Book of Knowledge
Chapter: The Excellence of Knowledge—Seeking It and Teaching It for Allah

Allah the Exalted says, “And say, ‘My Lord, increase me in knowledge.’” He also says, “Say, ‘Are those who know equal to those who do not know?’” And He says, “Allah will raise in degree those of you who believe and those who have been granted knowledge.” And He says, “It is only those who possess knowledge among His servants who truly fear Allah.”

[Commentary]
The author, al-Nawawi—may Allah have mercy on him—opens his book Riyad al-Salihin with the chapter “The virtue of knowledge: learning it and teaching it for Allah.” The knowledge praised in the scriptural texts, the knowledge that earns reward, elevates its people, and makes them the heirs of the prophets, is the knowledge of the Sharia, both in creed and in practice. It is not the purely worldly sciences such as arithmetic, engineering, and the like. What is meant by “knowledge” here is the sacred learning brought by the revealed laws; this alone is the knowledge for which those who attain, teach, and study it are commended.

Knowledge itself is a form of jihad—striving in the path of Allah—and upon it all other forms of jihad and the entirety of Islam are built. One who is ignorant cannot act as required. For this reason Allah the Exalted says, “It is not for all the believers to go forth at once. Why does not a group from every contingent remain behind to gain understanding of the religion and to warn their people when they return to them, so that they may beware?” (9:122). That is, if a party of the believers sets out for armed struggle, another party must stay behind to study the religion—those who remain behind—to admonish their people when they return from the campaign, so that they may take heed.