Warn Your Children On Knowledge

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِي عِلْمًا

(Qur’ān 20:114)

“Wa Qul Rabbi Zidni ‘Ilman”

“And say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.” Ṣadaqa Llāhu l-‘Aẓīm.

Studying is one thing, and knowledge is another. These days, children are finishing school. It ends, so that they pass to other classes. They keep bringing children [to schools] so that they can study to pass this exam. They want those children to be educated.

There is no end to knowledge. True knowledge is needed for children and for all people. Without this true knowledge, there is no benefit. When there is true knowledge, everything is useful. If the opposite is studied, there are many people who increase evil instead of goodness. “I studied it. I gained this and that,” they both act arrogant and they don’t like anything. And all those things they’ve been studying for years are useless.

When he graduates and finishes, there are thousands, hundreds of thousands of people like him. When there are those who study for the pleasure of Allāh ﷻ among these hundreds of thousands, they become beneficial. “Have we studied? Yes we have.” What did you do with what you’ve studied? Can you do anything with it? “No.”

What remains? A piece of paper. He needs it so that he can get a job – if he finds a job. If he doesn’t find a job, he would have studied in vain. But at least, if his aim and intention is to study for the pleasure of Allāh ﷻ, to learn from the knowledge given by Allāh ﷻ, it would at least not go in vain. Allāh ﷻ will open a door for him. He will open a door of goodness. That’s it.

Now the most important thing these days is for people to warn their children. “You will study. My son, my daughter, make an intention for the sake of Allāh ﷻ: I am not learning this knowledge in vain. Not for dunyā, but for ākhirah also. The knowledge and things I will learn are for both dunyā and ākhirah. May it save us in dunyā and ākhirah. The ākhirah is what’s important. We should earn our ākhirah.” They should warn them as such.

“He’s a child, he won’t understand.” If he doesn’t understand, how do you let him study then? You make him study, but he doesn’t understand. He understands. If he doesn’t understand, don’t make him study at all. It’s completely unnecessary to study then. You spend so much and do so much. But when they don’t understand, it’s torture for yourself and for the child. Unnecessary expenses are torture for the state and for the nation. May Allāh ﷻ protect us.

A good generation arises with good knowledge. In everything, the intention is important in the first place. Therefore nowadays, you should say to your children, “You will study for the pleasure of Allāh ﷻ. If Allāh ﷻ is pleased with you, your affairs will go well.” If Allāh ﷻ is not pleased, even if they get into all the universities in the world, it has no value at all.

May Allāh ﷻ grant good knowledge to children and to us too, in shā’a Llāh. Because there is no end to knowledge. Children are now only striving in school to pass their classes, earn something. But that’s not what’s important. “Al-‘ilim mina l-maḥd ila l-laḥd.” Knowledge is from the cradle to the grave. Therefore, may all our knowledge be for the sake of Allāh ﷻ, in shā’a Llāh.

Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

19 June 2025/ 23 Dhu l-Hijjah 1446

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul