The Key to Success..

Think of the most successful person you know. What makes that person appear successful? Is it the amount of money they make and the luxury car they drive when they pull up to the masjid? Is it the amount of friends they have or the power and influence they have in the community? For those of us living in the West, we are automatically programmed to judge people by their appearance, wealth, and power. When it comes to success, are we judging success by the standards of the West or the standards of success set by Allah and His Messenger?

Allah mentions the successful people in the Qur’an over and over again. When we define success in Allah’s terms, we see that the successful people are those who seek nearness to Allah (5.35), who strive with their lives and wealth in Allah’s Cause (9.20), and who are admitted to Paradise (3.185). How many of us actually have conditioned ourselves to view success in this way?

There is one way that we can make ourselves among those who are successful as defined by Allah and that is by gaining knowledge. Knowledge is the one thing that makes one believer more successful than another believer, as Allah ta’ala says in the Qur’an:

“Say: “Are those who know equal to those who know not?"” 39.9

But how many of us are actively seeking knowledge? There are many blessings of seeking knowledge, as related by the Prophet sallahu ‘alayhi wa salaam:

“When Allah wishes good for someone, He bestows upon him the understanding of religion.” [Bukhari, Muslim] “Allah makes the way to Paradise easy for him who treads the path in search of knowledge.” [Muslim] “The world, with all that it contains, is accursed except for the remembrance of Allah, that which pleases Allah and the religious scholars and seekers of knowledge.” [At-Tirmidhi] “The superiority of the learned man over the devout worshipper is like that of the full moon to the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets who bequeath neither Dinar nor Dirham but only that of knowledge; and he who acquires it, has in fact acquired an abundant portion.” [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmidhi]

These are just a few of the statements of our Prophet sallahu ‘alayhi wa salaam on the blessings of seeking knowledge and the superiority of the knowledgeable believer.

There is a certain amount of knowledge that is compulsory (fard al-‘ayn) on every individual Muslim to know. Yet, most Muslims aren’t even fulfilling or giving priority to knowing those minimum things that one must know to practice the deen correctly. For example, zakat is one of the pillars of Islam. But how many of us know the rulings of zakat and are sure that we’re giving the proper amount? How many of us know with certainty all the things that invalidate the prayer? If we don’t learn these things, we can not plead ignorance; we will be sinful in the sight of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala for not learning.

Seeking knowledge is not always easy. In our own communities, there might be few or no opportunities to learn some of these things because of the lack of knowledgeable people. But is our responsibility to change this phenomenon. If we learn, it is our obligation to teach others who don’t know. If we don’t know, it is our obligation to learn. And there are alternatives. There are classes in other cities and through distance learning programs that can teach us the minimums that we need to know about the deen. And for a few, they are able to take a leap and study in-depth overseas for a more comprehensive education.

Yet whether it’s taking distance courses, taking courses or seminars in another city, or studying overseas, there is an incredible lack of support for those people who desire knowledge. That is because, in general, our communities have forgotten the value of knowledge. Yet, it is the very thing that makes a person, and as a result, entire communities of Muslims, successful or not. The problem is we have started to judge success by the standards of the West and not the standards of Allah.

Five Practical Ways to Revive Knowledge

1. Educate others about the importance of seeking knowledge:

People will never be satisfied with their deeds until they realize the value of them. The more people realize the value of knowledge, the more likely it is that this phenomenon of knowledge-less people and communities will end.

2) Start halaqas in your community:

Even if there is no one knowledgeable in your community, choose a book that teaches the basics of Islam and hold classes with discussions so there is an opportunity for every Muslim to learn the basics of their deen.

3) Support the scholars and students of knowledge:

If there is no one knowledgeable in our community, it is our responsibility to try to bring someone in that is. That may mean sponsoring a promising student to go overseas to study for four years or more with the agreement that they will come back and benefit the community. Or it may mean supporting a scholar that has a family and has no means of supporting themselves if they move to your community. So many scholars have come to the West and left because communities failed to support them.

1) Seek knowledge:

Whatever your ability is, remember that success is proportional sacrifice. The more you sacrifice, the more success you will have.

2)Be sincere:

Sincerity is a requirement for all actions. Allah’s Messenger sallahu ‘alayhi wa salam said:

“He who does not acquire knowledge with the sole intention of seeking the Pleasure of Allah but for gaining the frailties of the world, will not smell the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Judgement.”[Abu Dawud]

May Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala make us among those people who appreciate and seek knowledge and our communities those that are overflowing with knowledge that is beneficial. Ameen. And may we continuously say, “My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.” (20.114)