The Blessing of Knowledge and the Benefits of Spreading and Teaching It.
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The Shaykh : Among the blessings of spreading and teaching knowledge is that it preserves the Shari'ah of Allah and protects it, for without knowledge, the Shari'ah would not be preserved.
Is that not so?
The Shari'ah is not preserved except through its men, the men of knowledge, and the Shari'ah cannot be protected except by the people of knowledge. So, when you spread knowledge and people benefit from your knowledge, this results in the protection of the Shari'ah of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and its preservation.
Thirdly: In it is also that you do good to the one you taught, because you make him see clearly in the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
So, if he worships Allah with clear understanding, you will have a reward like his reward, because you are the one who guided him to the good. And the one who guides to the good is like the one who does the good. Look at the blessing of knowledge; so knowledge, in its spreading, is good and a blessing for the one who spreads it and for the one to whom it is spread.
Fourthly: In spreading and teaching knowledge is an increase for it. The scholar's knowledge increases when he teaches people, correct?
The student: Correct.
The Shaykh : How does it increase?
Because it is a review of what he had memorized and an opening up of what he had not memorized. And how much a scholar benefits from the students of knowledge.
I mean, his students, who sometimes come to him with meanings that were not on his mind, and he benefits from them while he is teaching them, and this is something observed.
Therefore, it is recommended for the teacher, if he benefits from the student and the student opens for him one of the doors of knowledge, that he should encourage the student and thank him for that. This is contrary to what some people think, that if the student opens something for him and clarifies for him something that was hidden from him, the teacher gets angry. He says, "This is a boy teaching a Shaykh," so he gets angry and you find him avoiding discussing with him, fearing that he will reveal to him a matter that was hidden from him.
And this is a deficiency in his knowledge, rather, this is a deficiency in his intellect, because if Allah grants you students who remind you of what you forgot and open for you what you did not know, then this is a blessing of Allah upon you.
This is one of the benefits of spreading knowledge that it increases when you teach people, for your knowledge, as the one said, comparing wealth and knowledge, saying regarding knowledge:
"It increases with much spending from it *** And decreases if you tightly clench your hand over it"
If you tightly clench your hand over it and hold onto it, it decreases, you forget it, but if you spread it, does it increase or not?
The student: It increases.
The Shaykh : It increases, as I said.
Is that not so?
The Shari'ah is not preserved except through its men, the men of knowledge, and the Shari'ah cannot be protected except by the people of knowledge. So, when you spread knowledge and people benefit from your knowledge, this results in the protection of the Shari'ah of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) and its preservation.
Thirdly: In it is also that you do good to the one you taught, because you make him see clearly in the religion of Allah (Mighty and Majestic).
So, if he worships Allah with clear understanding, you will have a reward like his reward, because you are the one who guided him to the good. And the one who guides to the good is like the one who does the good. Look at the blessing of knowledge; so knowledge, in its spreading, is good and a blessing for the one who spreads it and for the one to whom it is spread.
Fourthly: In spreading and teaching knowledge is an increase for it. The scholar's knowledge increases when he teaches people, correct?
The student: Correct.
The Shaykh : How does it increase?
Because it is a review of what he had memorized and an opening up of what he had not memorized. And how much a scholar benefits from the students of knowledge.
I mean, his students, who sometimes come to him with meanings that were not on his mind, and he benefits from them while he is teaching them, and this is something observed.
Therefore, it is recommended for the teacher, if he benefits from the student and the student opens for him one of the doors of knowledge, that he should encourage the student and thank him for that. This is contrary to what some people think, that if the student opens something for him and clarifies for him something that was hidden from him, the teacher gets angry. He says, "This is a boy teaching a Shaykh," so he gets angry and you find him avoiding discussing with him, fearing that he will reveal to him a matter that was hidden from him.
And this is a deficiency in his knowledge, rather, this is a deficiency in his intellect, because if Allah grants you students who remind you of what you forgot and open for you what you did not know, then this is a blessing of Allah upon you.
This is one of the benefits of spreading knowledge that it increases when you teach people, for your knowledge, as the one said, comparing wealth and knowledge, saying regarding knowledge:
"It increases with much spending from it *** And decreases if you tightly clench your hand over it"
If you tightly clench your hand over it and hold onto it, it decreases, you forget it, but if you spread it, does it increase or not?
The student: It increases.
The Shaykh : It increases, as I said.