All praises, the praise of the grateful due to Allah, Lord of all the worlds, and peace and blessings be upon our master Muhammad and upon his household and all his companions.
I bear witness that there is none worthy of worship besides Allah the only one who has no partner, and I testify that our master Mohammad is his slave and messenger whom he has sent with the true religion and guidance.
‘O believers! obey Allah and obey the messenger, and those who have power of command amongst you.
‘O believers! Fear Allah as rightly He is to be feared, and do not die ever save as Muslims.
Allah Almighty states in the Holy Quran:
فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِنۡ کُلِّ فِرْقَۃٍ مِّنْہُمْ طَآئِفَۃٌ لِّیَتَفَقَّہُوۡا فِی الدِّیۡنِ وَلِیُنۡذِرُوۡا قَوْمَہُمْ اِذَا رَجَعُوۡۤا اِلَیۡہِمْ لَعَلَّہُمْ یَحْذَرُوۡنَ ﴿۱۲۲﴾٪
Then why should not a party from each group should come out that they may gain understanding of religion and warn their people after coming back to them, hopefully they may guard themselves.
(Al-Taubah 9, Verse 122 [Ihya Vol. 1])
Tafseer:
طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَضِيلَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ وَمَرْتَبَةٌ شَرِيفَةٌ لَا يُوَازِيهَا عَمَلٌ، رَوَى التِّرْمِذِيُّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: مَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَلْتَمِسُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَلَكَ اللَّهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ لَتَضَعُ أَجْنِحَتَهَا رِضًا لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ وَإِنَّ الْعَالِمَ لَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهٗ مَنْ فِي السَّمٰوَاتِ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالْحِيتَانُ فِي جَوْفِ الْمَاءِ وَإِنَّ فَضْلَ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِ الْقَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْكَوَاكِبِ وَإِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَرَثَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَإِنَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ لَمْ يُوَرِّثُوا دِينَارًا وَلَا دِرْهَمًا إِنَّمَا وَرَّثُوا الْعِلْمَ فَمَنْ أَخَذَ بِهٖ أخَذَ بِحَظٍّ وَافِرٍ
The quest of knowledge is a great honour to which no action can compare. Tirmidhi narrated the Hadeeth of Sayyiduna Abu Darda – may Allah be pleased with him, he said: I heard the Messenger of Allah – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him saying:
“He who follows a path in quest of knowledge, Allah will make the path of Jannah easy for him. The angels lower their wings over the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he does. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, and even the fish in the depth of oceans, seek forgiveness for him. The superiority of the learned man over the devout worshipper is like that of the full moon to the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who impart (in inheritance) neither dinar nor dirham but only knowledge; and he who acquires it, has in fact acquired an abundant portion.”
The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – was asked about two men of Bani Israel; as to which one of the two was greater? One of them was a learned man who would recite the book then sat and taught people virtues while the other fasted during the day and prayed at night. The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – replied, “The superiority of this learned man who used to recite the book then sat and taught people virtues over the one who fasted during the day and prayed at night is like my superiority over the most insignificant among you.”
(Tafseer Qurtubi under the verse)
Hadeeth:
The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – has stated:
طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيْضَةٌ عَلٰى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ
Seeking knowledge is a Fard duty upon every Muslim.
(Sunan Ibn Majah)
Sayyiduna Rabee’ said, I heard Imam Shafe’i – may Allah be pleased with them – saying: Seeking knowledge is a greater duty than optional Salah.
(Tafseer Qurtubi [S9, V122])
O Allah, grant us the beneficial knowledge that can take us closer to You.
O Allah, increase me in my knowledge. I seek Allah’s forgiveness for me, for you and for all the Muslim males and females. Verily, He is All-forgiving, the Merciful.
MUSJIDUL HAQ 
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