Knowledge is Power

 When we say that knowledge is power, we mean that knowledge is the only source of strength in the world. It enables a man to rise in life and the nations to march forward, thrive and prosper.
        I would like to invite your attention to the event of the creation of mankind. When the act of creation started, God just said ( Kun fa yakin) "Be" and lo! It was there. But when the turn of the creation of man came, God paused and after due consideration, created man with his own hands because, being the best of all creations, he was going to be God's vicegerent on earth. Adam was given the knowledge of the names of all the things and objects around and angels were asked to bow down before him because of his superior knowledge. It was knowledge and knowledge alone, which raised the status of Adam over all the creations of God including angels and thus the power of knowledge was manifested on the very first day of man's creation.
        The only mark of distinction that separates man from the other creatures of God is nothing else but knowledge. The basic idea of the Quranic injunction, "Read, so that you understand the universe," highlights the power of knowledge. The knowledge of the physical sciences helps him get to know the universe in which he lives and probe into the secrets of the vast panorama of nature spread around him.
        Man has been sent on earth to think, observe, seek knowledge, and finally choose the right path, which strengthens his faith in Allah. Knowledge, therefore, is essential, as it strengthens our belief. Knowledge of all kinds should be acquired. It has been beautifully summed up in the Holy Quran: "In the creations of the heavens and the earth, in the alternation of day and night, in the ships that sail and benefit the man, in the clouds and in the rain, there are signs for those who think, understand and believe."
        Knowledge alone enables man to distinguish between right and wrong, virtue and vice, good and evil, truth and falsehood, courage and cowardice, and honour and disgrace. When the mind is enlightened, it chooses the right path, however painful or difficult it may be. Christ made this choice on the cross, Hazrat Imam Hussain, on the burning sands of Karbala, Hazrat Bilal on the glowing coals and sharps stones of Mecca and Hazrat Ibrahim, by jumping into the blazing fire. All these examples show that men of knowledge had a strong faith in Allah and their destiny and they always upheld their ideas even at the cost of their lives. 
        In a nutshell, the power of knowledge stands asserted and glorified now more than ever before in human history.