Quran verses about education, knowledge and learning

ٱقْرَأْ بِٱسْمِ رَبِّكَ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَ ﴿١﴾ خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مِنْ عَلَقٍ ﴿٢﴾ ٱقْرَأْ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلْأَكْرَمُ ﴿٣﴾ ٱلَّذِى عَلَّمَ بِٱلْقَلَمِ ﴿٤﴾ عَلَّمَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمْ يَعْلَمْ ﴿٥﴾

Iqra bismi rab bikal lazee khalaq Khalaqal insaana min 'alaq Iqra wa rab bukal akram Al lazee 'allama bil qalam 'Al lamal insaana ma lam y'alam

¹ Recite in the name of your Lord who created - ² Created man from a clinging substance. ³ Recite, and your Lord is the most Generous - ⁴ Who taught by the pen - ⁵ Taught man that which he knew not.

The first words revealed to the Prophet ﷺ, in the cave of Hira: read, and your Lord taught by the pen what man did not know (Sahih al-Bukhari 3).

فَتَعَٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْحَقُّ ۗ وَلَا تَعْجَلْ بِٱلْقُرْءَانِ مِن قَبْلِ أَن يُقْضَىٰٓ إِلَيْكَ وَحْيُهُۥ ۖ وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدْنِى عِلْمًۭا ﴿١١٤﴾

Fata'aalal laahul Malikul Haqq; wa laa ta'jal bil Quraani min qabli ai yuqdaaa ilaika wahyuhoo wa qur Rabbi zidnee 'ilmaa

So high [above all] is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur'an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, "My Lord, increase me in knowledge."

A dua taught in the Quran: Rabbi zidni ilma, my Lord, increase me in knowledge. Said while the Prophet ﷺ was receiving revelation.

أَمَّنْ هُوَ قَٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيْلِ سَاجِدًۭا وَقَآئِمًۭا يَحْذَرُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةَ وَيَرْجُوا۟ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّهِۦ ۗ قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِى ٱلَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ ﴿٩﴾

Amman huwa qaanitun aanaaa'al laili saajidanw wa qaaa'imai yahzarul Aakhirata wa yarjoo rahmata Rabbih; qul hal yastawil lazeena ya'lamoona wallazeena laa ya'lamoon; innamaa yatazakkaru ulul albaab

Is one who is devoutly obedient during periods of the night, prostrating and standing [in prayer], fearing the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, [like one who does not]? Say, "Are those who know equal to those who do not know?" Only they will remember [who are] people of understanding.

Are those who know equal to those who do not? Said about the one who stands at night in prayer, so knowledge here goes with worship.

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمْ تَفَسَّحُوا۟ فِى ٱلْمَجَٰلِسِ فَٱفْسَحُوا۟ يَفْسَحِ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَإِذَا قِيلَ ٱنشُزُوا۟ فَٱنشُزُوا۟ يَرْفَعِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ مِنكُمْ وَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمَ دَرَجَٰتٍۢ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌۭ ﴿١١﴾

Yaaa ayyuhal lazeena aamanoo izaa qeela lakum tafassahoo fil majaalisi fafsahoo yafsahil laahu lakum wa izaa qeelan shuzoo fanshuzoo yarfa'il laahul lazeena aamanoo minkum wallazeena ootul 'ilma darajaat; wallaahu bimaa ta'maloona khabeer

O you who have believed, when you are told, "Space yourselves" in assemblies, then make space; Allah will make space for you. And when you are told, "Arise," then arise; Allah will raise those who have believed among you and those who were given knowledge, by degrees. And Allah is Acquainted with what you do.

Allah raises in rank those who believe and those given knowledge. It starts with manners in a gathering: make room for others.

وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱلدَّوَآبِّ وَٱلْأَنْعَٰمِ مُخْتَلِفٌ أَلْوَٰنُهُۥ كَذَٰلِكَ ۗ إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ ٱلْعُلَمَٰٓؤُا۟ ۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ ﴿٢٨﴾

Wa minan naasi wadda waaabbi wal an'aami mukhtalifun alwaanuhoo kazalik; innamaa yakhshal laaha min 'ibaadihil 'ulamaaa'; innal laaha 'Azeezun Ghafoor

And among people and moving creatures and grazing livestock are various colors similarly. Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Forgiving.

After the colours of creation: of His servants, it is those with knowledge who truly fear Allah.

وَعَلَّمَ ءَادَمَ ٱلْأَسْمَآءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنۢبِـُٔونِى بِأَسْمَآءِ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ ﴿٣١﴾ قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَٰنَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَآ إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ﴿٣٢﴾

Wa 'allama Aadamal asmaaa'a kullahaa summa 'aradahum 'alal malaaa'ikati faqaala ambi'oonee bias maaa'i haaa'ulaaa'i in kuntum saadiqeen Qaaloo subhaanaka laa 'ilma lanaaa illaa maa 'allamtanaaa innaka antal'aleemul hakeem

³¹ And He taught Adam the names - all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, "Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful." ³² They said, "Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise."

Allah taught Adam the names of all things. The angels said: we have no knowledge except what You have taught us.

يُؤْتِى ٱلْحِكْمَةَ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ وَمَن يُؤْتَ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِىَ خَيْرًۭا كَثِيرًۭا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ ﴿٢٦٩﴾

Yu'til Hikmata mai yashaaa'; wa mai yutal Hikmata faqad ootiya khairan kaseeraa; wa maa yazzakkaru illaaa ulul albaab

He gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever has been given wisdom has certainly been given much good. And none will remember except those of understanding.

Wisdom is a gift Allah gives to whom He wills, and whoever is given it has been given much good.

شَهِدَ ٱللَّهُ أَنَّهُۥ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ وَٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةُ وَأُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْعِلْمِ قَآئِمًۢا بِٱلْقِسْطِ ۚ لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ﴿١٨﴾

Shahidal laahu annahoo laa ilaaha illaa Huwa walmalaaa'ikatu wa ulul 'ilmi qaaa'imam bilqist; laaa ilaaha illaa Huwal 'Azeezul Hakeem

Allah witnesses that there is no deity except Him, and [so do] the angels and those of knowledge - [that He is] maintaining [creation] in justice. There is no deity except Him, the Exalted in Might, the Wise.

Allah, the angels and the people of knowledge bear witness that there is no god but Him. The people of knowledge are named alongside the angels.

هُوَ ٱلَّذِى بَعَثَ فِى ٱلْأُمِّيِّۦنَ رَسُولًۭا مِّنْهُمْ يَتْلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِمْ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ وَيُزَكِّيهِمْ وَيُعَلِّمُهُمُ ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَٱلْحِكْمَةَ وَإِن كَانُوا۟ مِن قَبْلُ لَفِى ضَلَٰلٍۢ مُّبِينٍۢ ﴿٢﴾

Huwal lazee ba'asa fil ummiyyeena Rasoolam min hum yatloo 'alaihim aayaatihee wa yuzakkeehim wa yu'allimuhumul Kitaaba wal Hikmata wa in kaano min qablu lafee dalaalim mubeen

It is He who has sent among the unlettered a Messenger from themselves reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and wisdom - although they were before in clear error -

The Prophet ﷺ was sent to an unlettered people to recite the ayat to them, purify them and teach them the Book and wisdom.

۞ وَمَا كَانَ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ لِيَنفِرُوا۟ كَآفَّةًۭ ۚ فَلَوْلَا نَفَرَ مِن كُلِّ فِرْقَةٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ طَآئِفَةٌۭ لِّيَتَفَقَّهُوا۟ فِى ٱلدِّينِ وَلِيُنذِرُوا۟ قَوْمَهُمْ إِذَا رَجَعُوٓا۟ إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ ﴿١٢٢﴾

Wa maa kaanal mu'minoona liyanfiroo kaaaffah; falaw laa nafara min kulli firqatim minhum taaa'ifatul liyatafaqqahoo fiddeeni wa liyunziroo qawmahum izaa raja'ooo ilaihim la'allahum yahzaroon

And it is not for the believers to go forth [to battle] all at once. For there should separate from every division of them a group [remaining] to obtain understanding in the religion and warn their people when they return to them that they might be cautious.

Not all the believers should go out at once: a group should stay to learn the religion and teach their people when they return.

وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًۭا نُّوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَسْـَٔلُوٓا۟ أَهْلَ ٱلذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾

Wa maaa arsalnaa min qablika illaa rijaalan nooheee ilaihim; fas'alooo ahlaz zikri in kuntum laa ta'lamoon

And We sent not before you except men to whom We revealed [Our message]. So ask the people of the message if you do not know.

Ask the people of knowledge if you do not know. The ayah speaks of earlier revelation, and scholars take from it the duty to ask those who know.

قَالَ لَهُۥ مُوسَىٰ هَلْ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمْتَ رُشْدًۭا ﴿٦٦﴾

Qaala lahoo Moosaa hal attabi'uka 'alaaa an tu'allimani mimmaa 'ullimta rushdaa

Moses said to him, "May I follow you on [the condition] that you teach me from what you have been taught of sound judgement?"

Musa, a great prophet, asked al-Khidr humbly: may I follow you so that you teach me? Travel and humility in seeking knowledge.

وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلْمٌ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْبَصَرَ وَٱلْفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ كَانَ عَنْهُ مَسْـُٔولًۭا ﴿٣٦﴾

Wa laa taqfu maa laisa laka bihee 'ilm; innas sam'a walbasara walfu'aada kullu ulaaa'ika kaana 'anhu mas'oolaa

And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight and the heart - about all those [one] will be questioned.

Do not follow what you have no knowledge of. Hearing, sight and the heart will all be asked about.

ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ ﴿١﴾ عَلَّمَ ٱلْقُرْءَانَ ﴿٢﴾ خَلَقَ ٱلْإِنسَٰنَ ﴿٣﴾ عَلَّمَهُ ٱلْبَيَانَ ﴿٤﴾

Ar Rahmaan 'Allamal Quran Khalaqal insaan 'Allamalhul bayaan

¹ The Most Merciful ² Taught the Qur'an, ³ Created man, ⁴ [And] taught him eloquence.

The Most Merciful taught the Quran, created man and taught him clear speech.