We all are sitting in a world in which the value of knowledge is at its all-time high. Many of us, or our parents, invest a good amount of income towards this so-called “educational system” entitled “University” or “College”. Many of us invest hours upon hours, days upon days, week after week indulged in books and lectures learning about Limits, Laws of Neutrality, Psychological Human Behaviour, or, my favourite, Pareto Optimal (:S). We wake up early in the mornings, get ready, maybe eat a little something, and then spend anywhere from ten minutes to two hours to reach our University/College so we can be among the elite of society who are educated. Mashallah!
Now, lets see, by the looks of it, an average student spends a good amount of his/her time in their studies to basically get a degree, which will inshallah enable them to get that perfect job, which will give them that perfect life they always dreamed of. Right? Inshallah. But oh mannn … hmmmmm … this puts us in a bit of tough spot … if we’re spending sooo much time learning about Physics, Calculus, Pyschology, Accounting, and so on, where do we get the time to learn about our religion, Islam? Will we not be accountable on the Day of Judgement? What will we say to Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) when He asks us? We were busy? No time? Studying? Watching TV? Chilling? Girls? What will be our excuse?
It just happened to hit my attention that we all put sooooo much efforts into our studies to achieve that piece of paper, which will help us only in this duniya … and that’s only if Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) wills for it to help us. But how much effort, time, money, etc do we put in to learn about Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) and His Religion? Why is it that for University/College we don’t mind travelling for 30 minutes, but when its for the sake of Allah, we hesitate to travel ten minutes? Why is it that we spend thousands and thousands of dollars yearly for tuition and books, but we hold back when its spending $20 to read a little about Islam, or to attend a class or two? Why is it that we devote a countless amount of time, from mornings to nights, and even sometimes to mornings again for university or college, but when it’s an hour or so to learn about Islam, we hesitate. These are questions that we must ask ourselves.
I write this entry in fear and as a reminder to myself first, then to all the brothers and sisters. The time that Allah (سبحانه وتعالى) granted us is very crucial to our results on the “Final Exam”, which may be as soon as tommorow … you know. “The Day of Qiyamah.”
I’m not saying that we should just ditch our university/college education, because that itself is a blessing of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى). However, we should definately start putting the same efforts we put towards it for the purpose of learning our religion, as we will be accountable for it infront of Allah (سبحانه وتعالى).
I know time plays a factor, but I’m pretty sure all of us can spare a bit of time out of our chatting fiestas on MSN, talking on the phone, watching TV, listening to music, or even playing video games to learn a little about ourselves, our deen, our religion … AL-ISLAM.
Recall that the acquiring of knowledge was sooo important to the people of the past, that they would travel for dayssss–to what?–to aquire one hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (صلي الله عليه وسلم). Subhanallah! Look at that, for one hadith they would travel for days! Just let that soak in for a second. These people, who understood the value of the knowledge, would travel in the desert lands, in blazing heat, sometimes without much food and water, to attain a small piece of knowledge spoken by our beloved Prophet (صلي الله عليه وسلم)–and look at ourselves! For an abundant amount of knowledge, we hesititate to travel for even 10-15 minutes to the nearby masjid. Why travel when you got the Internet, right? Wrong! Alhamdolilah the Internet is good, however, to acquire knowledge we must learn from those who are knowledgeable.
Narrated Abu Darda:
Kathir ibn Qays said: I was sitting with Abu Darda in the mosque of Damascus. A man came to him and said: Abu Darda, I have come to you from the town of the Apostle of Allah for a tradition that I have heard you relate from the Apostle of Allah. I have come for no other purpose. He said: I heard the Apostle of Allah say: If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion.