تعليم المتعلمal-ZarnūjīOn the Nature of Knowledge, Fiqh, and Their Excellence
قَالَsaid رَسُولُthe Messenger of اللهِAllah ﷺpeace be upon him: طَلَبُseeking / pursuit of الْعِلْمِknowledge فَرِيضَةٌan obligation عَلَىupon كُلِّevery مُسْلِمٍMuslim man وَمُسْلِمَةٍand Muslim woman.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim man and woman.
اعْلَمْknow! بِأَنَّهُthat indeed لَاnot يُفْتَرَضُit is obligatory عَلَىupon كُلِّevery مُسْلِمٍMuslim طَلَبُseeking كُلِّevery عِلْمٍbranch of knowledge، وَإِنَّمَاrather / only يُفْتَرَضُit is obligatory عَلَيْهِupon him طَلَبُto seek عِلْمِknowledge of الْحَالِhis present circumstances.
Know that it is not obligatory upon every Muslim to seek every branch of knowledge; what is obligatory is to seek the knowledge relevant to one's circumstances.
كَمَاas يُقَالُit is said: وَأَفْضَلُand the best الْعِلْمِof knowledge عِلْمُis knowledge of الْحَالِone's present state، وَأَفْضَلُand the best الْعَمَلِof action حِفْظُis guarding الْحَالِone's present state.
As it is said: The best knowledge is knowledge of one's present state, and the best action is to guard one's present state.
وَيُفْتَرَضُand it is obligatory عَلَىupon الْمُسْلِمِthe Muslim طَلَبُto seek مَاwhat يَقَعُoccurs / applies لَهُto him فِيin حَالِهِhis circumstances، فَإِنَّهُfor indeed لَاthere is no بُدَّescaping لَهُfor him مِنَfrom الصَّلَاةِprayer، فَيُفْتَرَضُso it is obligatory عَلَيْهِupon him عِلْمُknowledge of مَاwhat يَقَعُpertains لَهُto him فِيin صَلَاتِهِhis prayer بِقَدْرِto the extent مَاthat يُؤَدِّيhe fulfils بِهِby it فَرْضَthe obligation of الصَّلَاةِprayer.
It is obligatory upon the Muslim to seek knowledge relevant to his circumstances. Since he must pray, it is obligatory upon him to know what pertains to his prayer to the extent needed to fulfil the obligatory prayer.
وَكَذَلِكَand likewise فِيregarding الصَّوْمِfasting، وَالزَّكَاةِand zakāt إِنْif كَانَhe has لَهُto him مَالٌwealth، وَالْحَجِّand ḥajj إِنْif وَجَبَit is obligatory عَلَيْهِupon him، وَكَذَلِكَand likewise فِيregarding الْبُيُوعِcommercial transactions إِنْif كَانَhe is يَتَّجِرُa trader، وَكَذَلِكَand likewise فِيregarding سَائِرِall other الْمُعَامَلَاتِdealings وَالْأَحْرَافِand trades / crafts.
Likewise for fasting; and zakāt if he has wealth; and ḥajj if it is obligatory; and likewise for commercial transactions if he is a trader; and likewise for all other dealings and trades.
وَكُلُّand every مَنِone who اشْتَغَلَis engaged بِشَيْءٍin anything مِنْهَاof these يُحَرِّزُmust acquire / guard عَلَيْهِfor himself عِلْمُknowledge of مَاwhat يُفْتَرَضُis obligatory عَلَيْهِupon him فِيهِin it.
Everyone engaged in any of these must acquire the knowledge that is obligatory for him in it.
قِيلَit was said لِمُحَمَّدِto Muḥammad بْنِibn / son of الْحَسَنِal-Ḥasan رَحِمَةُmercy of اللهِAllah عَلَيْهِupon him: لِمَwhy لَاnot تُصَنِّفْdo you write / compile كِتَابًاa book فِيon الزُّهْدِasceticism؟ قَالَhe said: قَدْindeed صَنَّفْتُI have written كِتَابًاa book فِيon الْبُيُوعِcommerce. يَعْنِيmeaning مَنِwhoever اكْتَسَبَearns مِنَfrom الْحَلَالِthe lawful وَعَزَلَand stays away عَنِfrom الشُّبُهَاتِdoubtful matters وَالْمَكْرُوهَاتِand disliked acts فَهُوَhe is الزَّاهِدُthe ascetic الْحَقِيقِيُّthe true one.
It was said to Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan, may Allah have mercy on him: Why do you not write a book on asceticism? He said: I have written a book on commerce. Meaning: whoever earns from the lawful and avoids doubtful and disliked matters is the true ascetic.
وَشَرَفُand the nobility of الْعِلْمِknowledge؛ بِكَوْنِهِlies in it being وَسِيلَةًa means إِلَىto الْبِرِّpiety / righteousness وَالتَّقْوَىand God-consciousness، الَّذِيby which بِهِthrough it الْمَرْءُa person يَسْتَحِقُّdeserves الْكَرَامَةَhonour عِنْدَin the sight of اللهِAllah، وَالسَّعَادَةَand felicity الْأَبَدِيَّةَeternal.
The nobility of knowledge lies in its being the means to piety and God-consciousness, by which a person deserves honour in the sight of Allah and eternal felicity.
تَعَلَّمْ فَإِنَّ الْعِلْمَ زَيْنٌ لِأَهْلِهِوَفَضْلٌ وَعُنْوَانٌ لِكُلِّ الْمَحَامِدِ وَكُنْ مُسْتَفِيدًا كُلَّ يَوْمٍ زِيَادَةً
Learn — knowledge is a crown that you wear, A mark of the noble, refined and rare; Grow every day, let your insight rise, Dive in oceans where wisdom lies. Seek out fiqh — it straightens your way, Guides your heart so you don't go astray; Leads to truth and a life upright, Keeps your goal and your aim in sight. It is light on the path when the road gets rough, A shield when trials start getting tough; One true scholar, grounded and real, Outweighs a thousand who bow and kneel.
وَالْعِلْمُand knowledge وَسِيلَةٌis a means إِلَىto مَعْرِفَةِknowing اللهِAllah وَالْبَقَاءِand eternal life؛ وَبِقَدْرِand in proportion to حُسْنِهِits excellence يَحْسُنُbecomes excellent الْمَرْءُa person، وَكَذَلِكَand likewise فِيwith سَائِرِall other الْأَخْلَاقِvirtues / character traits: الشَّجَاعَةِcourage، وَالْجُودِand generosity، وَالصِّدْقِand truthfulness، وَالتَّقِيِّand piety، وَالشَّفَقَةِand compassion وَغَيْرِهَاand the rest.
Knowledge is the means to knowing Allah and to eternal life; and in proportion to its excellence does a person become excellent. And likewise with other virtues: courage, generosity, truthfulness, piety, compassion, and the rest.
فَإِنَّfor indeed الْكِبْرَarrogance، وَالْبُخْلَand miserliness، وَالْجُبْنَand cowardice حَرَامٌare forbidden لَاnot يُمْكِنُit is possible التَّحَرُّزُto guard against them عَنْهَاfrom them إِلَّاexcept بِعِلْمِهَاby knowing them، وَعِلْمُand knowing مَاwhat يُضَادُّهَاopposes them فَيُفْتَرَضُso it is obligatory عَلَىupon كُلِّevery إِنْسَانٍperson عِلْمُهَاto know them.
For arrogance, miserliness, and cowardice are forbidden, and one can only guard against them by knowing them and knowing their opposites; thus it is obligatory upon every person to know them.
وَأَمَّاas for تَفْسِيرُthe definition of الْعِلْمِknowledge: فَهُوَit is صِفَةٌan attribute يَتَجَلَّىby which becomes clear بِهَاthrough it الْمَذْكُورُthe thing known لِمَنْto the one who قَامَتْpossesses / stands هِيَit بِهِin him كَمَاas هُوَit truly is.
As for the definition of knowledge: it is an attribute by which the thing known becomes clear to the one who possesses it, as it truly is.
وَالْفِقْهُand fiqh: مَعْرِفَةُknowledge of دَقَائِقِthe subtle points of الْعِلْمِknowledge مَعَcombined with نَوْعِa kind of عِلَاجٍpractical engagement / treatment.
Fiqh is: knowledge of the subtle points of knowledge, combined with a kind of practical engagement.
قَالَsaid أَبُوAbū حَنِيفَةَḤanīfa رَحِمَهُmay Allah have mercy on اللهُAllah عَلَيْهِhim: الْفِقْهُfiqh is مَعْرِفَةُthe knowledge of النَّفْسِthe soul / self مَاwhat لَهَاis for it وَمَاand what عَلَيْهَاis against it.
Abū Ḥanīfa, may Allah have mercy on him, said: Fiqh is the soul's knowledge of what is for it and what is against it.
وَقَالَand he said: مَاnot الْعِلْمُknowledge إِلَّاexcept لِلْعَمَلِfor acting بِهِupon it، وَالْعَمَلُand action إِلَّاexcept لِتَرْكِfor leaving الْعَاجِلِthe immediate لِلْآجِلِfor the deferred / hereafter.
And he said: Knowledge is only for acting upon it, and action is only for leaving the immediate in favour of the deferred.
فَيَنْبَغِيso it is befitting لِلْإِنْسَانِfor a person أَلَّاnot to يَغْفُلَbe heedless عَنْabout نَفْسِهِhis soul مَاwhat يَنْفَعُهَاbenefits it وَمَاand what يَضُرُّهَاharms it فِيin أُولَاهَاthis life وَآخِرَهَاand the next، وَيَسْتَجْلِبُand to seek مَاwhat يَنْفَعُهَاbenefits it وَيَجْتَنِبُand to avoid مَاwhat يَضُرُّهَاharms it؛ عَقْلُهُhis intellect لَاshould not يَكُونُbecome حُجَّةًa proof عَلَيْهِagainst him فَيَزْدَادُand thus increase عُقُوبَةًhis punishment.
It is therefore incumbent upon a person not to be heedless of what benefits and harms his soul in this life and the next, to draw close to what benefits it and stay away from what harms it — lest his intellect become a proof against him and increase his punishment.
وَقَدْand indeed وَرَدَthere have come فِيregarding مَنَاقِبِthe virtues of الْعِلْمِknowledge وَفَضَائِلِهِand its merits آيَاتٌQuranic verses وَأَخْبَارٌand narrations صَحِيحَةٌauthentic مَشْهُورَةٌwell-known لَمْwe have not نَشْتَغِلْoccupied ourselves بِذِكْرِهَاwith mentioning them كَيْso that لَاnot يَطُولَit becomes lengthy الْكِتَابُthe book.
There are well-known authentic verses and reports regarding the virtues and excellence of knowledge; we have not occupied ourselves with mentioning them so as not to lengthen the book.