The Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge in Islam

Suyuti1 · Jun 09, 2025, 01:03 PM

Seeking knowledge (ṭalab al-ʿilm) is one of the noblest acts in Islam. It is both a personal duty and a collective responsibility. Proper adab (etiquette) while seeking knowledge ensures that it benefits the soul and leads to humility, not arrogance.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

"مَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَلْتَمِسُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا، سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ"
"Whoever follows a path to seek knowledge, Allah will make the path to Paradise easy for him."
— Sahih Muslim (2699)

Allah praises those who seek knowledge:

قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
"Say: Are those who know equal to those who do not know?"
— Surah Az-Zumar (39:9)

The companions, like ʿAbdullah ibn ʿAbbas (RA), would sit humbly at the feet of scholars, travel far for one hadith, and prioritize manners before knowledge.

Etiquettes include:

Sincerity (seeking knowledge for Allah's sake)

Respecting teachers

Implementing what one learns

Avoiding pride and argumentation

Knowledge without adab becomes a test; with adab, it becomes a light guiding to Allah.

The Etiquette of Seeking Knowledge in Islam

Suyuti1

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