The reward of helping people with worldly knowledge

20-5-2014 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu Alaikum, I have read a lot about the benefits of seeking and spreading 'beneficial knowledge'. However, is 'beneficial knowledge' only limited to Islamic knowledge/information or in general? For example, if I seek parenting advice and then counsel a Muslim with general parenting advice that I have gleaned from various sources that improves his parenting overall, will I be rewarded for that, just like I would counsel another Muslim towards better Islamic practices? Also, what about spreading general but useful information among non-Muslims as well as Muslims that will help them in becoming better persons, for example giving counsel on eating better, living healthier and so on...Are all these counsel rewarded or am I wasting my time doing something that will not bring me any reward with Allah? Please answer my query...Jazak Allahu Khairan and Wasalam

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger.

To benefit others with knowledge is something enjoined in Islam, and some scholars are of the view that it is a communal obligation for the Muslims to learn the sciences upon which the interests of the people are based, such as medicine and the like, and that the entire body of Muslims is sinful for not acquiring such knowledge. For more benefit, please refer to Fataawa 84369 and 86424.

However, the religious texts that are mentioned about the virtue of seeking knowledge and the merit of those who seek it are limited to Islamic knowledge, but this does not mean that beneficial worldly sciences are not necessary.

There is a great Prophetic principle: Every act of goodness is charity – as stated in the Hadeeth reported by Al-Bukhari. A Muslim will be rewarded for advising people in worldly matters in any manner if one does so for the Sake of Allaah, as that is an act of goodness.

However, advising people in worldly matters and advising them in religion are not the same. There is no doubt that the latter is greater in reward and more important, but there is no contradiction between the two matters in principle. It is not a condition for getting a reward for helping people in worldly matters that it be equal in every aspect to teaching religion.

Allaah Knows best.