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CHAPTER
4
The Importance Of
Education And AdvicesOn How To Achieve It
May Allah give you
Tawfeeq' to earn His will and pleasure. May your future be better
than past. I advice you to obtain religious education. The performance of
obligatory deeds and desistance from "Haram' deed mainly depends on it.
Besides, to obtain religious education is a matter of great importance, honour
and prestige.It is the education which
differentiates a man from an animal. Every thing are of 2 types. One is of
progress-going ahead and the other is stagnation. Of these two, one who
progresses (goes ahead) is better than one who is stagnane. There are 2 types of
progress-One is emotional and the other is without emotion. It is evident that
one who is emotional is better than one without emotion. There are two types of
emotional people. One is a scholar and the other is an illiterate. It is crystal
clear that an educated is better than an uneducated and a scholar is better than
an illiterate. Therefore, education is the best and highest of all.
According to the work of the Musaffirs,'
Sur-e-Iqra' was the first sura to be sent. In this sura, Allah has declared
that after creating man, he was taught everything. Thus, after the blessing of
life, blessing of education is mentioned. This proves that education is the best
blessing of the whole world. The biggest honour that Allah has bestowed on man
is that from Alaq' (clot of blood), he rose him to the exalted position of
a learned person.
It is stated in Sur-e-Zumar':
Can an educated and illiterate be equal? Never. Only an intelligent person can
understand that the position of an educated is far superior to that of an
illiterate.
It is mentioned is Sure-e-Fatir':
Amongst the momeens, only' Alims' are afraid of Allah.
In addition to this, are some
ayaats, Alims are mentioned along with Him which is the best proof of respect
and honour. Traditions also mention the importance of education
Abdulla Bin Maymun Kaddah, through
Hazrat Imam Jafar Sadiq (a.s.) has narrated a tradition of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.)
: One who walks on the path of religion, Allah guides him to the path of
paradise, the angels spread their wings below his feet. All living beings in
heaven and earth including fishes in ocean, pray for him, The status of an
Abid' as compared to an Alim' is that of stars as compared to full
moon. Alims are the inheritors of the prophet.
Prophets do not leave dirham-dinar
as legacy, their legacy is education. One who inherits this, he has obtained a
lot.
Asbagh bin Nabata has narrated
from Amirul Momeneen Hazrat Ali (a.s.) that obtain ilm. It's learning is a
pious deed, discussion is its rosary (Tasbih), argument is its jehad and
teaching is its sadqa. Through education one can understand Haram-Halal. You can
obtain paradise through education. Education is a friend in loneliness, helper
in loneliness, mental peace in war. Allah has made some people leaders of
good deeds by education. Look at their good deeds and follow them. Education is
the life of the heart, light of the eye, strength of the body and destination of
pious people. Through education, you obey Allah's orders, you can understand
the exalted position of Allah and his oneness. Through education, you realize
the importance of kindness, Halal and Haram. Education is Imam (leader) of
intelligence.
(Beharul
Anwar, p. 54)
Hasan bin Abil Hasan Al-Farsi has
cited from Hazrat Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq (a.s.) that the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) has
said: It is compulsory for every Muslim to obtain education. Allah be-friends
those who obtain knowledge.
(Usul-e-Kafi,
p. 30)
Abu Ishaq has cited the following
words of Hazrat Ali (a.s.): O people! The completion of religion is to obtain
knowledge and to act on it. It is more compulsory to obtain knowledge than to
obtain wealth. The quantity of wealth is destined. Allah, the Just, has taken
the responsibility of its distribution and He will fulfill His promise. Ilm is
preserved by Aalims and you have to obtain it. So obtain ilm as ordered by
Allah.
(Usul-e-Kafi-1,
p. 30)
Abu Hamza Omali has cited a
tradition of Imam Sajjad (a.s.): If people realized the importance of religious
education, they would give their lives even by drowning in the sea to obtain Ilm.
Allah, through His messenger, told Janab-e-Daniyal that the worst believer is
one who is illiterate insults the Alim and does not follow him. The best
believer is one who is pious, eager to earn sawab, companion of alims, follower
of Alims and who learns from the scholars.
(Usul-e-Kafi-1,
p. 35)
In another tradition it is stated
that an Alims, from whose Ilm benefit is derived, he is better than 70,000 Abids.
(Usul-e-Kafi
1, p. 33)
It is stated by Muaviya bin Ammar
: I asked Hazrat Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq (a.s.) : What is the difference between a
Ravi (collector of Ahadis) who preaches your tradition, who is able to convince
momeens to follow the tradition and an abid who has no such qualities? He
replied : Such a ravi is better than thousand Abids.
(Usul-e-Kafi-1,
p. 33)
The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) has
said : In life, Khair (betterment) is
only for two types of people.
(1)
The Alim who is obeyed and
(2)
a person who listens carefully and obtains knowledge (Ilm).
(Usul-e-Kafi-1,
p. 33)
Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq (a.s.) told
Bashir Dahan : There is no betterment for those of my companions who do not
obtain religious education. Bashir!
Remember, a person who does not learn Fiqh is dependant on others' Ilm and
people will lead him astray because of his ignorance.
(Usul-e-Kafi-1,
p. 33)
Suleman bin Jafar has cited from
Hazrat Imam Jafar-e-Sadiq (a.s.) that Amirul momeneen (a.s.) has said: The
status of an Alim is more than that of a person who is fasting, one who prays
the whole night and one who fights in the way of Allah. The death of an Alim is
an irreplaceable loss to Islam.
(Usul-e-Kafi 1, p. 38)
Imam (a.s.) has stated: In the
opinion of Iblis (Satan) there is no better death than that of an Alim.
(Usul-e-Kafi,
p. 38)
Hazrat Imam Moosa bin Jafar (a.s.)
has said: When a momeen dies, the angels in heaven, each and every place of
worship and all the doors of heaven through which his good deeds used to soar,
they all cry. It is a loss to Islam. The Alims of momeens are the citadel of
Islam just like the walls, which protect the city.
(Usul-e-Kafi-1,
p. 38)
Besides these, there are
innumerable traditions, which are cited in the books of Ahadis (traditions). So
my son, beware! Don't let this big blessing, great status and source of much
sawab' slip from your hands. Beware, in your anxiety for worldly wealth,
don't neglect religious education. On the contrary, to obtain religious
education, be ready for poverty. In this way, you will obtain permanent wealth,
honor and prestige. If you have difficulty in earning your daily bread, remember
the rewards and sawab in the next world. This will lighten all your troubles.
Just look at all those people who left religious education and became busy
amassing wealth. How happy and contented they are! They have been deprived of
benefits of both the worlds. At least you are assured of benefits in the next
world.
Son, be contended. Don't go
after the show and splendor of the world. This world has not appreciated the
worth and dignity of the grandson of the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.a.) Hazrat Imam
Hussein (a.s.), then who are you? This world gave importance to Yazid over Imam
Husain (a.s.). Don't fall in love with this unfaithful and double-crossing
world. It is against intelligence. Philosophers like Ibn-e-Sina have strongly
opposed it.
Son, don't be disappointed with
all the trials and tribulations which you have to suffer in obtaining ilm. Do
your work. Remember, this world is a house of misery and troubles. It is useless
to search for happiness and ease in this world. If this world gets attracted
towards you, then it will push you further from the next world, take you away
from piety and get you entangled in useless talk and deception. It will put all
its burden on you by distracting you. One who desires this world will always be
in distress. His condition will always be like hell, which is always shouting
Hal Min Mazid'. Its stomach is never full. There is always one way to
escape from it - fall in love with the next world. Then there will be neither
uneasiness, nor misery nor sadness.
Son, I mean by my life, that
pleasure and happiness, which you get in rejecting this world, you will not get
one thousandth of it, if you go after this world. But yes, remember, by
rejecting this world, it does not mean that you should give away all you have,
cutoff relations with everybody and become a sufi'. The shariat does not
like this at all. Rejecting this world' means not to fall in love with this
world, not to get carried away by its pleasure. It means to have faith in Allah
in whatever you get and be happy in Allah's will.
On this subject, there is a
reference in the Sahih' of Abdulla bin Yasur. A man said to Hazrat Imam
Jafar-e-Sadiq (a.s.): I loved this world. I hope I get it. Imam said: You love
it so much? What will you do if you get it? The man replied: I will use it for
my benefit as well as for the benefit of my children, I will do charity in the
way of Allah, I will perform Haj and Umra. The Imam replied: This is not the
love of this world but this the love of the next world.
(Waselush-shia-2,
p. 530)
