Quran / Themes / Knowledge and thinking
العلم
Knowledge and thinking
The first word revealed was “Read”. The Quran asks people to think, observe the world, and base their beliefs on knowledge rather than guesswork.
ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ١
اِقۡرَاۡ بِاسۡمِ رَبِّكَ الَّذِىۡ خَلَقَۚ ١
96:1 Read with the name of your Lord who created (every thing),
خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ٢
خَلَقَ الۡاِنۡسَانَ مِنۡ عَلَقٍۚ ٢
96:2 He created man from a clot of blood.
ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ ٣
اِقۡرَاۡ وَرَبُّكَ الۡاَكۡرَمُۙ ٣
96:3 Read, and your Lord is the most gracious,
ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ ٤
الَّذِىۡ عَلَّمَ بِالۡقَلَمِۙ ٤
96:4 who imparted knowledge by means of the pen.
عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ٥
عَلَّمَ الۡاِنۡسَانَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡؕ ٥
96:5 He taught man what he did not know.
The first revelation: read, and God taught by the pen.
فَتَعَٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۗ وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِٱلْقُرْءَانِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُقْضَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُۥ ۖ وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًا ١١٤
فَتَعٰلَى اللّٰهُ الۡمَلِكُ الۡحَـقُّ ۚ وَلَا تَعۡجَلۡ بِالۡقُرۡاٰنِ مِنۡ قَبۡلِ اَنۡ يُّقۡضٰٓى اِلَيۡكَ وَحۡيُهٗ وَقُلْ رَّبِّ زِدۡنِىۡ عِلۡمًا ١١٤
20:114 So High above all is Allah, the True King! And do not hasten with (reciting) the Qur’ān before its revelation to you is concluded, and say, “My Lord, improve me in knowledge.”
The prayer every student can make: “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”
أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيْلِ سَاجِدًا وَقَآئِمًا يَحْذَرُ ٱلْـَٔاخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُوا۟ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِۦ ۗ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ ٩
اَمَّنۡ هُوَ قَانِتٌ اٰنَآءَ الَّيۡلِ سَاجِدًا وَّقَآٮِٕمًا يَّحۡذَرُ الۡاٰخِرَةَ وَيَرۡجُوۡا رَحۡمَةَ رَبِّهٖؕ قُلۡ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِى الَّذِيۡنَ يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ وَالَّذِيۡنَ لَا يَعۡلَمُوۡنَؕ اِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ اُولُوا الۡاَلۡبَابِ ٩
39:9 Can (such people be equal to) the one who worships during the hours of night, prostrating himself and standing, fearing the Hereafter and having hopes in his Lord’s mercy? Say, “Can those who know and those who do not know become equal?” It is only the people of understanding who are receptive of the advice.
Are those who know and those who do not know equal?
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا۟ فِى ٱلْمَجَٰلِسِ فَٱفْسَحُوا۟ يَفْسَحِ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا قِيلَ ٱنشُزُوا۟ فَٱنشُزُوا۟ يَرْفَعِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ دَرَجَٰتٍ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ ١١
يٰۤاَيُّهَا الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡۤا اِذَا قِيۡلَ لَـكُمۡ تَفَسَّحُوۡا فِى الۡمَجٰلِسِ فَافۡسَحُوۡا يَفۡسَحِ اللّٰهُ لَـكُمۡ ۚ وَاِذَا قِيۡلَ انْشُزُوۡا فَانْشُزُوۡا يَرۡفَعِ اللّٰهُ الَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مِنۡكُمۡ ۙ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اُوۡتُوا الۡعِلۡمَ دَرَجٰتٍ ؕ وَاللّٰهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُوۡنَ خَبِيۡرٌ ١١
58:11 O you who believe, when it is said to you, “Make room (for others) in the sittings”, then make room, and Allah will make room for you (in the Hereafter). And when it is said, “Rise up”, then rise up, and Allah will raise those, in ranks, who have believed and are given knowledge. Allah is well-aware of what you do.
God raises in rank those who believe and those given knowledge.
وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْبَصَرَ وَٱلْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْـُٔولًا ٣٦
وَلَا تَقۡفُ مَا لَـيۡسَ لَـكَ بِهٖ عِلۡمٌ ؕ اِنَّ السَّمۡعَ وَالۡبَصَرَ وَالۡفُؤَادَ كُلُّ اُولٰۤٮِٕكَ كَانَ عَنۡهُ مَسۡـُٔوۡلًا ٣٦
17:36 And do not follow a thing about which you have no knowledge. Surely, the ear, the eye and the heart - each one of them shall be interrogated about.
Don't follow what you have no knowledge of. Hearing, sight and the heart will all be questioned.
إِنَّ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيْلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ لَـَٔايَٰتٍ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ ١٩٠
اِنَّ فِىۡ خَلۡقِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ وَاخۡتِلَافِ الَّيۡلِ وَالنَّهَارِ لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّاُولِى الۡاَلۡبَابِ ۚۖ ١٩٠
3:190 Surely, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, there are signs for the people of wisdom,
ٱلَّذِينَ يَذْكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمًا وَقُعُودًا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمْ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِى خَلْقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقْتَ هَٰذَا بَٰطِلًا سُبْحَٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ١٩١
الَّذِيۡنَ يَذۡكُرُوۡنَ اللّٰهَ قِيَامًا وَّقُعُوۡدًا وَّعَلٰى جُنُوۡبِهِمۡ وَيَتَفَكَّرُوۡنَ فِىۡ خَلۡقِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِۚ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هٰذَا بَاطِلًا ۚ سُبۡحٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ ١٩١
3:191 who remember Allah standing and sitting, and (lying) on their sides, and ponder on the creation of the heavens and the earth (and say) “Our Lord, You have not created all this in vain. We proclaim Your purity. So, save us from the punishment of Fire.
The creation of the heavens and earth is full of signs for people who reflect.
Explanations are our own summaries, not translations. Use the tafsir links on each ayah for classical commentary.
Related questions
Is Islam against science?
No. The first word revealed of the Quran was “Read” (96:1), and the Quran repeatedly tells people to study and reflect on the natural world. For centuries, Muslim scholars led the world in mathematics, medicine, astronomy and optics. Islam sees studying creation as a way of understanding the Creator.