Leaving ṭalabul-ʿIlm for the sake of earning ḥalāl income


Question #324:

If a student of knowledge leaves ṭalabul-ʿIlm for seeking Allāh’s Bounty and favor and find ḥalāl work in the land then is he considered a sinner or misguided or is there anything against him? What is your advice to such a person who also thinks that searching Allāh’s Bounty this way is also worship as mentioned by Allāh in the Qurʾān.

Answer:

The Shaykh has answered by saying:

  1. If he does not have any support to sustain himself, or his parents are in need of sustenance from him, then he can go for work and if he combines between the work and seeking of knowledge then that is more better.
  2. But, if there is someone who supports him financially with what he needs for him and his family, then he should not leave seeking knowledge. Earning ḥalāl income is an act of worship. But the acts of worship are of different levels. Sufyān ath-Thawrī Raḥimahullāh said, “I don’t know any act better than seeking and preserving the knowledge for the one who does that for sake of Allāh.” (Sunan Ad-Dārimī – 326). So, the one who leaves the seeking of knowledge just for the sake of worldly pleasures then he is like a person who does not care about the blessings of Allāh because seeking of knowledge is a great blessing of Allāh. So whoever does this then it is feared sin upon him.

Answered by: Shaykh Abu Bilal Al Hadhrami

Summarized and Translated by : Abdun-Nūr al-Hindī