ٱلرَّٰسِخُونَ فِى ٱلْعِلْمِ

 

Since the inception of our learning, we are instructed to go to the farthest end of knowledge. Meaning, it has always been a desirable outcome of education to make a child become fond of learning and to reach a depth of possibilities, when his mind meets a confusion. While this is important and advisable, a recently explained concept by one of my teachers took me a step further.

When I now think about knowledge, I have come to the conclusion that why we learn is of greater significance than how, because in some cases, a clear why has the influence to change the methodology of learning. Vice versa when we learn something based on vague whys, no matter how sagaciously we deal it, that knowledge itself shall be disadvantageous to our education.

The 7^th ayah of surah Ale-Imran, which my teacher discussed while unveiling this untouched concept, briefs us on the idea of deeply-rooted-in-knowledge people. These people are those who are firm in their learning, who internalize what they learn and who hold over it an unshakeable conviction. According to the Quran, people who aim to spread corruption on earth, unnecessarily go into the details of Mutashabih verses (unclear verses) of the Quran while those who believe in Allah, accept it unhesitatingly.

هُوَ ٱلَّذِىٓ أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ مِنْهُ ءَايَـٰتٌۭ مُّحْكَمَـٰتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَـٰبِهَـٰتٌۭ ۖ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِينَ فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌۭ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَـٰبَهَ مِنْهُ ٱبْتِغَآءَ ٱلْفِتْنَةِ وَٱبْتِغَآءَ تَأْوِيلِهِۦ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُۥٓ إِلَّا ٱللَّهُ ۗ وَٱلرَّٰسِخُونَ فِى ٱلْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ كُلٌّۭ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَـٰبِ

It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise - they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific.¹ As for those in whose hearts
is deviation [from truth], they will follow that of it which is unspecific, seeking discord and seeking an interpretation [suitable to them]. And no one knows its [true] interpretation except Allah. But those firm in knowledge say, "We believe in it. All [of it] is from our Lord." And no one will be reminded except those of understanding.

In a world where everybody loves to sound like an intellectual, the Quran tells us that sometimes less is more profound. I was immensely amazed by the idea that how the right reason of learning (To get closer to Allah and become more concerned of Akhirah) has ameliorated the entire methodogy of learning here. From being told to ask, enquire and research, we are enjoined upon to stop, and agree upon less. And not that this cessation of learning will get us distant from knowledge but in fact, the ayah emphasizes that those who stop here are the actual deeply-rooted in knowledge (ٱلرَّٰسِخُونَ فِى ٱلْعِلْمِ) people.

This also reminded me of Hazrat Abubakar’s (May Allah be pleased with him) affirmation of Prophet's ﷺ journey of Mairaj. I came to the realization that he did not merely express his affirmation of the Prophet’s expedition, which we normally discuss at various stages. But the fact that he required no prior explanation or answers to be As-Siddiq was even more heroic of him. He proved that if you are committed to truth, you shall reflect upon the idea that some wisdom lies in not rationalizing but simply having faith.

I could also remember a similar response by Hamza Tzortzis who speaks academically on Islam and has written a best-selling book on defending Islam against atheism. He said, in one of his lectures, that he was once confronted by an atheist who asked him what was Allah doing before, he created the world. Hamza in response to this, replied, that it was of no use for a seeker of truth to have knowledge of this. He also added humor to this by asking how does it help you become closer to the truth to know what I was doing before you met me, despite of the fact that you can have knowledge of it.

After having a different approach towards learning, this piece of reflection has helped me understand that the greatest learner isn’t the one who learns everything, but the one who is also aware of what not to learn (that if learnt can be anti-educating).