In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Ever Merciful…

The great scholar, Shaykh Rabee’ ibn Haadee al-Madkhlee (may Allah have Mercy on him) said:

The Messenger (may Allah raise his rank and grant him peace) provided a comparison about the knowledge he came with: “The likeness of what Allah sent me with of guidance and knowledge is like abundant rain which falls upon the land. Some areas have pure soil which absorbs the water and produces grass and much vegetation. Other areas have hard surfaces which hold the water and provide benefit to people; they drink it, give some to their animals, and irrigate [their crops] with it. The rain also falls on other areas which are merely barren lands which do not hold any water nor produce any vegetation. This is the likeness of someone who has understanding in the religion of Allah and benefits from what Allah has sent me with, as he learns and teaches, compared to someone who does not raise his head to heed any of that, nor does he accept any of Allah’s guidance which I have been sent with.” [1]

So people are of different types as it relates to benefitting from [Islamic] knowledge:

One type is like the pure soil, his heart accepts this goodness, and so it produces yields like when the soil absorbs rain, producing vegetation and harvests. It provides people with food for their animals and food for themselves, of fruits and other harvests. Such soil benefits [itself] from that rain and also provides benefit to others. This is like the one who gains understanding by memorizing knowledge and learning how to understand it and derive rulings, beliefs, and principles from it. Such a person presents these matters to the people so they could [also] benefit from them.

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