What is the ruling on one who denies the learning of worldly sciences?
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Question:
I met with some righteous young men and discussed education with them. I found that he denies the learning of non-Shari'ah sciences, such as physics, chemistry, biology, arithmetic, algebra, geography, and the like. He claims that this is the methodology of the Salaf, and he does not see it as permissible for the children of Muslims to enter schools and universities. What is your opinion, O honorable scholar, regarding such views?
Answer:
This is a wrong and erroneous opinion. Allah says: [Al-Anfal: 60], and He the Exalted says: [An-Nisa: 71]. So the believer learns what benefits him in his religion and his worldly life.
However, the Shari'ah sciences are the priority. One learns what he cannot afford to be ignorant of regarding his religion, and he gains insight. So understanding the religion is a necessary matter and a collective obligation (fard kifayah). However, for males and females to learn what they cannot afford to be ignorant of regarding their religion, this is a necessary matter for the affairs of their religion.
But the Ummah must also learn what benefits them in their worldly life: from useful industries, and from utilizing them to fight the enemies and strive against the enemies. So they learn the affairs of agriculture, and they learn the affairs of extracting the treasures of the earth: from oil, minerals, and the like; so that they become self-sufficient from the enemies of Allah, and they extract from the depths of the earth and the treasures of the earth what benefits them.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:, and in the other wording: . Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah has passed away, and you are still extracting it. That is, you are deriving it; for when Allah opened up for you the lands of the Romans and the lands of the Persians, and you took their wealth, and benefited from what they had, and gained from their weapons and sciences what benefits you in your religion, but it must be a servant to the Shari'ah of Allah, and it must be an aid in the obedience of Allah, and it must not turn away from the path of Allah.
So the Shari'ah sciences are the foundation, and they are the origin. The other permissible sciences are utilized to preserve the religion, for the benefit of the Muslims, and for the jihad against the disbelievers.
I met with some righteous young men and discussed education with them. I found that he denies the learning of non-Shari'ah sciences, such as physics, chemistry, biology, arithmetic, algebra, geography, and the like. He claims that this is the methodology of the Salaf, and he does not see it as permissible for the children of Muslims to enter schools and universities. What is your opinion, O honorable scholar, regarding such views?
Answer:
This is a wrong and erroneous opinion. Allah says:
And prepare against them whatever you are able of power
وَأَعِدُّوا لَهُمْ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ قُوَّةٍO you who have believed, take your precaution
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا خُذُوا حِذْرَكُمْHowever, the Shari'ah sciences are the priority. One learns what he cannot afford to be ignorant of regarding his religion, and he gains insight. So understanding the religion is a necessary matter and a collective obligation (fard kifayah). However, for males and females to learn what they cannot afford to be ignorant of regarding their religion, this is a necessary matter for the affairs of their religion.
But the Ummah must also learn what benefits them in their worldly life: from useful industries, and from utilizing them to fight the enemies and strive against the enemies. So they learn the affairs of agriculture, and they learn the affairs of extracting the treasures of the earth: from oil, minerals, and the like; so that they become self-sufficient from the enemies of Allah, and they extract from the depths of the earth and the treasures of the earth what benefits them.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
Indeed, Allah has given me the treasures of the earth
إنَّ الله أعطاني خزائن الأرضThe keys to the treasures of the earth
مفاتيح خزائن الأرضSo the Shari'ah sciences are the foundation, and they are the origin. The other permissible sciences are utilized to preserve the religion, for the benefit of the Muslims, and for the jihad against the disbelievers.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.