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.