The Importance of Islamic Knowledge - Shaykh Abdul Hadi

Khutbah: The Importance of Islamic Knowledge

Amma ba'd: Indeed, the best of speech is the Book of Allah, and the best of guidance is the guidance of Muhammad, peace be upon him, and the worst of matters are newly invented ones, and every newly invented matter is a bid'ah (innovation), and every bid'ah is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire.

The Necessity of Islamic Knowledge

We cannot correctly uphold our aqeedah and ibadah, nor can we spend our practical life as true believers, without having correct knowledge. Without it, we would not even be able to pray — because salat is ibadah, and ibadah cannot be done according to our own understanding, culture, or desires. Ibadah must be in accordance with the Sunnah of Rasulullah, peace be upon him.

Therefore, if we want to pray, there is a need to learn: how we are going to stand for salat, how we are going to perform ruku or sujud, what we are going to recite and how we are going to recite it. And we cannot spend our day with our family members at home, or with colleagues in business or at work, as true believers if we do not have proper knowledge.

As Allah says in Surah az-Zumar, verse 9:

"Say: Are those who have knowledge equal to those who have not?" No, not at all. There is a massive difference. Knowledge is like a light in which we can see things clearly; but without knowledge, it is as if a person is blind or in darkness.

Although any knowledge which is beneficial to society and to creation is useful to us and we can pursue it, priority should be given to the knowledge of our deen — relating to our aqeedah — which enables us to make the difference between tawhid and shirk, between Sunnah and bid'ah, between right and wrong. This is essential for each and every Muslim to learn.

Obviously, we cannot say and we cannot expect that every Muslim should be a scholar, a mufti, or a muhaddith — this is not possible, because this is a matter of specialization and expertise. But each and every person should at least be able to spend his or her day as a Muslim in practice.

Key Points on Seeking Knowledge

First: Seeking Basic Knowledge is Obligatory Upon Every Muslim

As the Prophet, peace be upon him, said — and we cannot say to each and every person that they must become a medical doctor, scientist, or engineer, which is not possible — the knowledge that has been made obligatory upon us is the knowledge relating to our deen and our aqeedah.

Second: Correct Intention in Seeking Knowledge

Seeking knowledge — especially Islamic knowledge relating to our deen and Shari'ah — should not be for the purpose of merely improving your knowledge, gaining information, or gaining status among your colleagues and friends. The purpose should be to practice — to spend your day and night as a true believer.

This is how the Sahabah used to learn from the Prophet, peace be upon him. For example, 'Uthman, may Allah be pleased with him, and 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, may Allah be pleased with him — such great companions — would say: "We will not learn in one go more than ten verses from the Quran." They would learn those ten verses, as well as the practical method of how they are going to implement those verses, and only then move on to another ten verses. From this we can understand that the purpose of learning should be our practical life — we must implement whatever we are learning upon ourselves.

Third: Primary Sources for Learning Our Deen

The primary sources are the Quran al-Majid and the authentic ahadith of Rasulullah, peace be upon him. The Quran al-Majid was revealed from Allah as a book of guidance, as a criterion — guidance for each and every person on this planet. There are commands and prohibitions (awamir and nawahi) in the Quran al-Majid. The first and most important thing in seeking knowledge is to turn to the Quran and the Sunnah of Rasulullah, peace be upon him, because he is the uswah — the model example to be followed.

Fourth: Arabic Language Alone Is Not Sufficient to Understand the Quran

We cannot understand the Quran on the basis of the Arabic language alone. This is also one of the fitnas (trials) among our brothers — some of them think that if they can understand the Arabic language, they can understand the Quran al-Majid and issue fatwas. It is not like that. As I mentioned, the Sahabah used to learn the deen from the Prophet, peace be upon him — not merely because of their knowledge of the Arabic language, but they also used to ask him directly.

The Importance of the Manhaj (Methodology) of the Sahabah

The manhaj (methodology) of the Sahabah is very, very important. The companions were a selection of Allah for the Prophet, peace be upon him, to spread the message of Islam. The Sahabah accepted Islam, and they sacrificed their wealth, their family members, and their lives for the deen, for the betterment of Islam. They showed their love to the Prophet, peace be upon him, in a manner beyond imagination. Allah is pleased with them, and they are pleased with Allah.

If you read Surah at-Tawbah, verse 100:

Allah specially mentioned two groups of companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him — the Muhajirun and the Ansar — and those who follow them. Allah became pleased with them and they became pleased with Allah. They are highly praised. If you read Surah al-Hashr, verses 8 and 9, and the last verse of Surah al-Fath, you will see how Allah mentions the Sahabah.

Yet one of the fitnas today is that some members of our community underestimate the Sahabah, or some ignore them entirely, thinking that because they can speak Arabic, there is no need to refer to the Sahabah — which is not acceptable.

Fifth: Understanding the Manhaj (Methodology)

It is essential for us to understand the method of the Sahabah and their explanations. They would take related ayat of the Quran together for understanding. They would understand the Quran al-Majid through the authentic ahadith of the Prophet, peace be upon him. They would ask one another — and although they were experts in the Arabic language, they would still consult their fellow companions regarding any particular issue. This was their manhaj.

So I emphasize to our brothers and sisters: the manhaj (methodology) of the Sahabah is very, very important. Without having a proper manhaj, we cannot understand the deen properly.

A Warning Against Rushing to Issue Fatwas

My advice to our brothers and sisters: do not rush to issue fatwas. If you do not have proper knowledge, do not issue a fatwa in favor of or against someone, because this is a huge responsibility. Issuing a fatwa is not an easy or simple matter — be careful about what you are saying, because we are answerable to Allah for whatever we are saying and doing here. On the Day of Judgment, because of our words and our actions, we will either receive the great pleasure of Allah and a reward of Jannah, or punishment in the Hellfire. May Allah protect us all from that.

So we must be careful. Spend your time seeking knowledge from proper and reliable sources — trustworthy ulama and scholars. And before issuing any answer or any fatwa, check yourself: are you capable of this or not?

May Allah give us the tawfiq and ability to understand and teach the Quran and the Sunnah of Rasulullah, peace be upon him, and to follow the best of it. May Allah forgive our brothers and sisters who have passed away, and may Allah cure our brothers and sisters who are suffering from any type of illness.

Summary

Briefly, brothers and sisters:

First: Seeking knowledge is essential upon every believer — male and female. Knowledge relating to our deen, relating to our aqeedah, relating to our beliefs.

Second: Be practical and implement whatever you are learning — upon yourself and upon your family members, in your practical life. Otherwise, as the Prophet, peace be upon him, strongly warned: those who learn but do not apply it upon themselves will face humiliation — because they have knowledge but no practice.

Third: Do not rush to issue fatwas without having proper knowledge. Be mindful of the Sahabah, the companions of the Prophet, peace be upon him, as they have been given such a high status in the Quran and in the hadith. Do not underestimate them or ignore them — as this is unfortunately a common phenomenon these days.