Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever seeks a way to acquire knowledge, Allah will make his way easy to Paradise.” (Sahih Muslim) The above Hadith is a part of a long Hadith which talks about the importance and virtues of seeking knowledge. This Hadith mentions that if one chooses to seek the path of knowledge then he has a lot to gain from it. If we try to analyze, we will understand that the type of knowledge our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is mentioning hear is the knowledge of the Qur'an and the Sunnah. This kind of knowledge will lead one to paradise. Othman Bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The most superior among you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it.” (Bukhari) The road to paradise becomes easy when a Muslim seeks knowledge for the sake of Allah Alone, for only His pleasure and to seek His reward. Since Islam teaches every aspect of life one can easily identify a change in behavior, outlook and perspective of the seeker. To gain proper kind of knowledge a Muslim should do actions that are ordained by Allah and avoid things forbidden by Him. He should become punctual in offering his Salah, Sawm and other obligations. He should not only improve his relationship with his Lord but also improve his relationship with his kith and kin and all human beings in general. In any case knowledge is light and ignorance is darkness. But in the light of this Hadith the only kind of knowledge that can be beneficial in the Hereafter is the knowledge of Islam. By gaining knowledge knowledge a person's life is enlightened and his vision is widened, which reduces the chances of one being misguided. He doesn't do anything wrong with himself nor he does it with others. He himself walks in light and helps others to do the same. Furthermore, he is guided by Allah from darkness and evil. A person who is enriched with the knowledge of Qur'an and Sunnah is blessed with many virtues attached as mentioned in the Qur'an and Ahadith. The birds and creatures on land, the fishes in the oceans pray for the forgiveness of a person who he set out in search of knowledge. To gain knowledge a person has to choose the correct route for it, which is attending Islamic lectures, being a part of gatherings where reflect on Ahadith and verses from the Qur'an, reading religious books and so on. Thus, if a person strives to acquire knowledge then Insha'Allah one shall be able to acquire it, and the road to paradise would become easy as well. __
