Knowledge is a critical factor that can determine the fortunes of
an individual, and the fate of a nation. When deployed effectively, the light
of knowledge can illuminate hidden realities, and thereby dispel the darkness
of ignorance. In the secular realm, knowledge is inextricably intertwined with
power and triumph, authority and eminence. Those who master useful knowledge
relevant for practical application in everyday life, they gain ranks, status,
and authority and superiority in this world. Nations that employ rational
faculties and develop science and technology effectively; they rule over others
who ignore the laws of progress and prosperity embedded in the commanding
heights of knowledge.
Beyond secular knowledge, Islamic tradition attaches great importance to the pursuit of spiritual knowledge and insight that leads to recognition of God’s exalted station and highest
essence by way of unveiling and eye-witnessing. Knowledge of the Attributes and
Names of the Divine, knowledge of Divine Decrees and Bounties also enable one
to know that God is Powerful over all things, and to be mindful in choosing wisely
in this life, and to seek forgiveness for sins and mistakes. And several traditions of the Holy Prophet (sa) point to the eminent station of the knowledgeable believers:
“The one among you who has the most knowledge of God is the one
whose fear of Him is the most intense.”
"If anyone travels on a road in
search of knowledge, Allah will set him upon a path to Paradise. Verily the
angels lower their wings being content with the one who seeks knowledge. And
whosoever is in the heavens and on earth, even the fish in the sea, ask
forgiveness for the person of knowledge. The virtue of the
pious scholar over the devoted worshipper is as the superiority of the full
moon over the rest of the stars. Those
who have knowledge are the heirs of the prophets, for the prophets did not
leave behind dinars and dirhams; they only left behind knowledge:
whosoever receives it, receives an abundance of good fortune.”
With the appearance of an Elect of God in an era as a 'heir of the prophets', the treasures of spiritual knowledge and insight become available on an abundant scale for the benefit of all sincere seekers of higher truths, and it is by following such a man of deep religious knowledge and spiritual insight that the renewal of the Faith takes place. In his Friday Sermon of 02 October 2009, Imam- Jamaat Ul Sahih Al
Islam International Hazrat Muhyiuddin Al Khalifatullah Munir Ahmad Azim (aba)
of Mauritius provides a fascinating exposition on Islamic teachings that
underscore the significance of acquiring knowledge, especially knowledge of
Religion, in the life of a believer.
