18/ The Merit of Seeking Knowledge

There is no doubt that devoting oneself to seeking and acquiring knowledge, learning what is lawful and unlawful, studying and reflecting upon the Noble Quran, and learning the Sunnah, life, and accounts of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) constitute the best and most excellent form of remembrance. Gatherings of knowledge are the best gatherings, and they are superior to gatherings devoted to remembering Allah through glorification, praise, and magnification. This is because such pursuits are either an individual obligation or a communal obligation, whereas remembrance alone is entirely voluntary.

Accordingly, it is authentically reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), concerning the superiority of knowledge over worship and of the scholar over the worshipper, that he said: “The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like that of the full moon over all the other heavenly bodies.” Imam Ahmad, al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, and others narrated it on the authority of Abū al-Dardā1.

This hadith contains a beautiful analogy that clearly illustrates the great difference between the scholar and the worshipper. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) likened the scholar to the moon when it is full—that is, on the fifteenth night, when the moon attains perfect fullness and its light is complete—and he likened the worshipper to the heavenly bodies. This analogy contains a subtle insight to which the scholars have drawn attention.

Imam Ibn Rajab (may Allah have mercy on him) said: “The reason for this—and Allah knows best—is that the light of a heavenly body does not extend beyond itself. By contrast, the light of the full moon shines upon all the inhabitants of the earth and reaches them all; they illuminate their way by its light and are guided by it on their journeys. He said, ‘over all the other heavenly bodies,’ and did not say, ‘over