Knowledge
The renowned scholar Al-Ghazali once stated, “Knowledge, if not fully embraced, will not yield any portion.” Knowledge is the core and foundation of civilization’s progress. Islam emphasizes the pursuit of knowledge, with the first revelation in the Holy Quran underscoring this aspect: “Read in the name of your Lord who created.” In this article, we will explore the beauty of poetry dedicated to the theme of knowledge.
Poems about Knowledge
- How admirable is knowledge, how it elevates
The minds of individuals who, but yesterday, were dull.
It nourishes them from the abundant light
That brightens their faces adorned with grace.
Among my nighttime dreams, it chose the finest of adornments,
Rare gems of wisdom, neither fragmented nor fleeting.
A gift for the heart of the one who has long celebrated
And sung my poetry, guiding and proclaiming.
- Seek knowledge and do not be idle, for
What good lies beyond the reach of laziness.
Rejoice in the understanding of religion, and do not
Consume wealth and possessions instead.
Shun sleep; seek it out, for whoever
Recognizes the goal disregards the effort expended.
Do not claim that the masters have vanished;
All who tread the path eventually arrive.
With the increase in knowledge, enemies are vanquished,
And knowledge contributes to the rectification of deeds.
Beautify your speech with proper grammar, for
He who is deprived of articulation will be confused.
Adhere to poetry and follow my principles,
Avoid lavishness; do not seek excess.
For it is a hallmark of virtue, and how
Lovely is poetry without it becoming popularized.
The virtuous have passed; only
Corruption remains or those who rely on heritage.
- Knowledge is not something one is born with;
And the knowledgeable do not compare to the ignorant.
A prominent figure among the people lacks knowledge;
He is insignificant when surrounded by the throngs.
And a humble man, if he is knowledgeable,
Is esteemed when summoned back to the gatherings.
- Through knowledge, nations can reach their peak,
There is no progress for nations without knowledge.
O, those who have been called upon, your generosity stems
From gratefulness akin to rain on a garden.
Those who give generously are rewarded if their intentions are noble,
With enduring blessings and favors.
If you find generosity absent from praiseworthy endeavors,
It may dangerously lead to the downfall of benevolence.
Such are the knowledge institutions that thrive,
Building pathways to the future’s heights.
And placing a stone in the foundation of a school,
Maintaining a legacy for people far and wide.
What a stark contrast between a house that enshrines
The strength of nations and a dilapidated home.
The East is burdened solely by its prolonged ignorance,
With ignorance at its helm, while nations stumble like sheep.
- I have learned, and the best knowledge is that which is beneficial,
For the truly fortunate are those who escape from the fire.
- So acquire knowledge from its scholars,
And seek wisdom among the wise.
- Knowledge resembles a lock; if you find it difficult,
Leave it and return to unlock its truths.
Hope may abandon after lengthy efforts,
Just as the West falters after being manned.
- Leaving souls devoid of knowledge or manners,
Is akin to leaving a sick person without medicine.
- When knowledge raises the banner of a nation,
Then even until the Day of Judgment, it will not falter.
A nation sleeps in peace, filling its eyelids,
As long as knowledge remains vigilant in guarding.
Encourage knowledge; urge it, O people, for knowledge is a duty.
Can a nation thrive,
If it neglects knowledge?
- When knowledge is adorned with good character,
It brings forth vast goodness to its people.
And although most of us acquire knowledge,
It is those who possess sound conscience who triumph.
Wealth is not true wealth; rather,
It is the light of knowledge that dispels the darkness of scarcity.
Do not presume that knowledge alone can lead,
If the ethics of its bearers stray from its illumination.
Knowledge is but light that drives away the gloom of ignorance,
Yet the eyes may wander upon its breaking.
No corrupt morals can thrive through knowledge,
Even if it is an ocean teeming with its depths.
- Gather knowledge fragments wherever you find them,
And inquire without shame; do not let it be a burden to you.
For if in matters of giving wealth you excel,
Then in giving knowledge, you are far superior.
- Why do I observe education becoming ineffective,
In restoring souls that have shattered?
Its products are reversed, its guidance has become scarce,
And its clarity has turned murky.
- Virtue lies solely with those who possess knowledge;
For they guide those who seek their way.
The value of a person is determined by what they excel in,
And the ignorant regard the learned as enemies.
So embrace knowledge; do not seek a substitute,
For the masses are dead, and the learned are alive,
Knowledge is a decoration; so strive for it diligently,
And seek it as long as you live, ever aspiring.
Depend on it, have faith in it, and be enriched by it,
And be patient, with a composed mind and alert spirit.
Do not slacken, for whether you plunge into it,
One day you are immersed in knowledge or deepened in ignorance.
And be a young man anchoring the essence of piety, devout to the faith,
And wholly engaged in the pursuit of knowledge.
- Knowledge is a treasure; so acquire it diligently,
And be its seeker as long as you live, ever aspiring.
Depend on it, have faith in God, and enrich yourself thereby,
Be patient, with a composed mind and alert spirit.
Be a young man embodying pure piety,
Devote yourself to faith, engaging eagerly in knowledge.
For whoever embodies good morals remains through them
A champion of his people, whenever the leaders depart.
- Knowledge is power; so navigate upon its gentle current,
Dive deep to extract its precious pearls,
For what is the worth of knowledge? It elevates the virtuous to
The heights of excellence and bows down the proud.
Knowledge, in this world, is beautiful and elevating,
And a salvation from doubts in faith.
Among the greatest of religious sciences is the interpretation of its revelation,
And the knowledge pertaining to the One free from faults.
It guarantees clear victory for its followers,
For dedication to achieving it is a praiseworthy endeavor.
There is no doubt that the pursuit of knowledge comes with challenge,
For those who strive will overcome the obstacles ahead.
So embark on a journey that clarifies your path,
If you face confusion, be steady in your resolve.
- I have seen that the one in possession of knowledge is noble.
Though born of humble origins, they rise above.
They are continually elevated until
Their status is recognized by the esteemed among all.
They are followed at every moment,
Like a shepherd followed by the flock.
Without knowledge, no man would thrive,
Nor recognize the lawful from the prohibited.
Wisdom Regarding Knowledge
- Nothing is juxtaposed with something better than sincerity paired with piety, patience with knowledge, truth with action; these are the adornments of morals and the root of virtues.
- There is no lineage as noble as humility, nor honor like knowledge.
- The foundation of knowledge is silence; listening comes second; memorizing is third; acting upon it is fourth; and the last is promoting it among others.
- If you see scholars at the doors of kings, say, “Wretched are the kings and wretched are the scholars.” But if you see kings at the doors of scholars, say, “Blessed are the kings and blessed are the scholars.”
- A person remains a scholar as long as they seek knowledge; once they believe they know everything, they begin their journey into ignorance.
- Knowledge is the elevated evolution of general information.
- One cannot acquire knowledge until learning how to think effectively.
- Knowledge withheld from the general population brings no benefit to the elite.
- Knowledge is like land; we can possess only a tiny fraction of it.
- You cannot be a true scholar without being a learner, and you cannot be known for knowledge until you become truly knowledgeable.
- A little knowledge coupled with practice is more beneficial than a vast amount of knowledge with little application.
- An ignorant person believes they are wise, while a wise person recognizes their own folly.
- Empower your mind with knowledge, for it is better than adorning your body with jewels.
Poems on Knowledge
Among the beautiful poems that celebrate knowledge, we present the following:
Through the Strength of Knowledge, a Nation’s Might Grows
By Mahmoud Sami Al-Baroudi
Through the strength of knowledge, a nation’s might expands,
For dominion in time is associated with the pen.
How many brave deeds the swords utter,
And how many wise words the pens breathe life into!
Had people been just, virtue would exist between them,
Supported by drops of ink, not the spilling of blood.
So dedicate yourself to knowledge to attain standing
In virtue, wrapped in honor and esteem.
Fruits of success are only harvested by those
Whose toil in knowledge is marked by sincere intentions.
If not for the reasoning of ideas, what would remain
To distinguish men amidst the richness of values?
And for every young man, there is a chance in time;
If they squander it in frivolous pursuits, regret ensues.
Were it not for the rotation of thoughts, treasures would not be revealed
From the lands between ease and knowledge.
What nations have withered away, their shadows vanished,
To roam amongst us in a world of words.
Take a look at the Two Great Pyramids; you will find
Marvels unseen in dreams.
Two structures, since the cosmos began to rotate,
Have stood unmatched in shape and size.
They contain wisdom that has faded from its sources,
Yet remains engraved in the earth’s expanse.
A people taken by the hands of time have faded
Yet their remembrance lives on, vibrant among those alive.
For many shapes there speak to us,
Clearly, without a tongue nor a mouth.
They recite for “Hermes” verses exemplifying
Greatness and glory, unblemished and sound.
Verses of pride, their light shines forth and manifests
As a remembrance, cherished in Arabic and foreign tongues.
And between them arises something akin to a flame,
Directing toward the East, observing the Nile’s flow from nations.
As if it stands ready to leap, watching,
For a prey it seeks, yet does not slumber.
A symbol indicating that the sciences, if
They spread throughout Egypt, rise from the depths of nothingness.
So awaken, O sons of the homeland, and rise
For knowledge is the pivot upon which justice revolves in nations.
Do not presume that wealth can exist without it,
For knowledge is the most noble of possessions.
And perhaps a wealthy man, in ignorance, is belittled,
While a poor man, with knowledge, is held in high regard.
Establish schools; they are the seeds that, when sown,
Will yield bountiful harvests, rich with blessings.
A treasure trove of knowledge, where children eternally dwell,
Engaged in lessons, akin to birds in sanctuaries.
From every wise elder here in their tenth year,
Whose words overflow with wisdom and insight.
Like a constellation brightening,
Illuminating all with its brilliance, overshadowing the dark.
They reap blooms from every science, fragrant,
Reviving spirits long imprisoned in decay.
How many poets among them boast of eloquence?
How many writers are astute, or mathematicians wise?
And how many geniuses have sourced their knowledge,
Bestowing upon them the garments of authority!
How many engineers guided by their wisdom,
Navigating the waters while crafting pathways.
And how many orators heal souls with their sermons,
And how many a physician has restored health from illness?
They are educated in the etiquette of royals, hence,
You will find them only among the illustrious and dignified.
A people who restore the world when it faces corruption,
And who divide justice between the wolf and the lamb.
And how can justice stand firm in a land
Where no prominence exists for knowledge?
What God has shaped for the bodies are hearts,
Only to elevate the dedicated and the wise.
And the happiest of people are those who reach a state
Of excellence, shining with high character.
If not for virtue, no memory would endure
Through the ages, beyond death and absence.
So let every individual reflect on what their hands have done
Before their end, for life is fleeting.
Revive Knowledge and Virtue
By Hafiz Ibrahim
May God bless you; revive knowledge and virtue.
If you spread knowledge, it will flourish among you like flowers.
There is no life for you except in the university,
Which should be a haven for aspiring students.
It builds men and raises all that is majestic
From loftiness, prosperity, and honor.
Establish as a foundation in your hearts, I do not urge you,
To place diamonds; for I check the gold.
Construct a barrier with your determination and resolve,
And dismiss the layman’s claim, for I know the cause.
Do not lose hope if you read what leads you,
That esteemed figure may challenge you with fury.
Be vigilant for the day when even the harvest cannot save you,
For all living beings will be rewarded for what they have earned.
How one has built towers on falsehood, towering high,
So too, build upon truth a tower equal to the clouds.
Respond to their deeds with actions that undermine
The rhetoric of the debater, whatever he said or wrote.
Do not fall asleep; for they shall not rest ever,
And pursue them, but with refined requests.
Have you heard the news of those who rose socrates?
And left behind for mankind a legacy of amazement?
The waters were bitter in Carthage; thus, they were detained,
The ship became lost, and her bond was untied.
Bodies are caught in the flames of war,
While the people remain entangled in strife;
The dust has filled the air with death and mayhem,
While their rivals remain paralyzed.
Would that this did not end, for once heavy with despair,
They fled into the hopes that turned sour.
There still, lovely ones offered what they once withheld,
While they took pride in the hopeful bonds unbroken.
They gathered in harmony, securing their riches,
And restored a homeland that was lost, reclaimed with vigor.
This is the enduring legacy; do not halt
At the words of those instigating oblivion.
Now reach for the example I am about to convey,
In your midst and in Egypt, whether truth or falsehood.
I have heard that a man in friendship with a dog,
Remained faithful until the end of their camaraderie.
One day, in hunger’s gnashing claws, he was swallowed,
Leaving only skin and bone in its wake.
He wept for the loss of the dog when he beheld it,
With patience leading bearing the grief of parting.
He wept and in his right hand, he bore a loaf,
Which would fetch a starving man from a league away.
Then those who witnessed it, filled with sympathy,
Inquired, “What ails this man? Surely he bears sorrow!”
What is it with this dog?” Someone mused. “Hunger grips it,
Causing it to tear at me, and beset it with claws.
They replied, when they saw the loaves, that they were loaves of plenty;
This remedy, can you take it to save him?”
He answered them and his reluctance grew,
Between friends, despite previous kindness, a barrier had arisen.
To this extent, their bonds were not strong enough
To survive the intrigues of greed’s folly.
So it is now, we have not reached accord,
Though this is enough to show how pain can stem from kindness.
These tears flow freely down his cheeks,
Grief-stricken, while his heart burns in dismay.
By God’s word, if our friendship is like
That of the dog, such misfortunes would only worsen.
I warn you not to behave like him, lest we see
You lament loudly without establishing a plea.
If you bestow upon your homeland, then for you,
Is the reward of the warrior; blessed is he who acted.