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Knowledge & Learning

العلم

The obligation to seek knowledge. Discover why learning is an act of worship, the value of wisdom, and the pursuit of beneficial knowledge.

Quran Verses About Knowledge & Learning

Found 15 relevant verses from the Quran

وَأَمّا مَن جاءَكَ يَسعىٰ

But as for he who came to you striving [for knowledge]

وَكَيفَ تَصبِرُ عَلىٰ ما لَم تُحِط بِهِ خُبرًا

And how can you have patience for what you do not encompass in knowledge?"

وَلا تَقفُ ما لَيسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلمٌ ۚ إِنَّ السَّمعَ وَالبَصَرَ وَالفُؤادَ كُلُّ أُولـٰئِكَ كانَ عَنهُ مَسئولًا

And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.

عَلَّمَ الإِنسانَ ما لَم يَعلَم

Taught man that which he knew not.

هُدًى وَذِكرىٰ لِأُولِي الأَلبابِ

As guidance and a reminder for those of understanding.

Verse 269
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يُؤتِي الحِكمَةَ مَن يَشاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤتَ الحِكمَةَ فَقَد أوتِيَ خَيرًا كَثيرًا ۗ وَما يَذَّكَّرُ إِلّا أُولُو الأَلبابِ

He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding.

أَم لَكُم كِتابٌ فيهِ تَدرُسونَ

Or do you have a scripture in which you learn

قالوا سُبحانَكَ لا عِلمَ لَنا إِلّا ما عَلَّمتَنا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ العَليمُ الحَكيمُ

They said, "Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise."

وَيَرَى الَّذينَ أوتُوا العِلمَ الَّذي أُنزِلَ إِلَيكَ مِن رَبِّكَ هُوَ الحَقَّ وَيَهدي إِلىٰ صِراطِ العَزيزِ الحَميدِ

And those who have been given knowledge see that what is revealed to you from your Lord is the truth, and it guides to the path of the Exalted in Might, the Praiseworthy.

وَتِلكَ الأَمثالُ نَضرِبُها لِلنّاسِ ۖ وَما يَعقِلُها إِلَّا العالِمونَ

And these examples We present to the people, but none will understand them except those of knowledge.

Verse 199
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خُذِ العَفوَ وَأمُر بِالعُرفِ وَأَعرِض عَنِ الجاهِلينَ

Take what is given freely, enjoin what is good, and turn away from the ignorant.

فَوَجَدا عَبدًا مِن عِبادِنا آتَيناهُ رَحمَةً مِن عِندِنا وَعَلَّمناهُ مِن لَدُنّا عِلمًا

And they found a servant from among Our servants to whom we had given mercy from us and had taught him from Us a [certain] knowledge.

Verse 114
Quran.com ↗

فَتَعالَى اللَّهُ المَلِكُ الحَقُّ ۗ وَلا تَعجَل بِالقُرآنِ مِن قَبلِ أَن يُقضىٰ إِلَيكَ وَحيُهُ ۖ وَقُل رَبِّ زِدني عِلمًا

So high [above all] is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge."

فَأَوجَسَ مِنهُم خيفَةً ۖ قالوا لا تَخَف ۖ وَبَشَّروهُ بِغُلامٍ عَليمٍ

And he felt from them apprehension. They said, "Fear not," and gave him good tidings of a learned boy.

وَما لَهُم بِهِ مِن عِلمٍ ۖ إِن يَتَّبِعونَ إِلَّا الظَّنَّ ۖ وَإِنَّ الظَّنَّ لا يُغني مِنَ الحَقِّ شَيئًا

And they have thereof no knowledge. They follow not except assumption, and indeed, assumption avails not against the truth at all.

Authentic Hadiths About Knowledge & Learning

Found 8 authentic narrations (Sahih grade)

Riyad as-Salihin
Sahih61% match
Riyad as-Salihin 1381

وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ ‏ "‏ومن سلك طريقًا يلتمس فيه علما سهل الله له به طريقًا إلى الجنة‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه مسلم‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Allah makes the way to Jannah easy for him who treads the path in search of knowledge."[Muslim].

Book: The Book of Knowledge
Chapter: Virtues of Knowledge which is Learnt and Taught for the sake of Allah
Riyad as-Salihin
Sahih58% match
Riyad as-Salihin 1388

وعن أبي الدرداء رضي الله عنه قال سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول‏:‏ ‏ "‏من سلك طريقًا يبتغي فيه علمًا سهل الله له طريقًا إلى الجنة، وإن الملائكة لتضع أجنحتها لطالب العلم رضا بما صنع، وإن العالم ليستغفر له من في السماوات والأرض حتى الحيتان في الماء، وفضل العالم على العابد كفضل القمر على سائر الكواكب، وإن العلماء ورثة الأنبياء وإن الأنبياء لم يورثوا دينارًا ولا درهما وإنما ورثوا العلم‏.‏ فمن أخذه أخذ بحظ وافر‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه أبو داود والترمذي‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who follows a path in quest of knowledge, Allah will make the path of Jannah easy to 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 the 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 (i.e., in brightness). The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who bequeath neither dinar nor dirham but only that of knowledge; and he who acquires it, has in fact acquired an abundant portion."[Abu Dawud and At- Tirmidhi].

Book: The Book of Knowledge
Chapter: Virtues of Knowledge which is Learnt and Taught for the sake of Allah
Riyad as-Salihin
Sahih56% match
Riyad as-Salihin 1385

وعن أنس رضي الله عنه قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏ "‏من خرج في طلب العلم، فهو في سبيل الله حتى يرجع‏"‏ رواه الترمذي وقال‏:‏ حديث حسن‏.‏

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "He who goes forth in search of knowledge is considered as struggling in the Cause of Allah until he returns."[At- Tirmidhi].

Book: The Book of Knowledge
Chapter: Virtues of Knowledge which is Learnt and Taught for the sake of Allah
Sahih Bukhari
Sahih54% match
Sahih al-Bukhari 1409

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي قَيْسٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ لاَ حَسَدَ إِلاَّ فِي اثْنَتَيْنِ رَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً فَسَلَّطَهُ عَلَى هَلَكَتِهِ فِي الْحَقِّ، وَرَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ حِكْمَةً فَهْوَ يَقْضِي بِهَا وَيُعَلِّمُهَا ‏"‏‏.‏

I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "There is no envy except in two: a person whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it in the right way, and a person whom Allah has given wisdom (i.e. religious knowledge) and he gives his decisions accordingly and teaches it to the others."

Book: Obligatory Charity Tax (Zakat)
Chapter: To spend money in the right way
Sahih Bukhari
Sahih54% match
Sahih al-Bukhari 3756

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَارِثِ، عَنْ خَالِدٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ،، قَالَ ضَمَّنِي النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى صَدْرِهِ وَقَالَ ‏ "‏ اللَّهُمَّ عَلِّمْهُ الْحِكْمَةَ ‏"‏‏.‏

Once the Prophet (ﷺ) embraced me (pressed me to his chest) and said, "O Allah, teach him wisdom (i.e. the understanding of the knowledge of Qur'an).

Book: Companions of the Prophet
Chapter: Narrations about Ibn 'Abbas رضي الله عنهما
Riyad as-Salihin
Sahih54% match
Riyad as-Salihin 1391

وعنه قال‏:‏ قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏ "‏من تعلم علمًا مما يبتغى به وجه الله عز وجل لا يتعلمه إلا ليصيب به غرضًا من الدنيا لم يجد عرف الجنة يوم القيامة‏"‏ ‏(‏‏(‏يعني ريحها‏)‏‏)‏، ‏(‏‏(‏رواه أبو داود بإسناد صحيح‏.‏ ‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏

The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) said, "He who does not acquire knowledge with the sole intention of seeking the Pleasure of Allah but for worldly gain, will not smell the fragrance of Jannah on the Day of Resurrection."[Abu Dawud].

Book: The Book of Knowledge
Chapter: Virtues of Knowledge which is Learnt and Taught for the sake of Allah
Sahih Muslim
Sahih54% match
Sahih Muslim 816

وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، عَنْ قَيْسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْعُودٍ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بِشْرٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنْ قَيْسٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ، يَقُولُ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ لاَ حَسَدَ إِلاَّ فِي اثْنَتَيْنِ رَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ مَالاً فَسَلَّطَهُ عَلَى هَلَكَتِهِ فِي الْحَقِّ وَرَجُلٌ آتَاهُ اللَّهُ حِكْمَةً فَهُوَ يَقْضِي بِهَا وَيُعَلِّمُهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

There should be no envy but only in case of two persons: one having been endowed with wealth and power to spend it in the cause of Truth, and (the other) who has been endowed with wisdom and he decides cases with the help of it and teaches it (to others).

Book: The Book of Prayer - Travellers
Chapter: The virtue of one who acts in accordance with the Qur’an and teaches it. And the virtue of one who learns wisdom from Fiqh or other types of knowledge, then acts upon it and teaches it
Sahih Muslim
Sahih53% match
Sahih Muslim 1631

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَعِيدٍ - وَابْنُ حُجْرٍ قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - هُوَ ابْنُ جَعْفَرٍ - عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ إِذَا مَاتَ الإِنْسَانُ انْقَطَعَ عَنْهُ عَمَلُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ ثَلاَثَةٍ إِلاَّ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ جَارِيَةٍ أَوْ عِلْمٍ يُنْتَفَعُ بِهِ أَوْ وَلَدٍ صَالِحٍ يَدْعُو لَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays for him (for the deceased).

Book: The Book of Wills
Chapter: What Reward Reaches A Man After His Death

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