The importance of knowledge in islam

 The importance of knowledge in islam

Alhamdulillahالعلم، knowledge is of great importance. 

When Allah s.w.t was about to revealed the first revelation, he revealed Surah Iqra or Alaq meaning read. 

The messenger of Allah salla Allaahu alayhi wasalam was asked to seek knowledge of his lord. 

Allah says, 

Muhammad 47:19

So know, [O Muḥammad], that there is no deity except Allāh and ask forgiveness for your sin[1] and for the believing men and believing women. And Allāh knows of your movement and your resting place.

Allah says, 

Aal-e-Imran 3:18

Allāh witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge - [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

So one has to know that Allah alone has to be worshipped and without any partner.

Even some scholars say knowledge is given predecence over worship because knowledge guides one to worship Allah well and fear him than a person who worship without having knowledge of his lord.

As reported in hadith,

Zirr bin Hubaish narrated:

I came to a man called Safwan bin 'Assal and sat at his door. He came out and said: 'What do you want?' I said: 'I am seeking knowledge.' He said: 'The angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge out of pleasure atwhat he is seeking.' He said: 'What do you want to know about?' I said: 'About the Khuffs.' He said: 'When we were with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) on a journey, he told us not to take them off for three days except in the case of Janabah, but not in the case of defecation, urinating or sleep.'"

Sunan An Nasa'i.

Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 158.

Narrated Kathir ibn Qays:

Kathir ibn Qays said: I was sitting with AbudDarda' in the mosque of Damascus. A man came to him and said: AbudDarda, I have come to you from the town of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for a tradition that I have heard you relate from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I have come for no other purpose. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavensand the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion.

Sunan Abi Dawud 3641