Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh
Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim
1. Introduction
Friends whom Allah has blessed, statistically and conceptually, the Qur’an is an extraordinary scripture in laying the foundation of knowledge. The word ‘ilm and all its derivatives appear more than 800 times in the Qur’an. This makes knowledge the third most frequently mentioned keyword after the words Allah and Rabb. Epistemologically, this proves that Islam is not a blind, mystical religion, but a religion whose foundation stands firmly on knowledge.In the Qur’an and Hadith, knowledge is positioned as a “privilege” that elevates human dignity above other creatures. When Allah ﷻ wanted to show Prophet Ādam’s ﷺ superiority before the angels, the instrument used was not physical strength or intensity of worship, but intellectual capacity—namely, mastery of the knowledge of the names of things (ma‘rifatul asmā’).
Allah ﷻ affirms how the Qur’an was revealed as a criterion for those who reflect:
بَلْ هُوَ آيَاتٌ بَيِّنَاتٌ فِي صُدُورِ الَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ ۚ وَمَا يَجْحَدُ بِآيَاتِنَا إِلَّا الظَّالِمُونَ
“Rather, it is clear verses within the breasts of those who have been given knowledge. And none reject Our verses except the wrongdoers.” (QS. Al-‘Ankabūt: 49)
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also affirmed in his guidance that the most valuable inheritance left by the prophets is not material wealth or power, but the intellectual and spiritual inheritance called knowledge:
وَإِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَرَثَةُ الأَنْبِيَاءِ وَإِنَّ الأَنْبِيَاءَ لَمْ يُوَرِّثُوا دِينَارًا وَلاَ دِرْهَمًا وَرَّثُوا الْعِلْمَ فَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ أَخَذَ بِحَظٍّ وَافِرٍ
“And indeed, the scholars are the heirs of the prophets. The prophets do not leave behind dinars or dirhams; they leave behind knowledge. Whoever takes it has taken an abundant portion.” (HR. Abū Dāwūd & Tirmidhī)
2. Lessons and Moral Message
The highest moral message taught by the Qur’an and Hadith about knowledge is the obligation to be objective and honest human beings. The Qur’an strictly forbids us from speaking, acting, or judging something without a foundation of clear data and validated knowledge. Being a good Muslim means being the most responsible person regarding every piece of information we spread, especially in today’s era of information overload on social media.Let us remember a moving incident from the time of the Companions.
When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away, the city of Madinah was overwhelmed with profound grief, to the point that some Companions momentarily lost their sense of direction in life. In the midst of that sorrow, Abū Hurayrah RA went to the marketplace and called out, “O people in the market, why are you busy trading here, when the inheritance of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is being distributed in the mosque?”The people of the market rushed to the mosque, hoping to receive a share of gold, silver, or camels. But when they arrived, they only found circles of people studying the Qur’an, discussing what is ḥalāl and ḥarām, and learning hadith. They returned to the market confused and said, “Abū Hurayrah, we didn’t see any wealth being distributed.” Abū Hurayrah smiled emotionally and said, “That is the true inheritance of Muḥammad ﷺ.”What is sad today is that we often fight tooth and nail, elbowing one another, to chase the remnants of worldly wealth, while the sacred “inheritance” left directly by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the Qur’an and Hadith is often neglected.Knowledge in the Qur’an and Hadith is likened to heavy rain that waters different types of soil on earth:There is fertile soil: it absorbs the rain well and produces green vegetation and abundant fruit for other creatures. This is like the person of knowledge who practices it and teaches it.There is rocky soil: it cannot grow plants, but it can hold the rainwater and become a pool for humans and animals to drink from. This is like the person who memorizes knowledge and conveys it, even if they have not yet grasped it deeply.And there is barren soil (qi‘ān): it neither absorbs water nor retains it; the water simply passes by and the soil remains dry. This is like the person who turns away from the guidance of the Qur’an and Hadith. Which type of soil are we?
There is a story about a man who was lazy to study tafsīr of the Qur’an but loved to make random, haphazard connections between verses—a practice known as ‘cocoklogi’. One day, he protested to an ustādh for forbidding him from overeating until his stomach was bloated. The man said, “Ustadh, don’t forbid me from eating a lot. The Qur’an clearly says: _‘Kulū washrabū’_—‘Eat and drink!’ So I’m just carrying out a mandatory command from the Qur’an in full, Ustadh!” The ustādh smiled and replied, “That’s true, my son. But please read the rest of the verse: _‘Wa lā tusrifū’_—‘and do not be excessive.’ If you cut the verse off there just to satisfy your appetite, I’m worried that when you read the verse _‘Waylun lil-muṣallīn’_—‘Woe to those who pray’—you’ll decide to stop praying forever out of fear of woe!”The lesson: The Qur’an and Hadith are a complete source of knowledge and cannot be understood piecemeal according to our personal desires and interests. Understanding Allah’s guidance requires the guidance of scholars and diligent study, not just guesswork based on our own logic.
3. Conclusion and Closing
Brothers and sisters, the Qur’an and Hadith have guaranteed knowledge an exalted status. Islam does not separate spiritual piety from intellectual intelligence; the two go hand in hand. To be a servant of taqwa means to be a servant who continually sharpens their mind with knowledge and softens their heart with faith. Let us make the Qur’an and Hadith our primary compass for reading the signs of His greatness in this universe.May Allah ﷻ continually purify our hearts, expand our understanding of the contents of His miraculous scripture, and gather us with the prophets and scholars in Paradise
والله أعلم بالصواب
الحمد لله رب العالمين
Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmaullahi Wabarakatuh.
ِAbu Sultan Al-Qadrie
