Allah (swt) says “…Allah will raise up in degrees those of you who believe and who have been granted knowledge and Allah is aware of what you do.” (al Mujaadilah 58:11) Ibn A’bbaas said about this ayah ‘Scholars will have higher degrees seven hundred times than the other believers, the distance between each degree and the other is five hundred years of marching’ (IBN QUDAAMAH ‘Mukhtasar Minhaajul Qaasideen’) U’mar ibn al Khattab reported that Nabi (saw) said “Verily Allah elevates some people and degrades others on account of this Book” (AHMAD [1/35] MUSLIM [1/559])

Abu Hurayrah reported that Nabi (saw) said “When a man dies all his actions are cut off from him except three sadaqah jaariyah, knowledge from which benefit is derived and the du’a of a righteous son” (MUSLIM) the last two are both connected to knowledge.

Abu Hurayrah reports Nabi (saw) “…And whoever treads a path seeking knowledge Allah will make his path to paradise easy . And people do not assemble in a house of the houses of Allah and recite therein the Book of Allah and learn it among themselves except that sakeenah descends on them and mercy encompasses them and angels surround them and Allah remembers them among those who are near them. And whoever is negligent in action his nasab will not help him.” (MUSLIM mishkaat vol.1 p.348)

Anas from Nabi (saw) “Whoso goes out in search of i’lm is in the path of Allah until he returns” (TIRMIDHI) Sakhbarah al Azdi from Nabi (saw) “Whoever seeks i’lm it will be kafaarah for his past sins” (TIRMIDHI)

Mursal from Hasan Nabi (saw) said “Whoever dies while seeking i’lm to bring Islam back to life there will be only one degree in paradise between him and the prophets” (DAARIMI) supported by the hadeeth “is in the way of Allah” and “Worship during fitnah is like hijrah to me” (MUSLIM)