Seek knowledge before you seek a position

بـسـم الله والحـمـد لله والـصلاة والـسـلام عــلى رسـول الله ، وبـعـد

Imaam al-Bukhaaree رحمه الله said in his Saheeh:

Kitaab al-`ilm:

(15) CHAPTER: Wish to be like the one who has knowledge and al-Hikmah [wisdom i.e. the knowledge of the Qur’aan and the Sunnah (legal ways) of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم]

And `Umar رضي الله عنه said: “Everyone must acquire sound religious knowledge early before he becomes a chief.”[1]

(Imaam al-Bukhaaree also said): “The Companions of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had studied in spite of the fact that they were old in age.”

--end of quote from Saheeh al-Bukhaaree

[1] The statement of `Umar ibn al-Khattaab رضي الله عنه has two explanations:

a. Seek knowledge before you seek a position, like the position of a judge – as the doctors and engineers do. Nobody becomes a doctor or an engineer overnight. Similarly, nobody can become a judge or a scholar overnight. A careless doctor plays with the lives of the people, whereas an imposter – pretending to be a person of knowledge – plays with the Aakhirah of the people.

b. Seek knowledge before you are overtaken by the responsibilities which would prevent you from seeking knowledge later on in life. Seek knowledge early in life when a person has a lot of time and fewer responsibilities; and when a person is young and has strong memory to retain all that he learns, unlike later in life where the memory fails the person.