Islam & Knowledge
The Deen of Islam encourages knowledge and its pursuit, and it rebukes ignorance and cautions against it. Allah says: (Say: ‘Are those who know equal to those who do not know?’) [ 39:9 ]
Allah says: (Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe and those who have been granted knowledge...) [ 58:11 ]
It encourages that one seek increase in it. Allah said: (And say: ‘My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.’) [ 20:114 ]
Islam gives great respect to scholars and gives them their due right. The Prophet (s) stated their excellence when he said: “He is not from my nation who does not respect our elders, has mercy on our young, and does not know the rights of our scholars over us.” [ Ahmed ]
It considers the acts of seeking, learning, and teaching knowledge as means which lead to Jannah. The Messenger of Allah (s) said: “He who follows a path in quest of knowledge, Allah will make the path of Jannah easy for him. The angels lower their wings over the seeker of knowledge, being pleased with what he does. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, and even the fish in the depth of the oceans, seek forgiveness for him. The superiority of the learned person over the devout worshipper is like that of the full moon to the rest of the stars (in brightness). 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 Dawood ]