The Pursuit of Knowledge and Divine Unity
There is nobility in seeking sacred knowledge and bearing witness to Divine Unity.
Allah Himself bears witness to His unity, as do the angels, and importantly, the people of knowledge. This places those who seek knowledge in a distinguished category alongside angels in bearing witness to Allahâs Oneness.
The Quran states this, âAllah bears witness that there is no deity except Him, and the angels, and those endowed with knowledge, upholding justiceâ (Q. 58:11). This verse categorizes three entities that bear witness to Divine Unity through mental cognition, knowledge, perfection: Allah Himself, the angels, and people of knowledge. Every other part of creation bears witness to divine unity simply âby being,â as signs (ÄyÄt). However, human beings, with their capacity to speak, can articulate this witness, making the declaration of faith (shahÄdah). With that said, the advice given by the ulema is that whatever a student of sacred knowledge studies should be viewed âas embroidering upon that shahÄdah and making it more evident.â
Furthermore, the Quran highlights the elevated status of those with knowledge, stating: âAllah raises those who believe among you, and those who have been given knowledge, by degreesâ (Q. 3:18). This emphasis on knowledge and its nobility is considered a special feature of Islam and the Quran.
The Unity of Knowledge: Sacred and Profane
Islam refuses the distinction between the sacred and the profane, or the holy and the secular. Everything is submissive to Allah and bears witness to His Beauty and Majesty. There is nothing that is not a perfect sign if one knows how to read it. As the Quran states, âThe seven heavens and the earth and all that exists in them persistently extol the Glory of Allah, and there is not a single object (in the entire universe) but glorifies Him with His Praise. Yet you cannot appreciate their (state of) glorification. He is surely Most Forbearing, Most Forgivingâ (Q. 17:44). Similarly, âAnd whoever is in the heavens and the earth prostrates himself before Allah, (some) willingly and (others) perforce, and their shadows (too prostrate themselves before Him) morning and evening. (Then why do the disbelievers do idol-worship, turning away from Allah?)â (Q. 13:15).
That is everything glorifies Him with His praise and everything is submissive to Him. Meaning, everything is submissive to Him, obeys Him, bears witness to His beauty and His majesty. And there is nothing that is not a perfect sign if you know how to read them.
With the right intention, learning allows one to gradually read a little bit better into the Book of Creation (KitÄb al-Khuluq). A medic, for instance, learns to see amazing things about creation through their studies. An engineer observes amazing things about the laws of creation through equations and calculations. Ultimately, it is a matter of the cognitive frame with which you perceive the kitÄb al-khuluq that one is studying.
Ten Essential Duties of the Student
There are ten duties (waáşÄâif or ÄdÄb) for students, which are 900 years old but are still really useful to ourselves. While the original context for these principles primarily concerned sacred knowledge, they are applicable to whatever legitimate thing it is that one is studying today.
Duty 1: Purity of Soul (Taharat al-Nafs)
Start with Purity: Students should begin their studies with purity of soul, heart, and intentions, free from conflicting intentions, insecurities, anxieties, or confusion.
Service to Allah and Humanity: The intention should be to serve Allah through serving humanity within their chosen field, both in religious (deen) and worldly (dunya) aspects.
Self-awareness: This purity is predicated on self-knowledge; one must have self-awareness before being aware of anything else.
Duty 2: Reducing Attachment to Worldly Life
Studies as a Means: Studies can be used as a means to reduce oneâs attachments to worldly life (dunya).
Austere Existence: Student life, often involving small living spaces and being away from home comforts, can inherently be an austere experience.
Right Intention: With the right intention, this environment can help reduce reliance on worldly comforts and foster concentration on the afterlife (akhirah).
Duty 3: Humility (Tawaduâ)
Part of Humility: Humility is a crucial duty, and a key aspect of it is respecting oneâs teachers.
Avoid Outsmarting: A student should not try to outsmart their teacher, even if they believe the teacher is wrong on a particular issue.
Proper Conduct: Use proper conduct (adab) and potentially indicate the issue to the teacher later, as long as no one is actively misled.
Duty 4: Avoiding Premature Engagement with Controversial Issues
Do not Gratify Ego: If a student is a beginner, they should not indulge their ego by immediately delving into controversial issues.
Understand Basics First: The primary goal should be to correctly understand what the teacher is explaining.
Seek Knowledgeable Teachers: When exploring different viewpoints (even in sciences where diverse views exist), it is important to find a teacher or lecturer who can explain these different views rather than just listing them, as this leads to greater benefit.
Duty 5: Avoiding Over-Specialization
Broad Knowledge: While specialization is common today, students should strive to know at least the outline of every discipline.
All-round Education: There is an importance in having an all-round education. An engineer who might know nothing about Shakespeare or law, should at least know the outlines of that subject matter.
Duty 6: Focusing on What is Truly Important
Identify Key Points: Students should recognize what is truly important in their studies and focus on that.
Not Distracted by Subsidiary Things: When reading books or listening to lectures, one should be aware of the key takeaways and main points, avoiding distraction by subsidiary details.
Duty 7: Being Methodical
Thorough Understanding: This duty emphasizes understanding one concept thoroughly before moving on to the next.
Do not Rush: Do not turn the page or move forward until the current material is fully understood.
Duty 8: Valuing Knowledge by its Outcomes, Not Just Proofs
Outcomes over Proofs: Knowledge is noble because of its positive outcomes, not solely because of the strength of its proofs.
Medicine vs. Mathematics Example: Medicine, for instance, is considered a nobler science than pure mathematics, even if its proofs might be considered âweaker.â
- Direct Human Well-being: Medicine directly enhances human well-being by prolonging life, curing fevers, and aiding babies.
- Practical Impact: Its direct impact on human lives makes it nobler than a discipline primarily focused on working out equations, despite the latter potentially having âstronger proofs.â
Duty 9: The Right Intention (Niyyah) for Personal Development
Holistic Integration: The intention behind learning must be to properly integrate knowledge into the holistic reality of your Muslim existence.
Become a Better Person: The ultimate goal is to become a better person, not merely to secure a job or achieve a professional title. It is about becoming a person of greater virtue and excellence (fadhl).
Duty 10: Understanding the Purpose and Religious Relation of Each Discipline
Purpose of Discipline: It is an obligation to understand how each piece of knowledge relates to the overall purpose of that discipline. For example, do not just get lost in a complicated calculation in inheritance law, but understand its practical use.
Relation to Religion: Ultimately, one must know how what they are learning relates to religion.
- Beneficial to Mankind: If something is useful for mankind and has general benefit (nafâa), it can be studied for good.
- Examples: Studying law to save people from deportation or the gallows, or medicine and engineering to save lives and help people.
- Support, Not Challenge: While these disciplines can be abused, they can also be used to support oneâs faith rather than challenge it. Students must be clear on how their studies relate to and support their deen.
References
Cambridge Muslim College, dir. 2018. Duties of the Student â Abdal Hakim Murad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M236GIE2kGI.