My Faith Islam 7 Aqaid & Akhlaq -> abstract

The first and most crucial obligation upon a Muslim is to acquire knowledge.  This is so because correct knowledge must come before correct action. The opposite is also true: that partial or false knowledge could, and does, lead to wrong or disastrous conduct. It is impossible for a Muslim to live according to the requirements of Islam and at the same time live in a state of ignorance and barbarity.

Knowledge is connected in Islam with worship. The acquiring of knowledge is worship, reading the Qur’an and pondering upon it is worship, travelling to gain knowledge is worship. The practice of knowledge is connected with ethics and morality - with promoting virtue and combatting vice, enjoining right and forbidding wrong.

Islamic knowledge is the only authentic way to come nearer and closer to the Creator. It informs us of Him, of His attributes, of how He rules over the cosmos and history, of how He relates Himself to us, and how we should relate to Him, to ourselves and to our fellowmen, and to every other being.

It is also important to remember that the search for knowledge is a life-long process and does not end with the receiving of a certificate.