فَضْلُ الْعِلْمِ وَوُجُوبُهُ
The Excellence of Knowledge and the Obligation to Acquire It
A complete Friday khutbah on the excellence of sacred knowledge and the duty to seek it — the opening, seven ahadith of the Prophet ﷺ, and Sūrah al-Zumar 39:9. Arabic with full diacritics, with an English translation.
Source: Khutbāt al-Aḥkām, Shaykh Ashraf ʿAlī Thānvī (Raḥimahullāh) — khutbah 1
Opening الافتتاحية
اَلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الْأَكْرَمِ اَلَّذِي خَلَقَ الْإِنْسَانَ وَكَرَّمَهُ وَعَلَّمَهُ مِنَ الْبَيَانِ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ
فَسُبْحَانَ اَلَّذِي لَا يُحْصَى امْتِنَانُهُ بِاللِّسَانِ وَلَا بِالْقَلَمِ
وَنَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَنَشْهَدُ أَنَّ سَيِّدَنَا وَمَوْلَانَا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ اَلَّذِي أُوتِيَ جَوَامِعَ الْكَلِمِ وَكَرَائِمَ الْحِكَمِ وَمَكَارِمَ الشِّيَمِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَعَلَىٰ آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ نُجُومِ الطَّرِيقِ لِلْأُمَمِ
أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَإِنَّ عِلْمَ الشَّرَائِعِ وَالْأَحْكَامِ هُوَ أَعْظَمُ فَرَائِضِ الْإِسْلَامِ وَمِنْ ثَمَّ أُمِرَ بِهِ وَحُضَّ عَلَيْهِ تَعْلِيمًا وَتَعَلُّمًا
Khutbāt al-Aḥkām, Shaykh Ashraf ʿAlī Thānvī (Raḥimahullāh)
All praises be to Allah, the Most Noble One. He Who had created man and granted honour to him, and taught him the means of expression through speech and taught man that which he did not know. Glory be to Him, whose favours are uncountable, not by the tongue nor by the pen. We bear witness that there is none worthy of worship except Allah alone, Who was no partner or associate and we bear witness that Sayeduna Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and messenger, who was granted the ability of comprehensive speech, excellent wisdom and excellent attributes and character. May Allah's choicest blessings descend upon him, his family and his companions, who are as shining stars upon the path of his ummat. After this, O muslims, know that the acquisition of the necessary knowledge of the laws of Islam is among the major obligations upon every muslim. Hence, every muslim is commanded to acquire it and to teach it to others. In this regard Rasulullah ﷺ is reported to have said:
Admonition & Advice الوعظ والنصيحة
وَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ: مَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَلْتَمِسُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ
Riyad as-Salihin 1381
He also said: "Whosoever walks in a path wherein he seeks to acquire knowledge, for him will Allah make easy the path leading towards paradise." (Muslim)
وَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ: مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْرًا يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ
Riyad as-Salihin 1376
And Rasulullah ﷺ also said: 'Whosoever Allah wishes to favour with His bounty, to him He grants the deep understanding of the deen." (Bukhary, Muslim)
وَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ: إِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَرَثَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَإِنَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ لَمْ يُوَرِّثُوا دِينَارًا وَلَا دِرْهَمًا، وَإِنَّمَا وَرَّثُوا الْعِلْمَ، فَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ أَخَذَ بِحَظٍّ وَافِرٍ
Riyad as-Salihin 1388
He also said: "Verily the Ulama are the heirs of the prophets. The prophets did not leave behind wealth to be inherited. They only left knowledge to be inherited. So whoever takes it has taken a major share of goodness." (Ahmad, Tirmithi, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah, Daarmy)
وَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ: طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَىٰ كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ
Sunan Ibn Majah 224
And he said: "To seek knowledge is a duty encumbent upon every Muslim." (Ibn Majah)
وَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ: مَنْ سُئِلَ عَنْ عِلْمٍ عَلِمَهُ ثُمَّ كَتَمَهُ أُلْجِمَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ بِلِجَامٍ مِنْ نَارٍ
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2649
Rasulullah ﷺ also said: "When anyone to whom knowledge has been granted is asked about it and refuses to answer, then on the day of qiyamat he shall be made to be garlanded with a garland of fire."
وَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ: مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ عِلْمًا مِمَّا يُبْتَغَىٰ بِهِ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ لَا يَتَعَلَّمُهُ إِلَّا لِيُصِيبَ بِهِ عَرَضًا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا لَمْ يَجِدْ عَرْفَ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ، يَعْنِي رِيحَهَا
Sunan Abi Dawud 3664
And Rasulullah ﷺ said: "Whosoever seeks knowledge through which he seeks the pleasure of Allah and uses that knowledge with the aim of acquiring some worldly needs, such a person will not even smell the fragrance of paradise on the day of qiyamah." (Ahmad, Abu Dawood, Ibn Majah)
وَقَالَ عَلَيْهِ الصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ: تَعَلَّمُوا الْفَرَائِضَ وَالْقُرْآنَ وَعَلِّمُوا النَّاسَ، فَإِنِّي مَقْبُوضٌ
Mishkat al-Masabih 244
And Rasulullah ﷺ said: "Learn the laws pertaining to inheritance and the Quran and teach it to people for verily I shall be taken away from this world." (Tirmithi)
Qurʾānic Verses الآيات القرآنية
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ
أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَانِتٌ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَائِمًا يَحْذَرُ الْآخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُو رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِ ۗ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ
Sūrah al-Zumar, 39:9
Allah says in the Quran: "Is he who worships Allah earnestly during the hours of the night, prostrating himself before Him or standing in worship, and takes heed of the hereafter, while placing his hope in the mercy of the Lord. Is this person like him who does not? Say: "Are those endowed with knowledge the equal of those without knowledge? It is only those endowed with understanding, who receive admonition." (Surah 34)
Second Khutbah الخطبة الثانية
الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ أَسْتَعِينُهُ وَأَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا
مَنْ يَهْدِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلٰهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَرْسَلَهُ بِالْحَقِّ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا بَيْنَ يَدَيِ السَّاعَةِ مَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ رَشَدَ وَمَنْ يَعْصِهِمَا فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَضُرُّ إِلَّا نَفْسَهُ وَلَا يَضُرُّ اللَّهَ شَيْئًا
أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ
إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ، يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا صَلُّوا عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُوا تَسْلِيمًا ،
اَللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدِكَ وَرَسُولِكَ وَصَلِّ عَلَى الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ وَالْمُسْلِمَاتِ وَبَارِكْ عَلَىٰ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَزْوَاجِهِ وَذُرِّيَّتِهِ
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: أَرْحَمُ أُمَّتِي بِأُمَّتِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَأَشَدُّهُمْ فِي أَمْرِ اللَّهِ عُمَرُ وَأَصْدَقُهُمْ حَيَاءً عُثْمَانُ وَأَقْضَاهُمْ عَلِيٌّ وَفَاطِمَةُ سَيِّدَةُ نِسَاءِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَالْحَسَنُ وَالْحُسَيْنُ سَيِّدَا شَبَابِ أَهْلِ الْجَنَّةِ وَحَمْزَةُ أَسَدُ اللَّهِ وَأَسَدُ رَسُولِهِ اَللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْعَبَّاسِ وَلِوَلَدِهِ مَغْفِرَةً ظَاهِرَةً وَبَاطِنَةً لَا تُغَادِرُ ذَنْبًا اَللَّهَ اللَّهَ فِي أَصْحَابِي لَا تَتَّخِذُوهُمْ غَرَضًا مِن بَعْدِي فَمَنْ أَحَبَّهُمْ فَبِحُبِّي أَحَبَّهُمْ وَمَنْ أَبْغَضَهُمْ فَبِبُغْضِي أَبْغَضَهُمْ وَخَيْرُ أُمَّتِي قَرْنِي ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ
اَللَّهُمَّ أَيِّدِ الْإِسْلَامَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ - اَللَّهُمَّ انْصُرْ مَنْ نَصَرَ دِينَ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَاجْعَلْنَا مِنْهُمْ - اَللَّهُمَّ أَرِنَا الْحَقَّ حَقًّا وَارْزُقْنَا اتِّبَاعَهُ - وَأَرِنَا الْبَاطِلَ بَاطِلًا وَارْزُقْنَا اجْتِنَابَهُ - اَللَّهُمَّ ثَبِّتْنَا عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ - اَللَّهُمَّ نَوِّرْ قُلُوبَنَا بِنُورِ الْإِيمَانِ - اَللَّهُمَّ اغْفِرْ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ الْأَحْيَاءِ مِنْهُمْ وَالْأَمْوَاتِ
إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَيَنْهَىٰ عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالْمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَكَّرُونَ فَاذْكُرُونِي أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَاشْكُرُوا لِي وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
Adapted from Khutbāt al-Aḥkām, Shaykh Ashraf ʿAlī Thānvī (Raḥimahullāh)