Access to Books

Access to Books A Hadith states: “Preserve knowledge by writing it down.” (Sunan Al-Darimi, Hadith No. 514). According to this, there are two types of knowledge: one that is preserved in written form and another that remains unwritten. The difference between a knowledgeable person (‘alim) and an ignorant person (Jahil) lies in their access to these types of knowledge. An ignorant person can only access unwritten knowledge, while a knowledgeable person has access to both written and unwritten knowledge. A person who cannot read is limited to what they can hear. Knowledge that exists beyond their hearing—preserved in books and written records—remains inaccessible to them. However, more than 99% of all knowledge is preserved in written form. Educational institutions enable people to access this preserved knowledge. In my personal case, I am naturally an introverted person. Once, an Arab sheikh asked me about myself, and I replied: “I am a man who loves solitude.” (Ana rajulun yuhibbu al-‘uzlah). The education I received at the madrasa made it possible for me to fully utilize my solitude for acquiring knowledge. If I had been deprived of the ability to study books, this would never have been possible. In that case, I would have only known the few things I happened to hear from people around me. However, being able to read meant that I could use all my time to increase my knowledge and understanding.