Does knowledge change everything?
The Virtue of Knowledge: Quranic Verses on the Superiority of the Knowledgeable from Riyadh as-Saliheen
Summary
This lecture continues the study of Riyadh as-Saliheen's Book of Knowledge, focusing on the virtue of knowledge and those who teach and learn it for Allah's sake. Sh. Ali Mashhour discusses four select Quranic verses that capture the essence of knowledge's importance, beginning with Surah Taha's verse about asking Allah to increase one's knowledge. The lecture primarily focuses on Surah Az-Zumar verse 9, which rhetorically asks whether those who know and those who do not know are equal, emphasizing through various examples that knowledge fundamentally changes one's status and treatment in Islamic law. Sh. Ali Mashhour illustrates this principle by explaining how a trained hunting dog, distinguished only by its knowledge, receives different legal treatment than an untrained dog, demonstrating that knowledge alone elevates status even among animals, and therefore far more so among humans.
Note: This transcript was generated using YouTube's automatic captioning, with AI-assisted cleanup for readability. It may contain inaccuracies due to background noise, audio quality, or limitations of the transcription software — particularly during Arabic recitation. Listener discretion is advised; please refer to the original video for precise wording.
Continuing where we left off at the very beginning of the Book of Knowledge from Riyadh as Saliheen the chapter regarding the virtue of knowledge those who teach it those who learn it both teaching it and learning it for the sake of Allah. As we mentioned before the author at half of the Nawawi began this book this Book of Knowledge here with four verses four select verses from the Quran. Now are the virtues of knowledge are there more than just four verses in the Quran regarding the virtues of knowledge? Of course, they are in the tens they are in the dozens perhaps even in the hundreds. However these are select verses which capture the essence of what the author is driving towards. And the narrations that will follow, they are all , lined up and they are all , working around that center thrust of this , book and chapter which is the virtue of knowledge. So, he mentions four verses. The first one we've already discussed in Surah Taha, in which Allah Subhana Wa Ta'ala says,.
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In which Allah teaches our prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, and the rest of us by extension, he says that which translates to, "And say, 'My Lord, increase me in knowledge.'" The next verse he mentions is a verse in Surah Az-Zumar, verse number nine. This is a chapter of the Quran that the prophet, Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam, would read every night before he went to bed. Every single night before he slept, he would recite Surah Az-Zumar. And this verse is part of that chapter.
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"Qul Hal Yastawi Alladhina Ya'lamun.
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Hadha Ismu Istifhamu Inkar.
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Alamatuhu Innaka Tastati' Ta'khudh Harf Aw Ismul.
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Ya'ni Mathalan,.
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Law Ahna Akhadhna Kilmatun Hal,.
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How you stack him in the manner you can you can kill him. Well, la you stack him in the manner you can with la you stack him in the manner and you can kill him so he can la. Stack him in the manner you can with la you stack him for other is more ish. Is the fact I am in car or is the fact I am not happy? Well, but la get the fact I am la the edge you the manner and not happy. Well, I am a black man with a jar of the nut fee.
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You stack him in the manner you can with la you stack him in the manner you can with la you stack him real tough still with the suit and tie. Can you cool have a man alone? But the door is still I want to hack. Is still I shock. I am jailed and Kabir so we are that guy. On the granny for care is still how you stack him in the manner you can with la you stack him in the manner you can with la you stack him. Yes, you can enjoy the nest so. Well, I have men and a husband and I let you enjoy and is the fact I am in car. And in car And so in this verse verse number nine of Surat al Zumar Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala asks rhetorically rhetorically. He says say say to them, say to everyone, the Muslim and the non-Muslims, ask them. They'll tell you. Ask them. Do those who know and those who do not know, are they the same? The answer is no, it's rhetorical. It's if you say to your son or your daughter, you told them to do something, they didn't do it, you say, "Didn't I tell you to do this?" Right? It's as if you're saying even you know this. This is beyond being a question or something open to debate. This is universal truth. We all know this. And so, here Allah subhana wa ta'ala is telling us that those who know and those who do not know, they are never the same. They're not the same. No way. As a matter of fact, even animals that have knowledge hold virtue over animals of their same kind that do not have knowledge. What is the most severe or most extreme type of filth in the legislation of Islam? Something that is the most filthy thing. Huh? Al Khanzir Huh?
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The most intense type of filth is the saliva of a dog. Our prophet Sallallahu alaihi wasallam says if a dog drinks from your cup, you have to wash it seven times. One of those times with dirt. This is very intense. All of the types of najasah you could just wash. Urine, feces, but that has to be washed seven times even if it appears clean. Seven times, one of which using dirt. This is the the saliva of a dog. What does this have to do with knowledge? A hunting dog a hunting dog that has been trained to hunt that has the knowledge of hunting is exempt. Is exempt. No longer does a person have to wash after this dog seven times ihdahunna bit turab. For rajih min aqwal al-ulama. And so a hunting dog is the same as the other dog. What's the only difference? Knowledge. That difference alone that difference alone changes its treatment in the legislation of Allah and the Quran and Sunnah and the laws of Allah. How much more so the human being? No way can a person who knows and a person who does not know can they be equal? Sure, they could probably maybe be equal on particular issues. Maybe one will have an intention, the other will have an intention, but even at the at the base level of intentions, knowledge is a prerequisite to sound intentions. In order for your intention to be good, you have to have knowledge. It is the key to everything. Without knowledge, you have no hope of reaching the heights. The heights of Allah's pleasure. And so those who know and those who do not, they are not treated the same by Allah. They are not the same in this dunya, and they are not the same in any logic or deduction. And this is, again, all pointing towards and bolstering the understanding of the virtue of knowledge and its people. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala and you I mean in the name of Allah. And you are And May Allah bless and grant peace to our prophet.
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