There is a Sahih Hadith which has been narrated in the Jaami as- Sahih: “Seeking knowledge is compulsory (fardh) on every Muslim.” (irrespective of whether he is a male or a female). We know that to leave out a compulsory act is a major sin. It should be also known that it is compulsory to learn the method of doing an act which in itself is compulsory. And it is mustahab to learn the method of doing something that is mustahab. So if salaat is fardh, then to learn the mas’alas in regard to it are also fardh. The same applies to fasting and other acts of Ibadah. If a person is employed somewhere or starts a business, etc., it becomes incumbent upon him to learn and put into practice the rules of the Shariah that are connected to employment, business transactions, etc. All this that has been explained is in regard to that knowledge which is compulsory on every person. There are other branches of knowledge which, if acquired by a few people, absolve the rest of the community from acquiring them. For example, it is necessary to have at least one Aalim in every town and city who is well versed in the Quran, Hadith, jurisprudence, etc. He must be able to defend Islam against the onslaughts of the opposition, and if asked a mas’ala, he must be able to answer it with ease. To acquire knowledge of this type is not compulsory on every person. However, if someone has the time, the desire and the opportunity to acquire this type of knowledge despite it not being compulsory on him, then to acquire it will be mustahab and there is great reward in it. This was a brief explanation to show that the acquisition of knowledge is compulsory.
