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:
یَرْفَعِ اللہُ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مِنۡکُمْ ۙ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجٰتٍ ؕ
Allah will raise, in degree, those of you who believe and those who are endowed with knowledge.
(Al-Mujaadalah 58, Verse 11 [Ihya Vol. 1])
Tafseer:
قَالَ ابْنُ مَسْعُودٍ: مَدَحَ اللَّهُ الْعُلَمَاءَ فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ. وَالْمَعْنَى أَنَّهُ يَرْفَعُ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَلَمْ يُؤْتَوُا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجاتٍ أَيْ دَرَجَاتٍ فِي دِينِهِمْ إِذَا فَعَلُوا مَا أُمِرُوا بِهِ.
Sayyiduna Ibn Mas’ood – may Allah be pleased with him – said: Allah Almighty praised the people of knowledge in this verse – meaning – He will indeed raise in degree the people who are endowed with knowledge in their Deen, over the believers who were not bestowed the knowledge, if their actions coincide with the commands they have been given.
The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – is reported to have stated: Three people will intercede on the Day of Judgment:
- The Prophets of Allah (peace be upon them)
- Then the people knowledge
- Then the martyrs.
عَنْ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ: خُيِّرَ سُلَيْمَانُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ بَيْنَ الْعِلْمِ وَالْمَالِ وَالْمُلْكِ فَاخْتَارَ الْعِلْمَ فَأُعْطِيَ المال والملك معه.
Sayyiduna Ibn ‘Abbas – may Allah be pleased with him – is reported to have said: Sayyiduna Sulaiman – may Allah be pleased with him – was given the privilege of choosing between knowledge, wealth and kingdom, so he chose knowledge and thus he was bestowed with wealth and kingdom with it as well.
(Tafseer Qurtubi under the verse)
Hadeeth:
The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – has stated:
مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ
When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of Deen.
(Bukhari, Muslim)
The Holy Prophet – may Allah send peace and blessings upon him – has stated:
اَلْاِیْمَانُ عُرْیَانٌ وَّ لِبَاسُہٗ التَّقْوٰی وَ زِیْنَتُہُ الْحَیَاءُ وَثَمَرَتُہُ الْعِلْمُ
Iman is naked and Taqwa (the fear of Allah) is its garment, its beauty is modesty and its fruit is knowledge.
(Al- Firdaus bi Ma’thoor al-Khitaab Vol. 1, p. 380 [Ihya Vol. 1])
O brothers, take the advice of Sayyiduna ‘Umar – may Allah be pleased with him:
It is incumbent upon you to seek knowledge, for Allah Almighty has a shawl and He bestows it to the one who learns one chapter of knowledge. When he commits a sin after that He tries to please that person three times, so that He does not have to take the shawl back from him, and it continues even if one is persistent on that sin until his death.
And the advice of Sayyiduna Luqman – peace be upon him – to his son was:
O my son, attend the gathering of learned men. Allah Almighty revives the dead hearts with the light of wisdom like how the heavy rain from the sky revitalizes the earth.
Sayyiduna Fateh Moosili – may Allah be pleased with him – asked (while addressing people), “Is this not the case that when a patient is deprived of food and water he dies?” They replied, “Yes, of course.” He then said, “The heart is also like that. When it is deprived of knowledge and wisdom for three days, it dies.”
He spoke the truth because the food for the heart is knowledge and wisdom, and it survives on it like the body survives on food. Hence, one who is deprived of knowledge his heart is sick and it will eventually die but he has no idea of it, for his engrossment in the world and its lust suppresses this feeling.
(Ihya Uloom al-Deen Vol. 1)
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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