Islamic Seeking of Knowledge:-
Islamists and Muhammadan Muslims, invariably quote the following and similar verses in the Quran to perpetuate the myth that 'Islam' encourages the knowledge of Sciences, Philosophy, Medicine, etc. they deliberately ignore the fact, that Muhammad, his tribe and the Arabs of the Hijaz especially, were among the most uncivilized, generally illiterate and ignorant people in Arabia.
39: "9 Is one who worships devoutly during the hours of the night prostrating himself or standing (in adoration) who takes heed of the Hereafter and who places his hope in the Mercy of his Lord (like one who does not)? Say: "Are those equal those who know [ya'alamoona] and those who do not know [la ya'alamoona]? It is those who are endued with understanding that receive admonition."
The knowledge [ilm] that is alluded to in the verse above, as well as in those in the Ahadith, refer to religious knowledge only, and not science, since the latter contradicts the traditions, especially pertaining to the creation and other natural items mentioned in the Quran.
Muhammadan orthodoxy does not encourage unrestricted intellectual inquiry, since it is deemed dangerous to the faith of the believer. The best knowledge that is accepted by the tradition, is the one that is helpful for the practice of religion, full stop.
Ibn Khaldun reminds us, that Arabs did not play a great part in the original development of 'Islamic Science': " It is strange, that most of the learned among the Muslims who have excelled in the religious or intellectual sciences, are not Arabs, even those with with rare exceptions; and even those savants who claimed Arabian descent, spoke a foreign language, grew up in a foreign land and studied under foreign masters"
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 220 Narrated byAnas ibn Malik
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: One who goes out to search for knowledge [ilm] is (devoted) to the cause of Allah till he returns.
Transmitted by Tirmidhi and Darimi.
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 228 Narrated byAbdullah ibn Mas'ud
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: May Allah be well pleased with the servant who heard our words, remembered them, retained them well and then passed them on to others. How many scholars are there who are the scholars of religion without having an understanding of it, and how many scholars of religion are there who convey knowledge [ilm] to those who are well versed compared with them. There are three things on account of which no rancour enters a Muslim heart: the sincerity of purpose for Allah's sake, seeking goodness for the Muslims and adhering to their main body (jama'ah), for their prayers encompass them all round.
Shafi'i reported it and also Bayhaqi in Al-Madkhal.
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 234 Narrated byAbdullah ibn Abbas
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said, He who speaks about the Qur'an on the basis of his personal opinion (only) will find his abode in Hell-Fire. In another version (the words are): He who speaks about the Qur'an without sound knowledge [ilm] of it will find his abode in Hell-Fire.
Transmitted by Tirmidhi.
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 257 Narrated byAbdullah ibn Amr
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) happened to pass by two groups (of Muslims) in the mosque and he said: Both of them are good, but one is superior to the other. One group is supplicating Allah and praying Him. If He so wills He will confer upon them and if He so wills He will withhold. So far as those who are acquiring the understanding of religion and its knowledge [ilm] and are busy in teaching the ignorant, they are superior. Verily I have been sent as a teacher. He then sat down amongst them.
Transmitted by Darimi.
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 259 Narrated byAnas ibn Malik
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Do you know who is most generous? They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. Whereupon he said: Allah is the Most Generous, then I am most generous to mankind, and the most generous people after me would be those who will acquire knowledge [ilm] and then disseminate it. He will come on the Day of Resurrection singly, like a ruler, or he said: As a single Ummah.
Bayhaqi transmitted in Shu'ab al-Iman.
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 261 Narrated byAbdullah ibn Mas'ud
There are two avaricious people who are never contented: the man of learning and the man of the world, but the two are not equal. The man of knowledge [ilm] increases in submission to Allah, and as for the man of the world, he becomes headstrong and defiant. Abdullah then recited: `Nay man is surely rebellious when he sees himself free from want.' (46:6) Concerning the other he recited the verse: `Surely those of His servants who are possessed of knowledge [ilm], fear Allah.' (35:28)
Transmitted by Darimi.
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 279 Narrated byAbdullah ibn Mas'ud
Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) said to me: Acquire the knowledge and impart it to the people. Acquire the knowledge [ilm] of Fara'id (laws of inheritance) and teach it to the people, learn the Qur'an and teach it to the people; for I am a person who has to depart this world and the knowledge will be taken away and turmoil will appear to such an extent that two people will not agree in regard to a case of inheritance distribution and find none who would decide between them.
Transmitted by Darimi and Daraqutni.
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 6111 Narrated byAnas ibn Malik
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said, "The most compassionate member of my people towards my people is AbuBakr, the most rigorous regarding Allah's affair is Umar, the most genuinely modest is Uthman, the one who knows most about obligatory duties is Zayd ibn Thabit, the one who knows best how to recite the Qur'an is Ubayy ibn Ka'b, and the one who has most knowledge [ilm] about what is lawful and what is prohibited is Mu'adh ibn Jabal. Every people has a trustworthy guardian, and the trustworthy guardian of this people is AbuUbayd ibn al-Jarrah.
Ahmad and Tirmidhi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying this is a hasan sahih tradition. It is also transmitted in mursal form, on the authority of Ma'mar who cited Qatadah as his authority, and it contains the phrase "The most learned in legal matters is Ali."
Al-Tirmidhi HadithHadith 6231 Narrated byMu'adh ibn Jabal
Mu'adh was on his deathbed and he said, "Seek knowledge [ilm] from four people, from Uwaymir AbudDarda', from Salman, from Ibn Mas'ud, and from Abdullah ibn Salam who was a Jewish convert to Islam, for I heard Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) say he would be the tenth to enter Paradise."
Tirmidhi transmitted it.
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 2744 Narrated byHabib ibn Maslamah al-Fihri
Makhul said: I was the slave of a woman of Banu Hudhayl; afterwards she emancipated me. I did not leave Egypt until I had acquired all the knowledge [ilm] that seemed to me to exist there. I then came to al-Hijaz and I did not leave it until I had acquired all the knowledge [ilm] that seemed to be available. Then I came to al-Iraq, and I did not leave it until I had acquired all the knowledge [ilm] that seemed to be available. I then came to Syria, and besieged it. I asked everyone about giving rewards from the booty. I did not find anyone who could tell me anything about it. I then met an old man called Ziyad ibn Jariyah at-Tamimi. I asked him: Have you heard anything about giving rewards from the booty? He replied: Yes. I heard Maslamah al-Fihri say: I was present with the Prophet (peace be upon him). He gave a quarter of the spoils on the outward journey and a third on the return journey.
*** Knowledge in this instance -as in all of the above- has nothing to do with science or literature but only with information regarding the distribution of booty, plunder and religious beliefs***
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 2879 Narrated byAbdullah ibn Amr ibn al-'As
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: knowledge [ilm] has three categories; anything else is extra; a precise verse, or an established sunnah (practice), or a firm obligatory duty.
Sunan of Abu-DawoodHadith 4994 Narrated byBuraydah ibn al-Hasib
I heard the Apostle of Allah (peace be upon him) say: In eloquence there is magic, in knowledge ignorance, in poetry wisdom, and in speech heaviness. Sa'sa'ah ibn Suhan said: The Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him) spoke the truth. His statement "In eloquence there is magic" means: (For example), there is a right due from a man who is more eloquent in reasoning than the man who is demanding his right. He (the defendant) charms the people by his speech and takes away his right. His statement "Inknowledge [ilm] there is ignorance" means: A scholar brings to his knowledge what he does not know, and thus he becomes ignorant of that. His statement "In poetry there is wisdom" means: These are the sermons and examples by which people receive admonition. His statement "In speech there is heaviness" means: That you present your speech and your talk to a man who is not capable of understanding it, and who does not want it.
Hadith Qudsi 6
The first of people against whom judgment will be pronounced on the Day of Resurrection will be a man who died a martyr. He will be brought and Allah will make known to him His favours and he will recognize them. [ The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I fought for you until I died a martyr. He will say: You have lied - you did but fight that it might be said [of you]: He is courageous. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man who has studied [religious] knowledge and has taught it and who used to recite the Quran. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I studied [religious] knowledge and I taught it and I recited the Quran for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but study [religious] knowledge that it might be said [of you]: He is learned. And you recited the Quran that it might be said [of you]: He is a reciter. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire. [Another] will be a man whom Allah had made rich and to whom He had given all kinds of wealth. He will be brought and Allah will make known to his His favours and he will recognize them. [The Almighty] will say: And what did you do about them? He will say: I left no path [untrodden] in which You like money to be spent without spending in it for Your sake. He will say: You have lied - you did but do so that it might be said [of you]: He is open-handed. And so it was said. Then he will be ordered to be dragged along on his face until he is cast into Hell-fire.
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 1.75 Narrated byIbn Abbas
Once the Prophet embraced me and said, "O Allah! Bestow on him the knowledge [ilm] of the Book (Qur'an)."
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 1.100 Narrated byAbdullah bin Amr bin Al As
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "Allah does not take away the knowledge [ilm], by taking it away from (the hearts of) the people, but takes it away by the death of the religious learned men till when none of the (religious learned men) remains, people will take as their leaders ignorant persons who when consulted will give their verdict without knowledge [ilm]. So they will go astray and will lead the people astray."
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 4.283 Narrated byAbu Juhaifa
I asked Ali, "Do you have the knowledge of any Divine Inspiration besides what is in Allah's Book?" 'Ali replied, "No, by Him Who splits the grain of corn and creates the soul. I don't think we have such knowledge, but we have the ability of understanding which Allah may endow a person with, so that he may understand the Qur'an, and we have what is written in this paper as well." I asked, "What is written in this paper?" He replied, "(The regulations of) blood-money, the freeing of captives, and the judgment that no Muslim should be killed for killing an infidel."
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 7.483 Narrated byAnas
I heard from Allah's Apostle a narration which none other than I will narrate to you. The Prophet said, "From among the portents of the hour are the following: General ignorance (in religious affairs) will prevail, (religious) knowledge will decrease, illegal sexual intercourse will prevail, alcoholic drinks will be drunk (in abundance), men will decrease and women will increase so much so that for every fifty women there will be one man to look after them."
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 8.800A Narrated byAnas
I will narrate to you a narration which nobody will narrate to you after me. I heard that from the Prophet. I heard the Prophet saying, "The Hour will not be established" or said: "From among the portents of the Hour is that the religious knowledge will be taken away (by the death of religious Scholars) and general ignorance (of religion) will appear; and the drinking of alcoholic drinks will be very common, and (open) illegal sexual intercourse will prevail, and men will decrease in number while women will increase so much so that, for fifty women there will only be one man to look after them."
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 9.154 Narrated byAbdullah bin Umar
I heard Allah's Apostle saying, "While I was sleeping, I saw a bowl full of milk was brought to me and I drank of it (to my fill) till I noticed its wetness flowing (in my body). Then I gave the remaining of it to 'Umar." They asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What have you interpreted (about the dream)? He said, It is (religious) knowledge." (See Hadith No. 134 & 135)
Sahih Al-Bukhari HadithHadith 9.410 Narrated byAbdullah bin Amr
I heard the Prophet saying, "Allah will not deprive you ofknowledge [ilm] after he has given it to you, but it will be taken away through the death of the religious learned men with their knowledge [ilm]. Then there will remain ignorant people who, when consulted, will give verdicts according to their opinions whereby they will mislead others and go astray."
*** There are hundreds more of the same that confirm the fact that ILM / KNOWLEDGE in the Quran refers invariably to the sciences of the Quran and Hadiiths; that is, to RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE only***