Takhrij Hadith 1464: "Seek knowledge, for learning it…"

Seek knowledge, for learning it for the sake of Allah is reverent fear, seeking it is worship, reviewing it is glorification (tasbih), searching for it is jihad, teaching it to one who does not know it is charity, and bestowing it upon those worthy of it is a means of nearness [to Allah]. For it is the landmarks of the lawful and unlawful, the beacon on the paths of the people of Paradise. It is the companion in loneliness, the friend in a foreign land, the one who converses with you in solitude, the guide in prosperity and adversity, the weapon against enemies, and the adornment among close friends. By it, Allah raises up peoples and makes them leaders and guides in goodness, whose footsteps are followed, whose actions are emulated, and whose opinions are deferred to. The angels desire their companionship and wipe them with their wings. Everything moist and dry seeks forgiveness for them — even the fish and creatures of the sea, and the beasts and livestock of the land — for knowledge is life for hearts freed from ignorance, and light for eyes freed from darkness. Through knowledge, a servant reaches the ranks of the righteous and the highest degrees in this world and the next. Reflecting upon it is equal to fasting, and studying it is equal to standing in prayer. Through it family ties are upheld, and through it the lawful is distinguished from the unlawful. It is the leader, and action follows it. The fortunate are inspired toward it, and the wretched are deprived of it.