Is the status of a student of worldly sciences equal to that of a student of religious knowledge?

Question:
He says: Honorable Shaykh, may Allah grant you success, does a student of knowledge in the field of worldly sciences, such as physics, medicine, and mathematics, have the same rank as a student of religious knowledge, such as fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and others?

Answer:
No, this is merely a permissible matter. The religious sciences are an act of worship. Learning worldly matters is from the permissible. The permissible is that in which there is no reward and no punishment, because the two ends of the permissible are equal; there is no reward and no punishment in it. Worldly sciences are of this kind, in which there is no reward and no punishment.