The summary of what has been mentioned in Tafseer Sirat-ul-Jinan regarding this verse is as follows: From among the slaves of Allah, it is the people of knowledge that fear Him, for they are aware of His attributes and recognise His greatness. The more knowledge one has in regards to the attributes and being of Allah, the more he fears Allah. The less knowledge someone possesses, he will have less fear of his Lord.

In the Hereafter, Allah Almighty will allow scholars to intercede for people, and it will be said: “Stand at the doors of Jannah and intercede for people.”

Through the blessings of knowledge, Allah bestows such favours in this world that even highly-ranking worldly people cannot reach the ranks that the people of knowledge easily achieve.

One receives honour through the virtue of knowledge

The great scholar and Quranic commentator of this Ummah, and the son of the beloved Prophet’s uncle, Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas رَضِىَ اللّٰهُ عَـنْهُما, states: “Sayyiduna Sulayman عَـلَيْـهِ الـسَّـلاَم was given the option to choose whatever he wished from knowledge, wealth and kingship, so he chose knowledge. Through the virtue of choosing knowledge, Allah granted him the bounty of wealth and kingship too.”^[1]

Dear Islamic brothers! We come to know that knowledge is superior to wealth, and even superior to being a king, wealth, money, and kingship are all dependent upon knowledge.^[2]

صَلُّوۡا عَلَى الۡحَبِيۡب                                                            صَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلٰى مُحَمَّد

Shaykh-e-Tareeqat, the Ameer of Ahl Al-Sunnah, Maulana Ilyas Attar Qadiri دَامَـتْ بَـرَكَـاتُـهُـمُ الْـعَـالِـيَـهْ writes: “Dear Islamic brothers! Unfortunately, the majority of us are only interested in worldly knowledge today. There is very little interest in religious knowledge. It is stated in a blessed Hadith: طَلَبُ العِلْمِ فَرِیْضَۃٌ عَلٰی کُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ,