What is the knowledge obligatory upon every Muslim?
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The questioner : May Allah reward you. A questioner asks: O honorable Shaykh, what is the knowledge obligatory upon every Muslim such that we can say so-and-so has removed ignorance from himself?
The Shaykh : First: knowledge, meaning the seeking of the knowledge of the Shari'ah, is a collective obligation. All knowledge is a collective obligation. If those who are sufficient perform it, it drops from the rest; otherwise, it becomes obligatory upon everyone. Therefore, I congratulate the students of knowledge now, for they are performing a collective obligation and are rewarded for seeking knowledge with the reward of an obligatory act.
As for specific knowledge, it is obligatory only upon the one who needs it. For example, a man who has wealth must know how to sell, how to buy, and how to pay zakah, because he is commanded to purify his wealth, and his buying and selling must be in accordance with the Shari'ah. This is an individual obligation upon everyone who needs it. A person who wants to pray must learn how to pray? Answer, man.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is obligatory. He must learn, either from the Sunnah if he is able, or otherwise by following a scholar he trusts. So, seeking knowledge in general is a collective obligation. Thus, the one engaged in seeking knowledge is engaged in an obligation. As for specific knowledge, it is obligatory for every person to learn what he needs for the specific issue. Yes.
The questioner : When is one excused for ignorance?
The Shaykh : When is one excused for ignorance? If he was negligent in seeking knowledge, he is not excused. But if it did not occur to him that this is an obligatory matter, or if he has no one to ask, then he is excused for his ignorance. Yes.
The Shaykh : First: knowledge, meaning the seeking of the knowledge of the Shari'ah, is a collective obligation. All knowledge is a collective obligation. If those who are sufficient perform it, it drops from the rest; otherwise, it becomes obligatory upon everyone. Therefore, I congratulate the students of knowledge now, for they are performing a collective obligation and are rewarded for seeking knowledge with the reward of an obligatory act.
As for specific knowledge, it is obligatory only upon the one who needs it. For example, a man who has wealth must know how to sell, how to buy, and how to pay zakah, because he is commanded to purify his wealth, and his buying and selling must be in accordance with the Shari'ah. This is an individual obligation upon everyone who needs it. A person who wants to pray must learn how to pray? Answer, man.
The student: Yes.
The Shaykh : Yes, it is obligatory. He must learn, either from the Sunnah if he is able, or otherwise by following a scholar he trusts. So, seeking knowledge in general is a collective obligation. Thus, the one engaged in seeking knowledge is engaged in an obligation. As for specific knowledge, it is obligatory for every person to learn what he needs for the specific issue. Yes.
The questioner : When is one excused for ignorance?
The Shaykh : When is one excused for ignorance? If he was negligent in seeking knowledge, he is not excused. But if it did not occur to him that this is an obligatory matter, or if he has no one to ask, then he is excused for his ignorance. Yes.