Al-Muqaddimāt al-Mumahhidāt - Ibn Rush al-Jadd - (1/43)

Al-Muqaddimāt al-MumahhidātIbn Rush al-Jadd

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On the Obligation to Seek Knowledge

Seeking knowledge and acquiring understanding of religion are communal obligations, like jihad. Allah Most High has enjoined them upon the community as a whole, saying:

“If only a group from each section of them would go forth to gain understanding of religion and warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware.” [al-Tawbah: 122]

The word min (“from”) is partitive. Thus, when some people undertake this duty, the obligation is discharged for the rest. An exception is knowledge that no person may remain ignorant of: how to perform ablution, pray, fast, and pay zakat, if zakat is obligatory upon him. Learning these matters is obligatory for him, and another person’s knowledge of them does not discharge his obligation.

Likewise, anyone suited to scholarly leadership and independent juristic reasoning is obliged to seek knowledge. This was stated by Mālik—may Allah Most High have mercy on him. When asked whether seeking knowledge was obligatory, he replied: “Not upon everyone.”

It is also related that Ibn Wahb was sitting with him when the time for prayer arrived. Ibn Wahb rose to pray, and Mālik said to him: “What you have risen to do is no more obligatory upon you than what you have left.”

This statement calls for examination. How could seeking knowledge be more obligatory upon anyone than the obligatory prayer? In my view, if the report is authentic, he meant: “What you have risen to do is no more obligatory upon you at this moment than what you have left.” This is because, at the beginning of its prescribed time, prayer is obligatory with latitude as to when it is performed. Thus, he—may Allah Most High be pleased with him—meant that recording knowledge which he feared he might otherwise miss was more pressing for him than hastening to pray at the beginning of the prayer time.

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Just as the learner is obliged to learn, the scholar is obliged to teach. Allah, Almighty and Majestic, says:

“Because you have been teaching the Scripture and because you have been studying it.” [Āl 'Imrān: 79]

There are also the readings “you know” and “you learn,” the latter meaning “you acquire knowledge.” Thus, the three readings encompass knowledge, learning, and teaching. Allah, Almighty and Majestic, also says:

“And when Allah took a covenant from those who were given the Scripture: ‘You must make it clear to the people and not conceal it.’” [Āl 'Imrān: 187],

فصل في وجوب طلب العلم وطلب العلم والتفقه في الدين من فروض الكفاية كالجهاد، أوجبه الله تعالى على الجملة فقال تعالى: ﴿فَلَوْلا نَفَرَ مِنْ كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طَائِفَةٌ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنْذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ﴾ [التوبة: ١٢٢]، ومن للتبعيض. فإذا قام به بعض الناس سقط الفرض عن سائرهم، إلا ما لا يسع الإنسان جهله من صفة وضوئه وصلاته وصومه وزكاته إن كان ممن تجب عليه الزكاة، فإن ذلك واجب عليه لا يسقط عنه الفرض فيه معرفة غيره به. وكذلك من كان فيه موضع للإمامة والاجتهاد فطلب العلم عليه واجب قاله مالك - رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى - وقد سئل عن طلب العلم أواجب هو أم لا فقال أما على كل الناس فلا. وروي عنه أن ابن وهب كان جالسا معه فحضرت الصلاة فقام إليها فقال له: ما الذي قمت إليه بأوجب عليك من الذي قمت عنه. وهذا كلام فيه نظر، كيف يكون طلب العلم على أحد أوجب عليه من صلاة الفريضة، فالمعنى في ذلك عندي إن صحت الرواية أنه أراد ما الذي قمت إليه بأوجب عليك في هذا الوقت من الذي قمت عنه؛ لأن الصلاة لا تجب بأول الوقت إلا وجوبا موسعا، فأراد - رَضِيَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ - أن اشتغاله بتقييد ما يخشى فواته من العلم آكد عليه من البدار إلى الصلاة في أول الوقت. فصل وكما يجب على المتعلم التعلم فكذلك يجب على العالم التعليم. قال الله ﷿: ﴿بِمَا كُنْتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْكِتَابَ وَبِمَا كُنْتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ﴾ [آل عمران: ٧٩]، ويقرأ تعلمون وتعلمون بمعنى تتعلمون فتجمع القراءات الثلاث العلم والتعلم والتعليم. وقال الله ﷿: ﴿وَإِذْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْكِتَابَ لَتُبَيِّنُنَّهُ لِلنَّاسِ وَلا تَكْتُمُونَهُ﴾ [آل عمران: ١٨٧]،