The Teacher Prophet

Abdullah bin Amr bin Ās, who was allowed to write down hadiths by Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) narrates:

“The Messenger of Allah came out of one of his apartments one day and entered the mosque, where he saw two circles, one reciting the Qur'an and supplicating to Allah, and the other learning and teaching. The Prophet said: 'Both of them are on khayr (good). These people are reciting the Qur'an and supplicating to Allah, and if He wills, He will give them, and if He wills, He will withhold from them. And these people are learning and teaching. Verily I have been sent as a teacher.' Then he sat down with them.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

Though the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said that both groups were on khayr, why did he prefer the sahabis who taught ilm and sat with them? When we look at our holy (muqaddas) book, the Qur’an al-Karim and the life, and the sunnah of our Prophet, the answer is not difficult to find.

Ilm that is fard (obligatory)

Our Rabb, Whose knowledge encompasses all, decrees in the Qur’an al-Karim: “Are those who know equal to those who do not know?” (Zumar, 9). He also commands us to ask ahl al-dhikr (people of dhikr), those who know the Qur’an and hikmah (wisdom) well, and alims (islamic scholars) what we do not know: “Ask the people of the ‘dhikr’ if you do not know.” (Al-Anbiya, 7; An-Nahl, 43)

Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) decreed that “Seeking knowledge is a fard upon every Muslim” (Ibn Majah) and warned “Either be an alim, or a student of ilm, or a listener of ilm, or a lover of ilm. Don’t you become the fifth, you will perish.” (Bazzar, Musnad)

About the ilm that our beloved Prophet informed us was fard for every Muslim, all our Islamic scholars agree that ‘it is knowing the religious rules and regulations about one’s situation.’ For instance, it is fard for a merchant to know the rules and regulations of Islam about buying and selling, and it is fard to know the rules of shariah about marrige for someone who is married or will marry. In this context, it is fard for all aqil-baligh Muslims (sane and pubescent) to know the basics of iman and what is necessary for them about ibadahs. It is a must.

The Ashabu’s-Suffah (Companions of Suffah), who were always at the Masjid an-Nabawi and lived there to learn and teach ilm (knowledge), are one of the best examples of how Islam put emphasis on knowledge from the earliest times. Our beloved Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) raised numerous teachers here and sent them to teach Islam to people who were in need of it.

Again, the release of the captured mushriks (idol-worshippers) after the Battle of Badr in return for them teaching how to read and write to ten Muslim children each is a sign of how Rasulullah prioritized learning and knowledge.

The Hujjatu’l-Islam, Imam Ghazali (quddisa sirruhu) narrates in his Minhaju’l-Mutaallim (path of the student) about the importance of knowledge:

“An ignorant person is excused neither in the world, nor in the akhirah. He who is characterized by ignorance is deceived in both worlds. Because the honor of both worlds is by knowledge. Whoever wants the world, let him do trade; whoever wants the akhirah, let him live in zuhd (secluded piety). However, whoever wants both, let him learn ilm. Because when one dies, everything he gained will be left on this earth except the ilm. Surely ilm is one’s companion and provision in the grave.”

One day Abdullah bin Mubarak was asked:

• What would you do if they told you “This is the last day of your life, what do you want to do?”

He answered:

• I would ask (search) for knowledge. Because Allah Ta’ala granted everything to our beloved Prophet, yet did not command to ask for their increase. Though while granting knowledge, he commanded him to ask for the increase of knowledge by this ayah: “My Rabb, increase me in knowledge.” (Taha, 114)

In accordance with this command, our Beloved Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) supplicated Allah Ta'ala by saying “My Allah, increase me in knowledge” (Abu Dawud). Allah Ta'ala informs us in the Qur’an al-Karim that Musa (alayhissalam) (Moses) supplicated by saying “I seek refuge in Allah from being among the ignorant.” (Al-Baqarah, 67)

The darkness of ignorance blinds people both towards the world and the akhirah. It causes abasement in both worlds. Because of this, one of the arifs (knowledgeable, wise), Sahl bin Abdullah at-Tustari (quddisa sirruhu) said: “There is no greater calamity other than ignorance.”

Which one is superior?

Our beloved Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said the following about the superiority of people of knowledge over those of worship: “The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like my superiority over the least of you.” (Tirmidhi)

Our beloved Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) informed that on the Day of Judgment, Allah Ta’ala will give alims (islamic scholars) the right of shafa'ah after the prophets, then to the martyrs, since the people who are on the path of ilm are on the path of Allah.

He also explained that our Rabb will surely lead those who took the road for knowledge (ilm) to one of the paths of Jannah, and that angels will lay their wings down for them. People of the earth, the heavens and even ants will ask for maghfirah (forgiveness) from Allah for those who set out for ilm. He informed that learning an ayah from Allah’s book is more auspicious than a hundred rakahs of nafilah (non-obligatory) salah, and learning a chapter is more auspicious than performing a thousand rakahs of nafilah salah.

One of the countless blessings (nimah) that Allah Ta'ala granted to His prophets is doubtlessly ilm. Abu Ishak Razi (rahmatullahi alayh) said in this regard:

“Allah Ta'ala granted many blessings to His prophet, but He only mentioned the nimah of ilm by decreeing thus: “Allah has revealed to you the Book and the wisdom, and has taught you what you did not know. The grace of Allah on you has always been great.” (Nisa, 113)

Our beloved Prophet, the Pride of the Universe, said to our mother Aisha (radiyallahu anha):

“Allah did not send me as a burdener or a complicator. I was only sent as a facilitator/teacher.” (Muslim)

The words of Muawiya bin Hakam as-Sulami, one of the sahaba, is only one of the proclamations that show our beloved Prophet is the perfect teacher:

“By my mother and father, he neither hit me nor rebuked me, nor reviled me. I have never seen a better teacher than him, before or after.” (Nasai)

From the teaching method of our beloved Prophet we see that he conquered the hearts first, then sowed the seeds of ilm and hikmah (knowledge and wisdom) afterwards.

The legacy of prophets

Our beloved Prophet, the last of the Messengers (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said thus:

“The scholars (alim) are the heirs of the Prophets, for the Prophets did not leave behind a dinar or dirham, rather they left behind knowledge, so whoever takes it has taken a great share.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)

Imam Rabbani (quddisa sirruhu) explains that the knowledge left as heritage are two kinds: 

• First is ilm-i asrar, which means the knowledge related to secrets, batini and manawi knowledge (inner and spiritual).
• The second is ilm-i ahkam, which means the zahiri (outer) knowledge related to hukms (rules, regulations, evaluations etc.).

Whoever has these two ilms becomes truly an absolute heir. If he/she has only one, then he/she is a creditor, but not an absolute heir.” (Abdulmajid Khani, al-Khadaiqu’l-Wardiyya, p. 560)

Our share of duty in this is to learn from these two types of people of knowledge, who are a means to the pleasing (rida) of our Rabb and are more precious than many treasures. Following this, we must perform deeds with ikhlas (seeking to please Allah in every deed). The ‘people of knowledge’ are the companions of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) who learned directly from him, and those who followed and learned from them, who lived accordingly, and the true alims and real guides who have opened a path for ilm to reach our time.

May Allah be pleased with our alim people who conduced to bringing the ilm of Islam to this day, and who will do so until the Day of Judgement by passing it from heart to heart and from page to page. May He also never separate us from their path and the light of their ilm in this world or in the akhirah. Amin.

Abdullah Suat Demirtaş