The Internet offers numerous Islamic web-sites that are easily accessible to a Muslim and especially to the youth who are searching for information from other sources throughout the world. However, while this system of retrieving information and learning has its rewards, it can be damaging, confusing and misleading in many ways to those youth who are very gullible and have little knowledge about Islam.

While many Islamic web-sites caters for those learned Muslims who are busy in research, to use the sites to study and learn about Islam without the assistance of a teacher or instructor can be very damaging to one's Imaan. Further, now that many false sects are on the Internet propagating their false beliefs under beautifully designed logos, this danger of being misled is even more amplified.

The best way to Islamic Studies is the old way, and that is, through the guidance of learned teachers. The very presence and interaction of students with a learned teacher has a great spiritual and reformative advantage with todays computer science and what the Internet fails to offer. 

The Master of both Worlds şallAllāhu álayhi wa sallam states:

The acquisition of ilm is obligatory upon every man [and woman].

The gaining of ilm is obligatory upon all, the ilm referred to in the Hadith above is the knowledge of Sharia rules pertaining to the daily activities of both men and women.

The shari’ rulings in regards to salah and fasting are obligatory upon all, [but] the rulings in regards to menstruation are obligatory only upon women. One who is travelling to pilgrimage, the shari’ issues in respect to a successful pilgrimage are fard ul ayn [only upon the individual travelling for pilgrimage], however studying to become a learned scholar [aalim] is classified as fard ul kifayah, that if one individual in that town fulfils this condition, the condition will be fulfilled in favour of all. [Mira’at Ul-Manajīh]

——-

glossary:

ilm: knowledge

fard ul ayn: in Islamic law, refers to legal obligations that must be performed by each individual Muslim, including prayer, charity, fasting, and pilgrimage

fard ul kifayah: a legal obligation that must be discharged by the Muslim community as a whole, such as military struggle; if enough members in the Muslim community discharge the obligation, the remaining Muslims are freed from the responsibility before God. However, if a communal obligation is not sufficiently discharged, then every individual Muslim must act to address the deficiency. 

The Excellence of Pursuing Knowledge over Worship, al-Majmu' Sharh al-Muhadhab (Arabic).

Abu Darda' said: ''a moment of revising knowledge is better than standing in prayer all night.''

Ibn Umar narrated from the Prophet (May Allah shower peace & blessings on him) who said: ''sitting in a gathering of understanding the deen (fiqh) is better than six years of worship.''

Anas relates that the Prophet (May Allah shower peace & blessings on him) said: ''a single person who understands the relegion has more virtue in Allah's court than a thousand worshippers.''

Ibn Umar narrates from the Prophet (May Allah shower peace & blessings on him) who said: ''the best of worship is understanding the deen (fiqh).''

Abu Dharr & Abu Hurayrah said: ''Learning a chapter of knowledge is better than a thousand rakah's of nafl prayer, and pursuing a chapter of knowledge whether it be put into practice or not, is better than a hundred nafl rakahs.''

The above two narrate from the Prophet (May Allah shower peace & blessings on him) who said: ''If death comes to a student of knowledge whislt in that state, he dies as a martyr.''

It is reported that Al-Hassan al-Basri said: ''I desire learning a chapter of knowledge and then teaching it to a Muslim over giving the entire world as charity in the way of Allah.''

Sayyiduna Ali said: ''an alim has more reward than the one who fasts, stands all night in prayer and returns from the battlefield of Jihad with victory.''

Munawwar Ateeq Rizvi 

kya farmāte haiN Úlamā-e dīn is mas’ale ke: ‘ilm-e dīn hāsil karna wājib hai, farz hai ya sunnat?

farz ‘ayn ka ‘ilm hāsil karna, farz ‘ayn, farz kifāyah ka farz kifāyah, wājib ka wājib, mustaĥab ka mustaĥab, wAllahu Ta’āla a’lam

fatâwah ar-riđawiyyah, vol. 23, pp. 690 

From Imām Mālik’s, al-Muwatta:

Seeking Knowledge

[1] Yahya related to me from Mālik that he heard that Luqman the Sage made his will and counselled his son, saying, “My son! Sit with the learned men and keep close to them. Allah gives life to the hearts with the light of wisdom as Allah gives life to the dead earth with the abundant rain of the sky.” 

Muhammad ibn al-Hasan Abu Abdullah said,

[indent]Learn! for is learning is an adornment for one who possesses it, a virtue and a prelude to every praiseworthy action. Profit each day by increasing [your] knowledge and swimming in the sea of beneficial knowledge. Give yourself up to the study of jurisprudence, for the knowledge of jurisprudence is the best guide to piety and the fear of God, and it is the straightest path to the ultimate goal. It is the milestone leading to the ways of proper guidance; it is the fortress that saves one from all hardships. Indeed, one godly person versed in jurisprudence is more powerful against Satan than a thousand [ordinary] worshippers.

Imam Zarnuji, Ta’lim al-Muta’allim, pp. 3, Starlatch Press.

From Imām Mālik’s, al-Muwatta:

Seeking Knowledge

[1] Yahya related to me from Mālik that he heard that Luqman the Sage made his will and counselled his son, saying,

“My son! Sit with the learned men and keep close to them. Allah gives life to the hearts with the light of wisdom as Allah gives life to the dead earth with the abundant rain of the sky.