In This article I am going to discuss what Knowledge actually Is In the light of Quran and Sunnah and how we should acquire, guard and spread it.
According to Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 548:
Islam does not stop us from acquiring knowledge, but Islam is a progressive religion which tells us to not only explore and see and understand but also make other understand the meaning of life and death. What other book but Quran can be the source of all knowledge. This is the only scripture which will remain unchanged and this is the only book form which, even today's scientists have got their most awaited and wanted knowledge. In the following hadith, Muhammad pbuh said;
Bukhari Volume 9, Book 93, Number 620:
Narrated Salim's father:
According to Sahih Bukhari, Volume 9, Book 93, Number 548:
Narrated 'Abdullah:Knowledge is owned by Allah swt and only a part of it is taught to human beings. The above mentioned hadith indicates two things. One is, if there are any people who claim to have knowledge of that which has not been told, they are liars. Second thing is, Allah swt has given us knowledge, now we have to guard this knowledge. In Holy Quran, it is written;
While I was walking with Allah's Apostle in one of the fields of Medina and he was walking leaning on a stick, he passed a group of Jews. Some of them said to the others, "Ask him (the Prophet) about the spirit." Others said, "Do not ask him." But they asked him and he stood leaning on the stick and I was standing behind him and I thought that he was being divinely inspired. Then he said, "They ask you concerning the spirit say: The spirit, its knowledge is with My Lord. And of knowledge you (O men!) have been given only a little." ...(17.85) On that some of the Jews said to the others, "Didn't we tell you not to ask?"
2:113 The Jews assert that the Christians do not follow anything (that is true), and the Christians claim that the Jews follow nothing (that is true). Yet, they recite the (same) book. Others with no knowledge (of the scriptures) have also made similar claims. On the Day of Judgment, Allah will render judgment concerning all matters of dispute between them.Jews and Christians change whatever part of religion they do not like or understand. Jews despised ESA (as) and tried to kill him because he( as) pointed out their dishonesty and greed. When prophet Muhammad pbuh were bestowed with prophet hood; pagans, Christians and Jews all tried to buy him because he (pbuh) pointed out their weakness and deceit with respect to knowledge.
Islam does not stop us from acquiring knowledge, but Islam is a progressive religion which tells us to not only explore and see and understand but also make other understand the meaning of life and death. What other book but Quran can be the source of all knowledge. This is the only scripture which will remain unchanged and this is the only book form which, even today's scientists have got their most awaited and wanted knowledge. In the following hadith, Muhammad pbuh said;
Bukhari Volume 9, Book 93, Number 620:
Narrated Salim's father:
The Prophet said, "Not to wish to be the like of except the like of two (persons): a man whom Allah has given the knowledge of the Quran and he recites it during the hours of the night and the hours of the day; and a man whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it (in Allah's Cause) during the hours of the night and during the hours of the day."Unfortunately, people think that islamic knowledge is only quran and hadith. What they fail to understand Is that islam is the only religion which covers every aspect of human life. It encourages to help society with progressive knowledge and it also warns, at the same time, for doing something which is only destructive. Thus, open the quran and see for yourself what is the capability to human mind. Therefore, the inheritance of Muhammad pbuh is nothing but knowledge. The following hadith elaborates it further;
Hazrat abu Hurayrah (radiallaahu ‘anhu) once passed by the market in Madinah. He stopped at the market and said: “O people of the market, how incapable you are!” They said, “And how is that Abu Hurayrah?” He replied, “Over there, the inheritance of Allaah’s Messenger (salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is being distributed and you are here! Won’t you go and take your share?” “Where is it?” they asked. He replied, “In the Masjid.” So they hurried to the Masjid, and Abu Hurayrah waited for them until they returned. When they came back, he said, “What’s the matter?” They replied, “Abu Hurayrah! We went to the Masjid, but we didn’t see anything being distributed.” Abu Hurayrah asked them, “And you didn’t see anyone in the Masjid?” They replied, “Indeed we did; we saw people praying, others reciting Qur`an and others studying the regulations of halal and haram.”So Abu Hurayrah said, “Woe to you! That is the inheritance of Muhammad, salallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.”(at-Tabaraani, al-Aswaat, hassan)