Seeking Knowledge
"And
the believers should not all go out to fight. Of every troop of them, a party
only should go forth, that they (who are left behind) may gain sound knowledge
in religion, and that they may warn their folk when they return to them, so
that they may guard themselves against evil."[Al-Tauba
9:122]
According to
the renowned Quranic scholar, Abu Abd-Allah
Al-Qartabi (d. 671 A.H.) this verse lays the
foundation of Islam's education policy. The goal of that education is described
as seeking 'tafaqquh fid deen',
translated above (by Pickthall) as sound knowledge in
religion. It can also be translated as sound understanding of religion.
The choice of fiqh (understanding) over ilm (knowledge) here points out that what is
required is not mere literacy, but insight. And it has to be of such a level
that it can be a force against evil. A purely intellectual exercise bereft of
that practical utility does not qualify.
This message
itself is very important but what is even more important is the context in
which this verse was revealed. For it happened after the Tabuk
expedition, which saw the largest mobilization of the Islamic State under the
leadership of Prophet Muhammad, Sall-Allahu alayhi wa
sallam himself. To face up to one of the two super
powers of that time, every able bodied Muslim was called upon to join the
jihad. Despite the most adverse circumstances, everyone responded, except ten
Companions who were reprimanded and later forgiven. Sura
Al-Taubah contains a detailed account of all this,
emphasizing the importance of responding to the call for jihad when that call
is made by a competent authority. Then this verse explains that jihad should
not be the only preoccupation of the Islamic State. Seeking knowledge is so
important that even during the prosecution of a war, a segment of the society
must be engaged in it.
Most of us are
familiar with the hadith, reported by Anas, Radi-Allahu unhu: "To acquire knowledge is the duty of every
Muslim man and woman." What kind of knowledge does this hadith refer to? The same as is meant in this hadith: "The scholars are heirs of the Prophets. The
Prophets do not leave behind an inheritance of gold and silver; they leave
behind the inheritance of knowledge. Whoever acquired knowledge, acquired a lot
of wealth."
Does it mean
that every individual Muslim must also become a religious scholar? Not at all. What is required of an individual is only
sufficient knowledge that can enable him or her to carry out their religious
obligations. As a minimum every Muslim must learn the articles of faith and
what they really mean. He or she must also learn the laws and teachings of Shariah as they relate to their life. The basic rule is
that accompanying every religious duty is another duty to learn about the
requirements of that duty. Thus it is our duty to learn Shariah
teachings about Salat, Fasting, Hajj, and Zakat. For a businessman, it is a religious duty to learn
Islam's teachings about economics and halal and haram transactions. For a person getting ready to get
married, it is a religious duty to learn Islamic teachings about marriage and
spousal rights and responsibilities. And so on.
Similarly some
spiritual knowledge is part of this required Islamic course, says Mufti
Muhammad Shafi, the late grand Mufti of Pakistan. One
must learn about the nature and forms of arrogance so it could be avoided.
Similarly rage, jealousy, and malice. One must learn about desirable spiritual
qualities like humbleness, patience, and gratitude. There is a surprising depth
of knowledge about such subjects in Islamic literature. And although they may
not seem to be important subjects for serious study, one can recount
innumerable cases where Islamic communities have been damaged beyond repair by
'highly educated' people, who were uneducated in these subjects.
Such knowledge
would not make us experts. The expert knowledge belongs to the scholars who
pursue in depth study of Qur'an, Hadith,
exegeses or tafsir, jurisprudence or fiqh, history and myriad other subjects in Islamic
sciences. There must be some people in each community who devote their lives to
the pursuit of such expertise, and as long as some do, others are relieved of
the responsibility. That is why it is called as fard-kifayah
or collective responsibility.
The
acquisition of skills that may help one earn a living -- the real focus of
nearly all education that goes on these days-- falls in the category of mubah or permissible. Here one has wide latitude from a
religious point of view. One can choose any profession, as long as it does not
fall in the category of prohibited activities, and get needed education to earn
a living from that profession.
Similarly one
may pursue studies to satisfy ones curiosity. It is obvious that people will
differ greatly in their abilities and inclinations in this area, and that is
accommodated by the Shariah. It generally does not
force or restrict this pursuit.
Of course
there is a problem when social or even physical sciences are taught with a
secular perspective. In that case social studies, history, or biology all
become camouflages for teaching secular philosophy. Islam, of course, cannot
permit that. A believer cannot teach that man evolved from apes because
A bigger
problem occurs when the different categories of fard
and mubah are confused, leading to a tremendous disbalance. A person obtaining a college degree has
fulfilled his duty as required by this hadith. Right? Not quite. A person may become the best scientist,
engineer, or whatever, but if he has not acquired the basic knowledge about his
religious obligations, he simply has not discharged his duty to acquire
knowledge. In the eyes of Islam, he remains an uneducated person.
Today we have
millions of people in the Muslim world who may have obtained many degrees but
they have not learnt how to read the Qur'an or offer
the Salat, or even perform wudu.
They may have no idea about Islamic teachings about the situations they
encounter in their daily life. Home life. Business life. Social life. How
many MBAs have learnt Islam's teachings about
business and commerce? How many Muslim doctors have learnt the Islamic medical
ethics? We are the educated-illiterate class -- the product of colonial
education systems. Our 'education' keeps us from acknowledging our ignorance.
Do we know?