Acquiring knowledge is a basic human urge. It distinguishes a human from the rest of living things. It is the precursor to all the advancements whether it is related to the ages of mankind, intellectual growth, or any other form of innovation.

Knowledge has a significant impact on ones worldview, values, and lifestyle. A person who bows down a monkey has a conviction based on the knowledge that he feels perfect and an atheist refutes the existence of God due to the conviction he has based on the knowledge he/she posses.

Umar RA went to Syria and passed through a old monk who was praying tirelessly and his eyebrows went white and fell on his eyes and was in a very fragile situation. All his efforts went astray as he was believing in a wrong religion. Hazrat Umar RA recited the verses عَامِلَةٌ نَّاصِبَةٌ تَصْلٰى نَارًا حَامِیَةً Working [hard] and exhausted. They will [enter to] burn in an intensely hot Fire. [ الغاشية]

Which means there are billions out there who have although spent their lives and energies to acquire knowledge but, alas, the faulty one. Consequently, merely knowledge acquisition has no meaning if the chosen path leads to nowhere. Hence, everyone of us should strive for the correct knowledge acquisition.

Mentors and Sources of knowledge are the two pivotal factors that shape the inculcation of values in Humans. One must be cautious while choosing the mentors and the sources of knowledge. As every knowledge is neither beneficial nor harmless.

Maulana Rumi RA says in his Mathnavi

علم انست کہ بخشاید رہے
راہ انست کہ پیشاید شہ

Knowledge is something that besties you the right path. And the true path is the one which leads you to your Lord.

We have got sources of knowledge scattered around us. Our friends circle, every text and video we see, every channel we subscribe to, every whatsapp group we are in, every novel or textbook we read, every seminar and gathering we attend.

We all need to be extra vigilant on our choice of friends, sources of knowledge, and most importantly should choose a pious mentor so that bombardment of right and wrong knowledge does not harm our soul and steers us towards our Lord, who loves us the most.

One of a relevant gifted supplications from Nabi Sallaho alaihi wassalam is as follows

اللَّهُمَّ إنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ عِلْماً نَافِعاً، وَرِزقاً طَيِّباً، وَعَمَلاً مُتَقَبَّلاً

O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, good provision, and deeds that will be accepted