Is There an Age at Which It Becomes Difficult to Seek Knowledge?

Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa

Question

Is there an age at which it becomes difficult for a person to seek knowledge?

Answer

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds. Peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.

There is no specific age at which it becomes difficult to seek knowledge. However, certain challenges may arise for some individuals along the path of seeking knowledge, such as old age, which may bring about weakened eyesight, hearing, and concentration. Additionally, advancing in age may increase a person’s family responsibilities, making it harder to dedicate time to learning.

With the Inkwell to the Grave!

It is narrated by Salih Ibn Ahmad Ibn Hanbal that a man saw a writing slate with Ahmad Ibn Hanbal and said to him: “O Abu Abdullah, you have reached this age, and you are the Imam of the Muslims, yet you still carry a writing slate?” Imam Ahmad responded: “With the inkwell to the grave.” [Ibn Jawzi, Manaqib al-Imam Ahmad]

The meaning here is that he would not cease seeking knowledge until he was taken to his grave.

No Specific Period

Thus, engaging in the pursuit of knowledge is not limited to a specific period of time; rather, it is a continuous and lifelong endeavor, as Allah (Most High) says:

“And worship your Lord until the inevitable comes your way.” [Quran, 15:99]

When Abdullah Ibn al-Mubarak was asked: “Until when will you continue seeking knowledge?” He replied: “Until death, if Allah wills.”

Imam Ghazali mentioned: “Old age only increases the ignorance of the ignorant, for knowledge is the fruit of the intellect, and it is a natural instinct unaffected by old age.” [Ghazali, Ihya’]

Ayyub Sakhtiyani said: “I met an eighty-year-old man who was following a young boy to learn from him.”

It was said to Abu ‘Amr Ibn al-‘Ala’: “Is it appropriate for an elder to learn from someone younger?” He replied: “If ignorance is unbecoming for him, then learning is becoming for him.” [Ibid.]

It is narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said: “There are two insatiable seekers: a seeker of knowledge and a seeker of the worldly.” [Ibn Abi Shayba]

For this reason, scholars often advise their students to continue seeking knowledge throughout their lives. One of them said: “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave.”

This is because they internalized the words of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace):

“Whomever Allah intends good for, He gives him understanding in the religion.” [Bukhari]

Their souls longed to attain that noble status and honor.

Scholars

Lastly, scholars are the living among the dead. Those who hoarded wealth may have lived but have now died, while scholars remain alive as long as time endures. Their physical presence may be absent, but their knowledge remains in the hearts and on the pages.

So, seek knowledge, and you will live eternally through it.

“People are dead, and the people of knowledge are alive.”

May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.

[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa

Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.

He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.

He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.

Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.