Talim
The Importance of Education
The Holy Qur’an
And say, ‘O my Lord, increase me in knowledge.’ [20:115]
Hadith
“Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim” (Ibn Majah)
“Whoever takes a path upon which he seeks knowledge, then Allah makes a path to Paradise easy for him. And Indeed, the angels lower their wings in approval to the one seeking knowledge. Indeed, forgiveness is sought for the knowledgeable one by whomever is in the heavens and whomever is in the earth, even the fish in the waters. And superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like the superiority of the moon over the rest of the celestial bodies.” (Tirmidhi)
“The Messenger of Allah came out of one of his apartments one day and entered the mosque, where he saw two circles, one reciting Qur’an and supplicating to Allah, and the other learning and teaching. The Prophet said: ‘Both of them are 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.” (Ibn Majah)
Hazrat Musleh Maud (ra)
“Childhood is the time for [developing] habits and adolescence is the time for [acquiring] knowledge.” (Mashal-e-Rah vol:1 p:55)
“It should not be the case that you abandon reading your own books and engage yourself in merely reading the books of others. You should first read the books of your Community, study them, impress their topics on your mind and once you become firmly established upon your beliefs, you may read the books of the opponents.” (Mashal-e-Rah vol:1 p:233)
“My objective in establishing this organisation is that the knowledge that is buried within our hearts may not wither away. Rather, it should remain buried within our hearts from generation to generation. If it is buried within our hearts today than it should be buried within the hearts of our children tomorrow and thereafter in the hearts of their offspring, so much so that this teaching becomes attached to us, that it clings on to our hearts and that it develops such a form, which will be beneficial and full of blessings for the world.” (Al-Fazl 17th February 1939)
Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V (aa)
“The truth is that the Holy Quran and the teachings of the Holy Prophet of Islam (peace and blessings be upon him) inspired the works of generations of Muslim intellectuals, philosophers and inventors in the Middle Ages. Indeed, if we look back more than a millennium we see how Muslim scientists and inventors played a fundamental role in advancing knowledge and developing technologies which transformed the world and remain in use today. From the outset, Islam emphasized the immense value of learning and pushing the boundaries of knowledge.” (Historic Keynote Address given at UNESCO headquarters in Paris, October 19, 2019)
“Excel others in hard work. Excel others in education. That should be the hallmark of an Ahmadi. Allah told the Promised Messiah (as) that people of your Jama’at will progress in knowledge. Therefore I advise the youth: immerse yourself in your studies to the exclusion of everything else. Advance so much in every field of education that your minimum target becomes the Nobel Prize.” (Inaugural Address, April 17, 2008, Jalsa Salana Ghana)
