Hadith about seeking knowledge – Islam was revealed as compassion for the universe ( rahman lil ‘alamin ) and this can only be done by knowledgeable people. That is why Allah SWT and Rasulullah SAW require humans to never stop learning throughout their lives through the Al-Qur’an, Sunnah, and Hadith about studying knowledge.
The Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasallam was also sent by God to improve human life through science and knowledge. He showed that people who have knowledge and believe in God can form good morals, so that they can love and cherish this universe.
However, in everyday life, maybe Sinaumed’s often encounters people who use their knowledge for something that is not good. They are a group of humans with bad morals that can harm humans and other living things around them.
Phenomena like this can arise because of an imbalance between world knowledge and religious knowledge (morals). As expressed by Abu Zakariya An Anbari Rahimahullah:
Knowledge without etiquette is like fire without wood, and etiquette without knowledge is like a soul without a body
“Knowledge without adab is like fire without firewood, and adab without knowledge is like a body without a soul” ( Min Washaya Al Ulama liThalabatil Ilmi p. 10 )
Humans who have extensive knowledge but are not accompanied by religious knowledge at all, tend to commit acts that damage the earth and fellow human beings. That is why, the knowledge of religion, manners and good morals must be taught from childhood.
Hadith About Seeking Knowledge
Seeking knowledge is actually a person’s effort to change himself for the better because one of the basic purposes is to show the way of truth so that people are spared from ignorance.
Islam gives orders to seek knowledge to men and women, there is no difference between the two because seeking knowledge has the value of worship. As the Prophet Muhammad SAW said:
To rise in the morning and learn a verse from the Book of God is better than worshiping a Sunnah.
“Truly if you take a step in the morning (or evening) and then learn one verse from the Book of God (Al-Qur’an), then the reward is better than a year’s worship”.
In another hadith, the Prophet said:
Whoever goes out to seek knowledge is on the path of God until he returns. (Narrated by Al-Tirmidhi)
“Whoever goes to seek knowledge, then he belongs to the group of sabilillah (people who uphold the religion of God) until he returns.” ( HR. Tirmidhi ).
The two hadiths above show that seeking knowledge has a high position when viewed from the aspect of worship. Because, after all, worship that is not based on knowledge will be in vain. Shaykh Ibn Ruslan also stated:
. And whoever does without knowledge, his deeds are rejected, not accepted.
“Anyone who does charity (carries out charity) without being based on knowledge, then all his deeds will be rejected, that is, not accepted.”
As described in the book Science of Hadith by Munzier Suparta. In this book you will find explanations of various hadiths that can be used as references.
The Priority of Seeking Knowledge in the Qur’an and As-Sunnah
So important is knowledge for humans, that Allah SWT and Prophet Muhammad SAW also mentioned several virtues of knowledge in the Qur’an and As-Sunnah, among them:
Knowledge as a Sign of the Goodness of Allah SWT
Allah makes it easy for humans to understand and learn science so that humans understand that He has willed good for themselves and guided them to things that are pleasing to Him.
With knowledge, a person’s life will become more meaningful, his future will be brighter, and he can also achieve pleasures that have never been felt in the world. The Prophet Shallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said:
Whoever Allah desires good for, He will give him understanding of the religion.
“Whoever God wants good for a servant, then He will understand about his religion.” ( Muttafaq Alaihi from Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan Radhiallahu anhuma )
On another occasion, the Prophet said:
Indeed, God Almighty created His creation in darkness, then He cast upon them His light, so whoever strikes him from that light is guided, and whoever misses him goes astray.
“Truly Allah Azza Wajalla created His creatures in darkness, then Allah gave them from His light, so whoever gets that light, then he gets guidance, and whoever doesn’t get it, then he gets lost.” ( HR. Ahmad (2/176), Tirmidhi, no:2642, Ibnu Hibban (6169), Al-Hakim in mustadrak (1/84), from the hadith of Abdullah bin Amr bin Ash. Authenticated by Al-Albani in Ash-Shahihah ( 3/1076 ).
Knowledge as a Savior from the Curse of Allah SWT
In a hadith narrated from the companion of Abu Hurairah Radhiyallahu Anhu, the Prophet said:
The world is cursed. Cursed is what is in it except for the remembrance of God and what follows Him, and a scholar or a learner.
“Indeed the world is cursed, cursed is everything in it, except the remembrance of God and the deeds of obedience, so is a pious or learned person.” ( HR. Tirmidhi (2322), Ibnu Majah (4112), recommended by Al-Albani in sahih al-jami’, no (1609))
Knowledge Is the Way to Heaven
It is mentioned from the hadith of Abu Hurairah Radhiyallahu Anhu in Sahih Muslim, that the Prophet Shallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said:
And whoever travels a path seeking knowledge, God will facilitate for him a path to Paradise.
“Whoever follows a path to acquire knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to paradise.” (HR. Muslim: 2699)
This hadith explains that when a human leaves his house to seek knowledge, he will be the reason he enters heaven. With notes, you must learn knowledge with full sincerity.
That way, it will be easier for you to understand which is good and which is bad; which is halal and which is haram; which is true and which is false; and you will be encouraged to practice the knowledge you have learned. This is what makes a human being a servant who is pleased with Allah SWT because he has followed the guidance of His Messenger and heaven is God’s reward for a servant who is pleased with Him.
Knowledge Is More Main Than Worship
Prophet Muhammad Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam said:
The virtue of knowledge is dearer to me than the virtue of worship, and the best of your religion is piousness
“I like the priority of knowledge more than the priority of worship, and the best of your religions is to behave wara’.” ( HR. Al-Hakim, Al-Bazzar, At-Thayalisi, from Hudzaifah bin Yaman Radhiallahu Anhu. Authenticated by Al-Albani in sahih al-jami’:4214 )
In another narration, the Prophet said:
And the superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like the superiority of the moon on the night of the full moon over all the planets.
“Indeed, the superiority of a knowledgeable person over worshipers is like the superiority of the moon on a full moon night over all the stars.” ( HR. Abu Dawud (3641), Ibnu Majah (223), from the hadith of Abu Darda’ Radhiallahu Anhu ).
The essence of these two hadiths is that knowledge is more important than other acts of worship, such as sunnah fasting, sunnah prayers, and so on. In addition, knowledge is also part of the most noble worship.
In the book Yuk, Learning Hadith by Dian K. & Aan Wulandari, Sinaumed’s can read 30 stories that contain lessons from other prophetic hadiths.
The Position of People Who Seek Knowledge
If compared, the position of knowledgeable people is very far from uneducated people, either in terms of value or degree. As Allah SWT says in QS. Az-Zumar and Al-Mujadalah:
Say, are those who know and those who do not know equal? Only those with understanding remember. (Al-Zumar: 9)
“ Say, ‘Are those who know and those who do not know the same?’ Actually only people who have common sense can receive lessons. ” ( QS. Az-Zumar / 39: 9 )
God raises those among you who have believed and those who have been given knowledge. (Al Mujadalah: 11)
“ Surely Allah will raise (degrees) those who believe among you and those who are given knowledge by degrees. ” ( QS. Al-Mujãdalah / 58: 11 )
The two verses above explain the high degree and value of knowledgeable people. Armed with knowledge, humans will be able to get all the goodness and noble positions. Although there is a possibility that one day people’s view of knowledge or the owner of knowledge will “blur” or shift for one reason or another. However, when a very great danger arises, humans will learn again and find out how to overcome it.
Not only that, the Prophet also explained further about the position of knowledgeable people:
وعن أِبي أِمامة رِضى اِلله عِنو أِن رِسول اِلله صِلى اِلله عِليو وِسلم قِالَ فَِِِضِْلُِ اِلِْعَِالَِِِ عَِِلَِىِ الِْعَِابِِدِِكَِِِفَِضِْلِِى عِلَِى أَِِدِْنَِاكُِمِْ ثُِ قَِِالَِ رَِِسُِولُِ اِللهِِ إِ نِ اِللهَِ وَِِمَِلَِ كَِِِِتَِوُِ وَِِأَِىِْل اِل سِمَِاوَِاتِِ وَِِالْاَِرِْضَِِ حَِتَِّّ اِلنِّمِْلَِةَِ فِِِِ حِِِجِْرِِىَِا وَِِ حَِِ تِّ اِلُِوِْتِِ لِيُِصَِلِّوِْنَِ عَِِلَِى مُِِعَِلِّمِِى اِلن اسِِ اِلَِْيْ رَِِِ (رواه Al-Tirmidhi)
” from Abi Amamah ra. That the Messenger of God Saying the superiority of a person of knowledge over a person who worships is like the superiority of myself over all of you, then the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. Saying “indeed Allah and his angels and all the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, even the ants in their holes and the fish, truly bless those who teach goodness to people ” ( HR. Turmudzi )
The reward of the knowledgeable will never end
Knowledge is so important to humans that the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him peace, called it a reward that will never end even after death:
When he dies, if he cuts, if he is not one of them, there is no one who is a ritual: no one who is a ritual, or a mother, a mother, a mother, a mother, a mother.
“When the son of Adam dies, all his deeds are cut off except for three deeds: sadaqah jariyah, useful knowledge and a pious son who prays” ( HR at-Turmudzi) .
All the hadiths mentioned above clearly explain the primacy of knowledge for humans, both in this world and in the hereafter. Especially knowledge that benefits other humans.
Requirements That Must Be Fulfilled To Demand Knowledge
According to Imam Al-Zarnuji, a friend of the Prophet Ali bin Abi Talib said that there are 6 conditions for studying knowledge, namely:
Intelligent
The earliest requirement that you must fulfill to study is to have intelligence. Because, as Imam Ghazali said, a smart person knows that he doesn’t know something and that’s why he learns it.
In this case, intelligent is not the level of one’s intelligence, but rather not crazy. That means you have to be sane and aware. Can distinguish black from white, numbers one and two.
Greedy (Hirsun)
Greed is synonymous with bad character, but in studying greed is also necessary. For something positive, greed can also be interpreted as a strong will and enthusiasm.
In other words, being greedy for knowledge is the same as never giving up even though you have to encounter various difficulties and suffering during the process of learning or seeking knowledge. More than that, throughout his life he also will not stop seeking new knowledge.
Be patient
In addition to never giving up when encountering various obstacles, someone who studies knowledge must also be patient through each process. Patience here can also be interpreted as being steadfast in the face of trials or accepting things that don’t suit you.
Therefore, Sinaumed’s must always surrender to Allah SWT. With a note, you also need to give your best effort to improve the difficult situation you are facing.
Capital/supply
Seeking knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim from birth to his last day in the world. Knowledge here is not only obtained from formal education, but also non-formal education.
Unfortunately, to gain knowledge also requires capital or provisions that are not small. Both in the form of money, energy, time, and thoughts. Hence, some people who are not well off decide to drop out of school for financial reasons.
However, this is only a small part of it, because the majority of people who are underprivileged will try their best to seek the highest level of knowledge. With all the shortcomings, they are still able to complete education.
This proves that Allah will surely provide sustenance for everyone who is studying, as promised by Rasulullah SAW. On the other hand, it also shows the power of belief is real.
Thus, no matter how hard your current condition is, keep trying and have faith in the power and help of Allah SWT, and keep looking for other ways that you can use to study.
Teacher’s Guide
Not a few people get lost when studying because they don’t get instructions from a teacher. In this technological era, you can indeed learn many things by yourself because the sources of knowledge are everywhere. However, make sure you have a teacher who can give advice and guidance.
Long Time
Because knowledge itself is very, very broad or even has no end, it certainly takes a long time to learn it, as the saying goes “Seek knowledge to the grave”. For example, if you want to become a lecturer, you must first graduate from elementary, middle, high school, and university, which takes approximately 16 years.
Obligation to Practice Knowledge
The best knowledge is that which can benefit others. So, apart from being obliged to seek knowledge, you are also obliged to share it with the people around you. Be a guide for those who are studying.
By doing this you can be an example and role model for them. Who knows, the people you mentor will follow in your footsteps. The Prophet Muhammad SAW gave a threat to his people who did not spread their knowledge in a hadith:
From the knowledge of the knowledge, it is from the fire (narrated by Abu Hanab, and the ruler of Al-Haram).
“Whoever knows an information (knowledge) and keeps it (does not practice it), then Allah will bind him with the bonds of hell fire” . ( HR Abu Daud, Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah, Ibn Hibban and judges )
Knowledgeable people who do not practice knowledge will also have nothing but an image of the knowledge itself and no meaning and essence in it. In essence, knowledge must be spread so that it does not disappear.
If Sinaumed’s doesn’t believe you, try writing what you’ve learned on a blog or social media. No need to think about how many people will read it, just write down what you get while studying. In this way, it’s easier for you to remember every knowledge you get.
On the other hand, if you don’t do anything after getting knowledge, gradually it will disappear and leave little picture as proof that you have indeed studied that knowledge.
Allah swt says in surat al-Baqarah, volume 2, verse 44:
Take command of the people and forget that your mind, even if a book is written, will you not understand? (Surah Al-Baqarah)
“Why do you order other people (to do) good, while you forget yourself, even though you read the Bible (Torah)? So you don’t think” ( QS Al-Baqoroh, 2 )
In this verse, it is very clear that Allah’s command regarding the practice of knowledge is very clear. Knowledgeable people who teach others without doing what they teach are among the losers. Especially if you don’t spread and don’t practice your knowledge.
As explained by Shaykh DR. Mahmud Ath-Thahhan in his book entitled Mustahalahul Hadith: A Complete & Practical Guide to Learning the Basics of Hadith Science.