Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, The guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me are like abundant rain which fell on a land. A fertile part of it absorbed the water and brought forth profuse herbage and pasture; and solid ground patches which retained the water by which Allah has benefited people, who drank from it, irrigated their crops and sowed their seeds; and another sandy plane which could neither retain the water nor produce herbage. Such is the similitude of the person who becomes well-versed in the religion of Allah and receives benefit from the Message entrusted to me by Allah, so he himself has learned and taught it to others; such is also the similitude of the person who has stubbornly and ignorantly rejected Allah's Guidance with which I have been sent.[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
This hadith has symbolic meaning for each of the part of the nature being used.
Rain = knowledge
Land = people who learned the knowledge (student). Note that there are three different types of land being described here.
The first analogy describes that whenever the rain came upon the fertile land, the land absorbed the water, and from the water, grow out trees and many vegetations. The vegetations later provide fruit and shade to the animal and human being.
The second analogy describes a different type of land. Whenever the rain soaked the earth, the land only contained the water but does not absorb the water to let vegetation grow. Thus, the land may become a pool, lake or a river. From the water that being contained here, the land provide drinks and supply water for irrigation etc.
The third analogy describes a totally different type of soil. The land is so sandy such that it does not absorb nor contain the water from the rain. Thus, the land becomes useless to the animal and human being. It does give any benefit whatsoever to anyone who pass through the sandy land.
How these three analogies relate to knowledge?
The first one describes a group of people who acquire the knowledge and act upon it. They also convey the knowledge to other people too.
The second analogy describes a group of people who acquire the knowledge but does not act upon it. They do not implement whatever they have learned but instead they told other people to act upon the knowledge.
The third analogy describes a group of people who acquire knowledge but does not act upon it and neither tells other people about their knowledge.
The first group of people is certainly the best of people and the third group is the worst group of people to be. This hadith despite being short, it conveys an important message that almost everyone, if not all are affected by it. The hadith describe three categories of people who acquire the knowledge of the Quran and hadith and act differently upon the knowledge. After more than 20 years living on this world, it is something for me to contemplate whether I am in the first, second or third group of people as described above....
The second analogy describes a different type of land. Whenever the rain soaked the earth, the land only contained the water but does not absorb the water to let vegetation grow. Thus, the land may become a pool, lake or a river. From the water that being contained here, the land provide drinks and supply water for irrigation etc.
The third analogy describes a totally different type of soil. The land is so sandy such that it does not absorb nor contain the water from the rain. Thus, the land becomes useless to the animal and human being. It does give any benefit whatsoever to anyone who pass through the sandy land.
How these three analogies relate to knowledge?
The first one describes a group of people who acquire the knowledge and act upon it. They also convey the knowledge to other people too.
The second analogy describes a group of people who acquire the knowledge but does not act upon it. They do not implement whatever they have learned but instead they told other people to act upon the knowledge.
The third analogy describes a group of people who acquire knowledge but does not act upon it and neither tells other people about their knowledge.
The first group of people is certainly the best of people and the third group is the worst group of people to be. This hadith despite being short, it conveys an important message that almost everyone, if not all are affected by it. The hadith describe three categories of people who acquire the knowledge of the Quran and hadith and act differently upon the knowledge. After more than 20 years living on this world, it is something for me to contemplate whether I am in the first, second or third group of people as described above....
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