How much knowledge is obligatory?

[Al-Faruqi]

According to the well-known hadith aquiring knowlegde is obligatory (fard) for us muslims. Now I'd like to know insha Allah which and how much knowledge is individually fard?

If l learn this book by heart, will I already have fulfilled the obligation or do I need to know more?

If the above-mentioned book doesn't suffice, could you maybe point out a book covering (only!) the absolutely obligatory knowledge in a precise and easy-to-learn style?

Barak Allah fikum

[Zubair]

What is obligatory is 'Ilm ul Hal, knowledge which is required for a person which will absolve him or her of her duties in his or her current condition. 'Allama Zarnuji talks about it in his Ta'lim al Muta'allim, you can listen to Mufti Abdur Rahman's lecture on it.

So if a peron is baligh, he has to know how to pray and make wudu. When he enters into Ramadan, he needs to know the neccesary rules concerning that. When he gets money, the amount necessary for zakat, he needs to know about Zakat, and when he gets more money, he'll be required to do Hajj, and so he needs to know the rules of Hajj, etc.

With the above, every muslim needs to the correct 'Aqida. And he also needs to know about spiritual diseases, like kibr, hasad and others and how to treat them properly, and so Ulema reccomend you take company with a shaykh.

So you can determine what your own position is, and seek out that which is necessary.

As for fiqh, i recommend Essential Islamic Knoweldge, it goes through purification, Salat, Sawm, Zakat, and Hajj, and a little bit of Aqida in the beginning, and Tasawwuf in the end as well as miscelnious issues. But also you should get Aqida Tahawiya, and study that with a shaykh or through some other means. Mufti Mudassir has lectures on Tahawiyya at http://www.bayaans.org/, he also goes through fiqh, he uses Nurul Idah on the chapter of Purification. Mufti AbdurRahman has lectures on Salat, Zakat, and Sawm. and Shaykh Abdul Sattar has lectures on Tahara. As for Shaykh Faraz's book, i haven't read it, i'm sure it's good. I looked at the contents, and it goes through a bit of aqida and prayer and some other interesting and important issue.

Also get 'Allama Zarnuji's Ta'lim (Instruction to the Student) Mufti AbdurRahman has lectures on this too.

Wa 'Alaykumus Salam

[Al-Faruqi]

Thanks for your fast reply brother.

So there is no requirement for minimum knowledge alone, it always depends on my situation, right? So if a certain islamic action becomes obligatory for me or I enter a new situation then the obligatory knowledge must be adapted to my new situation so that I can fulfill my duties correctly.

Correct?

[Zubair]

Correct, it does depend on the situation when it comes to knowing the necessary knowledge. We've been encouraged to start knowing the basics from a young age. Like how to pray, recite the Quran, basic 'Aqida - Allah ta'ala is one, His is messenger is Muhammed (peace be upon him), etc. So a muslim has to stay on his feet, before something becomes obligatory he should know how to do certain acts so he can perform it properly.

[Al-Faruqi]

Barak Allah fikum

[Umar^111]

Wa Alakum Asalam
i was reading this fatwa and saw your Question inshallah in is of some benifit
Question:

Is da’wah (calling) to Allâh obligatory upon every Muslim man and woman, or is it to be left for the Scholars and the students of knowledge only? Is it permissible for the lay person to do da’wah to Allâh?
Answer:

“When a person has knowledge and insight into that which he is calling to, then there is no difference between the one who has a great amount of knowledge, or a student of knowledge who has recently started in pursuit of knowledge or a lay person - as long as he has certain knowledge of the issue at hand. The Prophet sallallâhu ’alayhi wa sallam said: “Convey from me, even if it is one verse.” [al-Bukhaaree] So it is not a condition upon the dâ’î (the one calling) to attain a great amount of knowledge, but the condition is that one must have knowledge of what one is calling to. If this calling is established upon ignorance and built upon emotion and passion, then it is not permissible.

Thus, we see that some of the brothers who call to Allâh, they do not have except a little knowledge. We see them, due to their strong emotions, prohibiting that which Allâh has not prohibited, whilst making obligatory that which Allâh has not made obligatory upon His worshippers. This is a very dangerous matter, since permitting what Allâh has made harâm (unlawful) is like prohibiting what Allâh has made halâl (lawful). So when they begin prohibiting people for making a particular matter then others will rebuke them for making it harâm. Allâh - the Most High - says: “And do not say, concerning that which your tongues falsely put forward, ‘This is lawful and this is forbidden,’ so as to invent lies against Allâh. Indeed, those who invent lies against Allâh will never prosper.” [an-Nahl 16:116-117] As for the lay person, then he must not call to Allâh if he does not have knowledge. Rather, it is essential to have knowledge in accordance with the saying of Allâh - the Most High -: “Say: This is my path. I call to Allâh upon sure knowledge.” [Yoosuf 12:108] So it is a must to call to Allâh upon knowledge. However, if a matter is clearly known to be evil or good, then one can command it - if it is good, or forbid it - if it is evil.

So the callers to Allâh must start with knowledge. Whosoever calls to Allâh without knowledge, then such a person will cause greater harm than good - as is evident. So it is obligatory for a person to first acquire knowledge, then to do da’wah. As for the clear evils and that which is clearly good, then the good is enjoined and the evil prohibited.”

Shaykh Muhammad bin Saalih al-`Uthaymeen
As-Sahwatul-Islâmiyyah (pp.75-76) of Shaykh lbn al-’Uthaymîn.
http://www.fatwaislam.com/fis/index.cfm?scn=fd&ID=114

[True Life]

In every situation you should know what Allah's command is and how to fullfil it by the ways shown by Rasulullah . Wallahu 'Alam.

[ataullah]

According to the well-known hadith aquiring knowlegde is obligatory (fard) for us muslims. Now I'd like to know insha Allah which and how much knowledge is individually fard?

If l learn this book by heart, will I already have fulfilled the obligation or do I need to know more?

If the above-mentioned book doesn't suffice, could you maybe point out a book covering (only!) the absolutely obligatory knowledge in a precise and easy-to-learn style?

Barak Allah fikum

salam,

There is no limit, in his/her whole life, one tries to learn more and more, and pray to Allah: Oh my Lord increasse my knowledge". Please start from Quran and then consult other books if needed necessary.

waslaam.

[Yahya]

Thanks for your fast reply brother.

So there is no requirement for minimum knowledge alone, it always depends on my situation, right? So if a certain islamic action becomes obligatory for me or I enter a new situation then the obligatory knowledge must be adapted to my new situation so that I can fulfill my duties correctly.

Correct?

wa'alaykumusssalaam,

Correct, but keep in mind that this does not apply ONLY to the acts of worship. It applies to all aspects of life. You may not get married without first learning the rules of marriage. You may not buy anything or sell anything until you first learn the rules of buying of selling. Etc.

The basic rule is that you may not do anything (and I mean ANYTHING) without first knowing that it's not Haram, and knowing the conditions under which it is not Haram.

[Usama2]

I agree with the previous posts.

I would add that 'knowing' or 'learning' is not the 'academic learning' that we may accustomed to in school: memorizing just long enough to past a test, and then forgetting it.

Learning should be to internalize it, believe in it, develop that knowledge by looking deeper into it.

Im sorry to say this but there are many walking dictionaries of Islamic knowledge. But many do not actually put the knowledge into practice AS THE PROPHETS DID.

The ulama are the inheritors of the prophets because of the aquisition of knowledge. But if one compares the lives of the Prophets, ecspecially the Prophet Muhammad (saaw), and the lives of many ulama or 'PhD's in Islam' and very very few live as the prophets (as) did. And that means: speaking the truth to power when the world is silent.

Refusing the haram when the rulers or world make that haram fardh.

The Prophet (saaw) suffered greatly in Makka for 13 years. There are ulama who work with banks and businesses, live in plush palaces and rub shoulders with kings and princes and ministers.

Knowledge IS obligatory, and living by that knowledge is too.