SHAFAQNA – A man from Ansar came to the Prophet of Islam (PBUH) and asked: If a burial ceremony is taking place and one must take part in that ceremony, and at the same time there is a scientific meeting taking place which we can benefit from it (gain knowledge), and also there is not enough time to take part in both of them, in your opinion which one is better to attend? The Prophet (PBUH) replied: If there are other people who can take part in burial ceremony, attend the scientific meeting. Verily, taking part in a scientific meeting (a meeting where knowledge can be gained) is better than taking part in thousand burial ceremonies, and visiting thousand sick persons, and praying for thousand nights, and fasting for thousand days, and paying thousand Derhams Sadaqah (for charity), and going to thousand non-obligatory Hajj, and thousand non-obligatory Jihads. How can these be compared with being present in a meeting with a learned person? Don’t you know that God is obeyed through knowledge, and it is through knowledge that Allah (SWT) is worshipped? The good of this world and the hereafter is linked with knowledge, as the bad of this world and the hereafter is linked to ignorance [1].
[1] Dastan-e-Rastan, Martyr Morteza Motahhari, Page 370.