In the pre-Islamic erascant attention was paid to knowledge. It was Prophet Muhammad ﷺwho used knowledge as an essential tool to understand realities of life. The first Revelation to him was “IqraBisme Rabbi KallaziKhalaq” (Read in the name of thy Lord). Needless to say that the word Qur’ān itself means recitation, lecture and discourse. So far as sayings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺare concerned every volume of “Hadith” has a chapter called “The Book of Knowledge”, a treasure of learning and education. The word “knowledge” has been used 750 times in the Qur’ān.
According to the Qur’ān, God is the source of all knowledge and He has given knowledge to man. Some of the knowledge is revealed by God to Prophet Muhammad ﷺthrough the Qur’ān which comprises essentials of morals and faith, etc. and some knowledge is given to man through his own effort. This includes knowledge related to natural phenomena.
According to Ibn Bajja, human knowledge is of two kinds: 1. Knowledge based on proof, and 2. Knowledge based on direct experience through religious devotion and revelation. The knowledge obtained by sufis is obtained by religious devotion while the knowledge of the prophet is revealed by God.
Al-Farabi has classified knowledge into practical and theoretical. The latter helps the soul to achieve perfection and the former is related to conduct.
According to Al Ghazzali, there are two types of knowledge viz. the intuitive knowledge and the knowledge acquired by rational effort. The intuitive knowledge leads to perfection of the soul and the knowledge acquired through experience, observation and rational effort leads to development of sciences.
Fakhruddin Razi classifies and defines various Muslim sciences in his book Jami’al-Ulum. Among the religious sciences he mentions theology, jurisprudence, dialectics, the Qur’ān and Hadith. Then he deals with the linguistic sciences such as grammar, syntax, etymology, prosody and poetry. He calls these sciences Naqli or traditional sciences. Other branches of knowledge are ‘Aqli (based on intellect); these sciences include natural philosophy, physics, astronomy, alchemy, optics and music.
Ibn Khaldun classifies knowledge into two kinds viz. UlumTabai’yya or ‘Aqliyya and ‘UlumNaqliyya. The former are based on observation and deduction and the latter depend on revelation. ‘Ulum ‘Aqliyya comprise Logic, Arithmetic, Astronomy, Physical and Biological Sciences, etc. and ‘UlumNaqliyya include the Qur’ān Hadith, Fiqh, Kalam, Theology, etc.
The knowledge given by God through revelation i.e. the Qur’ān is the noblest of knowledge. The Qur’ān is complete and final revelation from God; so, it is the complete guide for man in worldly affairs as well as for his salvation. Hence there is no other knowledge except that which is based on the Qur’ān that can guide man. The Qur’ān is the knowledge par excellence. The life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to whom the Qur’ān was revealed is the most perfect interpretation of the Qur’ān. So, the Prophet’s life and sayings are true guide for Muslims. So, the Qur’ān, the Hadith, the Shari’ah (God’s Laws) are the essential elements of knowledge worth acquiring for a Muslim. Devotion to God through worship is the practical aspect of the knowledge acquired through the Qur’ān and the Hadith.
The second kind of knowledge, knowledge of sciences, should also be acquired by the Muslims. However, the first kind of knowledge which reveals the true relationship between man and God should form the basis and foundation for the second. If the knowledge of the second kind is obtained without reference to the first, it will lead to confusion and create doubt and scepticism. It is because of this fact that Muslim philosophers made the knowledge based on the Qur’ān and Hadith obligatory for all Muslims and the knowledge of sciences obligatory for some people who can do justice to it. (Muslim Educational Thought in the Middle Ages, pp. 15-17).
The Prophet ﷺsays: “Seeking knowledge is Incumbent upon every Muslim man and woman.” “Seek knowledge from cradle to the grave,” “Seek knowledge even if one has to go to China”. “The person who brought up three daughters, embellished them, gave education to them and took care of them even after their marriage, his entry to paradise is ensured by God.” He further says: “Acquire knowledge, because he who acquires it in the way of the Lord performs an act of piety, who speaks of it praises the Lord, who seeks it adores God, who dispenses instruction in it bestows alms, and who imparts it to its fitting objects performs an act of devotion to God. Knowledge enables its possessor to distinguish what is forbidden from what is not; it lights the way to Heaven; it is our friend in the desert, our society in solitude, our companion when bereft of friends; it guides us to happiness; it sustains us in misery; it is our ornament in the company of friends; it serves as an armour against enemies. With knowledge the servant of God rises to the height of goodness and to a noble position, associates with sovereigns in this world and attains to the perfection of happiness in the hereafter.
Imam Bukhari attributes a tradition to the Prophet which says that disappearance of knowledge and absence of scholars from society would spell the demise of human civilization. Philip K. Hitti defines ilm (Islamic knowledge) in the following words: ‘The Arabic word for science (ilm) in English corresponds, “Knowledge” or “learning”. It may be used in the broad sense to mean knowledge systematised with reference to general truths and laws, or more specifically, to refer to knowledge as it relates to physical world in which case it is known as physical or natural science.”
Ibn Khaldun, the doyen of Muslim scholars, says: “Knowledge is essential for three basic reasons. First, it facilitates cooperation among human beings. Sociability of man is an unquestioned reality. Nothing in life can be accomplished in isolation. Knowledge alone helps them to understand the nature and purpose of such cooperation for various occasions. Secondly, the pathways of life are strewn with many ghoulish objects. Man is in dire need of knowledge to differentiate between good and evil so that he can avoid the latter and perpetuate the former. And lastly, knowledge economises time and increases human energies to resolve the numerous imponderable problems of life.”
It is unfortunate that little attention is being paid by us towards this great asset. If we take stock of the prevailing condition regarding education in our society particularly among Muslims, we will find a criminal negligence on the part of parents in upbringing of their children so far as education is concerned. It should be a bounden duty of a parent to impart education to children from their early childhood. In fact, it is such a gem that creates awareness and helps in development of mental faculties. It provides ability to distinguish between good and bad.
To have a refined, well-mannered and suave child who may later become an asset to the family and society in general is really nice. Parents must, therefore, assert on proper and good education of their progeny.
[The writer is a Faculty Member, Nadwatul Ulama, Lucknow]