JummahPlanner
Friday Khutbah Library
Text size:
Seeking Knowledge
Suggested: Friday, 8 May 2026
· 21 Dhul Qadah
knowledge
ilm
learning
education
Summary
Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim. This khutbah explores why knowledge is foundational to faith and action.
Part One — First Khutbah
Opening — Khutbat al-Hajah
إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ سَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ
Innal hamda lillah, nahmaduhu wa nasta'eenuhu wa nastaghfiruhu, wa na'udhu billahi min shururi anfusina wa min sayyi'ati a'malina. Man yahdihillahu fala mudilla lah, wa man yudlil fala hadiya lah.
وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ
Wa ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu wahdahu la shareeka lah, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan 'abduhu wa rasuluh.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ حَقَّ تُقَاتِهِ وَلَا تَمُوتُنَّ إِلَّا وَأَنتُم مُّسْلِمُونَ
"Ya ayyuhalladheena amanut-taqullaha haqqa tuqatihi wa la tamutunna illa wa antum muslimun." (Aal 'Imran, 3:102)
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا رَبَّكُمُ الَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍ وَاحِدَةٍ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًا كَثِيرًا وَنِسَاءً ۚ وَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ الَّذِي تَسَاءَلُونَ بِهِ وَالْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًا
"Ya ayyuhannas uttaqu rabbakumul ladhi khalaqakum min nafsin wahidatin wa khalaqa minha zawjaha wa baththa minhuma rijalan katheeran wa nisa'a. Wattaqullahalldhee tasa'aluna bihi wal-arham. Innallaha kana 'alaykum raqeeba." (An-Nisa, 4:1)
أَمَّا بَعْدُ، فَإِنَّ خَيْرَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابُ اللَّهِ، وَخَيْرَ الْهَدْيِ هَدْيُ مُحَمَّدٍ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَشَرَّ الْأُمُورِ مُحْدَثَاتُهَا، وَكُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلَالَةٌ، وَكُلَّ ضَلَالَةٍ فِي النَّارِ
Amma ba'd. Fa inna khairal hadeethi kitabullah, wa khayral hadyi hadyu Muhammadin sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, wa sharral umuri muhdathatuha, wa kulla muhdathatin bid'ah, wa kulla bid'atin dalalah, wa kulla dalalatin fin-nar.
Dear brothers and sisters in Islam,
Knowledge Before Action
Brothers and sisters, Islam is a religion built on knowledge. It is not a religion of blind faith or emotional worship alone. The very first word revealed to our Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, was not "pray" or "fast" — it was:
اقْرَأْ بِاسْمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِي خَلَقَ
"Iqra' bismi rabbikal-ladhee khalaq." (Al-'Alaq, 96:1)
"Read! In the name of your Lord who created."
Before any act of worship was legislated, Allah commanded knowledge. And the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, made it clear:
طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ
"Talabul-'ilmi fareedatun 'ala kulli muslim." (Sunan Ibn Majah, 224 — graded Sahih by al-Albani)
"Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim."
Not just the scholars. Not just the imams. Every single Muslim — man and woman, young and old.
What Knowledge is Obligatory?
The scholars explain that the knowledge which is obligatory upon every individual (fard 'ayn) includes:
1. Knowledge of Tawheed — knowing who Allah is, His names and attributes, and what it means to worship Him alone without partner.
2. Knowledge of the basics of worship — how to pray correctly, how to fast, how to give zakah, the conditions and pillars.
3. Knowledge of halal and haram — in whatever field you are involved in. A businessman must know the rules of Islamic commerce. A parent must know the rights of children. A spouse must know the rights of marriage.
Imam al-Bukhari, rahimahullah, titled a chapter in his Sahih: "Knowledge comes before speech and action" — meaning, you cannot act correctly without knowing what is correct first.
The Virtue of the One Who Seeks Knowledge
Allah elevates those who seek knowledge:
يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا الْعِلْمَ دَرَجَاتٍ
"Yarfa'illahul-ladheena amanu minkum wal-ladheena utul-'ilma darajat." (Al-Mujadilah, 58:11)
"Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees."
And the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:
مَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَلْتَمِسُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ
"Man salaka tareeqan yaltamisu feehi 'ilman sahhalallahu lahu bihi tareeqan ilal-jannah." (Sahih Muslim, 2699)
"Whoever takes a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise."
The Danger of Ignorance
Brothers and sisters, ignorance is not bliss — it is destruction. How many Muslims fall into shirk because they do not know tawheed properly? How many families break apart because they do not know the rights Allah has prescribed? How many young people leave Islam because no one taught them why they believe?
The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, warned:
إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ الْعِبَادِ وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ
"Innallaha la yaqbidul-'ilma intiza'an yantazi'uhu minal-'ibad, wa lakin yaqbidul-'ilma bi qabdil-'ulama." (Sahih al-Bukhari, 100; Sahih Muslim, 2673)
"Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but He takes it away by taking away the scholars."
When scholars pass away and are not replaced, ignorance fills the void. It is our duty to learn, to teach, and to pass knowledge to the next generation.
أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ وَلِسَائِرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ
Aqulu qauli hada, wa astaghfirullaha li wa lakum wa li sa'iril muslimeen, fas taghfiruh, innahu huwal Ghafurur Rahim.
Part Two — Second Khutbah
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ وَالْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
Bismillah, wal hamdulillah, was-salatu was-salamu 'ala Rasulillah, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam.
Brothers and sisters,
Your Takeaway — Two Actions This Week
First: Commit to one regular learning session this week. It could be attending a class at your local masjid, listening to a lecture from a reliable scholar online, or reading a chapter of a classical Islamic text. Make learning a weekly habit, not a Ramadan-only activity.
Second: Teach something you already know. The Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said:
بَلِّغُوا عَنِّي وَلَوْ آيَةً
"Ballighu 'anni wa law ayah." (Sahih al-Bukhari, 3461)
"Convey from me, even if it is just one ayah."
Share a hadith with your family at dinner. Teach your children one name of Allah. Explain one verse of the Quran to a friend. Knowledge that is not shared is knowledge that dies.
قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
"Qul hal yastawil-ladheena ya'lamoona wal-ladheena la ya'lamoon." (Az-Zumar, 39:9)
"Say: Are those who know equal to those who do not know?"
Closing Du'a
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الْإِسْلَامَ وَالْمُسْلِمِينَ
Allahumma a'izzal islama wal muslimeen.
اللَّهُمَّ ارْحَمِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي كُلِّ مَكَانٍ
Allahumma irham al-muslimeena fee kulli makaan.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِنَّا عَلَى ذِكْرِكَ وَشُكْرِكَ وَحُسْنِ عِبَادَتِكَ
Allahumma a'inna 'ala dhikrika wa shukrika wa husni 'ibadatik.
رَبَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Rabbana atina fid-dunya hasanatan wa fil-akhirati hasanatan wa qina 'adhaban-nar.
رَبَّنَا لَا تُزِغْ قُلُوبَنَا بَعْدَ إِذْ هَدَيْتَنَا وَهَبْ لَنَا مِن لَّدُنكَ رَحْمَةً ۚ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْوَهَّابُ
Rabbana la tuzigh quloobana ba'da idh hadaytana wa hab lana min ladunka rahmah, innaka antal Wahhab.
أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ
Aqimis-salah.