Allaah, the All-Knowing, has sent down knowledge to His creation, such that it has set up an inequality as Allaah says, "Are those who know equal to those who know not ?" [Soorat Az-Zumar 39:9].
He, the Most Wise, says: "Allaah will exalt in degree those of you believe, and those who have been granted knowledge" [Soorat Al-Mujaadilah 58:11].
Therefore, upon us is to obtain knowledge of Islaam. Its importance has not been recognized properply in the Muslim Ummah. An overwhelmings portion of the Ummah's problems are due to the lack of Islaamic knowledge amongst the Muslims.
But, one can see the importance of knowledge by
understanding the hadeeth of the Messenger of Allaah 
:
"There will not cease to be a group from my Ummah manifestly upon the
truth. The ones the that abandon them will not harm them, until the Order
of Allaah comes and they are like that (upon the truth) " [Saheeh
Muslim #1920]. Imaan Al-Bukharee said that this group is "the people of
knowledge" [Fathul-Baree 13/293]. Therefore, in order to stay upon the
truth knowledge of the Deen is needed.
Islaamic knowledge should be sought for the pleasure of Allaah only. For how many seek Islaamic knowledge to learn Islaam ? And how many seek Islaamic to be called an Imaam or a Shaykh or for some worldly benefit ?
The sincerity in seeking Islaamic knowledge is
stressed by the Messenger of Allaah :
"Do not acquire knowledge in order to compete with the scholars, nor
to argue with the ignorant, nor to gain mastery over the gathering. Since
whoever does that then: The Fire! The Fire!"[Aboo Dawood #3656]. And
he said, "Whoever seeks
knowledge from that by which Allaah's Face is sought but does not learn
it except for some worldly goal, then he will not smell the fragrance of
Paradise on the Day of Resurrection" [Aboo Dawood #3656-Saheeh].
So check your intention! Is your learning Islaam for the purpose of being called "knowledgeable" ? Is it so that you may argue with the people of knowledge ?
The learning of Islaam of many can be divided into three levels. When one begins to learn Islaam and obtains some knowledge he thinks he knows almost everything and this is a result of his pride.
Oftenly, one can see that he is the first to answer
an Islaamic question, comfortable in giving Islaamic verdicts, and lazy
in doing proper research. However, the way of the Sahaaba was: Al-Baraa
said, "I saw three hundred of the people of Badar, there was not a single
one of them except that he loved that someone else should take his place
in answering" [Az-Zuhud of Ibnul-Mubarak/58].
The second level is when he continues to learn and is then humbled by knowledge. The third level is when he still continues to learn and then feels as if he does not know anything.
Ponder over this: A slave of Allaah who seeks knowledge only for the pleasure of Allaah and another who labors day and night to accumulate wealth. Both are seeking after something. The seeker of knowledge will taste the sweetness of knowledge in this world. The seeker of wealth may also taste the sweetness of wealth in this world. Both seekers are stopped by one and the same thing-death.
The seeker of knowledge takes his knowledge in the grave with him where he is benefitted by it, but the seeker of wealth leaves his wealth behind. Islaamic knowledge is better than wealth.
And Allaah Knows Best.
