and everything connected to it, so that he may worship Allah with clear understanding.

Zakah does not have to be studied by every individual; only the one who owns taxable wealth must learn which kinds of property are subject to zakah, the amount that constitutes the nisab, how much is due, to whom it should be given, and similar details. It makes no sense to oblige a poor person to master the rules of zakah when he possesses nothing liable to it.

Sawm, on the other hand, must be learned by everyone. A Muslim needs to know what he must abstain from, what breaks the fast, what invalidates it completely, what diminishes its reward, and the like. Everyone who fasts is required to learn these matters.

Hajj is not obligatory for everyone to study; only the one who is able to make the journey must learn its rulings, so that he may perform the pilgrimage knowingly and correctly.

Sadly, many people neglect to learn the rulings that are binding upon them, and they end up in difficulties—especially during hajj. How often do you find pilgrims posing questions after they have already fallen into grave errors simply because they failed to learn before acting!

Take commerce as another example: the rulings of buying and selling are not obligatory for every person. Yet anyone who wishes to trade must learn which transactions are forbidden and which are lawful, so that he conducts his affairs with clear insight—and so on for every field.

It is now evident that sacred knowledge is divided into two categories: first, fard ʿayn (an individual duty), and second, fard kifayah (a collective duty). When the collective duty has been fulfilled, it becomes recommended for those in excess of the required number to continue seeking knowledge, thereby preserving Allah’s law, guiding His servants through it, and benefiting the people.

Nothing is more noble than knowledge, as shown by Allah’s words to His Prophet