Knowledge is luminescence. It is the fallout of God's will rather than one's own. It is clearly stated in the holy book ,Al Quran, that this is the book which guides the mankind and this is also the same book which makes one go astray. Why? Because the will of humans is helpless in the pursuit of knowledge. Knowledge is blessing showered by God on his chosen one's.

Knowledge is the worship of heart and mystic emendation. Always gain it for the sake of Allah , to get Almighty's contiguity. The fame and excellence achieved by means other than knowledge is devilish. On the day of judgement even the martyrs will envy, seeing the dignity and the degree of nearness to Allah, of the knowledgeable class. Allah says among believers only the knowledgeable class is most afraid of him.
Our Apostle says that the virtuous one without knowledge is like a Kolu Ka bail who despite making every effort finds himself reach nowhere . In other words , the virtues without knowledge can lead us to nowhere . The knowledge is given due importance in every sphere of life. In Islam it's made compulsory on both men and women to acquire knowledge even if one has to travel from one corner of the world to the other. Here, in this pursuit the world's biggest written constitution also guarantees the right to free education for our children. In fact, there is no religion or the human race and culture , etc that does not recognize the importance of knowledge. Indeed , there is no denying to the fact that a man without knowledge is deaf and dumb, and lame and blind.
The antonym of “ Ilm” (knowledge) is “ Jehl” (ignorance). The Quran as a place says that turn your back to the ignorant. It means that we should not strike our head with the stony walls of illiteracy and ignorance rather we should educate the uneducated lot. Ali ibn Abu Talib, 4th Caliph (may Allah be pleased with him), once said, "I would be slave of a person who teaches me a letter" accentuating the importance of knowledge.
In the Qur'an the word 'Alim has occurred in 140 places, while al-'Ilm in 27. In all, the total number of verses in which 'Ilm or its derivatives and associated words are used is 704. The aids of knowledge such as book, pen, ink etc. amount to almost the same number. Qalam occurs in two places, al-Kitab in 230 verses, among which al-Kitab for al-Qur'an occurs in 81 verses. The Islamic revelation started with the word Iqra' ('read!' or 'recite!'). According to the Qur'an, the first teaching class for Adam started soon after his creation and Adam was taught 'all the Names'.
Usually, knowledge is defined as something known. However, the ambit of knowledge is beyond that . Despite known it includes both unknown and anonymous world in its definition. This can be supported with the famous saying that when one's conscience develops and goes beyond ordinary and everything becomes evident to his eyes , he reiterates;
I know that I know nothing.
Knowledge is to get rid of books. A man who becomes independent of books and libraries is the real knowledgeable. No doubt, books and libraries play their own part in this pursuit. But the real knowledge is beyond these. Books are the mirrors of realities , they are the experiences of the humans expressed in them and the real knowledge is experiencing the reality expressed in the books. It's this self experience of the God's reality that makes one real knowledgeable though experiencing to the perfection is not possible.
Knowledge can prove to be light as well as veil. Light to those who are getting closeness to God by sacrificing their ego, swagger and self. Self is temporary while God is forever. Knowledge leading to the development of self ego and swagger is veil. Abu Jahal had also knowledge but his knowledge developed his ego and thus the veil.
Development of self is necessary but not the ego and self esteem . And the self too to the necessity of living . Beyond that the knowledge is veil. Knowledge is light when it leads to the understanding of self. As Allah says in the Quran, one who understands the self indeed knows the Almighty.
There are diverse fields in the pursuit of knowledge. Understanding and pursuing the one which is fruitful not only here but in the hereafter particularly is light. The Prophet (SAW) advised the Ummah to seek and implore Allah for the knowledge which is useful. Thus, getting knowledge which is not useful is veil and the knowledge which is useful is light.
At last but not least , I would like to mention that all the great scholars especially of Islam like Hazrat Luqman and Abu Hanifa used to advice their children; to not follow fame and wealth, instead run after knowledge and the rest will follow you. So, lets implore Allah to put us among the knowledgible class so that we will be lightened in both the worlds; here and hereafter as well. Ameen!

The Author is PG ( physics ) Bed from Kashmir University.
Email:------------- syedsabaht1@gmail.com