Nobody is born learned. Learning is to be acquired.
Ibn Abbas Radhiallahu Anhu said:
“To discuss about learning in a portion of night is dearer to me than to keep up awake throughout the night in prayer.”
Allah advised us to pray thus: “0 Lord, give us good in this world and good in the hereafter – 2: 297.
In explaining ‘good’ in this verse, Hasan Basari Rahimahullah said that it means Knowledge so far as this world is concerned and Paradise so far as the hereafter is concerned.
Imaam Ghazali Rahimahullah
Shaykh Ali ibn Abi Bakr said:
“Ignorance is a fire that burns a man’s religion.
And its extinguishing water is knowledge.”
“Knowledge is enlivened by active search and sincere implementation, and it dies through neglecting these two things”
- Sufyan al-Thawri
When it comes to difficulties in seeking knowledge
Yahya ibn Abi Kathir said, “Knowledge can never be attained by relaxing.” And it is often said, “Whoever seeks comfort, will have to abandon comfort.” (i.e. if you seek comfort of Paradise, you must work hard for it)
Imam al-Shafi’i (rahimahullah) said,
“It’s a must for the student of knowledge to reach the furthest extent in their effort and struggle in increasing their knowledge, he must have patience with every opponent, sincerity to Allah in attaining ‘ilm – both in text and deriving rulings – and persistance in seeking aid from Allah Ta’ala.”
Do not think that glory is like a date which you can eat
You’ll never attain glory until you taste of the required patience
Ibn Hisham, the grammarian and author of al-Qatr, al-Mughni and other works used to advice the students of knowledge with patience over the difficulties in seeking knowledge as it’s a condition in attaining this precious and honourable objective. He used to say,
And whoever is patient in seeking knowledge, triumphs with its attainment
And whoever seeks to marry the noble women, is patient in his efforts
Whoever does not humble his soul in seeking the high objectives
Will forever live as the companion of disgrace and humility
“Were it not for the people’s ignorance of the sweetness of this delight (‘ilm) and the magnificence of its worth, they would have fought over it with swords! But it has been hidden with a cloak of hardship and it has been hidden from them with a cloak of ignorance – so that Allah may choose for it whomsoever He wishes from His slaves, and indeed Allah is full of great bounty.”
So it is upon you Ya Talib al-’Ilm, to strive hard in gaining ‘ilm, truly the matter is as al-Junayd said:
“No-one has ever sought something with seriousness and in truth except that he attained it, and even if he does not attain it all, he surely attains some of it.”
It was said to ‘Abdullah ibn al-Mubarak, ‘Until when will you keep seeking knowledge?’ He said, ‘Until death, insha’Allah.’
Malik ibn Anas: ‘It doesn’t befit a person who has knowledge, to abandon learning.’
Ibn Abi Ghassan: ‘You will continue to be knowledgeable so long as you learn. The moment you think yourself to be above learning, you become an ignorant.’
Subhanallah this post is very inspirational…
But, there isn’t a verse 297 in chapter 2 (al-baqarah), i think it has been mispelt… the verse you’re maybe after is 201 in the same chapter (al-baqarah)
please correct me if im wrong or mis-understood.
Allah is The All Knowing.