaj of Balance

Here is another point we should be careful of: some people claim to be from the Salaf, from Ahlul Hadith, but without understanding this manhaj and true methodology. To be Salafi or Ahlul Hadith, we must follow the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. And this manhaj is one of balance — without ghuluw or excessiveness. Because extremism, excessiveness, or ignorance is not the manhaj of the Salaf. So the manhaj of the Salaf or Ahlus Sunnah is the manhaj of balance. And this is recommended by scholars.

We have to follow the Quran and Sunnah according to the methodology of the Sahaba, without blind following of anyone. May Allah give us tawfiq and ability for understanding the teaching of the Quran and Sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and following the best.

Closing Advice

I urge brothers and sisters to take knowledge from reliable ulama and do not rush in issuing fatwas or opinions without having proper knowledge. Be aware of mass propaganda through social media — especially these days — against the Sahaba. Be moderate and balanced as a follower of the Quran and Sunnah of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.