Knowledge may be defined as the “range” of information of a person, group or society. Awareness and familiarity gained by experience as a sum of theoretical and practical understanding by the mankind also do not remove the limits imposed by the very definition. The ever unfolding information has created increasing realization that extremely little is known about the enormous yet unknown. For the unlimited unknown, the Quraa’n, says:

"And with Him (Allah) are the keys of the GHAIB (all the unseen-hidden).” (6-59) "Say: ‘None in the heavens and the earth knows the Ghaib (unseen-hidden) except Allah,”

Knowledge (Ilm) leads to (Hikmah) which literally means wisdom. And wisdom is power. Knowledge and correct understanding of the Quraa’n and the Sunnah provide the power and ability to speak and act in the correct and right way. Hikmah is generally defined as knowledge of the (i) essence, (ii) attributes, (iii) specialties and (iv) results of things as they exist and are seen with the study of their (a) cause, (b) effect and (c) use. Hikmah provides four-fold power of wisdom:

• Spoken Wisdom: as known through The Quraa’n.
• Unspoken: As understood by scholars.
• Unknown: (Ghaib).
• Truth (Haq): (a) Knowing and acting upon it, and (b)perception of error and its reject-ion.

The knowledge, excelled by application and experience, improves this Power. The Knowledge in the Quraa’n is not just for existing or living but leads to the Wisdom-Power necessary for administering the whole range of creation from “self” to the Super Space. The correct understanding depends upon guidance, which is of two kinds:

• Guidance of Taufeeq (attunement) and it is totally from Allah i.e., Allah opens one's heart to receive the Truth.
? “Allah guides whom He will”

? “He grants Hikmah to whom He pleases, and he, to whom Hikmah is granted, is indeed granted abundant good. But none remember except men of understanding."

? (After Adam wronged himself) We (Allah) said: “Get down all of you from this place (the Paradise), then whenever there comes to you Guidance from Me, and whoever follows My guidance, there shall be no fear on them, nor shall they grieve", (2-38).

Adam has been given higher rank in creatures because of knowledge and Allah made him demonstrate what he was taught by Him, before angels.

• Guidance of Irshaad i.e., through preaching and propagation.

The term knowledge is usually applied to “ILM” as given in the Quraa’n and the Sunnah. It is classified as:

• Elementary knowledge relating to the word and meaning of the Quraa’n and Sunnah.
• Perfected knowledge relating to the understanding of Faith and Practice.
• Revealed knowledge i.e., direct revelation of the “Truth”.
It is also differentiated on the basis of the mode of unfolding of the knowledge, thus:
• Acquired knowledge (Ilm) includes all, SCIENCE, LEARNING, LORE, INFORMATION, SCHOLARSHIP, EDUCATION, COGNIZANCE, PERCEPTION (Al-Mawrid).
• Knowledge (Alqaa) delivered, dictated, notified, advised, declared, announced, as communique, bulletin etc. (Al-Mawrid).
• Knowledge through (Ilhaam) INSPIRATION, AFFLATUS (Divine creative impulse).
• Revealed Knowledge (Wahee).
Prophet Muhammad (SAW) has divided knowledge in three kinds: (Mishkat):
• Established Ayat of AI-Quraa’n .
(The other Ayat not revealing all details till the given time frame have to be studied without (i) (Ta’weel) interpreting their meaning into different things or (ii) (Tashbeeh), giving resemblance or similarity to any of the creatures or (iii) (Ta’teel) completely ignoring or denying them).
• Correct Ahadis.
• Lawful interpretation of the Quraa’n and Sunnah.
Generally speaking there are innumerable branches of knowledge and there is no limit to it.
Acquisition of Knowledge has been ordained and encouraged by Quraa’n and Hadith:
Allah has ordained imparting knowledge in a fair and wise manner.
• "Invite (mankind, O Muhammad) to the Way of your Lord with Wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in a way that is better".
In this connection some Ahadis may also be quoted; e.g.:
• "Desire of knowledge is a divine commandment".
• "Who conceals knowledge will face fire".
• "Who pursues the road of knowledge, God will direct him to the road of Paradise".
Learning implies understanding. All the liturgical, verbal or vocal prayers and charities without proper understanding may go waste and fail to create the desired positive impact on the individual and the society.
• “(This is) a Book (the Quraa’n) which We have sent down to you, full of blessings that they may ponder over its Verses, and that men of understanding may remember”..
• “It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah”.
• Your portion in the Prayer (Salah) is that much which you prayed with Understanding (Hadith).
• Abuzar narrated that the Prophet told him that if he could learn one Ayah as he got up in the morning that was even better than hundred Rakaa’t Nawafil. (Abu-Daud).
• Salman, the Persian, narrated that the Prophet said that one should not give up recitation of the Quraa’n under any circumstances. (Anwarul-Quraa’n).
• The Prophet has said that one religious scholar is better equipped than thousands of worshipers against the satan.
• The best person among you is he who has learnt the Quraa’n and teaches it. If you know even one Ayah of the Quraa’n preach, spread it further. (Tirmizi).

Except the Quraa’n all other writings in the history of mankind have become outdated, corrupted, changed or revised. Al-Quraa’n is the only Book which is preserved in the Original Word of Allah. The Quraa’n is eternal in its original essence. It is the word of God-His Revelation.

The word Quraa’n is derived from Arabic “Qara”, the first chapter of which was revealed in Surah 45. In Hebrew it is “Kara”: to read, recite. “Milka”: the reading.

Most of the special titles of Al-Quran, describe it as the fountain of Knowledge and Wisdom, e.g.

• “A Book which We (Allah) have revealed to you in order that you may lead mankind out of darkness into light”.
Al-Quraa’n has described itself as Mubeen i.e., Indicator, Pointer, The one who expresses its massage and purpose clearly.
• “Verily, We (Allah) Ourselves have sent down the Dhiker (i.e., the Quraa’n) and surely, We will guard it”.
There are at least four aspects of teaching of the Quraa’n :-

(I) Tilawat: means reading, recital, recitation (with understanding and reflection), follow (practice).
• Literally it means to follow. It requires reflection, remembrance, repetition, and continuity, slowly with assimilation; with acceptance by the brain and impact on the heart. It has its special charm and appeal much above melody and tone. It has its marvelous impacts in calm, agitation and anger, i.e., in all moods. Tilawat should be in a scientific manner. It should be technically effective, touching and sweet.
• Gilles Guilbert, a Frenchman, by taste, nature and profession, was a musician. He heard one day recitation of the Holy Quran so powerful that he wanted to hear more and more. He was so much more impressed when he came to know that it was not a poem but a prose. He began meditating. Then he learned Arabic, and began reading the Quran himself. At last, he became Abdullah Guilbert. He explained that poems can be scanned and measured with mathematical precision in any language, but not prose, be that a classical or the modern language; the only exception is Arabic; and in Arabic, only the Quraa’n, the poetic prose. So the Quran cannot be of human origin, surely it is the revealed word of God Himself. As to different aspects of the Quraa’n, such as its script and its psalmody, it appears that the Arabic script was developed primarily for the exact pronunciations of the Holy Quraa’n. (From the writing of Dr. Muha-mmad Hamidullah in Al-Yaqeen, Khaleej Times. The News 03-01-99).

(II) Purification of “Self” - Mind and Body
• Prophet Moses (A.S)’s Meditation of 40 rights on the Mount Sinai and training of Bani Israel in the Sinai Desert are examples of spiritual training for purification. But Aitikaf for mediation has been made much easier for muslims. Easier still is the Tahjud.
• Surah Muzammil is the Training Course giving time table and syllabus for Purification: ¬
? Standing in Prayer for about half of the night.
? Recitation of Al-Quran with slow assimilation.
?????“O You wrapped in garments (i.e. Prophet Muhammad SAW)! Stand (to pray) all night, except a little. Half of it, --- or a little less than that, Or a little more; and recite the Quraa’n (aloud) in a slow, (pleasant tone and) style”. (73-1 to 4).
• In the beginning for about one and half years it remained like compulsory for Prophet Muhammad (SAW), but continued for the whole life. For the Companions of the Prophet it assumed the status of Sunnah Mukadah:

(III) Teaching of the Book
• in detail
• in sequence
• with continuity
• with meaning
• with objective
• Its Commandments:-
? Dos, and
? Don'ts

(IV) Teaching of HIKMAH
Teaching of HIKMAH through the model of life of the Holy Prophet according to the ordainments of Allah. Translation and explanation of the Book into action is therefore called Hikmah i.e., Seerat and Sunnah. Sunnah is the Wise and Virtuous Way of life. Allah has promised success on this Way. It comprises:¬-
• Qaul (Word)
• Deed
• Silence
(I) to (IV) above leading to HIKMAH are explained in Surah 62 and 73 (Surah Al-Mudassir and Al-Muzammil):

• “He it is Who sent among the unlettered ones a Messenger (Muhammad SAW) from among themselves, reciting to them His Verses, purifying them (from the filth of disbelief and polytheism) and teaching them the Book (this Quraa’n, Islamic laws and Islamic jurisprudence) and Al-hikmah (As-Sunnah: legal ways, orders, acts of worship, etc. of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). And verily, they had been before in manifest error;”
• “An insight and a Reminder for every slave turning to Allah” .
Al-Quraa'n is mercy and healing also:-
• “And We send down from the Quraa’n that which is a healing and a mercy to those who believe”.
• “O Mankind! There has come to you a good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Quraa’n, ordering all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that (disease of ignorance, doubt, hypocrisy, differences, etc.) in your breasts, a guidance and a mercy (explaining lawful and unlawful things, etc.) for the believers”.
The Challenge of Quraa’n :
• “And if you are in doubt concerning that which We (Allah) have sent down (the Quraa’n) to Our dutiful-salve (Muhammad), then produce a surah (Chapter) of the like thereof and call your witn-esses, besides Allah, if you are truthful”.
• “But if you do it not, and you can never do it”.
• Do they not then think deeply in the Quraa’n, or are their hearts locked up (from understanding it)?