Seek knowledge to benefit mankind
“Learning, not just learning but learning how to learn as well.”
All knowledge comes from Allah and is inherently Islamic, so Muslims should pursue knowledge of both deen and worldly fields with the intention of benefiting mankind and earning Allah's pleasure, letting their faith serve as a lens that elevates whatever they practice.
The khutbah in 8 steps
- Opening: praises of Allah, Quranic verses on taqwa and 'are those who know equal to those who do not know', hadith that seeking knowledge is an obligation on every Muslim
- All knowledge comes from Allah; knowledge itself is a neutral means whose benefit or harm depends on the person's intention and righteousness
- Everyone naturally seeks prestige; knowledge is a healthy avenue for honor when the goal is benefiting oneself and mankind rather than fame or wealth
- Abu Ishaq al-Ilbiri's poem to his son: if wealth is the purpose of seeking knowledge, ignorance is better; scholars of the past wrote entire works to teach their children (Ibn Juzayy)
- Lifelong learning examples (the elderly hadith student on a bicycle); knowledge suffices the soul in solitude; Ali's saying that knowledge is a wealth that never ends
- Knowledge of deen is the greatest knowledge and gives a lens over all other fields; Mimar Sinan modeled Ottoman mosques on the Kaaba as an example of deen-inspired architecture
- Parents should give children this vision; fund others' learning as Imam Ghazali's and Sufyan al-Thawri's learning was funded; story of Sufyan al-Thawri's mother
- Close: never stop learning; Umar's saying that a person whose two days are equal is in loss, and honor with Allah brings honor before people
In the khateeb's words
“learning, not just learning but learning how to learn as well”
“every person will seek prestige and to some degree even in our deen we are encouraged to seek healthy prestige”
For the dinner table
Today Imam Zayd Sharief spoke about seeking knowledge in Islam. He taught that all knowledge comes from Allah, and that knowledge itself is a tool, it becomes good or harmful depending on the intention of the person using it, which is why our deen must guide how we learn and work. He explained that everyone naturally wants to be known and respected, and the healthy way to earn that is through knowledge that benefits people, not through wealth or showing off. He shared beautiful stories from our history: scholars like Abu Ishaq al-Ilbiri who wrote poems to teach their children, the mother of Sufyan al-Thawri who sewed and wove so her son could sit with scholars, and the architect Mimar Sinan who designed mosques inspired by the Kaaba. His advice to young people going back to school was to become truly excellent in their field, do something that benefits mankind, and never stop learning at any age. Above all, he reminded us that knowledge of the deen is the greatest knowledge, because it gives light to everything else we learn.
- If you could become truly excellent at one thing that helps people, what would it be?
- The imam said an old man with a white beard rode a bicycle to sit in the front row of a hadith class, what's something you'd still want to learn even when you're old?
- Sufyan al-Thawri's mother worked so he could study, who helps make your learning possible, and how could you thank them?
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