Acquiring Knowledge
Here I bear witness to the honorable words of the tremendous and the bounteous man of creation, our dear prophet, Mohammad (May Allah bless him and his family), which is an accurate and frequent speech that you have all heard: “Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim” (The Arabic word used for Muslim includes both men and women since it is a general term). Yes, it is, in fact, obligatory. It is an obligation such as prayers, fasting, worshiping, and proper beliefs. What higher words do you seek?
In “The Book of Job,” section 28, it is said: “And where does the wisdom come from … The human does not know its price … Pure gold does not pay for it.” In “the Book of Proverbs (Proverbs of Solomon),” section 1, it is said: “… so that the wise man hears and increases his knowledge, and the understanding man educates the measures … However, the ignorant will belittle wisdom and decorum.”
In the Book of “Dhammapada” (one of the holy books of Buddhism), it is said: “ There is no contemplation without knowledge. There is no knowledge without contemplation. Once he has acquired knowledge and contemplation, he is one who is close to Nirvana (The promised heaven).”