THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE

Allah Ta'ala says: "Allah raises in rank those who believe among you and those who have been given knowledge." That is, Allah Ta'ala elevates the rank of those who have brought Iman among you. That is, they have completed their Iman by doing good deeds and following the Shariah . It should be noted that wherever the Quran and the Hadith mention any virtue of bringing Iman, they refer to complete Iman. He also elevates the rank of those who have been given knowledge over those who have not been given knowledge. Here, the lofty status of the knowledgeable has been established from the Holy Quran. First He praised those who have brought faith. Thereafter, He specifically mentions the people of knowledge and says that they have very high ranks. And when Allah Ta'ala says that a particular person is of a high rank, how great that person must be! In another place Allah Ta'ala says: "Say, (O Muhammad!), are those who know equal to those who know not?" Here the question is used for negation. That is, those who have attained knowledge are much higher than those who have not.